Filed under: Car Buying, Crossovers/CUVs, Buick, GM, GMC
GMC Acadia will get Denali treatment plus V8
After a day behind the wheel of the new GMC Acadia crossover SUV, the folks at Popular Mechanics report some new information that snuck out in a conversation with a particularly chatty GM staffer.
He revealed that the Acadia will get the Denali treatment and, along with the usual trim level upgrades, a V8. The more interesting news is that the V8 under the hood of the Acadia Denali, and most assuredly the Buick Enclave as well, will be from an entirely new engine family being developed for transverse applications.
He stopped short of giving up specs, but the 3.6-liter V6 as tuned for use in the new crossovers makes 275 horsepower, so figure 300+ for sure. Hey General, how about 400?
Thanks to Ben at Popular Mechanics for the heads-up!
[Source: Ben Stewart / Popular Mechanics]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
rrr 4:05PM (12/07/2006)
Folks, should we countinue that discussion we had on all those hybrids GM makes. What does V8 stand for? 8 MPG?
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uncle john 4:22PM (12/07/2006)
Would you say that about Mercedes? BMW? Audi? Oh, I see, gas guzzlers must be endemic of GM only. Everybody else gets a free pass. Tell me, is this really Ryan in disguise?
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That One Person 4:32PM (12/07/2006)
rrr...Obviously YOU want to continue the discussion because you were the first person to bring it up. Go drive around in your Prius and try to convince yourself that Toyota doesnt produce FIVE gas guzzling SUVs(I'm not counting the Rav4) and TWO trucks. And I am not even counting the Lexus versions...
Anyways, why dont they just use the 5.3 liter V-8 with DOD? Its a good engine and would get decent mileage...
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The other Bob 4:36PM (12/07/2006)
The Outlook and Acadia get 25mpg w/ awd and 26 w/ fwd in a V-6. They get great gas mileage. Nobody comes close. If one doesn't like the V-8, don't get it.
That said, it will still probably get 22 plus with a V-8 considering the heavier Tahoe gets 22.
Also rumoured is a 2-mode hybrid system paired with the V-6.
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syd 4:37PM (12/07/2006)
Anyways, onto non-automaker bickering...a new engine line being developed for transverse operation, including V8s? I forget, is the Arcadia/Enclave primarily a FWD vehicle? I'm assuming as much with the transverse deal, but is this engine line all new? Or codeveloped with the new high feature V6's? And is Caddilac in on this to replace their transverse Northstars? It doesn't make much sense to develope multiple engine lines when a more universal and adaptable (FWD/RWD/AWD capable) engine line would more appropriately help with parts sharing, dev costs, and economies of scale.
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Jason 4:38PM (12/07/2006)
This car is too "SOFT" for 350+ hp. Wrong application.
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John P. 4:41PM (12/07/2006)
That's a REALLY nice looking Crossover, but I'd really like to see it with bumbers and side panels of the same color as the rest of the body. I think that would make it look even better.
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pauln 4:44PM (12/07/2006)
I'll see your 400 horsepower and raise it to 450 hp; no make that 500 hp; hey, why stop at that, lets see an Acadia with 550 hp! Wow, won't the little children riding in back be impressed when Dad does doughnuts in front of all the impressed neighbors. Come on GM! We all need SUV's with 400+ horsepower and that weigh 5000lbs.
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Mr_Oak 4:57PM (12/07/2006)
--->#8. Come on GM! We all need SUV's with 400+ horsepower and that weigh 5000lbs.
Hey, you just described the Porsche Cayenne.
Agree with "uncle john", slam the domestics, and pat the imports on the back for doing the same damn thing.
I am not into SUVs, but Me thinks me like.
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Fabulo 5:04PM (12/07/2006)
Transverse V8 for FWD biased AWD? What a waste.
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Eric L. 5:29PM (12/07/2006)
#4 - I don't have a problem with GM offering a V8 in the Acadia - the General has some great V8 engines. But its inaccurate to say the Acadia will get 25-26mpg - since when does *any* crossover get EPA numbers? Never. As much as we enjoy knocking CR here, they do post more reasonable mileage expectations - Highlander/Pilot/Murano average 18-19mpg in combined driving, thats what I would expect for the Acadia as well. Not as high as you claim, but still quite reasonable compared to truck based SUVs like the Jeep Commander or Land Rover LR3 (both of which struggle to get 15mpg on the highway according to Edmunds Long Term tests).
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Jonathan Hicks 6:15PM (12/07/2006)
It is a great idea that GMC should offer an Acadia Denali with a V8. Buick should also offer a V8 powered Enclave Super and a V8 could be added to the Saturn Outlook as well. Maybe they'll debut at a major auto show soon.
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rrr 6:41PM (12/07/2006)
#3 I drive Civic
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rrr is a Moron 6:48PM (12/07/2006)
Like it already.
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Michael Karesh 7:13PM (12/07/2006)
Unless they also have a heavier-duty version of the new six-speed on the way, then the new V8 either won't make much more torque than the V6 or it'll be paired with the old four-speed automatic. The Acadia's current six-speed is rated for up to 315 horsepower and 300 foot-pounds of torque.
My review of the Outlook:
http://www.epinions.com/content_286658760324
As for fuel economy, Ford Freestyle owners do report meeting and even exceeding the EPA numbers:
http://www.truedelta.com/fuel_economy.php?stage=powertrains&brand=Ford&modelCode=89&email=Guest
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mike 8:13PM (12/07/2006)
I say the more power the better. Lets put a 502 in it and drive over all of the Prius drivers of the world. Any man that drives a Prius needs to get his balls back from his wife (or most likely boyfriend).
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dakota 8:42PM (12/07/2006)
You don't need to develop a "new engine line" for transverse operation. GM currently has 2 transverse capable V-8's in it's hands that they could use, and development of any other 8's isn't all that difficult, Chrysler has been doing it with V-6's for years.
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Michael Karesh 9:52PM (12/07/2006)
The Northstar V8 is expensive and at this point well behind the curve. It makes just a bit more power than it did when introduced back in 1992.
My money had been on the LS4 or whatever they call the engine in the Impala SS. But it produces 323 foot-pounds of torque--too much for the six-speed automatic--and they might figure that OHV has the wrong image for the Lambdas.
So I'd bet on a smaller, 4.0- to 4.2-liter DOHC V8 with about 315 horsepower and 300 foot-pounds of torque--right at the limits of the transmission.
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Non-Bizarro Adam 10:32PM (12/07/2006)
You hit the nail on the head, again, Karesh. My mom just bought an XE AWD, and it handles itself beautifully. I went test driving with her, and there is a huge difference between the AWD and the FWD. And the best thing is, its getting about the same MPG overall as the CR-V that she replaced (I think her driving style favors torque over hp, she always felt the need to floor that Honda). She uses it mostly to haul around supplies for her catering business, and loves it so far (3 weeks, 4,000 miles after 2 trips to Phoenix from San Diego).
I was skeptical that she needed such a big vehicle when she initially started shopping around (I tried to get her into an Element, just for its utility, but she hated the styling), but I must admit that its been a damn good vehicle so far. About the only complaint I have with it is the front seats; like Karesh pointed out, they weren't uncomforatble, but in the 5 hours to Phoenix I spent with her, they weren't as comfortable as even the semi-racing seats in my wife's Cobalt SS.
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MikeW 11:37PM (12/07/2006)
So far GM & Ford have listed the axle ratios as: 2.77, 3.16, 3.39, and maybe 2.73 if that wasn't a typo.
GM has also said there are two different torque converters, 246mm & 258mm.
Since the curb weights are approaching 5000lbs on the high end, the 3.16 should be for front drivers, and 3.39 for the pump coupled rear axle.
The G6 and Aura XR have the 2.77 axle ratio, smaller tires and weigh over 1000lbs less.
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