Autoblog

IIHS awards Top Safety Pick to 2011 Honda Odyssey, GM Lambda CUVs

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 14:07:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Safety, Crossover, Buick, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, Honda

IIHS roof test on 2011 Honda Odyssey - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has announced that the 2011 Honda Odyssey, Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia have all been named Top Safety Picks, the organization's highest honor.

The Odyssey is the second minivan to earn the award since IIHS added roof strength requirements to its criteria for earning the Top Safety Pick designation, the other being the Toyota Sienna. Since the Honda minivan had already been tested and rated Good for front, side and rear crash protection, only the roof strength measurement was required this time around.

Similarly, the GMC Acadia was only tested for roof strength as it had already passed the previous crash-testing regimen. The Odyssey's roof withstood a force more than five times the minivan's weight; the Acadia managed four times its weight. To put this in context, a vehicle's roof must be able to withstand 1.5 times its weight to pass the more lenient federal testing standards.

Because the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave share their architecture with the tested GMC Acadia, those vehicles were also awarded Top Safety Picks. See the photos of the roof testing below and the press release after the break.

Gallery: IIHS roof test on 2011 Honda Odyssey and GMC Acadia

[Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

Continue reading IIHS awards Top Safety Pick to 2011 Honda Odyssey, GM Lambda CUVs

IIHS awards Top Safety Pick to 2011 Honda Odyssey, GM Lambda CUVs originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: GMC Acadia's future uncertain

Zach Bowman — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Crossover, GM, GMC, Rumormill

2011 GMC Acadia Denali - Click above for high-res image gallery

Word on the web is that the GMC Acadia is back on the chopping block. You may recall that the big crossover found itself in dire straits once before when the entire GMC brand underwent a strategic review during the General Motors bankruptcy proceedings. After that brush with death, the decisionmakers at the company decided to give the entire brand - and by association, the Acadia - a stay of execution. Now a new report suggests that the next-generation Acadia may be scrapped to reduce product overlap within the GM dealer network.

General Motors currently produces three Lambda-based crossovers - the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and the GMC Acadia - and the company says that it wants to keep overlap to a minimum for its Buick-GMC dealers. The next-generation Lambdas are expected in 2014 as 2015 models, but even if the Acadia gets axed, it's likely that GM will still keep a trio of models based off of the three-row platform, only with Cadillac getting the third model instead of GMC. Thanks for the tip, Ed!

Gallery: 2011 GMC Acadia Denali

[Source: GMInsideNews]

Rumormill: GMC Acadia's future uncertain originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GMC Acadia Denali headed to dealers, priced from $43,220*

Steven J. Ewing — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:31:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Crossover, GM, GMC

2011 GMC Acadia Denali - Click above for high-res image gallery

We first saw General Motors' Denali-fied 2011 GMC Acadia at this year's Detroit Auto Show, and now the luxurious Lambda will be hitting dealerships in the coming weeks, priced from $43,220 (*excluding $775 in destination charges). Aside from the questionable styling tweaks, the top-trim Acadia gets a host of interior upgrades akin to the usual Denali touches found in the Yukon and Sierra.

The Denali's added kit includes things like 20-inch two-tone chrome wheels, HID headlamps, chrome interior accents, heated and cooled front seats and a head-up display. Not everyone will go for the model's front fascia tweaks or blingy alloys, but these extra amenities ought to make the Acadia a more attractive cross-shop option against its fellow controversial-looking rival, the Lincoln MKT. Follow the jump for the full details in the press release, and if you want to spec out one of your own, GMC's configurator is already online.

Gallery: 2011 GMC Acadia Denali

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GMC Acadia Denali headed to dealers, priced from $43,220*

GMC Acadia Denali headed to dealers, priced from $43,220* originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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