GMC announced the arrival of the 2019 Acadia in the Middle East. The new mid-size SUV enters the segment with a bag full of features, lighter chassis and improved fuel efficiency. With the SUV segment gaining momentum in recent times, each car is expected to pack enough firepower to put up a worthy fight against its rivals in the segment. Such is a dual between GMC's Acadia and Ford's Explorer. And here is a comparo to settle them all.
Design
GMC AcadiaGMC has mostly retained the design of its outgoing model. Since its inception, the company has never completely overhauled the silhouette of the SUV with minimal changes in dimension through generations. Similar to the Ford Explorer the GMC Acadia sits on 17-inch wheels. It comes with dimensional grilles and wraparound headlights with High-Intensity Discharge lamps on Denali and Halogen projectors on other models.
Ford Explorer 2019
The looks on the Ford Explorer, on the other hand, operates in the grey area between subtle and sharp. The silhouette of the Ford Explorer makes up for a boxy shape with sharp edges, amounting to a traditional rugged-looking SUV.
Safety
The new Acadia comes with a sumptuous package of safety features including Front Pedestrian Braking, Surround Vision camera system, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Change Alert in addition to Front and Rear Parking Assist.The Ford Explorer, however, does not lack either with features such as Anti-lock Brake System, seven airbags, Brake Assist, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Hill Assist, ISO Fix Child Seat Anchors, front Seatbelt Pre-tensioners, Traction Control, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, Dynamic Stability Control, and Rollover Stability Control.
Infotainment
The standard Acadia comes with a comprehensive infotainment system including a 7-inch touchscreen enabled with GMC's IntelliLink System, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in addition to Bluetooth, AUX, CD player, Radio, USB and Voice Operated Control.Meanwhile, the Ford Explorer comes equipped with an infotainment system with AUX, Bluetooth, CD player, Radio and MP3.
Performance
Powering the new Acadia is the 3.6-litre V6 engine that puts out 310hp through a six-speed automatic transmission. For the new Acadia, GMC has included its Active Fuel Management System that returns an efficiency of 8.9kpl. It cracks a ton in 6.8 seconds and gets to a top speed of 210kph.At the heart of the Ford Explorer is a 3.5-litre V6 engine that delivers 290hp and 346Nm of torque through a 10-speed automatic transmission. The SUV can reach 100kph in 9 seconds and hit the wall at 173kph.
Price
While prices for the new Acadia have not been revealed yet, we expect the base trim to start from around AED 140,000 and go up to AED 215,000 for the Denali models.The Ford Explorer, on the other hand, starts at AED 152,000 and goes up to AED 245,000.
Check out GMC Acadia and Ford Explorer cars latest prices and specifications in the UAE.
