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2017 GMC Acadia loses 700 pounds, gains everywhere else

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Acadia. The 2017 version of the three-row GMC crossover has all kinds of newness. The 2017 Acadia has lost 700 pounds compared to its predecessor thanks to high-strength steels allowing redesigned parts, and the fact that it overall, the vehicle is actually smaller. Length is reduced by 7.2 inches on a wheelbase diminished by 6.4 inches, it is 3.5 inches narrower and sits 3.9 inches lower. The 2016 Acadia was 4,656 pounds, the 2017 is 3,956 pounds. GMC says it will still swallow people, but not as many: the eight-passenger option didn't make the transition, potential three-row trims permitting five-, six-, and seven-passenger configurations. While you lose space, you gain convenience with a split-folding second row featuring tilt-and-slide for both sections. The third-row seats fold flat into the cargo floor, and if the second row is folded as well, cargo capacity improves over the 2016 Acadia, 79 cubic feet compared to 70 cu-ft. A new 2.5-liter four-cylinder brings a second engine option to the spec sheet, returning an estimated 22 city miles per gallon and 28 highway mpg with the help of stop/start tech on front-wheel-drive trims. The new 3.6-liter V6 gets around 310 horsepower, a power bump of about 19 hp, and an estimated 25 highway mpg in front-wheel-drive guise. Towing capacity for that V6 goes down, though, from 5,200 on the current Acadia to an estimated 4,000 pounds. The optional Tow Vision Trailering system will make that pulling easier. Both engines are hooked to a six-speed automatic. Now we can get to its looks. Trademarks like the square, flared wheel arches, dark D-pillars, and wraparound rear side windows made the transition, everything else is new. While weight has gone down, safety's gone way up with internal changes like the splayed chassis members to confront the small-offset test. New active safety upgrades run from from three kinds of automatic braking systems to surround vision cameras, automatic high beam control, a safety alert seat, and a following distance indicator. Buyers can choose from a front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, or All Terrain model, each with its own electronic drive selector modes. The Normal, Sport, and Trailer/Tow modes are common to the trio. The FWD gets a Snow mode, the AWD adds adaptive 4x4 and Off Road modes; on the AWD, the 2x4 mode disconnects the rear axle from the drivetrain.

GMC Terrain headlight recall fix is a sticker

This GMC Terrain recall over a headlight issue has gone from fascinating to absurd. It started when GMC discovered the headlights on the 2010-2017 Terrain were out of compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). A pinpoint of low-beam light was being reflected off the high-beam reflector. This bounced a tiny sliver of bright light up into the trees and the sky beside the road, not into oncoming traffic. GMC did the right thing, reporting the noncompliance to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Because the sliver of light was coming from the low beams and was four times brighter than the maximum allowable low beam brightness, the NHTSA told GMC to recall 740,581 units of the SUV. GMC asked for an exemption, admitting the bright spot could cause glare while noting the errant beam didn't affect other road users. The automaker hadn't received any complaints, only a comment from one owner saying the lights put a bright spot in the trees on the other side of the road. The NHTSA denied the request. GMC began notifying owners in April that they'd need to come in for a fix once a fix had been developed. That's the fascinating part. The absurd part, which Tire Meets Road uncovered, is that the fix is a "Headlamp Applique Kit." Which is a piece of frosted tape applied to the outside of the headlight that lets low-beam light through and tamps down any potential glare from the caroming beam. Notice that the parallelogram of frosted tape matches the L-shaped frosted area along the inside of the headlight housing. That portion was already a feature of the lamp, as can be seen in our 2016 Terrain Denali Quick Spin. The repair needs a trip to the dealer for a tech to place a positioning template over the headlight and put the applique kit in the proper spot. GM's instruction kit says the whole thing should take 0.2 of an hour, or 12 minutes—about the time it it would take to get checked into and out of the dealership service department. Owners aren't impressed, some calling the fix unnecessary and ridiculous, and the tape should make it clear that GMC feels the same way. Some owners have said they're going to skip the recall. Those drivers will find that just as GMC couldn't escape the legal ramifications, neither can they. Local motor vehicle bureaus keep track of recall compliance.

GM to make most cars LTE hotspots for 2015

General Motors isn't the first automaker to deliver in-car Internet access, but a proposed plan announced today could make the technology more widespread than any of its competitors have offered. By the 2015 model year, most Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC products in the US and Canada will offer 4G LTE mobile broadband access. Initially, GM will just be pairing with AT&T to deliver this service, but additional carriers will be revealed in the future.
Current in-car Wi-Fi hot spots are limited to 3G, but GM says that 4G LTE is 10 times faster than 3G service and will allow for full Internet access, including streaming video for entertainment as well as services like real-time traffic updates and navigation driving directions. There is also no need for a paired smartphone with this new system, which should make it easier to use, and GM and AT&T will also be working together to develop new apps for customers.
Buyers can expect to start seeing 4G LTE in their cars starting next year, and GM is already planning to expand the service to other global markets as well. All of the information from GM's announcement is posted in a press release below.