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GMC doesn't care if it's Mt. McKinley or Denali

GMC is getting a mountain of free publicity from President Obama's decision to rename the former Mt. McKinley back to Denali in Alaska. The truck-and-SUV brand is happy to see the moniker of its high-end trim in the news, but doesn't intend to change any marketing because of the switch. "It had no impact or change on our strategy," a GMC spokesperson told the Detroit Free Press. The brand doesn't expect sales to change, though the frequent use of the word Denali in the news in a positive light amounts to free, albeit temporary, advertising for the company. Denali is the word for the nation's tallest mountain in the Koyukon Athabascan language, and it means "the high one." In 1896 a prospector rechristened the peak Mt. McKinley to support presidential candidate William McKinley. He won the election, but was assassinated in 1901. The title stuck, and the site officially got the name when a national park was created there. Since then, there has been a push to return to the original moniker, and according to the Free Press, the park became Denali in 1980. Now, the peak has followed suit. GMC started using Denali to denote the top models on the 1999 Yukon. Today, it's available as an upmarket alternative on most of the brand's lineup. Related Video: News Source: The Detroit Free PressImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL / GMC Marketing/Advertising Weird Car News GMC Truck SUV Luxury gmc yukon alaska denali gmc denali

2013 GMC Acadia Denali

Refreshed, Not Refreshing
I'm probably ill-suited to accurately and fairly take the full measure of a vehicle like the 2013 GMC Acadia Denali. This is a machine conjured around the express notion of corralling and then herding a brood of rafter-swinging hatchlings to and fro in relative comfort, and with no such passel of wee Bowmans to call my own, it's difficult to give this rig a fair shake. While I can certainly weigh cargo capacity, legroom and fuel economy stats with the best of them, I'd be lying to your face if I said the word "crossover" didn't urge some uncontrollable Pavlovian recoil from the murky recesses of my frame. To put it simply, I just can't stand the damn things.
As a rule, the segment is built on a bed of compromise. Manufacturers love nothing more than to spin up a tired yarn about the virtues of this particular neck of the market. We're told the crossbreeds deliver all the ride quality, driving dynamics and fuel economy of a car married with the seating position, capability and interior volume of the SUV set. That all sounds as swell as a sunset, but as the 2013 Acadia Denali so artfully illustrates, the advertising on the box is rarely congruous with the prize inside. Even with an imaginary squad of younglings at my heels, the refreshed luxury crossover doesn't quite manage to scratch the promised itches.

2024 GMC Acadia gets bigger, goes entirely turbocharged

For an entire generation now, the GMC Acadia, the brand's largest unibody SUV, has sat in an unusual zone in between the typical midsize two-row and large three-row segments. But the completely redesigned 2024 Acadia is stepping confidently into the latter camp, growing to roughly match its cousin, the also fully redesigned 2024 Chevy Traverse. And adding to its greater size and performance, the Acadia brings unique exterior and interior design. The size increase is impressive. The wheelbase has grown 10.6 inches, overall length by 8.4, and overall height by 3.2. GMC claims this has increased cargo space by 80% and second-row seat room by 27%. These changes all make it about the same size as the Chevy, too, instead of a smaller option.  This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. That doesn't mean the two look the same, though. The front fascia clearly borrows heavily from the GMC Sierra 1500 with a tall grille and C-bracket headlights. The flanks really depart from the aggressive shape of the Traverse. It also skips the fat C-pillar. GMC designers noted they specifically worked to reduce the size of that pillar, in part to improve visibility for third-row passengers. Conversely, the D-pillar is relatively large and is finished in body color to reveal it. But to keep it from looking overly large, there's a black plastic panel that helps give the rear window a bit of a wraparound effect. The taillights also have a gloss black panel to blend them into the rear window area and reduce the visual mass of the hatchback. The interior is the biggest differentiator between the Traverse and Acadia, though. The entire dashboard is unique to the Acadia. The 11-inch instrument display sits under a cowl that extends horizontally to meet the unique vertical 15-inch infotainment screen. That screen overlaps a squared-off, horizontal dash design, and it's flanked by vertical air vents. The Acadia picks up a column-mounted shifter, too, freeing up space for storage in the center console. There are practically no parts directly pulled from other GM products. And unlike GM's upcoming EVs, the Acadia will have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. Individual Acadia models even have unique features. The luxury Denali trim and off-road focused AT4 trim both return. The AT4 stands out the most with an extra inch of ground clearance in part from the all-terrain tires on 18-inch wheels.