Drivers who needed to ship large numbers of people about, be they family, friends, or, indeed, random passers-by, used to get a raw deal in the automotive stakes.
Big, sluggish, bizarrely uncomfortable vehicles were their lot in life, and (members of the rictus-grinned Brady Bunch brood aside) they weren’t all that happy about it.
In recent years, though, these people have had a lot to cheer about. The market is now flooded with decent SUVs of all shapes and sizes that are spacious, relaxing and won’t leave your bank balance looking like it’s been on the receiving end of a salvo of torpedoes.
One of the new arrivals in this market is the 2020 GMC Acadia, and, on first inspection, it’s got enough going on to generate more than a little interest from the buying public.
This latest incomer from the US is a solid bit of kit and a neat-looking affair. It’s a group hauler, clearly, but one with a bit of grunt and an exterior that won’t have either your passengers or people in the vicinity covering their eyes at the automotive horror they’re witnessing.
These cars are good value – you can get a base spec version for Dh124,000, which, while not as cheap as some, still gives you a lot of metal for your money. Admittedly, the flagship Denali trim will cost you rather more, but you get rather more at the same time.
There is plenty of room in the new Acadia – there is an extra row of seats, so you can now get eight passengers in there. Admittedly, eight members of a rugby team might find it a little cosy, but it should be
OK for a group of those lesser in girth.
It’s welcoming inside the cabin, too. Along with the leather upholstery and rear-seat screens, the Acadia has a tri-zone climate system, just in case any of those on board are particularly warm (or cold) blooded.
For a big car, that is also relatively long in comparison with some of its rivals, the steering is precise, so you can navigate urban areas as competently as on its more natural home on the open road. There is also a good deal of oomph in the bigger engines, should you fancy some speedy larks.
So, it offers comfort and a bit of power. The drivers of those old tanks would be weeping tears of joy at the march of progress. As would their put-upon passengers, who would probably rather have walked back then. Not anymore.
