While there are a couple of trims available in general with the GMC Acadia, however, the Denali trim of the SUV stands as a standalone variant which requires its own separate review. The 2022 GMC Acadia Denali is expected to be available with a price tag of $46,600 for the FWD variant and $2,000 more for the AWD variant. Since it's the SUV's flagship offering, we can expect it to be densely filled with a wide variety of creatures and comforts. Few major safety, tech, and comfort features are mentioned in the table below.

*Expected

Which trim should you buy?

If you are willing to splurge in a fortune of savings for the GMC Acadia Denali, we suggest you equip the SUV with its best package. That package is indeed the Denali Ultimate package, which unlocks a bunch of other sensational packages. With these options added, the Denali adds a host of advanced driver assistance aids that were otherwise optional as well as a complete Trailering package to make your towing endeavor a piece of cake. Equip this SUV with the all-wheel drivetrain to also get the privilege of Acadia’s amazing Adaptive Ride Control.

Release Date

The 2022 GMC Acadia Denali is expected to be in the dealerships from late 2021 without no major changes to exhibit.

The 2022 GMC Acadia Denali gets a powerful 3.6-liter naturally aspirated V6 engine as standard, which is capable of throwing out 310 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque. Buyers also have the option of the more efficient 2-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine, which is standard on lower Acadia models. Both of these engines get their power shifts from the same 9-speed automatic transmission. The Acadia runs on the front-wheel-drive as standard, but drivers can also select the optional AWD drivetrain for more optimum traction. The SUV in its standard configuration is powerful and performs impressively in real-world performance. The SUV manages to cross the 60 mph barrier in 6.1 seconds and tops out at 131 mph.

The punchy V6 engine onboard the Acadia Denali feels amazing to drive. On a long stretch of road, this engine shines with its ability to maintain composed ride quality. The automatic transmission offers quick power shifts whenever the SUV craves it. At high speeds though, the SUV feels jerky while cornering, so it may be better to keep the speed limit at check by driving less aggressively. The Acadia Denali also has a nimble steering response, which makes it seem way smaller than its actual size. The SUV also highlights its mettle with its Traction Select system that allows you to customize your SUV’s traction to adapt to different terrains.

The GMC Acadia Denali showcases its performance prowess with its class-leading horsepower output. The Ford Explorer Limited offers way more in terms of torque, thus it leads the speed charts with its breezy 0-60 mph time. The GMC Acadia finishes second best, trailed by the Acura MDX and the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy. when comparing the top speed, both Acura and Hyundai stand at the very front with a top speed of 145 mph, followed by Ford and GMC at 143 and 131 mph, respectively.

With the standard regular V6 and the front-wheel drivetrain equipped, the Acadia Denali offers an MPG of 19 in the city and 27 on the highway. This equates to a combined MPG of 22, which is pretty decent for a three-row SUV. With its 19-gallon fuel tank capacity, EPA calculates the range of the Acadia at 361 miles within the city and 513 miles on any interstate. Comparatively, the AWD variant doesn’t see a major dip in its MPG figures compared to the FWD variant. The AWD-equipped Acadia Denali is rated at the same city MPG of 19 and combined MPG of 22, but a slightly reduced highway MPG of 26.

The GMC Acadia Denali is just about average in its segment when it comes to fuel economy. The SUV’s fuel economy is very competitive compared to the likes of the Acura MDX and the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy. However, the Ford Explorer manages to be more fuel-efficient than the GMC Acadia Denali as it offers higher mileage and better MPG numbers. In terms of overall range, again the Ford Explorer is at the top with a combined range of around 430 miles.

The interior design of the 2022 GMC Acadia Denali is undoubtedly very upmarket and stylish. A large center console includes space for two cupholders and a bunch of vehicle controls, as well as secret hidden storage space underneath. The dashboard looks very appealing with real ash wood accents surrounding the interiors to amp up the style quotient of the cabin. A leather-wrapped steering wheel with heating and audio and phone controls is also standard on the Denali trim.

The seats are wrapped in expensive perforated leather appointments, which feel exquisite to the touch. The Denali influence is clearly visible, with the ‘Denali’ logo embroidered on the front seat head restraints and sill plates. Stylish touches like the French seam stitching raise the overall opulence around the seats. The front seats feature heating and ventilation to provide you ultimate ambiance depending on the weather conditions outside. Headroom and legroom is sufficient enough in the first two rows. The 3rd-row only has access to limited legroom, making it ideal only to seat kids. 

Behind the 3rd-row, the Acadia provides access to 12.8 cubic feet of space. Folding the third row grants you access to 41.7 cubic feet of space while folding both the rear seats allows a maximum cargo space of 79 cubic feet. Comparatively, the GMC Acadia offers better interior dimensions compared to most of its rivals. However, the Acadia sits in the lower end of its segment in terms of available cargo space. The notable interior features on offer include:

• Heated and ventilated driver and front passenger seats
• Rearview auto-dimming mirror
• Interior lighting
• Advanced Climate Control
• Keyless Open and Start
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Perforated Leather-Appointed seat trim
• Active Noise Cancellation

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The Acadia Denali offers a variety of features to appeal to the tech-savvy driver. For starters, the Denali variant gets an intuitive 8-inch touchscreen as standard, which is integrated with the latest iteration of GMC’s in-house infotainment system. The infotainment system also supports other high-tech systems like wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration as well as an optional Amazon Alexa voice recognition system. With navigation services onboard, the driver can plan the quickest route to his favorite destinations within no time.

An 8-speaker Bose premium sound system is catered exclusively towards the Acadia’s unique acoustic environment. The Denali also exclusively gets a 6-inch color head-up display as standard, which relays important information like speed, navigation, cruise control, and many more right on your windshield. The cutting-edge tech offered onboard the Acadia Denali include:

• 8-inch diagonal touchscreen
• GMC Infotainment System with Navigation
• Bose premium 8-speaker audio system
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration
• 6-inch diagonal color head-up display
• Optional Amazon Alexa
• USB ports
• Wireless charging

The 2022 GMC Acadia Denali is an appealing SUV with an equal amount of ruggedness added to its persona. Though it may not look as sharp and chiseled as the Ford Explorer Limited or the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy, the Acadia Denali still looks very nicely dressed for most of the part. Every high-end Denali in history has always featured a significant focus on intricate craftsmanship and details. The 2022 Acadia Denali is no different, sporting the dashing Denali-exclusive grille in the front and other Denali accents imprinted beneath the doors.

Onlookers will easily distinguish the all-new signature LED headlamps flanking the sides of the grille, which add a lot of character to the massive SUV. The LED taillights in the rear also feature a similar design. The Denali also gets its own set of wheels as it rides on more stylish 20-inch ultra-light machined aluminum wheels with black accents. The chrome accents on the door handles and bodyside moldings also distinguish the Denali from the rest of the trim lineup.

Dimensionally, the GMC Acadia Denali is the most compact SUV in its segment, sporting a shorter length and wheelbase than every rival. As a result, the SUV has the least curb weight as well and is more maneuverable in everyday situations. The Acadia Denali offers a decent 7.2 inches of ground clearance, which ironically is still less compared to its adversaries. The Ford Explorer comes with the highest ground clearance of 8.2 inches, making it the most practical when it comes to taking your SUV anywhere. The remarkable exterior features on offer are:

• 20-inch Ultra Bright machined aluminum wheels
• Body-color door handles with satin chrome accents
• Bright roof-mounted side rails
• Signature Denali grille
• Signature LED headlights and taillights with a C-shaped design
• Available Dual SkyScape 2-panel power sunroof
• Hands-Free Power programmable liftgate

In terms of safety, the Acadia Denali is a very safe and sound SUV. As expected from the top-draw variant of the Acadia lineup, the Denali includes a treasure-trove of standard safety features like Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Intellibeam Headlamps, Following Distance Indicator, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, rearview camera, LED headlights with automatic high beams, Active Lane Control, and rear parking sensors. However, advanced driver assistance techs like Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Camera Mirror, and a High-Definition Surround Vision Camera are still reserved as optional features.

The Acadia handles the braking frontier with its capable 12.6-inch brake rotors in the front and 12.4-inch rotors in the rear. When it comes to safety ratings, the 2021 GMC Acadia Denali received a 5-star overall safety rating from NHTSA. Unfortunately, the Acadia missed out on the IIHS Top Safety Pick award owing to a ‘Marginal’ rating for its headlights. Hopefully, once the 2022 safety ratings are out, we might expect a further improvement in the safety scores. The safety suite of the Acadia Denali include:

• Automatic emergency braking
• Forward Collision Alert
• Intellibeam headlamps
• Following Distance Indicator
• Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert
• Rear Seat Reminder
• Teen Driver
• OnStar & GMC Connected Services
• Optional Adaptive Cruise Control
• Optional Rear Camera Mirror
• Optional High-Definition Surround Vision Camera

2022 GMC Acadia Denali vs 2022 Ford Explorer Limited

The GMC Acadia Denali has more power onboard but offers less torque compared to the Ford Explorer Limited. The power advantage doesn’t make much difference in the speed charts as the Explorer is much faster than the Acadia. However, Ford’s EcoBoost engine is way more efficient in terms of fuel economy.

The Acadia has the better interior trimmings and seats with way more creature comforts than the Explorer. The Explorer, however, offers more cargo space for families. The Acadia Denali also has a more upmarket infotainment suite compared to the Explorer. Overall, the GMC Acadia Denali is the more value-for-money option.

2022 GMC Acadia Denali vs 2022 Acura MDX

The GMC Acadia Denali makes the Acura MDX taste the dust in terms of outright acceleration, power, and fuel economy. The Acura MDX offers a better towing capacity. In the cargo department, the Acura MDX also emerges as the winner.

Both the SUVs feature amazing creature comforts and technology inside. However, if you consider the overall style quotient and value-for-money, we would pick the Acura MDX. But if you crave out and out power, the GMC Acadia Denali comes out to be the better option.

2022 GMC Acadia Denali vs 2022 Hyundai Palisade Limited

The Hyundai Palisade has been a valuable proposition in its segment, offering almost all the qualities of an excellent luxury SUV. In terms of power, the GMC Acadia Denali is way more robust compared to the Palisade. The Acadia is also a more fuel-efficient SUV.

The Palisade has its own perks like class-leading warranty service, impressive creature comforts, and more cargo space. In comparison, the Acadia Denali is also very upmarket, but we prefer the overall style of the Palisade Calligraphy much more. Overall, the Palisade is slightly the better option to drive your family in style and comfort.

The 2022 GMC Acadia Denali makes the luxury sub-brand of its parent automaker General Motors very proud. The SUV is amazing in almost every performance aspect, offering refined power and comfortable ride quality every second of your drive. The interiors are also very well-appointed and spacious, with a host of luxury features to keep your family snug at all times. The Acadia offers limited cargo space compared to its competition, but its high-tech infotainment and safety suite makes up for the debacle. For families looking for a more upscale SUV to chauffeur around, the Acadia Denali is one of the best choices for that purpose.