GMC Acadia review: bigger, turbocharged, and still finding its footing against the Japanese three-rows
3.6/5motorssouq Editorial Team
Consider the Acadia if the AT4's extra ground clearance and locking differential genuinely matter to you, or if the cabin and styling win you over on a test drive. Otherwise, the safer used-market bet in Bahrain remains a Highlander or a Telluride until the Acadia has three or four years of local ownership data behind it.
Pros
- Turbo four gives up nothing to the old V6 in torque and adds real fuel-economy benefit
- AT4 trim brings genuine off-road hardware new to the nameplate
- Cabin space improved meaningfully with the size increase
- Copes with fully loaded Gulf summer traffic without feeling strained
Cons
- No used-market track record yet in Bahrain
- Smaller local dealer footprint than entrenched Japanese and Korean three-rows
- Turbo four needs higher revs to feel smooth, a different character to the old V6
- Resale value is unproven against a Highlander or Telluride
The 2024 redesign is the biggest change in the Acadia's history: it grew close to full-size proportions, dropped the previous naturally aspirated V6 entirely, and now sends power through a single 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder and a 9-speed automatic. On paper the turbo four gives up nothing to the V6 it replaced — more torque, lower down — but it asks for more revs to feel smooth, and the personality is noticeably different.
The AT4 trim brings genuine off-road hardware — a locking rear differential and more aggressive suspension tuning — that no previous Acadia offered, aimed squarely at buyers cross-shopping a Toyota 4Runner or a Jeep Grand Cherokee rather than a minivan-replacement crossover.
A newcomer in a crowded segment
Bahrain's three-row-SUV buyers already have entrenched habits: a Highlander for reliability, a Telluride or Santa Fe for value and equipment, a Pathfinder for familiarity. The Acadia arrives late to that argument with a smaller local dealer footprint and no track record yet in the used market here, which is the honest reason to wait for used pricing to settle before buying one over an established rival.
What it does have going for it is cabin space that genuinely improved with the size increase, and turbo-four performance that never feels strained even fully loaded in Gulf summer traffic.
The verdict for Bahrain
Consider the Acadia if the AT4's extra ground clearance and locking differential matter to you, or if you like the cabin more than the established rivals'. Otherwise, the safer used-market bet remains a Highlander or a Telluride until the Acadia has a few years of Bahraini ownership data behind it.