Should GMC's Rivals Worry About the Upcoming 2025 Acadia Denali Ultimate?

Miami Herald

19-07-2025

The Acadia has always been a luxurious SUV. Even at the base level, for $43,000, it comes with a punchy 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 328 horsepower, an updated Bose sound system, GMC's comprehensive safety suite, and can be equipped with GM's impressive semi-autonomous feature, Super Cruise. Depending on how you configure it, it can also seat up to 8. For $54,100, you can get the Denali, which is even fancier. Leather seats, a nicer heads-up display, and higher-quality interior materials all complete the package. At that price, it looks like the Toyota Highlander, Hyundai Palisade, Chevy Traverse, and Kia Telluride are directly in GMC's crosshairs.
Recently, GMC announced the addition of the Denali Ultimate trim. Which, if you could believe it, brought GMC's flagship SUV to all-new heights of luxury. With styling changes on the outside and the inside, added technology, and creature comforts, the Acadia's top-shelf model turned up the sumptuousness, right when we all thought it wasn't possible. So, should GMC's key rivals be concerned? The answer truly depends on what it will cost when official pricing is announced closer to its autumn launch. At the very least, the aforementioned automakers should be paying close attention to what we do know.
The most apparent changes are to the features list, but I feel we should discuss the stylistic changes first. On the outside, the grille is darker, painted in what GMC calls "Vader Chrome." As a Star Wars nerd, the ashy chrome color felt appropriate. The badge is darker, there are LED daytime running lights with animated lighting sequences, fancy badging, and 22-inch wheels with an equally galactic metallic finish. The seats are all-leather, complete with massaging capabilities, and beautiful contrast stitching. Genuine wood is included, too, and GMC had maps etched into the seat backs. The door trim, map pockets, and floor mats all have "Denali Ultimate" badging.
The Denali Ultimate will also feature a 16-speaker Bose sound system, Super Cruise, a large panoramic sunroof, a large, customizable heads-up display, and "performance" suspension. It also has six different drive modes to choose from. They haven't been announced, but I'd wager they'd be Sport, Eco, Normal, Off-Road, Towing/Hauling, and Snow. Official pricing hasn't been announced either, but if I were to guess, the added technology over the Denali and styling changes will likely bring the price close to $70,000 without add-ons.
The Americans have always been competing with Japanese SUVs. First it was the RAV4, then the 4Runner, and now the updated Highlander. The one thing Toyota has over GMC, however, is the hybrid option for the Platinum model. With Toyota, buyers can choose between a gas-only engine or a hybrid option. As an AWD hybrid, the Highlander still earns around 30 mpg combined, and much higher overall range before needing a refill. The GMC Acadia, even if it's bought as an FWD SUV, earned around 23 mpg combined. All-wheel drive diminishes that slightly.
If we focus on the gas-only price point for the Highlander to make it more fair, the Toyota comes out ahead. The base MSRP for the Highlander is $36,420, while the Acadia starts at $38,195. For higher-end models, the GMC has a higher price of $57,595 for the Denali, while the Highlander's top-shelf MSRP is $52,725 for the Platinum. With the higher resale value, reputation for longevity, and lower entry price, the Toyota is hard to beat. As a gas-only vehicle, the Highlander has the same towing rating of 5,000 lbs, too, so the only thing the GMC has over the Toyota is maybe buyer loyalty, interior design, and materials. Toyota's interiors are notoriously plain. Otherwise, I don't think Toyota should be too concerned, especially since the Denali Ultimate will likely be significantly more expensive than the Platinum, or even the Hybrid Platinum.
For some reason, Hyundai has lagged behind in offering the Palisade as a hybrid. The Santa Fe's hybrid model is a best seller for the brand, so putting that setup in the Palisade would only make sense (though I argue a 1.8-liter engine seems a bit small for a large SUV, but maybe that's just me). The Palisade is one of my favorite family SUVs, due to its size and long list of features for the price. The Night edition is especially nice, since every car looks good with black accenting. I love the V6 that's in the Palisade, but it's not the most efficient. When the Palisade gets the hybrid treatment for 2026, I'm sure it'll sell even better than the standard Palisade.
Since the GMC Acadia, once again, does not come as a hybrid and GMC has made exactly zero announcements on whether or not it will come as a hybrid, buyers are stuck with the 2.5-liter turbo four for now. That's fine since it makes more power and has the same towing rating as an engine with two more cylinders, so it truly comes down to whether or not a buyer trusts Hyundai or GMC more as a brand. Since Hyundai's reliability ratings are improving and its warranty is superior, I'm not sure Hyundai should be overly concerned, especially with a hybrid version coming down the pike. The Palisade is quite fancy in the upper trim levels, too, so it's hard to say there's much the GMC has over it.
Price-wise, the Hyundai comes out ahead, too. As a gas-only SUV, the prices range from $40,430 for the base SE model, and go up to $55,555 for the Calligraphy model. As a hybrid, the price starts at $45,155 for the SEL Blue and goes up to $57,775 for the Calligraphy trim. Which, I'm guessing, will still come under the Denali Ultimate's upcoming price announcements. Since the Palisade is longer, taller, and has more passenger space than the GMC, the Hyundai is a pretty easy choice.
Chevy and GMC may swap recipes here and there since they're both companies under the General Motors umbrella, but the Traverse and the Acadia are two different beasts. Yes, they're both 3-row SUVs, but the Traverse is a tad larger, leaving more room for passengers and their cargo. Similar to the GMC, the Chevy also has a 2.5-liter turbo four, making the same 328 horsepower. The Chevrolet is obviously going to run a little bit cheaper and come with a more minimalistic interior, although the Traverse does come with a bigger infotainment screen than the GMC. The GMC is smaller, but it feels more refined and has a much more upscale interior.
By cheaper, though, I should say marginally cheaper. The Traverse starts at $42,195, while the GMC starts at $43,000. So, for a bit more dough, you sacrifice a bit of cargo space, but you get a lot more technology, higher-quality interior materials, a nicer sound system, a more performance-oriented ride, better fuel economy, and a more elegant design language. The Chevy is a lot more rugged and rustic. If you're looking at higher trim levels, they're priced pretty similarly. The ZL1, which is second from the bottom, runs around $49,295, and the RS starts at $55,595. The Denali's base MSRP is, according to GMC's site, the exact same as Chevy's RS trim if you opt for FWD, and $57,595 if you get AWD.
Since Chevy doesn't have a step above the RS trim for the Traverse, in this case, Chevy will have a lot of work to do to catch up to the level of pizazz in the Denali Ultimate. The Traverse doesn't come in a hybrid, at least not yet, so the Chevy is the GMC's direct competition. Until Chevy unleashes an equally snazzy trim level, the GMC will be ahead of the game. Chevy should pay very close attention to the Denali Ultimate, no doubt.
The Kia Telluride is another reasonably popular family SUV. It's spacious without being overly large, the third row is pretty roomy (even for adults), it boasts a very tech-forward interior, and there are enough trim levels to make just about anyone happy. The GMC Acadia's lineup is much more refined, while being known for its interior and ride quality. The Kia is bigger by about three inches all around and has more overall cargo space. However, if power is what you're looking for, the GMC is the answer. The Kia comes with a 3.8-liter V6 (for now) that offers 291 horsepower.
The Kia Telluride can certainly be fancy, especially at the top-of-the-line SX Prestige X-Pro model, which starts at $53,685 and is noticeably less than GMC's $57,595 for the Denali. However, Kia's reputation is still recovering from its reputation for catching on fire and being fairly easy to steal. Kia's warranty is the best in the industry, though, so at least if your Telluride caught on fire or something failed, there's a 99.9% chance it would be covered under warranty.
GMC's reputation isn't stellar either, but until people stop assuming the new Telluride can't be stolen with a screwdriver or spontaneously combust, the Telluride should certainly be nervous about the new Denali Ultimate trim.
While we don't have pricing information about the 2025 GMC Acadia Denali Ultimate yet, its luxury touches could very well make it a strong competitor for the models listed above. If a hybrid engine joins the fray, that would make the newest Acadia an even stronger competitor in the luxury SUV segment.
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