2024 GMC Acadia vs 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid

The 2024 GMC Acadia was a significant evolution from its predecessor, boasting a larger and more imposing presence. It grew by 10.6 inches in length and 3.2 inches in height compared to the 2023 model, emphasizing its increased size with a more upright front end and a broad grille reminiscent of GMC's full-size SUVs and trucks. The design featured distinctive single-quotation-mark LED headlights and pronounced wheel arches, adding to its robust appearance. The rear of the Acadia was marked by quad exhaust tips inspired by the C8 Corvette, adding a sporty touch. The interior was reimagined to enhance spaciousness, with a lower dashboard and repositioned rear roof pillar for improved visibility. The Denali and AT4 trims offered unique styling cues, with the Denali featuring a toned-down yet intricate grille design and the AT4 showcasing rugged elements like red tow hooks and blacked-out trim.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid presented a bold design that could polarize opinions, particularly with its flat, wide grille. The vehicle's personality shifted with different color and trim options, with body-colored vertical strakes that varied in prominence based on the paint shade. The X-Line and X-Pro models replaced these strakes with rectangular grille blocks and featured distinctive amber accent lights. The side profile was marked by angular fender sculpting and unique black plastic tabs atop each wheel well, while the rear view adopted a Range Rover-like style with rounded corners and vertical taillights. Inside, the Telluride Hybrid offered a simple, modern dashboard layout with a two-tone palette in the SX Prestige trim, though some controls were difficult to read. The seats, covered in synthetic leather and suede, provided a firm yet comfortable ride, with excellent material quality throughout the cabin.

The 2024 GMC Acadia was powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, delivering 328 horsepower and 326 pound-feet of torque. This engine replaced the previous 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four and 3.6-liter V6 engines, offering more power than both. Despite the absence of a V6, the turbo-four provided strong and consistent performance, enabling a 5,000-pound towing capacity with an available towing package. The engine's coarse note was a minor drawback, particularly in the high-end Denali trim. An eight-speed automatic transmission was standard, with front-wheel drive on Elevation and Denali models, and all-wheel drive available. The AT4 trim featured standard all-wheel drive with a twin-clutch system for off-road driving, along with a 1.2-inch ride height lift, special suspension tuning, and skid plates. The Acadia's suspension tuning varied with wheel-and-tire combinations, offering a comfortable ride despite some wallowing and bouncing over road undulations.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid combined a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with electric motors, producing 329 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. This setup was paired with a six-speed transmission, providing a smooth and quiet driving experience. The Hybrid's transition between electric and gas power was seamless, with the engine remaining quiet even under hard acceleration. The Telluride Hybrid offered a comfortable ride, with the X-Pro Prestige trim delivering surprising comfort despite its off-road suspension. The Hybrid SX Prestige had a stiffer ride with its 20-inch wheels, but the suspension effectively absorbed bumps and potholes. The Telluride's handling was composed and controllable, with a soft brake pedal effort that required some adjustment. The vehicle's sound insulation kept the cabin quiet over various surfaces, with wind noise nearly imperceptible at highway speeds.

The 2024 GMC Acadia offered a spacious interior with more headroom across all three rows than competitors like the Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Kia Telluride, and Toyota Grand Highlander. It also provided more first-row legroom, though the Kia and Toyota offered more legroom in the second and third rows, respectively. The Acadia's cargo space was impressive, with 23 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, and 97.5 cubic feet with both the second and third rows folded. This represented significant improvements over the 2023 model, giving the Acadia more cargo space than its rivals. The vehicle also featured an underfloor storage bin and a "presence based" power liftgate for hands-free access. Small-item storage was reasonable, though the headlight controls were less intuitive, requiring touchscreen interaction.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid provided ample space for adults in all three rows, though the rearmost row was better suited for smaller passengers due to low-mounted seat cushions. The Hybrid SX Prestige trim with the Executive package offered power-adjustable second-row seats with heating and ventilation, though they were slow to slide and tilt forward for third-row access. The middle-row seats featured significant travel, allowing for more cargo or third-row legroom as needed. The Telluride's cargo capacity was competitive, with 22.3 cubic feet behind the third row and up to 89.3 cubic feet with the second-row seatbacks folded. The Hybrid models lost only about one cubic foot of cargo space. The vehicle also offered practical storage solutions, including a large center bin, deployable cupholders, and a tray under the center console.

The 2024 GMC Acadia came equipped with an 11-inch digital instrument cluster and a 15-inch touchscreen supporting wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A standard 12-speaker Bose audio system, wireless device charging, and a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot were also included. The infotainment system featured Google built-in apps, such as Google Maps and Google Assistant, providing a familiar and user-friendly interface. The touchscreen layout was logical, with climate control readouts and physical buttons for easy access. The instrument cluster offered multiple configurations, though small drive-mode icons could be difficult to spot.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a 5-inch touchscreen for climate controls. The infotainment system included a native navigation system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and dual wireless phone chargers. While the system was generally easy to use, it occasionally required a hard tap to register inputs, and the climate control screen was difficult to view while driving. The Telluride offered customizable themes for the infotainment screen, and the SX trim and above featured a 14-speaker Meridian premium audio system with excellent sound quality.

The 2024 GMC Acadia's safety features included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and traffic-sign recognition. An optional Super Cruise driver-assist system allowed for hands-free driving on certain roads. The Acadia also offered a rearview camera mirror and surround-view camera system with up to nine camera views. Crash-test ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available at the time of publication.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid included standard safety features such as frontal collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and highway driving assist. Higher trims offered additional features like a surround-view camera system and automatic reverse braking. The Telluride's driver attention monitor occasionally triggered false alerts, and the blind-spot cameras were more distracting than helpful. Crash-test ratings from the NHTSA and IIHS were not available at the time of writing.