2014 Gmc Acadia Sle-2 on 2040-cars

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GMC Syclone spools up a storm on Jay Leno's Garage

A storm was brewing on American roads in the early 1990s. That's when Detroit's automakers were producing some of the hottest performance trucks ever devised – models like the Ford Lightning, GMC Typhoon, and its flyweight pickup sibling, the GMC Syclone. Jay Leno just happens to have one of the latter in his garage, and took it out to showcase in this latest video segment. The Syclone was an exercise in absurdity, and could not only trounce any other pickup on the road, it could outrun anything else GM made and just about anything else on the road – beating Ferraris and Porsches off the line. In a pickup, for crying out loud. The kicker is that its engine wasn't such a monster, either: under the hood sat a 4.3-liter turbocharged V6 pumping out what would seem by today's standards to be an adequate 280 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. Even the smaller of the EcoBoost V6s available in today's Ford F-150 produces more than that. But in a lightweight, compact pickup, those figures were enough to propel the Syclone to 60 in 4.3 seconds and run the quarter-mile in 13.6 seconds. Long before the dune-jumping Ford F-150 SVT Raptor or even the Viper-powered Dodge Ram SRT-10, GM made fewer than 3,000 Syclones based on the compact Sonoma (sister to the Chevy S-10) and another 4,700 of the Typhoon, which was mechanically similar but more practical (albeit heavier) wagon bodywork from the Jimmy. But as Jay aptly points out, the Syclone was the one you wanted. Scope it out in the ten-minute video clip above.

Gladiators, Pilots, and Palisades, plus a couple boring crossovers | Autoblog Podcast #562

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. The duo discuss the leaked Jeep Gladiator, Ford's Baby Bronco, the Aston Martin DBX, and then touch on other reborn names like the Honda Pilot. They also discuss how boring crossovers have taken over as the family car of choice in the United States and debate the merits of turbocharged V6 engines versus the classic American V8. Finally, we spend your money.Autoblog Podcast #562 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Jeep Gladiator leaked Hyundai Palisade and Honda Pilot teased Aston Martin DBX Ford Baby Bronco leaked Boring crossovers Ford F-150 2.7-liter EcoBoost Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Podcasts LA Auto Show Aston Martin Ford GMC Honda Hyundai Jeep Truck Crossover SUV honda pilot jeep gladiator aston martin dbx hyundai palisade ford baby bronco

2020 GMC Acadia refresh brings a new engine, AT4 trim level

It's mid-cycle refresh time for the GMC Acadia, and the updated 2020 model kicks off its changes with a new face. It has a square-jawed grille seemingly pulled straight off the Sierra full-size pickup, and the size is amplified by the slender new LED headlights on either side. At the rear, the LED taillights are taller and more chiseled. A new AT4 trim level adds more visual distinction with black trim and wheels, plus all-terrain tires to make it a little more capable off road. The AT4 also boasts standard all-wheel drive. Under the revised skin, the Acadia hides one of two carryover engines, or a new turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4. This new engine makes 230 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque with the help of a twin-scroll turbocharger. To make it more frugal, it's able to deactivate two of its four cylinders. The turbo engine is standard issue on the SLT and Denali trim levels. The carryover engines include a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter 4-cylinder making 193 horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque, and a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6 making 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. The V6 is standard equipment on the AT4 trim. No matter the engine, all 2020 Acadias get a 9-speed automatic transmission. The new transmission also ditches the current Acadia's mechanical shift lever in favor of an electronic shifter with the Terrain's mix of buttons and triggers. It does free up space between the seats, but the button arrangement is still as strange as it was when we first saw it in the smaller crossover. There are a handful of other little upgrades to mention. The suspension has been revised for greater comfort; the infotainment has been revised with a bigger screen, USB-C inputs and customizable profiles; and wireless phone charging is now an option. The updated Acadia goes on sale this fall, and pricing will probably be announced close to launch.