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IIHS Names 2017 GMC Acadia Top Safety Pick

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2017 gmc acadia iihs top safety pick

The 2017 GMC Acadia
Photo: © General Motors

Whether you’re into sporty coupes or need the practicality of a minivan, there’s no denying that safety plays a huge role when deciding which car to buy. In the US, there are two main tests that automakers tout when talking about their vehicles—NHTSA’s star safety rating, and the IIHS’ Top Safety Pick designations. The latter of these was recently awarded to one of GMC’s star sellers—the 2017 Acadia.

The 2017 GMC Acadia earned a “Good” rating (the highest available) in all main tests—small overlap front, moderate overland front, side, roof strength, and head restraints & seats. In the front crash prevention test, the Acadia earned a “Superior” rating when equipped with the optional crash avoidance and mitigation technology.

2017 gmc acadia iihs top safety pick

All 2017 Acadia models come with standard safety features like daytime running lights, a rear vision camera, and a comprehensive suite of airbags. Optional safety extras include forward collision alert, front and rear park assist, following distance indicator, lane keep assist, front pedestrian braking, rear cross traffic alert, and side blind zone alert with lane change alert.

2017 gmc acadia iihs top safety pick

Although the 2017 Acadia performed well in all tests (meaning that the test dummy/driver would likely not sustain serious injuries from a crash despite the car being damaged), the IIHS only awarded a “Marginal” rating to the Acadia’s headlights on the top-of-the-line Denali trim. The SL, SLE, and SLT trim levels received “Poor” ratings for their headlights. This is indicative of many vehicles currently on the road, rather than being a specific issue with the GMC Acadia, and will likely be where automakers concentrate their efforts next in order to receive perfect safety scores in future years.

The Acadia is one of GMC’s top-selling vehicles, with 9,168 units sold in November. This is second only to the automaker’s shining star, the Sierra pickup, which sold more than double that amount.

Gallery: 2017 GMC Acadia