2026 GMC Acadia Denali Ultimate Revealed

The GMC Acadia encroaches further into the luxury territory of its Cadillac XT6 sibling for 2026 with the arrival of a new Denali Ultimate grade. It’s the first major update for the popular midsize SUV following 2024’s redesign – and also the first-ever Denali Ultimate trim level for the brand’s midsize SUV.

The Denali Ultimate was first introduced on GMC’s Sierra pickup truck line and has since expanded to the Yukon SUV as well. It builds on the already premium Denali grade with additional interior and exterior enhancements typically found in vehicles from premium brands.

Unique Touches Inside And Out

To ensure the Acadia Denali Ultimate stands out from the regular pack, it gets a dark chrome finish for the grille and GMC logo, an animated lighting sequence for the daytime running lights, and unique 22-inch aluminum wheels with an After Midnght Metallic finish.

The interior is where the most significant upgrades are found. Buyers will find features like heated and ventilated front seats with standard leather trim, accent stitching, and a massage function. Wood accents with laser-etched detailing depicting mountain landscapes are also used in the cabin, while more topographical references – embossed maps in this case – appear on the seatbacks, door trim, and other surfaces.

A 16-speaker Bose audio system, surround-view camera, panoramic sunroof, powered liftgate, and Super Cruise are also included. GMC adds a performance suspension option as standard, which the automaker says improves ride and handling. For 2026, all models also come standard with a new digital rearview mirror.

GMC’s press release lists the same engine for all Acadias for 2026 as what we know from the current model; with 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque and a choice between FWD and AWD, we expect the fuel economy figures to carry over too: 20/27/23 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycles for FWD cars, and 19/24/21 mpg for AWD models.

Availability And Pricing

GMC says its 2026 Acadia lineup will begin arriving at dealerships in the third quarter of 2025, with the Denali Ultimate receiving a staggered launch. Pricing details will be announced closer to the market launch. The current 2025 Acadia starts at $43,000 for the base FWD Elevation grade, excluding destination of $1,495. Above this is the rugged AT4, which goes for $52,895 before options, and the Denali, which starts at $55,595. While the AT4 comes standard with all-wheel drive, the Elevation and Denali trims include front-wheel drive by default. Adding AWD to those grades is a $2,000 option.

For reference, the difference in price from the Denali to the Denali Ultimate on the 2025 Yukon is around $21,000 – the Yukon is a much bigger car, however, with different specs and features. It’s possible that the Acadia Denali Ultimate – including the likely price increase for the new model year – will cost somewhere near the $75,000 mark.

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Despite 2024’s redesign, Acadia sales experienced a steep decline last year, which marked the new generation’s first full year on the market. GMC delivered a total of 49,178 Acadias in the U.S. in 2024, down 25.8 percent year over year. It isn’t clear what effect the tariffs will have on the Acadia, which is assembled in the U.S. using both local and globally sourced parts, but perhaps adding an extra-luxurious trim will make the SUV more desirable to buyers.

Sources: GMC