Consumers who buy the new GMC Acadia won’t have to worry about forgetting children, pets or items in the back seats of their vehicles.
The 2017 Acadia, GMC’s mid-size SUV, will now come equipped with a rear seat reminder system that will alert a driver about checking the back seats of their vehicles under certain situations.
“Whether it’s your lunch, laptop, pet or most importantly, your child, it’s easier than it seems to forget what’s in the back seat when moving between life’s events,” said Tricia Morrow, GM global safety strategy engineer. “With this new feature, we are leading the charge to address this ongoing problem.”
GMC said it’s the first car manufacturer to equip one of its vehicles with this safety feature. Most new 2017 Acadias will come standard with this feature. The 2017 Acadia Limited, which is a carryover model from 2016, won’t have it. The 2017 Acadia is available for purchase at dealerships now.
The system works by monitoring the activity of the rear doors. When someone open and closes the rear door 10 minutes before the vehicle starts or if the door is opened and closed while the SUV is running, the system activates. When a driver turns off the Acadia, the vehicle makes five chimes and displays a message that reads “Rear Seat Reminder/Look in Rear Seat” in the driver information center screen on the dashboard.
However, if someone gets into their vehicle without opening the rear door and puts their groceries or other shopping items in the back, the system won’t activate. That would also apply to children and pets who get into the front first. If they get in through the front and climb into the back without opening the rear doors, the system won’t activate.
Although the new system is designed to help remind busy parents of a child in the back sat, GMC and Safe Kids Worldwide want to remind all drivers to never leave a child or pet unattended in the backseat.
“General Motors has developed a new technology for the GMC Acadia, the rear seat reminder, to give busy parents an important reminder to check the back seat before leaving the car,” said Kate Carr, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. “Technology alone cannot solve the issue of heatstroke when it comes to young children, but this new Acadia reminder can help. We must always remember that the safest way to protect a child from heatstroke is to never leave a child unattended in a vehicle.”
The 2017 Acadia comes in three trim levels in its second generation, including the base trim, which starts at $29,070, the All Terrain trim, which starts at $39,115 and the Denali trim, which starts at $44,920. GMC will continue to manufacture its first-generation model from 2016, calling it the Limited, with a starting price tag of $43,850.
Other new features for the 2017 Acadia include expanded safety features, a 2.5-liter inline-four cylinder engine or a 310-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 engine, adaptive ride control in the Denali and an improved all-wheel drive system in the All Terrain.
Check out this TFLcar video off-road review of the 2017 GMC Acadia All Terrain:
