2020 GMC Acadia Gets a New Gear Shifting Mechanism
As new car models are equipped with more and more advanced electronics, carmakers find new ways to add more free space in the driver’s cabin. The new digital push-button gear shifting mechanism in the upgraded 2020 Acadia is a vivid example of this trend , since this solution was designed to take the place of the conventional gear shifting mechanism implemented on the 2017-2019 Acadia, thus making more free space in the front row.
GM’s new product opens a fresh approach to
controlling the 2020 Acadia’s 9-speed automatic gearbox by means of
easy-to-understand mechanisms. In addition to the sophisticated gear shifting
interface, this solution allowed GM engineers to save space in the area of the
center console.
In particular, the bin located at the front of
the center console of the updated Acadia has much larger dimensions in
comparison with its preceding models. Drivers will be also pleasantly surprised
to find convenient storage area between the car’s floor and its center console,
where they will be able to put their personal items (a purse or wallet).
Moreover, the new gear shifting solution also
helped engineers to optimize the positioning of the front cup holders (from the
initial longitudinal arrangement to transversal). The new solution does not
prevent a driver from freely taking or putting a beverage. But for some people accustomed
to putting a hand on the lever while driving, it may initially feel
uncomfortable till they get used to the new gear shifting mechanism.
In addition to space saving advantages, the new solution also ensures smoother and more accurate performance capacity, as well as a reduction of overall noise and vibration levels. This gear-shifting principle also found application in Buick LaCrosse, Chevrolet Bolt, and numerous Cadillac models. But all these models are equipped with a “joystick-style” shifter, unlike the push-button solution implemented in the latest Acadia. GMC’s push-button EPS interface was firstly implemented on the 2018 GMC Terrain.
