2026 GMC SUV Updates: Denali All the Things!
New versions of the Terrain and Acadia debut, and GMC sprinkles tech and styling updates throughout the lineup.
GMC’s 2026 SUV lineup arrives with fresh updates and new features across every model, from the compact Terrain to the full-size Yukon. With bold new trims and surprising tech upgrades, there’s plenty to explore. Keep reading to see what’s changed for GMC’s 2026 SUVs.
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2026 GMC Acadia
GMC updates the Acadia lineup with a new standard key card—like what Tesla offers—that lets drivers access and start the SUV without a traditional fob. The paint palette also evolves, with Glacier White Tricoat replacing White Frost and Riverstone Metallic taking the place of Deep Bronze.
The biggest news is the debut of the Acadia’s first-ever Denali Ultimate trim. This range-topping model comes packed with high-end features, starting with Super Cruise hands-free driving tech and a performance suspension. On the outside, it stands out with a Vader chrome grille and GMC logo, LED daytime running lamps with an animated lighting sequence, model-specific badging, 22-inch machined aluminum wheels finished in After Midnight Metallic, a panoramic sunroof, and a hands-free power liftgate.
Inside, the Denali Ultimate elevates comfort and craftsmanship with Woodland Mahogany leather seats that are heated, ventilated, massaging, and enhanced by plaited contrast stitching. Paldao wood trim with laser-etched accents and embossed topographical details adorns the cabin, alongside model-specific floormats and Denali Ultimate badging on the seat backs. Rounding out the premium package are a Bose 16-speaker Performance Series audio system, a 360 camera, a rear camera mirror, and a configurable 8.0-inch head-up display.
MotorTrend Ranked: #2 in 3-row SUVs (2026 model).
Read Our Experts’ Full GMC Acadia Review
2026 GMC Hummer EV SUV
The Hummer EV SUV’s ride quality is improved this year thanks to updated damper tuning, and off-road performance benefits from the now-standard King Crab rear-steer drive mode. New tech additions include bidirectional charging, allowing the SUV’s battery to power other vehicles or even a home, plus updated Super Cruise with Hands-On Lane Change Assist and Lane Change for Route functionality. A North American Charging System (NACS) adapter and dual-level charge cord are now included, as well.
Further technology updates bring a sharper 13.4-inch infotainment display with split-view capability and new entertainment options integrated with Google built-in software. However, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have been discontinued. Rounding out the interior updates, the driver display is slightly reduced in size, moving from last year’s 12.3-inch screen to a new 11.0-inch configuration.
The 3X trim gains an available Carbon Fiber Edition package for a more distinctive look. GMC introduces three new paint colors for the electric ute, as well—Coastal Dune, Magnus Gray Matte, and Auburn Matte—and drops Tide Metallic from the palette. Inside, buyers can now choose from new Velocity Ember, Granite Drift, and Stealth Eclipse interior themes.
MotorTrend Ranked: Unranked
Read Our Experts’ Full GMC Hummer EV SUV Review
2026 GMC Terrain
GMC expands the 2026 Terrain lineup with two new trims designed to emphasize very different strengths. For adventure seekers, the Terrain AT4 is the most off-road-capable version yet, featuring an exclusive selectable Terrain mode, increased ground clearance (up 1.8 inches to 8.7 inches), a protective metal skidplate, red front recovery hooks, and 17-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires. Standard equipment also includes all-wheel drive, hill descent control, and animated headlights and taillights.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Terrain Denali caters to luxury-minded buyers. This upscale variant adds heated front and rear seats, 19-inch wheels with an available 20-inch upgrade, and GMC’s Smart Frequency dampers for enhanced ride comfort. Like the AT4, the Denali also comes standard with all-wheel drive, hill descent control, and animated lighting elements.
MotorTrend Ranked: #13 in compact SUVs (2026 model).
Read Our Experts’ Full GMC Terrain Review
2026 GMC Yukon
The 2026 Acadia introduces several styling and package updates. Glacier White Tricoat is now offered on Denali and Denali Ultimate models, while White Frost Tricoat has been retired. A new 22-inch Bright split-spoke wheel design debuts, but Bright Chrome, multi-spoke Chrome, and multi-spoke 22-inch options have been discontinued.
The Hit the Road package now includes black roof rack cross rails and a rear bumper protector. The AT4 Black Appearance package adds an illuminated black GMC emblem and black nameplates for a bolder look. Several accessories have been dropped, including the Cargo Convenience package, fold-flat cargo organizer, cargo area organizer, Highway Safety Kit, chrome lug nuts, and carbon-fiber exhaust tip.
Other refinements include Gloss Black mirror caps on AT4 and AT4 Ultimate (previously body-color), and the Performance Upgrade package on AT4 now includes a sport pedal cover kit. The Interior Protection package, once limited to Elevation and AT4, is now also available on AT4 Ultimate.
Finally, several appearance packages have been renamed and revised. The Elevation Black package is now the Elevation Appearance package with added black nameplates. The AT4 Appearance package is now called the AT4 Black Appearance package with illuminated black emblems. The Denali Ultimate Appearance package is renamed the Denali Appearance package, now offered on Denali, as well, featuring black mirror caps, illuminated black emblems, black nameplates, and a black mesh grille. The former 25th Anniversary package becomes the Denali Sport Nightfall Edition.
MotorTrend Ranked: #4 in full-size 3-row SUVs (2025 model).
Read Our Experts’ Full GMC Yukon Review
2026 GMC SUVs: What’s New
- 2026 GMC Acadia: Minor update
- 2026 GMC Hummer: Minor update
- 2026 GMC Terrain: Minor update
- 2026 GMC Yukon: Minor update
My dad was a do-it-yourselfer, which is where my interest in cars began. To save money, he used to service his own vehicles, and I often got sent to the garage to hold a flashlight or fetch a tool for him while he was on his back under a car. Those formative experiences activated and fostered a curiosity in Japanese automobiles because that’s all my Mexican immigrant folks owned then. For as far back as I can remember, my family always had Hondas and Toyotas. There was a Mazda and a Subaru in there, too, a Datsun as well. My dad loved their fuel efficiency and build quality, so that’s how he spent and still chooses to spend his vehicle budget. Then, like a lot of young men in Southern California, fast modified cars entered the picture in my late teens and early 20s. Back then my best bud and I occasionally got into inadvisable high-speed shenanigans in his Honda. Coincidentally, that same dear friend got me my first job in publishing, where I wrote and copy edited for action sports lifestyle magazines. It was my first “real job” post college, and it gave me the experience to move just a couple years later to Auto Sound & Security magazine, my first gig in the car enthusiast space. From there, I was extremely fortunate to land staff positions at some highly regarded tuner media brands: Honda Tuning, UrbanRacer.com, and Super Street. I see myself as a Honda guy, and that’s mostly what I’ve owned, though not that many—I’ve had one each Civic, Accord, and, currently, an Acura RSX Type S. I also had a fourth-gen Toyota pickup when I met my wife, with its bulletproof single-cam 22R inline-four, way before the brand started calling its trucks Tacoma and Tundra. I’m seriously in lust with the motorsport of drifting, partly because it reminds me of my boarding and BMX days, partly because it’s uncorked vehicle performance, and partly because it has Japanese roots. I’ve never been much of a car modifier, but my DC5 is lowered, has a few bolt-ons, and the ECU is re-flashed. I love being behind the wheel of most vehicles, whether that’s road tripping or circuit flogging, although a lifetime exposed to traffic in the greater L.A. area has dulled that passion some. And unlike my dear ol’ dad, I am not a DIYer, because frankly I break everything I touch.
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