Holden Acadia 2019 Car of the Year review

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HOLDEN’S history of seven-seater SUVs is a little like that of young Goldilocks. For many Aussies, the short-lived Suburban monolith of the late 1990s was just way too big, while the mid-sized Captiva a decade later was too small. Is the intriguing new Acadia, out of America, sized just right?

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At a shade under five metres long, the crossover from Tennessee is a triumph of packaging, managing to accommodate seven full-sized adults with comfort and space to spare. And it comes complete with all the air vents, cupholders, storage facilities and other thoughtful detailing a septet of travellers could wish for. The Acadia also offers an impressively long and boxy cargo area, for effortless loading capability.

And all this within a similar footprint to the Toyota Kluger that Detroit’s designers used as a template.

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Much like its imposing, mini-Cadillac Escalade styling, the Acadia’s pricing stands out, opening below most rivals, yet still buying you goodies such as AEB (with cyclist and pedestrian recognition), lane-keep assist, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic alerts, reverse camera, auto high beams, traffic-sign recognition, keyless entry/start, three-zone climate control, sat-nav, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, five USB ports and 18-inch alloys on the base LT, with five years’ warranty. The Holden’s showroom appeal is palpable.

Additionally, buyers can expect sound real-world economy from the same 3.6-litre V6 found in the related ZB Commodore (they share many platform elements), partly due to local calibration of the standard nine-speed auto, driving either the front or – for $4K extra – all four wheels. Growly and grunty right from the get-go, this powertrain combo’s acceleration is pleasingly rapid, providing the sort of off-the-line torque response old Holden owners would recognise.

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GMH’s engineers also managed to make worthwhile chassis improvements over the US equivalent, particularly on the range-topping LTZ-V, which comes with locally tuned adaptive dampers on the standard-fit 20-inch wheel and tyre package. The results are well modulated (if a tad too light for some tastes) steering, reasonable handling control, and an unexpectedly composed ride, particularly over gravel.

However, in FWD models that V6 muscle all too often overwhelms front-wheel traction (particularly in the LT and LTZ on 18s), resulting in unsettling tyre scrabble and torque steer. Consider stretching to the calmer AWD versions instead.

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The centre row, meanwhile, has not been altered for our right-hand-drive needs, so the heavier, two-person portion of the seat must be folded and slid forward for kerb-side third-row access. Some ergonomic issues also prevail (such as the auto’s awkward tip shifter and laggy engagement); and the baggy and ill-fitting carpet on some examples were eyesores.

Acknowledging that a proving ground is hardly the natural habitat for large seven-seaters, it nonetheless spotlights inconsistencies within model ranges, with the scrappy front-drivers holding the Yank back from progressing through to the next COTY stage.

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Invariably, the LTZ-V AWD, with that extra Holden input, turns out to be the only Acadia that’s just right.