Holden Acadia LT 2019 review

First impression of the Acadia is that it’s big and looks it. It’s actually a tiny bit shorter in length than the CX-9 but it looks bigger from the outside. The truck-like front gives a rough and rugged effect and while I’m sure this car will certainly appeal to a particular customer, for me it’s too butch. There’s nothing really sleek or sporty about it and literally everyone who saw it this week commented on the exterior and how large it looks.

I was in the Acadia LT which is at the bottom of the range (there are three models, which keeps things simple), so the interior was basic, but everything is designed well and it’s all functional and easy to use.

The dash and the doors do look a little hard and plasticky, but then you get inclusions in this base model that you don’t on every other base model, like a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear shift knob.

The Acadia LT has a basic interior, but everything is designed well. (image credit: Dean McCartney)

There are fabric seats in this model which look and feel nice, no cheap scratchy cloth here, so you’ll be fine to wear shorts. Everything else is fairly standard.

The Holden Acadia drives exactly how you think it’s going to drive - it’s large and a bit heavy and is not as agile as a CX-9 or even a Kluger. There’s a 3.6L V6 engine which is great for getting up hills and zooming along freeways, you can definitely feel the power when compared with a smaller engine.

Under the bonnet is a 3.6-litre V6 engine.

The drive is also a little bouncy, in the LT Holden hasn't nailed the way the car feels on the road. I tested the two-wheel drive (2WD) but you can opt for all-wheel drive (AWD) which gives better traction along dirt or gravel roads. 

Parking is fine, the car is big but it’s still relatively okay to park. The steering is a tiny bit heavy but nothing to worry about, and the turning circle feels smaller than it has any right to in this car. 

Let’s get the most annoying bit out of the way - the car beeps a lot. I turned the collision warnings down (the option to do this is on the steering wheel), because it beeped at everything as I approached it. 

Even with the collision warnings on the lowest setting it would still beep and flash red on the windscreen if I drove past a person who happened to be on the side of the road, and it beeps if you get too close to the car in front, however I don’t think I was close enough to warrant a beep.

It also beeps if you haven’t put your seat belt on before starting the car, and it beeps when you get out to check the backseat for kids, so you don’t forget them inside. This is something you may get used to. Or ignore. 

The second row is easy enough to put down with the pull of a handle, the seats simply flip forward and kids can climb through to the third row. Putting the seats back up however is a bit of a workout. The third row is easy both ways, so you’re fine there. 

There are six cupholders in total, two in each row, plus handy bits of storage that you’ll discover as you go - a spot in the front to throw keys and a phone, a large centre storage bin, a bottle holder in each door. The second row gets a large drawer and the third row gets a small storage spot next to the cupholders. 

In total, there are six cupholders with two up front. (image credit: Dean McCartney)

There are also air vents in each row and tri-zone climate control which is great for Australian summers.

For families, the safety is great. There are five top tether points over the two back rows, and two ISOFIX points for children’s car seats. Airbags cover the driver and front passenger and side curtain airbags extend all the way to the back row. 

You’ll also get the newer safety technology as standard across the range, including auto emergency braking (in the LT it’s a city speed version), blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning and rear cross traffic alert. So it’s got all the safety you could hope for in a 2019 model vehicle. 

The Holden Acadia LT comes in at $43,990 before on-road costs. Fuel consumption is 8.9L/100km which is pretty good for a car this size.

It's covered by Holden's five year/unlimited km warranty and servicing is required every 12 months/12,000km.