The new Holden seven-seat Acadia is due to arrive in Australia midway through October. Powered by the latest iteration of the renowned 3.6-litre V6 engine that drives through a nine-speed automatic it will be offered in both 2WD (the front wheels) and 4WD versions.
Holden’ engineers and technicians were involved in the design throughout Acadia’s development and tens of thousands of road testing was done in this country.
Though not aimed at full-on offroad driving the big Holden SUV has a Traction Select System which allows the driver to alter chassis and powertrain attributes to suit a variety of driving conditions. Front-drive models offer Normal (2×4), Snow, Sport and Trailer/Tow modes, while AWD models offer 2×4 (AWD disconnect), 4×4, Sport, Off Road and Trailer/Tow modes.
This big Holden is a very versatile vehicle on the inside. The rear two rows of seats can be folded flat and the centre row is adjustable front to rear to let occupants juggle legroom to suit their needs.
Infotainment is viewed through an 8.0-inch colour display. There’s Apple Car Play and Android Auto, a six-speaker audio system. Squabbles over charging should be minimised as Holden has been smart in fitting USB ports in all three rows.
Standard in the Acadia is a full suite of active safety features across the range designed to help drivers be more aware of their surroundings and potential crash situations. They include autonomous emergency braking, following distance indicator, automatic high beam assist, safety seat alert, forward collision alert, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, blind spot alert that includes with rear cross traffic alert, and rear parking assist.
New Holden Acadia is already being manufactured at General Motors’ Spring Hill factory in Tennessee, with initial shipments probably on their way as we type this.
We have been invited to the media launch of Holden Acadia in mid October and will come back to you with full specs and initial driving impressions immediately afterwards.
