Holden Acadia Review New Zealand
Modern Family is an American Sit-Com. It’s a mockumentary that offers up an insight into a family filled with a diverse mix of cultures, mindsets and directions, bringing them all together in one, arguably happy family. In many ways, it shows a new ‘norm’, highlighting and then breaking stereotypical attitudes. And that’s exactly what came to mind when I revisited the new Holden Acadia LTZ-V.
The Holden Acadia also hails from the US. No, it’s not ‘funny’ (mind you, the sound the V6 makes when you put your foot down puts a smile on your face), but it’s simply the fact that the new Modern Family car has become an SUV and this 7-seater vehicle embraces every single aspect of that fact.
First, let’s talk size. With the comings and goings that surround modern life, space and versatility is paramount, the Holden Acadia aces this test. Its 5.1m x 2m exterior means that there’s oodles of space to play with inside too. It is a true 7-seater, so much so that both my wife and son opted for the 3rd row for more or less the entire time I spent with the SUV – not sure if I should be offended by that? I’m not saying that the Acadia is full-sized but they actually looked quite distant in the rear view mirror (as did their expressions just quietly).
They’re not exactly tall or wide but they looked comfortable back there and aside from the music being pumped through the SUV’s Bose system and 8-speakers, they stayed entertained by connecting devices to the USB ports (in all three rows) and kept ‘cool’ with their own zone A/C – the Acadia has three zones. Accessibility is easy for all areas and the seats in this LTZ-V model came bathed in leather, a precursor for the rest of the upmarket and modern family experience that was to follow.
From a driver’s point of view, this SUV comes fully loaded. Heated and ventilated 10-way power adjustable seats. Leather wheel and gear stick. Adaptive Cruise, Lane Keep Assist, Lane departure warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, Forward collision alert, lateral impact avoidance, vibrating seats (no this isn’t a massage feature), Sat Nav, 8-inch infotainment screen, Advanced Park assist and a rear camera – phew.
Under its bold, snub-nosed bonnet is a 3.6L V6 engine that is super friendly. 231kW and 367Nm complete with an Active Fuel Management system (that boasts 9.3L/100km) are all delivered to the AWD system via a 9-Speed automatic transmission. The majority of the time, it’s smooth and controlled, just a deep-hum that seems to come from somewhere far off in the distance, but should you slip into sport and stamp on the accelerator, the mild tone turns into a wonderfully gruff shout, awesome.
Out in the wilds of greater Auckland, the big SUV tackled the country terrain with aplomb. Sure it takes up a lot of road area but it’s very easy to keep between the lines. Its Flexiride Adaptive Suspension can be adjusted to suit but in all honesty, I didn’t need to touch much at all. It could be a little better when it comes to towing (2,000kg) but then again, why spoil its good looks by dragging something hefty behind – stay in 5-star luxury I say.
I spent just a shade under a week with the Holden Acadia LTZ-V and it more than coped with our day to day modern family requests. It’s a very well appointed SUV that handles town and country demands. Its connectivity and entertainment goes above and beyond as do its safety and driver’s aids and when it comes to space, well it was a peaceful week without having the family around – wonder how they’re getting on with the next journalist?
