Holden Acadia 2019 pricing and specs confirmed

Holden will offer initial drive-away pricing for the Acadia seven-seater, starting at $42,990 for the base LT.
Byron Mathioudakis

Contributing Journalist

3 min read

Holden has officially released the American-built Acadia large SUV in Australia, with a drive-away pricing structure confirmed from launch kicking off with the $42,990 entry-level LT grade.

Stepping up to the LTZ costs $53,990, while the top-grade LTZ-V wears a $63,990 price tag.

Buyers can also opt for all-wheel drive (AWD), as opposed to the standard front-wheel-drive set-up, for an additional $4000 in each case.

According to Holden director of marketing Kristian Aquilina, the “initial” drive-away pricing was put in place to generate interest in the vehicle from launch, with standard manufacturer's list pricing to kick in at a later date.

“We’re launching with a promoted price point from the get-go to really get that value story around Acadia out there from the start,” he said.

The top-dog LTZ-V adds 20-inch alloy wheels.
The top-dog LTZ-V adds 20-inch alloy wheels.

“(We want to) make this a truly irresistible choice for the many, many people swarming around that SUV market at the moment.”

Furthermore, Holden will offer a $1000 cash-back incentive on orders placed before November 12, 2018 lowering the pre-launch LT 2WD to $41,990 drive-away.

When the before-on-road-cost pricing structure kicks in, the Acadia line-up will cost $43,490, $53,490 and $63,490 for the LT, LTZ and LTZ-V respectively, with AWD still coming at a $4000 premium.

The Acadia is motivated by a 3.6-litre naturally aspirated direct-injection V6 petrol engine, which is tuned to deliver 231kW of power and 367Nm of torque, and is matched exclusively with a nine-speed torque-converter automatic transmission that features uphill mode, downhill mode, shift stabilisation and a 'tow-haul' mode.

A number of driving modes are also at the driver's disposal including Normal, Sport, Snow and Trailer Tow in FWD guise, while the all-paw setup gets Normal 2WD, Sport AWD, Off-road Sport AWD and Trailer Tow AWD.

The all-wheel-drive system can also be set to run front-drive only, allowing for improved fuel economy.

Holden's figures say that the Acadia uses 8.9 liters per 100 kilometres in standard FWD guise, or up to 9.3L/100km with AWD.

The FWD set-up is lighter, meaning it can sprint from 0-100km in 7.0 seconds with its 1874kg kerb weight, while the AWD system adds an extra 94kg.

The FWD set-up is lighter at 1874kg, while the AWD system adds an extra 94kg.
The FWD set-up is lighter at 1874kg, while the AWD system adds an extra 94kg.

Key mechanical components include an electric rack and pinion steering system, MacPherson-style struts at the front and a five-link at the rear, and brake discs that measure 321mm and 314mm front-to-back.

The Acadia also benefits from a strong list of safety gear including auto emergency braking (AEB) with cyclist and pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist that recognises unpainted road edges and gravel, blind spot monitoring, haptic seat vibrations, nationwide traffic sign recognition and adaptive cruise control with a speed limiter.

Standard gear includes a new-generation C1 multimedia system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav, keyless entry/go, three-zone climate control, five USB ports and 18-inch alloys.

Moving up to the LTZ, customers gain leather upholstery, a power adjustable driver's seat, a heated front row, foglights, rain-sensing wipers, wireless phone charging, an electric tailgate and parking assistance.

The top-dog LTZ-V adds 20-inch alloy wheels with improved suspension, an electric front passenger seat, ventilated seats, dual-panel sunroof, HID headlights, adaptive cruise control, higher-speed AEB, a surround-view monitor, a larger driver info display and a premium sound system.

2018 Holden Acadia list pricing

Holden Acadia LT – automatic – $42,990 drive-away
Holden Acadia LT AWD – automatic – $46,990 drive-away
Holden Acadia LTZ – automatic – $53,990 drive-away
Holden Acadia LTZ AWD – automatic – $57,990 drive-away
Holden Acadia LTZ-V – automatic – $63,990 drive-away
Holden Acadia LTZ-V AWD – automatic – $67,990 drive-away

Will the Holden Acadia fill the shoes of the highly-popular Territory large SUV? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.

Byron Mathioudakis

Contributing Journalist

Byron Mathioudakis connected with cars right from the start. His earliest memory is a dream of him driving an Austin A30. Soon after, Byron fell in love with movies watching Duel (1971) where a Valiant sedan takes on a murderous Peterbilt truck. Meanwhile, at Tottenham Primary, teacher Mr Chitty prised opened his world with Wheels magazines, later leading him to perform a one-person musical about the then-new Ford XD Falcon. Everyone thought he was strange. Eager to keep his car passion separate from work, he graduated from Advertising at RMIT, but wasn’t happy in that industry, so did the ‘90s Gen X thing of back-packing, with stints in hospitality, exploring his love of music working in a record store, tending bar, acting, dancing, modelling and even being a singing telegram, thankfully in faraway Canada. His eventual YouTube debut happened as an extra in a Violetine video of that era, You Know. Anyway, by 28, Byron realised he wanted to write about cars and nothing else, and on the eve of his 30th, landed a job at John Mellor’s Australian Automotive Business, a predecessor to GoAuto, where he still feels he belongs after four decades, breaking through with an unsolicited road test of his mother’s Peugeot 306. Going freelance in 1999, he worked at the long-defunct eauto.com.au (it’s still on Wayback Machine), then picked up a gig at Wheels magazine, citing 11 years of Car of the Year judging as a life-changing employment experience. Among scores of amazing people, it was there he became great friends with Peter Robinson, the editor of that first car magazine he devoured back in ’77. Do meet your heroes. In 2020, Byron started at CarsGuide, where he is a Contributing Journalist to this day. Other regular media outlets he writes for include the RAC WA and Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine. Note: though Byron has many old cars he loves, he has never owned an Austin A30, Valiant, XD Falcon or Peugeot 306. To paraphrase Bjork, to do so may break the charm. You can find Byron on LinkedIn. Education Associate Diploma in Advertising, RMIT | 1987-1990 Awards 2024 Newspress Australia Road Tester of the Year Featured Publications GoAuto | 1997-2022 Wheels | 2009-2021 CarsGuide | 2020-present RAC WA Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine
About Author

Comments