Cupra Ateca vs Holden Acadia
What's the difference?

Cupra Ateca

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2025 price

View pricing & specs

Holden Acadia

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2020 price

View pricing & specs

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Summary

2025 Cupra Ateca

2020 Holden Acadia

By Laura Berry

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 2.0L

V6, 3.6L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

7.1L/100km (combined)

8.9L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

The 'mysterious' brand
Volkswagen quality and engineering
Lower price into the Ateca model

Truck-like looks
Advanced safety tech
Good value

Dislikes

Safety tech could be more cutting edge
Fuel economy on the high side
No head-up display

2000kg braked towing capacity
Engine needs to rev hard to make grunt
Wireless charging not standard on LT

2025 Cupra Ateca Summary

Not many people even know what a Cupra Ateca V is… and this is the second best thing about this small SUV. The first best thing is that Cupra is owned by Volkswagen.

So, this means you can have your mysterious SUV not many other people drive while knowing it’s underpinned by one of the largest car manufacturers in the world which makes cars millions of people drive and one which also has a reputation for high quality vehicles.

The big news here is the Ateca model range has a new and lower entry fee with the arrival of this V grade. See, until now the only Ateca Australians could buy is the high-performance VZx which while really sporty also came with a pretty big price tag.

So, how much is the Ateca V and what do you get for the money? We found this out at the Australian launch along with how practical and safe it is and what it’s like to drive.

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2020 Holden Acadia Summary

If the Acadia had an accent it would be a southern drawl because this big seven-seat SUV is built in Tennessee, USA, and wears a GMC badge when it’s at home.

In Australia of course it wears a Holden one and comes straight from the factory in right-hand drive. So how does it suit Aussie conditions? Does it even know the importance of a sausage on a piece of bread bought outside a hardware store on a Saturday?

All this and more was learnt when the entry grade LT front-wheel drive came to live with my family.

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Deep dive comparison

2025 Cupra Ateca 2020 Holden Acadia

Verdict

The Cupra Ateca V is a much needed more affordable way into this small SUV while still offering a high-end feeling with plenty of standard features. Yes, the V isn't as high-powered as the VZx but it's still great to drive in the city and on the open road. Big on the inside and small on the outside the Cupra Ateca can perform urban and (small) family duties well.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

Verdict

The Holden Acadia is a proper seven-seater SUV in that it will fit adults in the third row without turning your friends into enemies. It’s also practical and well fitted out with storage places and utilities such as USB ports.

I was particularly impressed with the advanced safety equipment on-board even at this entry LT level. Yes, it’s a V6 petrol and it’s not the most fuel-efficient SUV, but our time with it showed that with cylinder deactivation and the stop-start system it might not be as thirsty as you’d think.

Cupra Ateca vs Holden Acadia What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Cupra Ateca vs Holden Acadia
What's the difference?