Holden Acadia vs Audi SQ8
What's the difference?

Holden Acadia

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2020 price

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Audi SQ8

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2025 price

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Land Rover Discovery Sport

Mercedes-Benz EQ-Class

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Mercedes-Benz G63

Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLS

Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Mitsubishi Outlander

Mitsubishi Pajero

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Summary

2020 Holden Acadia

2025 Audi SQ8

By Laura Berry

By Emily Agar

Safety Rating

Engine Type

V6, 3.6L

Twin Turbo V8, 4.0L

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

8.9L/100km (combined)

11.9L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Truck-like looks
Advanced safety tech
Good value

Understated but elegant looks
Gusty engine that delivers serious power
Comfortably fits a large family

Dislikes

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

Never hits any thrilling notes
Technology is harder than it needs to be
Internal storage could be better

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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2025 Audi SQ8 Summary

The Audi SQ8 has had a mid-life refresh but this upper large SUV still offers luxury with its powerful V8 engine that fans know and love, as well as the features you would expect in a top model.

It competes against the Mercedes-AMG GLE and Porsche Cayenne but we’re family testing the SQ8 to see how it handles domestic life.

Keep reading to see what we’ve discovered.

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Deep dive comparison

2020 Holden Acadia 2025 Audi SQ8

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.

Verdict

The Audi SQ8 isn’t your typical performance SUV. It’s more refined and less flashy. The tech can be more complicated than it needs to be and if you’re wanting that V8 soundscape, you won’t find it here.

However, the handling and on road experience are superb plus you can comfortably haul the family around and look good doing it.

Holden Acadia vs Audi SQ8 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Holden Acadia vs Audi SQ8
What's the difference?