Holden Acadia vs BMW IX1
What's the difference?

Holden Acadia

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2020 price

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BMW IX1

$49,880 - $82,900

2023 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

2023 BMW IX1

By Laura Berry

By Byron Mathioudakis

Safety Rating

Engine Type

V6, 3.6L

Electric motor type

Electromagnetically Excited

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol

Vehicle type

Battery Electric

Fuel Efficiency

8.9L/100km (combined)

Electric range

440 km

Energy consumption

18.2 kWh/100km

Battery capacity

67.00 kWh

Seating

Likes

Truck-like looks
Advanced safety tech
Good value

Surprising value for money
Impressive design inside and out
Decent road manners

Dislikes

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

Could use stronger single-pedal braking tech
Some road/tyre noise intrusion
Hides its ‘EV-ness’ with regular ICE X1 styling

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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2023 BMW IX1 Summary

The world is full of shock brand announcements.

Remember the time Coke suddenly changed its cola recipe? Or when Apple decided to take on Nokia with iPhone? Nobody saw those coming.

We all know how the latter turned out and even the former eventually became a marketing masterstroke.

Now here's another super-surprise – a German electric luxury SUV that’s actually comparatively inexpensive. And not stingily equipped. Yep, we’re talking about the iX1.

Based on the really rather impressive third-generation X1, it decisively undercuts similarly-specified rivals from Mercedes-Benz (EQA, EQB) and Genesis (GV60).

But is the Bavarian EV SUV worth paying that little bit extra for against (only very slightly) cheaper alternatives like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Tesla Model Y, Polestar 2 and Volvo XC40 Recharge?

Let’s see.

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Deep dive comparison

2020 Holden Acadia 2023 BMW IX1

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

BMW is a true EV pioneer, as the 2014 i3 and subsequent models prove. There’s never been one that we didn’t like. The only problem was that all were expensive. And at times, prohibitively so.

Astoundingly, the iX1 breaks that cycle, comparatively speaking, while impressing us with its design, quality, packaging, dynamics and equipment levels.

As it stands, the xDrive30 is one of the most convincing and best-value medium-sized luxury SUV EVs on the market right now.

Who’d have thought it from a BMW?

Holden Acadia vs BMW IX1 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Holden Acadia vs BMW IX1
What's the difference?