Holden Acadia vs Haval H9
What's the difference?

Holden Acadia

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2020 price

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Haval H9

$17,758 - $24,990

2019 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

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Mitsubishi Pajero

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Summary

2020 Holden Acadia

2019 Haval H9

By Laura Berry

Safety Rating

Engine Type

V6, 3.6L

Turbo 4, 2.0L

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

8.9L/100km (combined)

10.9L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Truck-like looks
Advanced safety tech
Good value

Great value
Advanced safety equipment
Spacious and practical

Dislikes

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

Seats could be more comfortable
Agricultural driving dynamics
No diesel engine available

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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2019 Haval H9 Summary

Not content with being China’s biggest auto brand, Haval is trying to win Australia over and is now throwing everything it’s got at us in the form of its H9 flagship SUV.

Think of the H9 as an alternative to seven-seat off-roaders such as the SsangYong Rexton or Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and you’re on the right track.

We tested the top-grade Ultra in the H9 range when it came to live with my family for a week.

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Deep dive comparison

2020 Holden Acadia 2019 Haval H9

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

There's a lot to like about the Havel H9 - it's great value, practical and spacious, packed with advanced safety tech, and also darn good looking. More comfortable seats would be an improvement and so would a better feel to the cabin materials and switchgear.

As for the H9's on-road performance - the 2.0-litre engine isn't the most responsive and the ladder frame chassis limits its dynamics.

So, unless you need an off-road SUV the H9 is borderline overkill in the city, where you could step into something without four-wheel drive and with more car-like comfort and handling.

Holden Acadia vs Haval H9 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Holden Acadia vs Haval H9
What's the difference?