Renault Arkana vs Holden Acadia
What's the difference?

Renault Arkana

$36,990 - $45,990

2026 price

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Holden Acadia

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2020 price

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Chery Tiggo 8 PRO MAX

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-Class

Mitsubishi ASX

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Mitsubishi Outlander

Mitsubishi Pajero

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Summary

2026 Renault Arkana

2020 Holden Acadia

By Emily Agar

By Laura Berry

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 1.3L

V6, 3.6L

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

5.9L/100km (combined)

8.9L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Stylish, distinctive design
Great boot space and practicality
Responsive handling

Truck-like looks
Advanced safety tech
Good value

Dislikes

Mild-hybrid gains feel limited
Snug rear seat space
Slow off the mark

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

2026 Renault Arkana Summary

This time around my family of three has been reviewing the updated Renault Arkana Esprit Alpine mild-hybrid, and you might be wondering… why?

In a market that is positively bursting at the seams with established and new competition, including full-hybrid rivals like the Honda HR-V RS and Hyundai Kona Premium, the Arkana has its work cut out for it.

It’s also a slightly unusual proposition, pairing the raised ride height of an SUV with the swooping roofline of a coupe, while sticking with a mild-hybrid powertrain as more and more rivals make the jump to full-hybrid.

So, does this small French SUV coupe still have enough going for it to stand out from the crowd?

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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

2026 Renault Arkana 2020 Holden Acadia

Verdict

The Renault Arkana Esprit Alpine mild-hybrid combines some serious design flair with a reasonable amount of practicality for a smaller family, but it’s hard to ignore the lack of improvement in efficiency following the addition of the mild-hybrid system. That said, it still succeeds on some fronts. It just does it quietly.

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.

Renault Arkana vs Holden Acadia What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Renault Arkana vs Holden Acadia
What's the difference?