As Holden continues its soul search, General Motors’ Australian subsidiary is playing up its ability to source the best vehicles from GM’s global portfolio. On deck is the 2018 GMC Acadia.
The Acadia follows the Holden Equinox, which launched last December, as the brand’s second new crossover SUV. Categorized as a mid-size SUV in the United States, the Holden Acadia will serve as a full-size seven-seater in Australia. It also marks the first time a GMC vehicle will head to Australia as a Holden.
The Holden brand emphasized its work with parent automaker GM on the Acadia nameplate. The brand said the Acadia is “unashamedly American in its design,” but features the local-engineering touch to ensure it suits Australian roads and conditions. Engineers tweaked the steering feel and ride to resonate better with Australians. The Acadia is currently undergoing local testing and a fleet of 14 vehicles will travel 1.5 million kilometers (nearly 1 million miles) before the SUV launches.
The Holden Acadia will be built at the Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly plant in right-hand drive and ship to Oz in the fourth quarter of 2018. Following the Acadia, we could see the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer head down under, too.
Comment
Most of the work is in the suspension as other than the grill and wheel it is much the same.
I saw se real Video on them testing and I expect they did some work with the shocks and struts. Could also see some change in the AWD. I expect the Sport mode to be the most popular. It is 60% rear 40% front drive. It has the best feel.
The structure is already very stiff to deal with roads in poor condition.
The media there so far are not sure how it will be accepted. They did a lot of comparisons and it is different than the other brands. The public on the ones on the road have taken notice but will that transition to sales?