When size matters

Price: $71,990
Engine: 3.6L V6 petrol, max power 231kW@6600rpm, max torque 367Nm@5000rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed steptronic automatic, all-wheel drive
Brakes and stability systems: Disc, ABS, ESP, TC, & EAB
Safety: Five-star ANCAP
Wheels and tyres: Alloys, 235/55 R20 tyres
Fuel and economy: 91 Octane unleaded petrol 9.3 litres/100km, tank capacity 82 litres
Emissions: 219g CO2/km
Dimensions: Length 4979mm, width 1915mm, height 1767mm

What We Like

  • Massive cabin
  • decent and characterful performance
  • hi-tech features

What We Don't

  • Not as well finished as some rivals
  • and trades dynamic flair for ride comfort
Verdict

A valuable addition to Holden’s revamped range

Rating:

Overall
3.5/5
Design
3.5/5
Interior
4/5
Performance
3.5/5
Handling
4/5
Environmental
3/5
Safety
5/5

Overview

An unashamedly large SUV with an imposing visual presence, the US-sourced Arcadia is a valuable addition to Holden’s revamped range, writes David Thomson.

We Kiwis haven’t had much cause to admit it of late, but sometimes it’s no bad thing having the self-proclaimed ‘‘Lucky Country’’ as our transtasman neighbours. 

And, again something we might not easily admit to just now, riding on the coat tails of Australia’s special relationship with the United States can come in handy, too.

Take the Holden Arcadia that is the subject of this road test. Tennessee-built, it is a product of General Motors’ North American GMC division. Of course, American cars are left-hand drive. Yet the substantial task of re-engineering the Arcadia for right-hand drive has been undertaken solely for the Australian and New Zealand markets; actually, for Australia, with New Zealand the fortunate beneficiary.

Enter, what by our standards, is an unashamedly large sports utility vehicle. A vehicle that is, in these SUV-dominant times, perhaps a more natural replacement for the big Aussie-built Holdens of old than the latest European-sourced Commodore.

Three models, all with seven seats and 3.6L V6 petrol engines, are on offer. The range opens with the $49,990 two-wheel drive LT, progressing to four-wheel drive with the $59,990 LTZ and $71,990 LTZ-V as tested. Two-wheel drive versions of the LTZ and LTZ-V are also available, but only to special order.

Sitting on 20-inch alloys and featuring ample chrome garnishing, the LTZ-V test car certainly had an imposing visual presence.

There are rivals, of which Mazda’s CX-9 immediately springs to mind, that deliver more design flair and attention to interior fit and finish than the Arcadia. That said, the big Holden scores well for the logical layout of key controls and instruments, sheer roominess, and its generous swag of standard equipment.

Up front, the key upper surfaces on dash and doors are soft touch. The front seats — heated, chilled and power-adjusting — are generously proportioned and, in the test car at least, trimmed in dark charcoal faux leather with cream piping and stitching. They are comfortable for extended motoring, though lacking a little in lateral support.

Integrated into the dash, an eight-inch centre colour touchscreenlooks small in such a big cabin, but it is an easy interface for the car’s audio system (eight-speaker Bose), phone, satellite navigation, and a camera system which includes a 360-degree view. Apple and Android smartphone mirroring are also provided. Bluetooth connectivity is seamless, and a sizeable compartment at the base of the centre console includes a wireless phone charging pad as well as dual USB, AUX and 12-volt plug-in points.

There’s dual-zone climate control for those up front, and the LTZ-V equipment list includes dual sunroofs (the front one power-operated) and a hands-free power-operated tailgate.

The middle seats are mounted on rails for for-aft adjustment. Split 60:40, they muster plenty of head and leg room, with sufficient width to accommodate three adults if required. Two USB plugs, a deep slide-out tray, and a separate climate control system are neat touches for the middle row.

The boot has a modest 292-litre capacity when the third row of seats is raised, supplemented by two handy compartments under the boot floor. This rises to an impressive 1042 litres when the Arcadia is configured as a five-seater, and a cavernous 2102 litres when the middle seats are folded flat.

The rear seats are individual units, manually raised from the floor and rear seat space is very good for a vehicle of this type, with fine head and legroom.

Returning to the driver’s seat, the Arcadia leads the way for Holden in the provision of active driver assistance and safety aids.

The LTZ-V is provisioned with full radar cruise control in addition to features that are standard on all variants including autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cycle detection, forward collision alert with head-up warning, blind spot alert and rear cross-traffic alert.

The advanced lane-keeping assist and lane-departure warning system includes a road edge detection function to cope in situations where the edge is ill-defined by a white line. The impact-avoidance system, meantime, provides steering assistance to prevent lane changing into the path of a vehicle in your blind spot. Along with the standard methods of audible and flashing LED light warning, the Arcadia’s safety alert system causes the sides of the driver’s seat to vibrate in warning.

There’s also a traffic sign memory with intelligent speed assist system that operates in conjunction with the satellite navigation to display (in the main instrument cluster) the last speed sign that has been passed and provide other helpful information.

All of these safety functions were impressive in test though, as is often the case, certain light conditions and other situations occasionally prompted a false warning, especially around town.

In all other respects, the test car provided fuss-free urban motoring, usually in two-wheel-drive mode, but also slipping into on-road 4WD for extra traction security in the wet. These drive modes, along with the options of sport, off-road and towing, are selected via a rotary control knob aft of the gearshift.

With great forward visibility and a good camera system, the Arcadia doesn’t feel anywhere near as bulky as its size would suggest when manoeuvring around town.

The engine, which has a free-revving character and pleasant aural note, is also good for city work, though round-town economy is not strong.

The test car proved a fine open-road SUV, helped for sure by the work Holden engineers have done tuning the chassis, steering and suspension to local tastes and conditions, and also by the adaptive suspension that is one of the LTZ-V’s points of difference as range flagship.

The main highway run is marked by impressive levels of ride comfort and aural refinement. The engine, which musters 231kW of power and 367Nm of torque, has sufficient pep for snappy overtaking (at least when not heavily laden), although vigorous revving is necessary to extract its best. Highway economy is surprisingly good, thanks in part to the nine-speed transmission’s tall top ratios, and to a system that deactivates two of the engine’s six cylinders under light throttle loads.

A large SUV isn’t a natural choice for hustling down winding back roads, but so long as sport mode is selected, the flagship Arcadia is well-mannered when pressing along such routes, albeit with a fair amount of body roll. Progress on gravel is also surefooted, with 4WD mode the obvious choice on such surfaces.

In theory, roughly 200mm of ground clearance and an off-road drive mode featuring hill descent control makes the Arcadia LTZ-V a viable candidate for adventuring on un-metalled tracks and trails. But what it may be technically capable of doing is quite different to what it feels comfortable tackling — like most of its rivals, such adventures will be modest, if they are undertaken at all.

Better then to think of the Arcadia LTZ-V as a large family wagon, with the added security of four-wheel drive for poor conditions, towing, skifield roads and the like. Spacious, comfortable and packed with features, it’s a fine fit for that role.

Photos: David Thomson

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