Future Holden SUV range
Holden cars revealed
Colorado Truck Stop
Holden Acadia interior design image
Holden Astra R3Q low
Bruce Newton1 Sept 2016
NEWS

Holden confirms Captiva replacement

But new Acadia seven-seat SUV won’t be here till 2018

Holden has revealed the first key building block in the overhaul and expansion of its SUV line-up, confirming overnight that the seven-seat Acadia will go on sale here in 2018.

Launched at the Detroit show last January in the USA, where it is sold as a GMC, the Acadia is Holden’s replacement for the aged Captiva wagon.

The announcement was made at a media business briefing last night, when Holden also confirmed it is planning one new model launch every month for the next five months. Those launches include:

October: Trailblazer SUV (a renamed and updated Colorado7)
November: New-generation Astra hatchback
November: Facelifted Barina mini
January 2017: Facelifted Trax small SUV

Colorado Truck Stop

This roll-out is part of Holden’s promise to launch 24 new models between 2015 and 2020. At last month's launch of the Colorado pick-up, which officially goes on sale today (September 1), Holden said the Trailblazer and Astra hatch would be number eight and nine respectively, meaning the facelifted Barina and Trax would bring to 10 the number of new or upgraded Holdens released since last year.

“This level of launch activity hasn’t happened at this company for nearly 15 years and signals our intent loud and clear,” said managing director Mark Bernhard, who is charge of the process of swapping Holden from manufacturer to importer over the next 18 months.

There was no detailed pricing or specification detail offered for any of the new models. But Acadia will definitely come with a petrol V6 engine and all-wheel drive. A diesel is also likely.

Holden’s reveal of Acadia so far ahead of on-sale reflects a similar strategy from Ford Australia, which recently confirmed the Edge SUV was coming to Australia, but not till 2018.

Holden Trailblazer F3Q


There was no reference to the MY18 Commodore last night. It will be imported from Germany and based on the next-generation Opel Insignia, which is soon expected to be revealed in Europe.

Last night Holden also released details of a new version of the Lion logo, new customer service initiatives, a new brand and marketing campaign and a new public website dubbed Holden.com 2.0.

“I’m particularly excited, however, to reveal our SUV strategy, headlined by the all-new, seven-seat Acadia,” said Bernhard.

Holden Trax R3Q low


“Alongside the Trax, Trailblazer and another all-new global SUV that we’ll add to our portfolio soon, Holden will introduce four new SUVs in just two years. This puts us in a great position in the fastest-growing segment of the market.”

That will be a Holden version of the next-generation Chevrolet Equinox compact SUV, which is on-sale in the USA early in 2017 and would be a suitable replacement here for the already ditched Captiva5. While announced after Acadia it is tipped to go on-sale here before it.

“The vehicles we’ve revealed also reinforce our commitment to introduce the best cars from around the GM world for our customers,” added Bernhard.

Future Holden SUV range


“The Acadia will be sourced from the US, the Astra from Europe and the Barina, Trax and Trailblazer from Asia. Holden is in a unique position where we can provide our Australian customers the best of the best from around the world.”

Acadia is based on the new C1XX architecture and will potentially be available with petrol, diesel and hybrid drivetrains and front- and all-wheel drive.

motoring.com.au examined the Acadia in depth back in January and also reported on its unique safety feature.

Holden Masterbrand still


Meanwhile, key features of Holden’s new ‘master brand’ campaign that launches today include music from popular artist Flume, a new Lion logo with a more “premium” chrome finish and more “sophisticated” upper- and lower-case font.

Holden also announced its Complete Care customer service commitment that includes a 24-hour test drive.

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