Holden Acadia v Hyundai Santa Fe 2019 Comparison
The Hyundai SUV favourite faces up to a new rival from Holden; but is the Acadia predator... or prey?Known and unknown quantities
Fresh from the carsales Car of the Year judging for 2018, the Hyundai Santa Highlander placed second overall. Since its launch earlier this year the latest generation of Santa Fe has been the machine to beat in comparisons, including one involving the Mazda CX-9 – our 2016 Car of the Year. This new Hyundai Santa Fe is officially the benchmark for large, seven-seat soft-road SUVs.
Essentially a clean-sheet design replacing the seven-seat Captiva, the Holden Acadia is much newer to the market. The Acadia has some hard yards ahead to insinuate itself on the consideration list of consumers. It starts as the underdog in this comparison.
Why are we comparing them?
Why indeed? The engine powering the Hyundai Santa Fe tested is a four-cylinder turbo-diesel, whereas the Holden Acadia is only available with petrol V6 power. Can anyone mount a case for a petrol V6 in a seven-seat SUV these days? It obviously depends on the buyer and the overall competence of the Acadia.
As the flagship variant in the range, the Santa Fe is priced $3000 higher than the mid-range Acadia tested. The Hyundai is a vehicle that has won praise from critics around the nation. Holden may be aiming the Acadia at the Toyota Kluger, but can Acadia also take sales away from the Santa Fe? The question needs an answer.
Who will they appeal to?
Both the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Holden Acadia are designed for larger families.
Perhaps buyers want enough room for a couple of little tackers in the very rear and a couple of grandparents or teenagers in the middle row. Families choosing either of these vehicles probably want a robust product that can tow and maybe even cope with some limited off-roading.
In addition, the Acadia and Santa Fe must be efficient enough for weekday driving in the suburbs. So fuel economy is a factor, as is general practicality. How easy is it to load shopping behind three rows of seats? Are the vehicles easy to park? Can kids climb in and out without parental involvement?
How much do they cost?
The list price for the Holden Acadia, tested here in mid-range LTZ form with all-wheel drive is $57,490. For that, the Acadia comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, 10-way power adjustment for the driver's seat (eight-way power adjustment for the front passenger's seat), front-seat heating, rain-sensing wipers, wireless phone charging, hands-free powered tailgate, parking sensors and reversing camera. Holden offers the Acadia with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty also, placing it on par with the Hyundai Santa Fe.
Our long-term Santa Fe, is priced at $60,500, but comes with optional metallic paint, a tow bar and load-assist springs.
Listing around $3000 dearer than the Acadia, the Hyundai Santa Fe features around-view monitoring, LED headlights, self parking, 19-inch alloy wheels, glass sunroof, seat position memory, 14-way driver-seat power adjustment, a heated steering wheel, front-seat heating/ventilation, rear-seat (middle-row) heating and a head-up display.
What do they do well?
A highlight of the Acadia is its powertrain, which is quiet, refined and can be economical in traffic.
On a 72km test loop the trip computer posted a fuel consumption figure of 11.1L/100km, which was about the same as the figure for a trip home one Friday night in peak-hour traffic.
The V6 sounds pleasant and is flexible at lower and mid-range revs, but it also hauls hard with the throttle wide open beyond 4000rpm. There's more than enough performance on tap to spin a drive wheel and generate torque steer in front-wheel drive mode (it features various all-wheel drive settings for on-road and off-road applications).
The nine-speed automatic transmission shifts seamlessly. On light throttle settings only the swing of the tacho needle will give the game away that the auto has changed up a gear. A sequential shifting facility via a toggle in the top of the shift lever it is only enabled when the 'low' range is selected. This is not actually a low gear, just one cog down from the one ratio used in Drive. It delivers engine braking or extra torque by building up the revs.
The Acadia's strong, progressive brakes are backed up by communicative pedal feel. The steering is responsive and provides some feel at low speeds, but becomes lighter and less communicative at even moderate speeds. Ride comfort is top-shelf for a seven-seat SUV.
As a family wagon the Acadia is quite roomy. Slide the 'stadium' second-row seat forward a little and there's enough headroom and (barely) enough knee room to suit up to six adults of average size, plus a small child in the centre seat position in the second row.
Five child safety seat anchorage points are fitted, but the two in the third row are not of the ISOFIX type. The Acadia's powered tailgate can be set to raise only three-quarters of the way from the driver’s seat, so the kids can easily reach the close button on the tailgate when they alight at school. Flip levers in the boot provide easy folding of the second-row seat when loading long objects from the rear of the vehicle.
Plenty of storage is available in the Acadia, with a deep bin under the front centre armrest and a pull-out sliding bin in rear of centre console for second-row. The glovebox is moderately useful too, although it's not certain to accommodate a common Aussie street directory.
Both vehicles are fully equipped with USB ports, although the Acadia goes one better than the Santa Fe, with one for third-row passengers. Similarly, the two SUVs provide climate control vents for all occupants, the Santa Fe featuring face-level units and the Acadia's vents being mounted in the headlining for second- and third-row occupants.
By virtue of its diesel powerplant, the Santa Fe is nearly 2.0L/100km more economical than the Acadia, based on our real-world testing. The four-pot diesel is relatively quiet at low speeds and under load, fading out altogether at cruising speeds. Tyre noise was apparent on coarse-chip bitumen, accompanied by a light rumble from the Santa Fe's diesel engine.
But the Acadia's V6 was completely silent. It was also very smooth and quick to restart when the idle-stop system cranked it over for a green light.
Although the Acadia's nine-speed automatic is a polished unit, the Santa Fe's eight-speed auto is equally refined, and more responsive using the shift paddles to change down manually. Due to the diesel's lower torque peak, the Santa Fe will slip into eighth gear in time for the 100km/h open-road limit – at just 1600rpm.
The Hyundai delivers very good on-road grip, and while its steering is heavier than the Acadia's, it's consistent across different ranges of speeds for communicative and reliable feedback. Handling is predictable and the Santa Fe's cornering is enhanced by a flatter stance and highly effective body control. Although it rides slightly firmer than the Acadia around town and over speed humps, the Santa Fe is actually more composed at highway speeds.
Inside, the Santa Fe presents an attractively styled dash and centre fascia. Instruments and graphics are designed for a cohesive look and controls require little study to become familiar. Trim materials feel rich and soft, with quilted upholstery befitting a prestige SUV. Harder plastics are reserved for surfaces requiring a more durable material. The field of vision (helped also by the all-round monitoring cameras) is commendable for such a relatively large vehicle and the Santa Fe comes with a full-size spare tyre on a matching road wheel. It's also mounted below the boot, accessible from underneath so there's no need to unload everything to reach it.
Both vehicles come with quirky little features that surprise and delight. In the case of the Santa Fe it's the power-released, spring-loaded seat for access to the third row. It takes all the effort (and time) out of allowing a child access to the third-row seating. Then there's the toggle on the headrest of the front-passenger seat to adjust it forward for more legroom behind. This can be operated by the passengers immediately behind or by the driver.
Among the Acadia's shock and awe features there's the powered tailgate's combination switch near the driver's door bin. Press the button and it opens and closes the tailgate; turn the dial and the tailgate operation can either be disabled altogether or the raised height of the tailgate reduced to three-quarter height for the kids to lower it after they've fished their bags out of the back in the car park at school.
What could they do better?
As accommodating as the Acadia is, its interior trim is uninspiring, featuring a mix of metallic-look grey plastic, faux woodgrain (that looks 'faux') and hard surfaces in abundance. Indicator and wiper stalks feel lightweight and flimsy, the sunglass holder is an ill-fitting plastic item that doesn't align properly in the overhead console and the front seats are shapeless, flat and unsupportive.
The Acadia offers one-handed movement of the seat to gain access to the third row, but the single-section seat is on the wrong side for safe access, and it's a manually-operated unit that's fairly heavy to flip and slide forward.
While both vehicles are designed primarily for transporting the family in safety and comfort, only the Santa Fe goes any way beyond that brief. The Acadia lacks consistent steering feel, body control at touring speeds and ultimate on-road grip.
Both vehicles are fitted with Continental tyres, but in contrast with the Santa Fe's 55 series ContiSportContact5 tyres, the 65-series Cross Contact LX Sport tyres of the Acadia are prone to squeal at the first sign of heavy braking or high-g cornering. Even in all-wheel drive mode the Holden's tyres just don't grip as well on bitumen as the Hyundai's boots.
Literally overshadowed by the Santa Fe's LED headlights, the Acadia's headlights are dim at night. And when it comes to driver-assist tech, the Acadia's vibrating seat is not a patch on the acoustic guidance of the Hyundai. Cross a white line, leave it late to brake for a car in front or reverse close to a solid obstacle – the Acadia reacts with the same vibrating sensation in the nether regions. It's annoying, distracting and not actually very communicative, whereas the stereo tones and strident alarms of the Santa Fe will generally warn you from whence danger is approaching.
That said, the warning chimes and over-protective flashing lights of the Hyundai can also get on one's goat.
The Santa Fe lacks the spirited performance of the Acadia, and although a good example of the type, the diesel engine just can't match the petrol V6 for refinement.
Climbing in the third-row seat of the Santa Fe is not as easy as in the case of the Acadia. Nor is it entirely suitable for taller occupants undertaking longer journeys. In fact, taller colleague Feann Torr found even the second-row accommodation in the Santa Fe to be compromised, the kneeroom definitely at a premium after sitting in the Acadia.
Which wins, and why?
We approached these two vehicles anticipating this would be an easy win for the Santa Fe. We were proved wrong.
Despite build quality issues and driving dynamics shortcomings, the Acadia proved surprisingly competitive. The charismatic V6 produces significantly better straight-line performance – and at a cost in fuel consumption that's almost justifiable. GM's set-up for the impressive nine-speed transmission is novel but credible.
Ride comfort is what anyone would want from a family wagon, and the Acadia is roomy inside as well. This is a seven-seat SUV that the family won't quickly outgrow.
But putting all that aside, the Santa Fe is still the winner. It lacks some of the practical aspects of the Acadia and a lot of buyers are yet to appreciate the merits of diesel power, but its safety package is better, it's dynamically more adept, and its overall presentation positions the Hyundai well upmarket from the Holden.
Yet none of that detracts from what the Acadia actually represents – a potentially strong threat to the Kluger.
How much does the 2018 Holden Acadia LTZ cost?
Price: $57,490 (retail, plus ORCs); $57,990 (as tested, including ORCs)
Engine: 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 231kW/367Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.3L/100km (ADR Combined); 11.1L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 882g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: TBA
How much does the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander cost?
Price: $60,500 (retail, plus ORCs); $62,185 (as tested, plus ORCs)
Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 147kW/440Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.5L/100km (ADR Combined); 9.2L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 198g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: TBA
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