ALMOST half a million SUVs were sold in Australia last year, with the large, usually seven-seat variety accounting for more than 115,000 of the total. These vehicles are riding high, in more ways than one.

Holden limped along in this segment with its ancient Captiva, which managed to outsell superior rivals such as the Kia Sorento and Nissan Pathfinder in 2018 while being twice as popular as its other large SUV contender, the oft-overlooked Trailblazer that is based on the popular Colorado ute.

But now the thoroughly modern Acadia has arrived on the scene, poised to provide Holden a product that can compete on equal footing with segment stalwarts such as the Toyota Kluger and Mazda CX-9.

We spent a week living with the technology-packed Acadia LTZ-V and found a lot to admire, although the interior could do with some design and quality improvements.