Discover the Top 5 Features That Make Grand Ace the Ultimate Family Van
When I first laid eyes on the Grand Ace at the automotive exhibition last spring, I'll admit I was skeptical. Having test-driven over two dozen family vans throughout my career as an automotive journalist, I've developed a certain weariness toward manufacturers' grand claims about "revolutionary features" and "game-changing designs." Yet as I spent more time with the Grand Ace, something remarkable happened - I began experiencing that same distinctive thrill I felt when playing EA Sports College Football 25 for the first time. Remember how that game surprised everyone by transforming what could have been just another football simulation into an authentic college game day experience? The Grand Ace achieves something similarly transformative in the family van segment, taking what should be conventional transportation and turning it into something genuinely special.
What struck me immediately was how the Grand Ace manages to create its own unique atmosphere, much like how EA's game perfectly captures the distinct excitement of different college stadiums. The moment you step inside, you're greeted by what I can only describe as automotive theater - ambient lighting that adjusts to seven different moods, premium acoustic insulation that reduces road noise by approximately 68% compared to competitors, and seats that don't just recline but actually anticipate your comfort needs. During my week-long test drive with my family, we discovered that the Grand Ace's cabin doesn't just transport people - it transforms ordinary journeys into memorable experiences. My kids, who typically complain about any drive exceeding thirty minutes, actually looked forward to our evening rides. There's something about the way the van makes you feel both incredibly secure and surprisingly free that's difficult to articulate but impossible to ignore.
The second feature that won me over completely was what I've come to call "intelligent space utilization." Now, I've seen my fair share of clever storage solutions in minivans, but the Grand Ace takes this to an entirely new level. The modular seating system isn't just flexible - it's practically prescient. During our family camping trip, we managed to fit two adults, three children, all our camping gear, and still had room for my eldest daughter's surprisingly large rock collection (don't ask). The magic lies in how the van seems to expand internally when needed, offering approximately 42 different seating configurations that you can actually use in real life, not just in theory. It reminds me of how Thank Goodness You're Here! manages to pack so much genuine joy and nostalgia into its relatively brief runtime - the Grand Ace similarly maximizes every cubic inch of its interior without ever making you feel like you're compromising.
Then there's the driving experience itself. Most family vans handle like what they are - practical vehicles designed primarily for safety and comfort. The Grand Ace certainly delivers on both fronts, with its five-star safety rating and butter-smooth ride, but it adds this layer of genuine driving pleasure that I haven't encountered in this category before. The acceleration is surprisingly responsive, the steering has actual feedback, and the suspension manages to be both comfortable and engaging. It's that same surprising delight I felt when EA Sports College Football 25 turned out to be far more than a Madden reskin - the Grand Ace is far more than just another family hauler. Over my 300-mile test drive, I found myself taking longer routes just to spend more time behind the wheel, something I never thought I'd say about a vehicle primarily designed for school runs and grocery trips.
The fourth standout feature is what the engineers call "adaptive family technology," and I call "the digital nanny." The integrated entertainment and comfort systems don't just work - they actually learn and adapt to your family's patterns. The climate control remembers that my son prefers it slightly cooler than everyone else, the entertainment system knows which podcasts I like during morning commutes versus afternoon pickups, and the monitoring system can tell when the kids are getting restless and suggests appropriate rest stops. During our longest drive - a 4-hour journey to visit grandparents - the system recommended two breaks at exactly the right moments, suggested a detour to avoid traffic that saved us approximately 47 minutes, and even played interactive games that kept the children engaged. It's this thoughtful integration of technology that elevates the Grand Ace from being merely smart to being genuinely intelligent about family needs.
Finally, there's the emotional connection the van fosters, something I haven't experienced with a utilitarian vehicle since my first car. The Grand Ace has personality - it feels warm, welcoming, and surprisingly joyful. Much like how Thank Goodness You're Here! creates nostalgia for a specific era of cartoons, the Grand Ace evokes that perfect family road trip nostalgia even when you're just driving to the supermarket. There's something about the way the doors slide open, the way the interior lighting welcomes you home, the way everything just works together harmoniously that creates this overwhelming sense of rightness. My family has named our test vehicle "Ace" (original, I know), and there's genuine disappointment when we have to drive our regular car instead.
In a market saturated with competent but soulless people-movers, the Grand Ace stands apart by understanding that families need more than just transportation - they need connection, comfort, and occasionally, a little magic. It achieves what both Thank Goodness You're Here! and EA Sports College Football 25 managed in their respective fields - taking something familiar and making it extraordinary. Will every family vibe with the Grand Ace? Probably not - some might prefer more conventional designs or different feature sets. But for those who connect with its particular blend of practicality and personality, I suspect they'll be hard-pressed to find another vehicle that brings this much genuine joy to the daily routine of family life. After my time with the Grand Ace, I'm convinced this isn't just another van - it's what happens when engineers remember that they're designing for memories, not just mileage.
We are shifting fundamentally from historically being a take, make and dispose organisation to an avoid, reduce, reuse, and recycle organisation whilst regenerating to reduce our environmental impact. We see significant potential in this space for our operations and for our industry, not only to reduce waste and improve resource use efficiency, but to transform our view of the finite resources in our care.
Looking to the Future
By 2022, we will establish a pilot for circularity at our Goonoo feedlot that builds on our current initiatives in water, manure and local sourcing. We will extend these initiatives to reach our full circularity potential at Goonoo feedlot and then draw on this pilot to light a pathway to integrating circularity across our supply chain.
The quality of our product and ongoing health of our business is intrinsically linked to healthy and functioning ecosystems. We recognise our potential to play our part in reversing the decline in biodiversity, building soil health and protecting key ecosystems in our care. This theme extends on the core initiatives and practices already embedded in our business including our sustainable stocking strategy and our long-standing best practice Rangelands Management program, to a more a holistic approach to our landscape.
We are the custodians of a significant natural asset that extends across 6.4 million hectares in some of the most remote parts of Australia. Building a strong foundation of condition assessment will be fundamental to mapping out a successful pathway to improving the health of the landscape and to drive growth in the value of our Natural Capital.
Our Commitment
We will work with Accounting for Nature to develop a scientifically robust and certifiable framework to measure and report on the condition of natural capital, including biodiversity, across AACo’s assets by 2023. We will apply that framework to baseline priority assets by 2024.
Looking to the Future
By 2030 we will improve landscape and soil health by increasing the percentage of our estate achieving greater than 50% persistent groundcover with regional targets of:
– Savannah and Tropics – 90% of land achieving >50% cover
– Sub-tropics – 80% of land achieving >50% perennial cover
– Grasslands – 80% of land achieving >50% cover
– Desert country – 60% of land achieving >50% cover