New Holden Astra
Taking the European Opel/Vauxhall Astra and bringing
it to the Australian market has turned out to be a long process for Holden, but
the car has finally reached the Pacific country's shores.
Carrying a starting price of AUD 21,990 (US$ 16,828), which is AUD 2,000 (US$ 1,530) more than the rivaling Hyundai i30,
it will reach dealers nationwide on December 1 in three flavors - R, RS, and
RS-V.
The cheapest version is powered by a 1.4-liter
engine, producing 149 PS and 245 Nm for the 6-speed manual
gearbox, or 240 Nm for the six-speed automatic, and comes with 17-inch
alloy wheels, rearview camera, Park Assist, Holden MyLink infotainment with
7-inch display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, Siri Eyes Free,
DAB+, and cruise control with speed limiter.
The RS has a 1.6-liter petrol mill, with 197
HP and 300 Nm of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic. It adds
different alloy wheels, which are still 17-inch in size, keyless entry,
push-button start, leather steering wheel, Advanced Park Assist, Front Park
Assist, Holden Eye forward facing camera, Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane
Keep Assist, Forward Distance Indicator, Forward Collision Alert, Blind Spot
Alert and rain sensing wipers.
Holden's top-of-the-line Astra RS-V uses the same
1.6-liter engine as the RS and adds two-tone 18-inch alloy wheels, LED
taillights, remote start, heated leather appointed sports seats, heated steering
wheel, 8-inch screen for Holden MyLink, sat-nav with traffic updates and color
digital instrument display.
Additionally, the R can be specified with the Driver
Assist Pack, for another AUD 1,000 (US$ 765), adding leather steering wheel,
electro-chromatic mirror, rain-sensing wipers, and Holden Eye forward facing
camera. The Touring Pack, which costs AUD 1,990 (US$ 1,523), brings an
electric sunroof and adaptive cruise control on the RS-V, while the Innovations
Pack, priced from AUD 3,990 (US$ 3,053) and available on the same
range-topping trim, will also throw in the IntelliLux adaptive LED matrix
headlights, along with the other features found on the Touring Pack.
