Holden Astra VXR Review: 2015 Track Test
What’s Hot: Bang-for-buck quotient is huge, stellar handling, powerful engine
What’s Not: Getting old now, messy infotainment interface and sub-par interior quality
X-FACTOR: The Astra VXR is one heck of a hot hatch for reasonable money. Racetracks are definitely its preferred habitat.
Vehicle Style: Three-door hot hatch
Price: $39,990
Engine/trans: 206kW/400Nm 2.0 turbo petrol 4cl | 6spd manual
OVERVIEW
Look familiar? It should.
The Holden Astra VXR launched this week has been here before, except then it was badged as the Opel Astra OPC.
Mechanically it’s unchanged from its Opel-badged forebear, but Holden has sharpened the Astra’s value equation by dropping the price and adding more standard equipment.
At $39,990, the Astra VXR is one hell of a lot of performance hot-hatch.
Down below, 20-inch alloys are standard, a DAB+ digital radio tuner has been added inside and the Bluetooth system now has both phone and audio integration (the Opel only had phone connectivity).
Holden’s MyLink infotainment system also brings internet-enabled apps like Pandora and Stitcher, allowing you to stream music off the web via your phone’s data connection.
We’ve driven this car before as an Opel, but Holden’s (re)launch programme included plenty of track time at Queensland’s Norwell Circuit.
And with the Astra VXR targeting keen motoring enthusiasts with a penchant for the occasional track day, it’s a perfect opportunity to take a deeper look at how the VXR performs in the environment it was designed for.
MORE: Holden Astra PRICE & FEATURES
On The Track
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