2017 Holden Astra REVIEW | Holden’s Most Convincing Small Car in Years
This is the new face of Holden.
The Australian-built Cruze compact car has ceased production and Commodore will be gone by this time next year, so Holden is making good its promise to find the best possible cars to fill the void left by the end of local manufacturing.
And it’s the most convincing small Holden in years.
Vehicle style: Small car
Price: From $21,990 plus on-road costs
Engine/trans: 110kW/240Nm or 147kW/300Nm 1.4 or 1.6-litre 4cyl turbo / 6spd manual or automatic
Fuel economy claimed: 5.8-6.5L/100km
OVERVIEW
Small cars have been a weak point for Holden as the Australian-built Cruze and outgoing Astra duo grow older and less relevant to local buyers.
The brand expects great things from the latest Astra, a German-designed, Polish-built machine intended to tackle premium small cars such as the Volkswagen Golf, rather than budget models led by Hyundai’s i30. Built on a light new chassis, the new Astra follows technical leaders by offering turbocharged engines as standard as well as sought-after features such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto infotainment apps in all three grades.
Holden’s range begins with the Astra R, a car that offers a 1.4-litre engine with 110kW for $21,990 plus on-road costs as a six-speed manual proposition, or $24,190 with an optional six-speed auto. The Astra R offers a decent level of standard kit including a 7-inch touchscreen with outstanding smartphone connectivity as well as a reversing camera with rear parking sensors, 17-inch wheels and projector headlamps as standard.