Factory workers in Poland proudly show off the first new Astra that’s coming to Australia
Keen to show that shutting down the Holden factories in Australia doesn’t mean the company is leaving the country, GM-Holden is keeping us in touch with progress on European imports. Pictures of the factory workers in Gliwice, Poland proudly showing off the first Australian Astra have been released to the media.
There are also details of the car and its pricing, which starts as $21,990. Deliveries will start in a date in December 2016 that’s yet to be finalised.
Holden’s director of vehicle performance, Ian Butler, said Holden and Opel identified efficiencies and similarities in buyer expectations, worked together to develop a common vehicle setup. “Holden and Opel share very similar DNA, but we still made sure our engineers were involved in developing Astra and setting targets.
“We’ve engineered our own unique Australian chassis input which, when combined with the new 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine options, we’re confident will excel on the variety of road surfaces in Australia.”
Holden executive director of sales, Peter Keley, told us, “It’s incredibly exciting to see the first all-new Holden Astra built and ready to ship – it’s a stunning car, packed with state-of-the-art technology, and another great example of the exciting future vehicles we will be introducing over the next couple of years.
“With Australian input and extensive global testing, you can be sure it will deliver the performance and refinement Holden has built its reputation on. Standout features including Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Alert and Active Lane Keep Assist, ensure the all-new Astra brings premium tech and polish to the segment.”
Holden Astra is all-new and has been built on a new vehicle architecture that features up to 130kg weight reduction.
Infotainment is centred around a colour touchscreen and uses the latest Holden MyLink system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Holden Astra range has a new-design all-aluminium 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine with 110 kW of power and up to 240 Nm of torque. Optional is a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol with 147 kW and 300 Nm.
The new Holden Astra is coming downunder in three variants:
Astra R 1.4-litre with 17-inch alloys, a 7.0-inch touchscreen, rear view camera with rear park assist and digital radio.
The Astra RS 1.6-litre with push button entry and start, advanced park assist, blind spot alert, automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert and lane keep assist
Astra RS-V 1.6-litre18-inch alloy wheels, dual zone climate control, heated leather appointed front seats, heated steering wheel, 8.0-inch colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, embedded satellite navigation, LED tail lamps.
Holden dealers are now taking orders for the new Astra. Or you can click on the ‘Astra: Coming Soon’ webpage.
MODEL RANGE
1.4-litre turbo-petrol R: $21,990 (manual), $24,190 (automatic)
1.6-litre turbo-petrol RS: $26,490 (manual), $28,690 (automatic)
1.6-litre turbo-petrol RS: $30,990 (manual), $33,190 (automatic)
Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Holden dealer for drive-away prices.
