2016 Holden Astra will give you a massage on your way to work

Feel like a massage on your way to work — while you’re driving? This could be the car for you.

In a world first for a small hatchback, the new Holden Astra has massage seats with three different settings for your upper and lower back.

Until now such luxuries — including seats with heating elements for winter and ventilation fans for summer — were reserved for $200,000 prestige sedans.

The fancy seats are even approved by Germany’s “Aktion Gesunder Rucken”, a body that gives its seal of approval to seats that promote “healthier backs”.

Holden is not the first to offer day spa-style gadgets in cars.

There is just one catch: the new Astra won’t be in Australian showrooms until late 2016 — and when equipped with the fancy seats it’s likely to cost close to $30,000, rather than the estimated starting price of about $20,000.

Holden is not the first to offer day spa-style gadgets in cars.

In 2012 Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus introduced moisturising particles to the air-conditioning of its then-new prestige sedan.

Lexus says the “S-Flo” air-conditioning system in its GS sedan releases “between 20 to 50nm diameter” particles that are “negatively charged ions wrapped in water molecules” via the driver’s air vent.

By attaching themselves to airborne particles and molecules, the nanoe ions are said to have “both an air purifying and odour-eliminating effect”.

“In addition,” Lexus says, “because nanoe moisture content is approximately 1000 times that of conventional ions, the emission of ions bonded to water molecules is said to have a moisturising effect on skin and hair, acting to enhance occupant wellbeing.”

French car maker Citroen has had built-in fragrance capsules for the air-conditioning systems in selected models since 2004.

The fragrances include vanilla, mango, or lavender. There’s even an “anti-tobacco” fragrance called “neutral” to eliminate the smell of cigarettes.

The perfume capsules, which are located in the glovebox near the air-conditioning unit, are replaced during routine servicing.

Or you could do what most people do: buy cheap air fresheners from the local garage.