Holden Astra CD 2005 review

Love the styling but the car just needs a little more go and the 147kW turbocharged engine should be more than up to the job.

In the meantime, there are few better looking hatches on the road.

• Not sure what makes it a coupe and not a three-door hatch. But only panels shared with the five-door hatch are the front bumper, front fenders and bonnet.
• 1.8-litre 16-valve DOHC four cylinder engine puts out 90kW of power at 5600rpm and 165Nm of torque at 3800rpm. Ninety per cent of maximum torque available between 2200 and 5500 rpm.
• Good mid range performance but lacks some punch off the line. Our test car was the CD manual which at 1243kg is the lightest of the lot and offers the power to weight ratio.
• Fuel economy for the coupe is a claimed 7.8L/100km for the manual and 8.2L/100km for the auto. Tanks hold 52 litres and fractionally better power figures achieved with premium.
• Rides and handles well. Throw it at a corner and this one won't bite back. Coupe gets lower ride height package, which includes modified damping rates for a more responsive, sports oriented handling.
• Very small rear window reduces vision. Large rear pillars and small rear side windows further reduce vision.
• As with most three-doors, the large front doors are heavy and open wide, requiring ample room when trying to access rear seat. No good for cramped garages.
• Rear seat access via tilt and slide front seats. Front seat slide mechanism is okay but can be tricky to operate especially seated in the back.
• Rear set leg room is not bad, but dark trim and small raised rear windows contribute to a claustrophobic feel. Good for two but would be squeezy with three in the back.
• Can't get used to the blinker control arm being on the right hand side with this model. Most Euros have it on the left by default as did the old model.
• Good news for music fans. Blaupunkt seven speaker 80 watt sound system supports MP3 playback from discs. Volume adjusts automati- cally with speed.
• No spacesaver. Full size steel spare wheel, just the way we Aussies like it.
• Standard equipment includes includes 15-inch alloys, four airbags, ABS and brake assist, cruise control, power windows, heated power exterior mirrors, steering wheel- mounted audio controls and air conditioning.
• Astra Coupe CD is priced from $23,490 and CDX from $25,990

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