Holden Astra 2007 News

It has a two-part retractable hardtop, not the canvas roof seen in the earlier Holden Astra droptop in Australia, to give it a showroom advantage over the Volkswagen Golf. There is no confirmation yet that the fresh-air favourite will return down under but it looks highly likely.  

This year has seen the market share of Commodore, Falcon and the Mitsubishi 380 fall to 19 per cent of new passenger vehicles, with only Toyota's Camry more or less immune.And while it was the biggest sales October ever, the share enjoyed by big Australian cars was reduced to 17.2 per cent. The lighter fare from Thailand achieved a best-ever 15.4 per cent. The Vfacts monthly bulletin, released this week by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, recorded that 89,289 motor vehicles were sold in October; an increase of 9359 on the same month last year.It beats the previous record for October, set in 2004, by more than 8000 sales. Year-to-date the market is up by 70,000 vehicles as it continues its charge towards breaking the one million mark for the first time.Yet against this bumper backdrop, 15,382 Australian-made units were shifted last month, mostly to fleets.Japanese-made cars continued their dominance but Thailand is where Honda's CR-V, Civic and Accord sedans are made. These and others, including Ford's Courier, which accounted for 13,825 sales in October.In sharp contrast to ever-diminishing local sales, that Thai-built percentage has increased by almost 50 per cent so far in 2007.Petrol prices are blamed for the decline of the great Australian six-cylinder. But the fact four medium-sized SUVs sold more than 1000 units each last month gives the lie to that.Yes, light cars, spearheaded by 1193 sales of the new Mazda2, experienced a sales surge, but the truth for the big Aussies is grimmer than the rising cost of the stuff that makes them go. The fact is that given wealth of choice, fewer and fewer Australians want the types of cars made in Australia.FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar says the locals have never had it tougher.“The intensely competitive situation in the motor-vehicle market is being driven to a significant degree by the ongoing strength of the Australian dollar,” he says. McKellar says 4400 Commodores (excluding utes) were moved last month, so with about 300 more sales than the Corolla, it is the nation's number-one seller.Toyota's eggs are in more than one basket with the ever-competitive Yaris, Camry, RAV4 and Prado prominent among its 20,212 October sales. Holden managed 11,415 and Ford 8206. It was the first time that Toyota had outsold the combined total of Holden and Ford in any single month.Year-to-date Toyota leads Holden by 71,360 with the launch of the new LandCruiser this month.If Toyota's lead is unassailable, surely the success story is Mazda.At number four, the leading full-imported marque sells not a single car to fleets or rental companies. They all go to private buyers.October's best-ever 7271 sales represented Mazda's 10th record month in a row. Mazda's year-to-date total of 64,929 already surpasses its 2006 full-year sales result of 63,664.  Snapshot   Country of originJapan 31,838Australia 15,382Thailand 13,825Korea 9830Germany 3901South Africa 2434Belgium 1525US 1448Spain 1422France 1206 The biggest sellers1 Holden Commodore (Australia) 44402 Toyota Corolla (Japan) 41233 Mazda3 (Japan) 31254 Ford Falcon (Australia) 24395 Toyota Camry (Australia) 19946 Hyundai Getz (Korea) 18967 Toyota Aurion (Australia) 18318 Mitsubishi Lancer (Japan) 14469 Honda Civic (Thailand) 140910 Honda CR-V (Thailand) 129111 Toyota RAV4 (Japan) 129312 Toyota Prado (Japan) 127313 Suzuki Swift (Japan) 119714 Mazda2 (Japan) 119315 Ford Territory (Australia) 119016 Toyota Kluger and Subaru Forester (both Japan) 117317 Holden Astra (Belgium) 111818 Mitsubishi 380 (Australia) 110019 Holden Captiva (Korea) 109320 Nissan Tiida (Thailand) 1087 

GM and its Australian arm, GM Holden, however, have given technological and financial support to challenge entrants as part of the car maker's interest in potential future fuel needs and energy efficiencies, which mean lower carbon dioxide emissions.The Panasonic World Solar Challenge begins in Darwin on Sunday on its 3021km-run south across the Outback to Adelaide.The GM-backed entrants include a petrol-electric hybrid car, sun-powered solar cars and a production car running on fuel that is 85 per cent ethanol; a renewable energy resource.GM Holden director of innovation engineering Richard Marshall said although the company was committed to alternative propulsion break throughs, diesel fuel now was the best solution for typical Australian driving needs.“We think drivers will begin to understand and choose the alternative powertrain solution that suits their transport needs,” he said. “Where drivers spend most of their time in heavily-congested traffic, petrol hybrids may offer the appropriate level of performance with low fuel consumption."“For people whose driving habits typically include a mix of inner city, suburban and country driving, diesel vehicles may be more likely to deliver powerful performance and better fuel economy."“In Australia, most driving falls into this latter category where relatively low-density residential suburbs, rapidly-spreading coastal fringes and long distances between rural population centres are generally more suitable for diesel power trains.” Mr Marshall's assessment is all the more interesting because no hybrid or diesel car is made in Australia.GM Holden is experimenting with a diesel Commodore but says at $50 million to develop, plus tooling costs, it is too costly to put into production yet. A hybrid Commodore would be priced too high to attract buyers; unless government incentives and subsidies were given.GM Holden spokesman John Lindsay said the company offered diesel engines in imported models, the Atra small car, Captiva SUV and Rodeo ute.The government's green vehicle guide website rates the Astra diesel fuel use at just 5.9 litres/100km, which is 20 per cent more frugal than the petrol Astra's 7.4 litres/100km.The diesel Captiva is rated at 8.6l/100km, or 25 per cent more economic than the petrol Captiva's 11.5l/100km.

Cars will inevitably be taxed according to their exhaust emission ratings, the Australian motor industry has conceded.Conservationists are calling on South Australia to take the lead in slapping a tax on vehicles where the fee rises according to the amount of emissions. The tax would be at new-sale time or on annual registration renewals.The Motor Trade Association acknowledged the growing interest in vehicles that are less harmful to the environment.“At some point, governments will tax vehicles on their emissions and greenhouse gas,” MTA state executive director John Chapman told The Advertiser .“We are not advocating that, but it will come.”Mr Chapman said the swing to smaller cars and the flattening off of large-car sales was due to motorists' concern about fuel economy.“People are more environmentally aware and wanting to know how we can reduce the (environmental) footprint and what they can do,” he said.Mr Chapman said motor vehicles were only a partial contributor to greenhouse gases “but our industry needs to be concerned about these issues.”Some countries already have vehicle taxes depending on each model's carbon dioxide emissions.In Australia, each new car must carry a sticker on the windscreen showing its officially-rated fuel consumption in litres/100km and its “greenhouse” C02 emissions in grams/km. The latter figure determines levels of taxing overseas.The Conservation Council in SA wants a similar system here.“It has to be user pays,” said council chief executive Julie Pettet. “If you are responsible for pollution you are going to have to pay.”Ms Pettet said such taxing should not be just punitive but also reward those doing the right thing such as using public transport. She added the taxes should be a federal activity.   Top-rated Toyota Prius: 1.5-litre petrol and electric (4.4litre/100km)Fiat Punto: 1.4-litre petrol (5.7)Peugeot 207CC: 1.6-litre petrol (5.8)Citroen C3: 1.6-litre petrol (6.2)Mercedes-Benz A150: 1.5-litre petrol (6.7)Holden Astra: 1.8-litre petrol (7.4)Honda Civic: 1.8litre petrol (6.9) 

Being top of the class is just as important for carmakers as it is for school students.Which is why the failure of the Honda Civic hybrid and Skoda Fabia to score the maximum five-star rating in the latest European New Car Assessment Program results may not please their parents.Both small cars achieved a four-star rating out of a possible five, which is above average but not excellent.By comparison, there are plenty of other five-star small cars available, including the latest Peugeot 207, Toyota Corolla, Holden Astra, Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Citroen C4 and Fiat Punto.For the Civic and Fabia, the devil is in the detail.The Fabia lost a point for containing dangerous structures in the dashboard, which presented an injury risk to adult occupants.It also lost two points for child protection and scored two stars in the ever under-performing pedestrian protection category.The Civic hybrid lost a point for adult protection because the driver's airbag did not prevent the dummy's head from connecting with the steering wheel.However, it performed far better for child protection and pedestrian protection.The Civic hybrid is the second environmentally concerned car tested by Euro NCAP.The first was the Toyota Prius in 2004, which managed a five-star score for adult occupant protection. The latest results have been eagerly anticipated because European fleet buyers and consumers are increasingly seeking vehicles with lower CO2 emissions and higher safety scores, to benefit from the growing use of tax incentives.Euro NCAP's secretary-general, Adrian Hobbs, says consumers may ask themselves whether high safety scores and a hybrid powertrain can go hand in hand.“Honda and Toyota have shown they are rising to the challenge in their efforts to meet concerns about safety and global warming,” he says. “It is now up to other manufacturers to follow in their footsteps.”The front-impact test is conducted at 64km/h into an offset deformable barrier, the side-impact test at 50km/h, the pole test 29km/h and the pedestrian tests 40km/h.

With the local car industry now at the halfway point in the 2007 sales race, it is easy to see who's winning and who's losing.Toyota is basking in the glory of not only being No.1, but also cementing its sales lead so convincingly that — barring a catastrophe — it will take out the sales crown this year.The Altona-based Japanese company is 40,404 vehicles clear of its nearest rival, Holden. It is also relishing the positive spin of the Corolla knocking off the Holden Commodore last month.But apart from Toyota, other players are also revelling in the good times.Of the importers, Mazda, Subaru, Suzuki and Peugeot managed strong June sales.Mazda sold 6932 cars, with the Mazda3 being the strongest seller on 3037.The company experienced the biggest market share gain of any importer.Its record half-yearly result is 20.3 per cent up on the same time last year, lifting market share from 6.7 per cent in 2006 to 7.5 per cent, a gain of 0.7 percentage points.Subaru's tally was 4085 for the month, with the Forester, Impreza and Liberty all breaking through 1000 sales.Suzuki, like many importers, was buoyed by keen end-of-financial year deals.It sold 2368 cars for the month, bringing its year-to-date tally to 10,910 vehicles, a 43 per cent lift over last year.Of the French, an ever-expanding Peugeot line-up continues to bolster sales, but Renault flops around due to a lack of new product.Peugeot sold 1016 vehicles last month, bringing its year-to-date run-rate to 4549, a 13 per cent lift over last year. The 307 continues to be Peugeot's best seller.By contrast, Renault has a year-to-date total of 1431 vehicles, 32 cars fewer than last year.Even Saab experienced some solid growth, albeit off a low base, as the 9-3 turbodiesel helped lift the marque's appeal.Saab sold 336 cars last month, its best month for 10 years, taking its year-to-date tally to 1148, a 170 per cent lift over last year.The X-Trail, Tiida and Navara continue to drive Nissan sales. The Japanese importer sold 5845 vehicles last month with 31,176 year-to-date, a 20 per cent lift over last year.The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries monthly Vfacts figures show that most of the extra volume last month was generated by the light, small and medium car segments.A breakdown of large car sales shows that Holden sold 5588 Commodores last month, Ford 3206 Falcons, Toyota 2626 Aurions and Mitsubishi just 877 380 V6s.All three were eclipsed by the new four-cylinder Corolla, which secured 5890 sales.But a finer look at the figures shows that much of the Corolla's success was down to fleet purchases and pent-up demand for the new car, which spiked figures.But a sale is a sale. Holden's own figures point out that 29 per cent of VE Commodores are bought by private buyers, as opposed to 18.6 per cent for the VT Commodore.Apart from the Corolla, other small car stars were the Mitsubishi Lancer with 2143 sales, Holden Astra 1763 and Ford Focus 1550.Of the tiddlers, Toyota again ruled last month. The Yaris managed 2926 sales against 2486 for the Hyundai Getz, 1361 for the Kia Rio, 1351 for the Suzuki Swift and 1392 for the Honda Jazz.Despite the dominance of the light, small and medium segments, large cars were up 3.7 per cent in June and, in year-to-date terms, are running 5.1 per cent ahead of last year.However, Ford's overall market share has slipped 2 per cent and Holden's by almost 1 per cent, despite its Korean strategy, which was hoping to deliver an increased share.Mitsubishi is a bit stronger, experiencing a 0.6 per cent overall drop in share and, despite Toyota's increasing sales, its share has increased by only about 0.6 per cent.One of the more interesting results was for the Ford Fairlane.Ford sold 149 Fairlanes, bolstered by the news that the long-wheelbase sedan will be axed at the end of the year.Dealers are also reporting a slight pick-up in interest for the car from fleets.Overall, the year-to-date sales figure of 524,376 means that a record 1 million market is likely by December.   Top 10 makes  1 Toyota 24,5392 Holden 14,2563 Ford 10,3044 Mitsubishi 81945 Mazda 69326 Nissan 58457 Honda 57508 Hyundai 50239 Subaru 408510 Volkswagen 2848 Top 10 models1 Toyota Corolla 58902 Holden Commodore 55883 Toyota HiLux 42494 Ford Falcon 32065 Mazda3 30376 Toyota Yaris 29267 Toyota Camry 26458 Toyota Aurion 26269 Hyundai Getz 248610 Mitsubishi Lancer 2143 

The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria has just completed its annual cost of ownership survey of a range of current models.The survey looks at total running cost and is based on vehicles travelling 15,000km a year, which is the Australian average.It factors in the cost of a typical car loan, depreciation, registration, club membership, comprehensive insurance plus servicing, fuel and tyre costs.Fuel costs were calculated on an unleaded petrol pump price of $1.26 a litre, $1.31 for diesel and 47c for LPG.Fuel prices have risen significantly since the survey was finished so true running costs will be even higher.The survey results show the cheapest car costs about $6000 a year to run, compared to $18,500 for the most expensive.The most affordable car was Hyundai's Getz at $116.54 a week, followed by Holden's Barina ($120.85) and the Toyota Yaris ($125.88).Go up a size and Toyota's Corolla was the winner at $154.49, followed by the Ford Focus ($156.49) and Holden Astra ($158.12).The medium class sector was won by Toyota's Camry at $193.05, followed by the Mazda6 at $197.85, and Honda Accord Euro ($218.07).Large cars are, as expected, more expensive to run but, surprisingly not that much more.The best was Mitsubishi's 380 at $200.44, so it is cheaper than the Honda Accord. Toyota's Aurion was next best ($217.60), followed by Ford's Falcon ($229.13).For large families, the Kia Carnival people mover at $216.68 beat the Honda Odyssey ($228) and Toyota Tarago ($267.61).Diesel and hybrid cars were cheaper to run but don't forget diesel cars initially cost more and replacement batteries for hybrids are hellishly expensive and have a short lifespan.The cheapest was the Honda Civic hybrid at $175.29, beating the Toyota Prius at $200.63. A VW Golf diesel was better than the Prius on the wallet at $187.93.A Ford Falcon running on LPG cost $211.43 a week, while the dual-fuel Commodore came in at $225.10.The popular compact SUV market was headed by Honda's CRV at $203.86, followed by Nissan's Xtrail ($207.36) and Subaru's Forester ($208.52).Medium SUVs had the Holden Captiva out in front at $225.16, followed by the Ford Territory ($234.47) and Toyota Prado ($286.16).At the expensive end of the running cost spreadsheet were the big four-wheel-drives.The cheapest was Nissan's Patrol at $269.53, while the Toyota LandCruiser cost $357.51 a week.

They went down that path with a cosmetically enhanced Nissan Pulsar-based Holden Astra in the 1980s that bombed miserably. But today, fuel prices are skyrocketing — and increasingly becoming a critical part of the car-purchase equation.HSV is returning to economy without deserting its traditional V8 heartland. Today you can fire up a HSV-tuned 177kW turbocharged Astra VXR and now the company is looking at bringing in the hot turbocharged 1.6-litre Corsa VXR.Already a hit in the UK, where it went on sale in March, the three-door pocket rocket will mark a continuing evolution in the direction of HSV.Former HSV chairman John Crennan, who retired last year but still wears the brand on his sleeve and remains a part of the company, explains HSV does not necessarily have to replicate a Holden product in its line-up, meaning an Epica HSV is highly unlikely. “The Corsa is one Euro brand we're looking at,” he says.Crennan says there is no specific time frame for the arrival of the Corsa, but if the numbers stack up, it could be here within 18 months.The car would be pitched into Mini Cooper S and Peugeot 207 GT territory with a price tag around $35,000. The Corsa VXR has 143kW on tap at 5850 revs and 230Nm from 1980 revs from a lightweight 1.6-litre four, giving the car sprint time of zero to 100km/h in 6.8 seconds and top speed of more than 220km/h. The VXR's four-pot is mated to a close-ratio six-speed manual. With its performance credentials and bold styling, the mini hatch fits perfectly into HSV's DNA.The mirrors, foglight-surrounds and centre exhaust all have a triangular theme, while the chunky front and rear bumpers, side skirts and 18-inch alloys hint at the performance underneath.Inside there are sculpted Recaro seats, racecar-style, flat-bottomed steering wheel, drilled alloy pedals and piano-black dash trim. Like the Mini Cooper S, it has an overboost facility that increases torque on demand to more than 260Nm under hard acceleration. The power is kept in check with a specially tuned ESP system, up-rated disc brakes, suspension and variably assisted power steering, which alters weight and feel of the wheel depending on the way the car is driven.In Australia, Holden's previous-generation XC Barina was a highly respected Opel-sourced Corsa model. But when the new TK Barina went on sale late in 2005, the company chose to source it from GM-Daewoo in South Korea. While competitively priced, the newest Barina scored poorly in the Australian and European New-Car Assessment Programs. It only managed a two-star crash rating.Meanwhile, the Brits are raving about our HSV Clubsport sedan. In a land beset by high petrol prices and appalling congestion, they can't get enough of the 6.0-litre — badged as a Vauxhall VXR8.HSV's managing director, Scott Grant, is also eyeing other markets. “We're committed to 300 Clubsport R8s a year to the UK for the next three years,” he says, adding that the new long-wheelbase Grange is the next export candidate — possibly to the Middle East and China.

Small, economical cars powered record January sales, 9.9 per cent up on the same month last year. VFACTS show it was a close contest at the top of the chart, with the small Corolla beating the big Commodore by 11 sales — 3485 to 3474.Holden played down the defeat — five months after the new model went on sale — noting that few businesses buy cars so early in the year."In January, fleet sales are softer so it is no surprise that the whole large-car segment is slightly down," GM Holden marketing manager Alan Batey says.He says there is a strong future for Holden's best-selling car, despite the surge in sales of small cars, such as the Corolla."The Commodore remained the best-selling car in the country last year for the 11th year in a row," Batey says.There were not many smiles at Ford either — it sold only 1974 Falcons last month, despite a drive-away deal and free six-speed automatic and stability control.Ford Australia says the Falcon result is the worst since 1990, when it began to keep accurate sales records.Ford Australia spokeswoman Sinead McAlary says the drive-away Falcon deal was not successful.Sales in the light-car segment (which includes models such as the Toyota Yaris) were up 14.3 per cent on last January.Sales of small cars (including models such as the Corolla) were up a huge 26.3 per cent, and large cars were down 0.9 per cent.The Mazda3 continued to sell strongly; January sales of 3347 put it third on the chart, 138 behind the Corolla. Other small cars to make the top 10 included the Astra (2239) and Ford Focus (1665). Mitsubishi's Lancer finished just outside the top 10 with 1527 sales, the company's best-selling car.The Hilux (2781) and Yaris (2498) were strong again, but Toyota's larger cars were off the pace. The Camry did not make the top 10 with 1347, and the new Aurion continued its slow start with 1125.The Falcon ute struggled with 834, but outsold Holden's Commodore ute with 697.Ford's Territory responded to a $4000 cashback deal to notch 1343, in front of the Holden Captiva (577) and Toyota Kluger (389). WHAT'S SELLINGTOP 10 MAKES1 Toyota 16,2382 Holden 11,2583 Ford 75014 Mazda 66275 Honda 54356 Nissan 50857 Mitsubishi 45548 Subaru 30979 Hyundai 306710 Volkswagen 2034TOP 10 MODELS1 Toyota Corolla 34852 Holden Commodore 34743 Mazda3 33474 Toyota Hilux 27815 Toyota Yaris 24986 Holden Astra 22397 Ford Falcon 19748 Nissan Navara 18749 Ford Focus 166510 Holden Barina 1563

Motorsport guru Tom Walkinshaw has opened a new aftermarket "fun factory" specialising in turning Commodores and Astras into fast track and street machines.Walkinshaw Performance was launched last week with a range of upgrades, including superchargers, sports exhausts, AP Brakes packages, and suspension and lowering kits.The new division is completely (and deliberately) separate from Walkinshaw's official Holden-based performance company HSV, operating from the same Braeside factory as the Elfin sports car company.Walkinshaw Performance CEO Chris Payne, formerly of HSV, says there is no clash between Walkinshaw's aftermarket add-on department and HSV. He says the new department is for more extreme modifications than a manufacturer such as HSV is allowed to do."You could say that HSV has created this thriving aftermarket industry of copy and replica high-performance Commodores."HSV customers, like Commodore customers, have been buying the extra stuff from hundreds of tuning shops, so Walkinshaw Performance is an alternative to those aftermarket shops."Modifications start from $590 for lowered sports springs to $11,690 for a supercharger kit fitted to a VE Commodore V8.All upgrades are supplied and fitted by the company rather than handed over to do-it-yourself home mechanics. Most of them are performance-related.GM Holden spokesman Jason Laird says people will have to consult the carmaker before fitting any aftermarket product."The warranty on the parts and quality of workmanship is 12 months, so we don't support any better warranty than the best aftermarket companies out there," he says."In a lot of cases, the customer is not overly concerned about that because they are just looking for ways to make their cars a little bit sweeter, look a bit more aggressive, to handle better and to have a better exhaust note," Payne says."Some of those things may not affect a new car warranty, while in some cases we are doing older cars close to warranty expiry anyway."Unlike some tuning shops, all products have been tested by Walkinshaw Performance and racing drivers Rick and Todd Kelly."Quite often in the backyard operations, the customer's car is actually the prototype. In our business we run development cars," Payne says."This is aftermarket but it is designed with a mind to OE (original equipment). It's not just about kiloWatts because we look at reliability, durability and the total car. With every product you have to own it for five years — still going to the track, but also down the street."