Holden Astra 2009 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.  

A staggering 225 out of the 243 private-plated cars chosen by MPs and Senators have six or eight-cylinder engines, in contrast to the national trend towards smaller, more fuel efficient models. Only a handful of MPs drive low-emission hybrids.The list, published today on The Punch, shows the most popular car among federal politicians is the Ford Territory, Australia’s answer to the SUV and possibly the heaviest Aussie-built passenger car ever made. It was chosen by 81 MPs, including many who live in suburban electorates. The Federal Government’s own Green Vehicle Guide gives the Territory a woeful 2.5 stars out of five.The details, released under Freedom of Information laws and current as of March 1 this year, show only 10 MPs drive low-emission hybrids. All MPs and Senators are entitled to at least one private-plated vehicle for personal use as part of their salary package. They can choose from a list of 35 cars valued at up to $48,990 or with approval from the Special Minister of State, select a “non-standard vehicle”.Apart from the Territory, other popular vehicles include the Holden Berlina and Calais vehicles or the Toyota Aurion V6. Some of the Toyota Landcrusiers, preferred among some country-based MPs, are diesel or in the case of one or two six cylinder cars, dual fuel LPG operated. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was embarrassed into swapping his private-plate Territory for a hybrid Toyota Prius in 2007 when, as Opposition Leader, it was revealed he was calling for action on greenhouse while driving a Territory.Special Minister of State Joe Ludwig, a Territory driver, said the government was examining “cleaning up” the parliamentary entitlements framework, including the private-plated vehicle scheme. An independent committee would report to him next year with some recommendations intended to “reduce cost and increase transparency”.A more in-depth report and the full list is available at The Punch            

Even an economical compact like the Hyundai Getz pokes a $100 hole in the weekly budget.

Venues like Amaroo Park and -- soon -- Oran Park are becoming distant fond memories in drivers minds.  So the launch of the Marulan Driver Training Centre (MDTC) is timely.Based 20 minutes from Goulburn, the MDTC gives drivers the chance to push their cars hard in a very inviting and safe setting. The track is so tight that you won’t get into the higher cogs… but if you think never getting out of second gear isn’t fun, you need to give this a try. The track is just one kilometer long, so the 12-minute sessions allow at least eight laps each … something unheard of at larger settings.  Not having to worry about changing gear so much also lets you concentrate on what you’re there for -- improving your driving.The track has just about every type of turn, angle, and run you will ever experience on a track or on the street.  Off-camber corners, sharp downhill turns, crests leading into double S-bends, a hairpin, and a main straight right in front of the pits.  Race driver instructors are on-hand all day to give you pointers.  Don’t want to take your own car?  A group of race-prepared MX5s are available for hire there. The design of the track is no accident.  Garry Willmington and his family built the facility, starting in 1991 and drawing on more than 30 years of race knowledge, including multiple Bathurst belt-notches to Willmington’s credit.  A final resurfacing allowed the venue to open in August last year.  Yes, close to 20 years since conception.  One can only shudder at the thought of all the red-tape Willmington went through… and the persistence and determination it requiredThe first event at the MDTC was organised by Circuit Club – a non-CAMs affiliated group that asks for no member fees.  The members are the drivers who turn up on the day.  No strings attached.  And this attitude allowed a variety of drivers to enjoy a particularly well organised day free of pressure.Drivers in a range of cars from stock-standard Astras to full race-spec Civics and Turbo MX5s put their skills to the test.  All up, the track saw a field of 60 different cars over the weekend. All the organisers served as marshals, keeping everyone safe and answering any questions.  I was also treated to a hot lap in Circuit Club director Narada Kudinar’s S2000, and a very nicely tuned Lotus Elise. An organization like this brings a level of experience and professionalism to first-time drivers, so Circuit Club has given me an experience that was out of my reach till now, and one that no one should be afraid of exploring.Being my first track day, my nerves were on edge.  It’s well know that motorsport has risks -- not only to the driver, but to the car.  And my beloved Nissan Skyline is a car I have worked on for the past two years, carefully preparing it for this day: its track baptism. With this in mind, the organisers gave me, and all the other novices, a helping hand through the day.  A slow and steady approach was encouraged to start with.By the end of the day my trusty steed had pulled through with flying colours, with my newly-installed suspension keeping me well planted on the road all day. By the fourth session a hunger hit me for just one thing...  grip.  Until you start pushing your car to the limit, you can’t grasp how much you still have to learn about driving and how poor your `performance’ tyres really are.  So it’s straight off to eBay for me, hunting down a nice set of semi-slicks for the next outing. Yes the track bug has bitten, and bitten hard.  Do yourself and your car a favour and head out to a Circuit Club event.  Trust me, its love at first drift. 

It is believed to be the first time the brand has grabbed number one sales spot for a month.

The Astra TwinTop is finally confirmed for Down Under duties and could even make it to showrooms before the end of the year. While GM Holden refuses to confirm any details, and insists it is still working through the business case for the car, its dealers are talking openly about the TT and even touting an on-sale date in the back end of October. The early arrival is unlikely, particularly as there are still stocks of the previous-model Astra convertible in Australia, but GM Holden is keen. The car is expected to come with a 2.2-litre petrol engine, electronic stability control, five-speed manual and automatic gearboxes, and a price tag close to the current car, which will mean about $45,000. GM Holden is not likely to follow Vauxhall, which has a 1.6-litre price leader at closer to $38,000 in Britain. The TwinTop is the latest of the new generation of convertibles which have a solid roof - usually metal, but composite in the latest Mazda MX-5 - to make them into a complete coupe when they are not doing convertible duties. It can easily be added to the local line-up as GM Holden has a commitment on Astra numbers - but not the exact model mix - it takes from Opel in Europe. It has already tweaked the mix this year to introduce the Astra turbo coupe and diesel hatch. "We have said for some time that we're looking at the possibility of the Astra TwinTop convertible," says GM Holden spokesman Jason Laird. "We think the retractable hardtop would do quite well here. We are still looking at timing and pricing, but it makes a fairly compelling case." Laird says the TwinTop could create problems clearing the last of the previous model, without going into specifics. And he has ruled out any chance of a TwinTop turbo, although there was a time when the Astra range included a performance convertible. But GM Holden is moving quickly on the latest Astra and knows it would be a summer hit in Australia. "From the moment we introduced the current car it became the best-selling convertible in the country and has pretty much stayed there," Laird says. "When we introduced the five-door Astra in 2004, we knew we would have the ability to customise the local Astra fleet. "The trick with Astra is to pick the right cars at any point in time. It's not necessarily about taking every variant, but picking the right ones at the right time." Meanwhile, the upcoming Holden Epica is going to rock Toyota Australia's fuel-economy drive. Toyota is pushing the fuel-economy advantages of its all-new Camry and upcoming V6Aurion over the VE Commodore. But the Korean-made Epica promises to undercut the Camry, which achieves 9.9-litres/100km, according to leaked information from Holden at Fishermans Bend. The Camry-sized Epica looks likely to run at 8.2-litres/100km with a two-litre engine, according to ADR81/01 trials, with the 2.5-litre model coming in at 9.3-litres/100km.