Holden Astra News

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

The wraps came off the Opel-designed Astra hatch this week ahead of its September Frankfurt motor show debut but the small car faces an uncertain future locally. GM-Holden is currently reviewing its small car line-up, which means the newest Astra may not have a future in Holden’s Australian lineup, particularly given the imminent arrival of the petrol and turbo-diesel Cruze sedan. The Cruze arrives in GM-Holden dealers next month. The company has halted imports of the current Astra for two months because of currency fluctuations and pricing problems with Opel, the European arm of General Motors. GM-Holden executives say there is room for both models but the Astra needs a favourable business case to be profitable. Initially available as a five-door hatch, the Astra will also be available as a wagon, cabrio and two-door GTC coupe. The new car’s design team was led by vice president of GM Europe Design, Mark Adams, the British designer responsible for last year’s European car of the year-winning Vauxhall Insignia, which has replaced the Vectra in Europe. With a strong, cab-forward design, steeply-raked windscreen and sloping rear roofline, the hatch borrows some of the design cues found in the Insignia. Like the Insignia, the Astra went through more than 600 hours of wind tunnel testing aimed at delivering strong performance, economy and overall refinement. Adams says he wanted the car to have the same premium cues as the Insignia “inside and out”. The hatch is 4400mm long and has a 71mm longer wheelbase and all-new chassis to improve passenger room and packaging. The car gets wider front and rear tracks and a new rear axle design to improve stability and agility. Opel says the rear axle also enhances ride comfort. Opel has held off showing off the car’s interior but like the Insignia, it is expected to be curvy and driver focused with a wrap-around dashboard and high quality materials. In Europe the Astra will be available with a range of Euro 5 petrol and turbo-diesel four cylinder engines. The highlight of the engine line-up is an all-new, 104kW/200Nm turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol four, part of Opel’s commitment to engine downsizing and reduced emissions/fuel consumption, while retaining the performance of a larger capacity vehicle. The 1.4T joins a turbo-charged 1.6-litre four cylinder that delivers 134kW and replaces the existing 1.8-litre four. The four diesel engines range in capacity from 70kW to 120kW. Like the Volkswagen Golf, the Astra has moved up a notch with equipment. It will be available with the latest-generation adaptive headlights, which have bi-xenon lights that change in intensity depending on speed. A similar system was introduced on the Insignia. The hatch will also be available with GM’s optional FlexRide three-mode active damping system. It has three damper settings, standard, sport and tour, yet is also fully adaptive to driving style and cornering speed. The Astra is GM-Holden’s most popular small car and most popular car after the Commodore. In the UK it accounts for 30 per cent of all Vauxhall sales.

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.

In the case of an older vehicle as our photo shows, you're probably going to wind up dead.It shows the result when two Holden Astras collide head on — one of them an early, rebadged 1989 Nissan, the other a modern 2003 European-designed Opel, complete with airbags.The test was conducted at the RTA's Crashlab facility in western Sydney and the results are not pretty.Fotunately, car safety has come a long way in recent years.Back in the 80s when the Nissan was built cars simply did not have the same kind of structural integrity as they do today and they certainly weren't equipped with airbags — at least this one wasn't.These days cars are constructed around an extremely strong safety cell, around which the car is designed to crumple progressively while preserving the safety of those inside.That's the first and main line of defence.The second is the seatbelt which is designed to hold occupants in their seat, preventing them from being thrown forward and out of the vehicle or striking their head or any other part of the body.The third and most recent line of defence is the airbag which provides a gas filled cushion between the occupant and the car, or any objects that intrudes into the safety cell.The bag deploys in a split second as contact occurs, but stays inflated just long enough to do its job.Airbags significantly reduce the risk of serious or fatal injury, although there are minor risks from their deployment in low speed crashes.Check out the full shocking video of the two Astras crashing head on at a speed of 64km/h if you go to our website.Initially conceived as a replacement for seatbelts, airbags were introuced for passenger cars in the mid 70s in the united states when seatbelt use was very low.Benz patented the device in 1971 but it was not introduced in a production model until 1980 with the high end S-Class.In Australia, Holden put the first airbag in a Commodore in 1993.Rather than a replacement for the seatbelt, the airbag is now regarded as a supplementary restraint system which is why they are referred to as SRS airbags.There are three main kinds of airbags - front, side and curtain.Recently however some manufacturers have also started to introduce knee bags to protect the legs from contact with the steering column and underside of the dash.Back to our crash test . . .The two cars ram into each other at a speed of 64km/h which with the combined force of the two vehicles coming together actually adds up to a 128km/h impact.60km/h is not all that fast but all things considered it doesn't look very good for the occupants of the older astra does it?You can see the way they are thrown around and how the older vehicle is more extensively damaged, although neither will be going anywhere again.Back then seatbelts were made of stretchier material too with a bit more give in them and, despite wearing a belt, you can see how the head of older car's driver strikes the steering wheel.According to the experts at the Crashlab, you'd have a 90 per cent chance being killed in the older car - and that's just in a 60km/h crash.If you were in the newer car and you were young and fit, you'd only have a 10 percent change of dying.Imagine what would happen if you were going faster?They'e not very good odds and we reckon that's reason enough to ditch that old bomb now before it ditches you. 

Filming of the Australian series has turned into a demolition derby with a repair bill close to $200,000.

The all-white Astra VXR is called the Nurburgring, after the track where it was developed, and comes with a bunch of body bits including white-painted alloys, dark-tinted windows, carbon fibre effect mirrors and B-Pillars, chequered flag body graphics and an interior upgrade including more carbon fibre pieces and a limited-edition build plate. It has the same mechanical package as the regular VXR, with a 177kW turbo engine, six-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel drive, and is priced at $44,990.Globally there will be only 835 cars, reflecting the Nurburgring's 8 minute 35 second lap at the track.Scott Grant says its arrival shows HSV is looking to become more than just V8 Commodores.“For the last two years we've done roughly 200 VXRs a year. We're just starting to spread our wings and talk to a different type of customer,” he said. “I think we're going to need a bit more of that.”In 2007, 81 per cent of VXR buyers did not own or had even driven an HSV. And 68 per cent of them were women.“That hot hatch area is really strong. We want to supplement the loss of demand for some other products, perhaps with four cylinders from overseas, to balance the brand,” he said. 

Less than 20 per cent of Australians are now buying Australian, with imported vehicles taking 81 per cent of the record 1,049,982 vehicle sales last year.The Holden Commodore was still the country's favourite car for the 12th straight year, but the swing to imports was reflected in the Ford Falcon's slide to a lowly fifth place in the ranking of best sellers.It was beaten by the Mazda3 and the Toyota Hilux pickup.The Mitsubishi 380 did not even make the top 10.The strong performance of imported vehicles came as many more Australians turned to small cars and four-wheel-drives, which rebounded after the fuel shocks of 2006, in preference to locally made family cars.Sales of 4WDs were up 16 per cent against an industry average of 9.1 per cent, while sales of light cars priced below $15,000 improved 10.2 per cent.Toyota dominated the new-car results last year, taking its run at No.1 to five straight years, with a margin of more than 90,000 over second-placed GM Holden and a 128,000-car gap over Ford in third.Toyota also lifted its sales to more than 200,000 and is aiming for 250,000 in 2008.The one-million-vehicle milestone was a first for the industry but is expected to be bettered this year with sales of at least 1,060,000, according the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, which compiles the official VFacts sales results.“Last year the motor vehicle market grew at approximately twice the rate of the economy as a whole,” FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar said.“One million new motor vehicles in a country of 21 million people is an impressive achievement."“The Australian motor vehicle market has now grown in six out of the last seven years, driven by the strength of the labour market, rising asset values and improving vehicle affordability.”Though Australia's sales rate of about 1 in 20 people was even better than Britain's 1 in 25, Mr McKellar sounded a warning.“Although economic fundamentals remain strong and consumer confidence is proving to be robust, we think future growth will be more closely aligned with trends in overall domestic demand,” Mr McKellar said.The industry also faces a review of federal government policy this year, with local carmakers arguing for an extension of the existing arrangements, including support from the Automotive Competitiveness and Investment Scheme.They will point to the growth in exports in recent years, with overseas deliveries by GM Holden and Toyota now totalling more than $5 billion a year.Toyota said the domestic sales of its Camry and V6 Aurion, which totalled close to 50,000 cars last year, were easily beaten by exports of more than 90,000 cars.   Our top 10 favourite carsRanking 2006 2007Holden Commodore: 56,531 57,307Toyota Corolla: 46,256 47,792Toyota HiLux: 36,885 42,009Mazda3: 32,432 34,394Ford Falcon: 42,390 33,941Toyota Yaris: 29,663 27,990Toyota Camry: 24,221 26,336Toyota Aurion: 3380 22,036Hyundai Getz: 20,853 21,166Holden Astra: 19,364 20,588 

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.