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NEWS ROAD TESTS |
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 SHOP ON-LINE AT OPTICAL AND HEARING |
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NEWS ROAD TESTS |
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SHOP ON-LINE AT OPTICAL AND HEARING |
 The new AH series coupe and wagon |
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18th July, 2005 Holden has extended its popular Astra small car range with a sporty new three-door coupe and a versatile compact wagon. The striking pair joins the AH Astra five-door hatch, which has wowed buyers since making its Australian debut late last year. The new Astra arrivals are dynamically designed with finely balanced body shapes, reflecting their European heritage. For the first time, Holden adds a wagon to the Astra line-up. The stand-out Astra coupe has a design character all of its own with its sleek silhouette and lowered stance. The flexible Astra wagon offers roomy accommodation for passengers and cargo, demonstrating the benefits of a longer wheelbase and clever packaging. The new models are expected to extend Astra’s performance as one of Australia’s most popular cars. Astra is Holden’s second-biggest selling nameplate behind Commodore, building on its success as the second-biggest seller in the European market.
Holden Chairman and Managing Director Denny Mooney said the latest Astra arrivals represented great design, value and performance for Australian car buyers. “Astra has always been a great looking car and the three-door coupe, in particular, takes this to a whole new level,” Mr Mooney said. “It’s not just a five-door Astra minus two doors. It’s a modern three-door coupe that looks amazing and shouts ‘driver excitement’. “The wagon also has a striking appearance and is a more practical car with impressive flexibility.” Mr Mooney said 2005 was a strong small car year for Holden. “The four-cylinder segment is the fastest-growing in the Australian automotive market,” he said. “Holden is well known as a large car company and we are also building a small car arsenal that is tough to beat.” Astra coupe and Astra wagon debuted at the Melbourne International Motor Show in March and generated strong interest. A turbo version of the Astra three-door coupe is expected to arrive in Australia in early 2006, rather than December as earlier expected. The three-door and wagon are available in two well-specified versions (CD and CDX) and offer four airbags, ABS and brake assist as standard. They are powered by Astra’s proven and economical 1.8 litre ECOTEC four-cylinder engine, matched to a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic electronic control transmission.
Astra Coupe and Astra Wagon Recommended Retail Pricing (Excluding Delivery and Government Charges) Coupe CD $23,490 CDX $25,990 Wagon CD $23,490 CDX $25,990 All variants add $2000 for automatic transmission On Sale July, 2005
21st July, 2004 ADDITIONAL DETAILS Astra Three-Door Coupe The sleek three-door coupe delivers all the driving dynamics, performance and safety attributes which make Astra such a perennially popular small car choice. Astra coupe’s powerfully expressive new body shape, taut profile, arched roofline and exclusive styling cues set it distinctively apart. The only panels shared with the five-door hatch are the front bumper, front mudguards and bonnet. There is interior space for five and generous cargo space (302 litres). The contoured seats offer high lateral supports, long cushions, optimal adjustment and 60/40 rear fold flexibility. High quality charcoal-toned seat and door trims are complemented by textured finishes, polished surfaces and a comfortable cockpit layout. The Astra coupe CD equipment listing includes 15-inch alloy wheels (steel spare), driver, front passenger and side impact air bags, ABS and brake assist, cruise control, power windows, heated power exterior mirrors, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and air conditioning. Further up the scale, Astra coupe CDX comes with 16-inch alloy wheels (steel spare), leather-faced seats, heated front sports seats, leather-wrap steering wheel, trip computer, six stack in-dash CD player, premium speaker system, illuminated vanity mirrors and extra small item storage.
Astra Wagon The first Astra wagon to make the migration to Holden represents style, space, specification and flexibility for an active lifestyle or small business interest. It shares the driver’s car DNA and structural stability that give all Holden Astras the composed feel of a much larger car. With its V-shaped front end, eye-catching three-dimensional head and tail lights, large rear window and smart side window graphics, the wagon continues the dynamic design line introduced by the AH Astra hatch. A 2.7 metre wheelbase (89 mm longer than the hatch and coupe) gives it ample interior space and a cargo-carrying capacity of up to 454 litres to the top of the rear seat back. With rear seatbacks folded, cargo capacity increases to 1549 litres fully loaded. With straight side walls, a storage area beneath the cargo floor, side storage compartment and power socket, the rear compartment is extremely versatile. Attention to detail throughout is typified by the design of the cargo cover, which quietly retracts at the touch of a finger. Standard specification levels in the CD and CDX wagons compare well with price competitors. The CD model offers the safety combination of driver and front passenger airbags, front side impact airbags, ABS and brake assist, rear fog lamps, front power windows, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, seven speakers, power mirrors and air conditioning, among many other features. The even more comprehensively equipped Astra wagon CDX weighs in with 16-inch alloy wheels (steel spare), leather-wrap steering wheel, cruise control, six-stack in-dash CD player, plush velour trim, trip computer and power windows all round.
Powertrain: Astra Coupe and Wagon The economical 1.8 litre, 16-valve DOHC ECOTEC engine has a power output of 90 kW @ 5600 rpm with maximum torque of 165 Nm at 3800 rpm and meets stringent Euro 4 emission standards. A variable length manifold enables a balanced spread of torque over a wide engine speed range. Fuel economy performance (ADR 81/01) for Astra three-door coupe is 7.8 litres/100 km (manual) and 8.2 litres/100 km (automatic). Astra wagon delivers 7.8 litres/100 km (manual CD model), 7.9 litres/100 km (manual CDX model) and 8.3 litres/100 km (automatic CD & CDX). Electronic architecture is based on three CANBUS (CAN = Controller Area Network) systems which enable rapid communication between control units, including the engine management system, for best possible performance and more efficient servicing. Body Structure, Occupant Protection and Security All Astra models are designed to optimise occupant protection. The bodyshell and chassis incorporate front, side and rear deformation zones that absorb and transfer impact energy in a controlled manner. In the front end of the bodyshell, energy is diverted via an upper patch through the wheel control struts to the A pillars, door reinforcements and the roof. The central load path is located in the main side members which extend back under the floor as far as the central side (B) pillars and the sills. The third path consists of a hydroformed suspension subframe with additional plates that dissipate energy back into the underbody. In rear impacts, the body structure is designed to absorb as much energy as possible, with the side members again acting as load paths. In a side impact, Astra’s high-strength steel B pillars, door reinforcements, seat cross-members and substantial side sills resist impact and intrusion. In addition to driver and front passenger airbags and front passenger side airbags, Astra coupe and wagon have front seat belt pre-tensioners and force limiters and ‘fasten belt’ visual and audible warning systems. Front seat belts are height adjustable. Drivers are also protected by a clutch and brake pedal release system which reduces the risk of lower leg injury. Three child restraint anchors are located on the back of the rear seat to eliminate restrictions on cargo floor space. Security items include an Auto Lock function that re-locks the car automatically after five minutes if doors remain unlocked after closing, ‘follow me home’ headlamps which shine for 30 seconds after the ignition has been turned off, remote central door locking with rolling code, engine immobiliser and a PIN-controlled audio system. Chassis Dynamics The structural strength of the bodyshell, in addition to torsional rigidity (the basis for accurate suspension tuning) and an agile chassis layout, translate into controlled and predictable ride and handling qualities. GM Holden engineers had early input into the AH Astra engineering programme to ensure that it met particular requirements for Australian roads. The suspension design and electro-hydraulic power steering system increase low-speed manoeuvrability and absorb impact harshness to produce a more refined and balanced ride. Large diameter discs all round (280mm front, 264mm rear), four-channel ABS and a brake assist function improve stopping power. Astra wagon and coupe CDX models are equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels (steel spare) and Astra CD coupe has 15-inch alloy wheels (steel spare).
Astra Coupe Feature Highlights Foldable remote control door key, remote central locking Air conditioning Power windows Steering wheel-mounted audio controls Single CD player, MP3-compatible 7-speaker audio system (CD) Six-stack CD player with seven channel graphic equaliser and digital sound processing, premium 7-speaker system (CDX ) Graphic information display (CDX) Power exterior mirrors, heated Leather-wrap steering wheel (CDX) Trip computer (CDX) Cruise control Front sports seats, heatable and 6-way adjustable (CDX) Driver and passenger adjustable lumbar support (CDX) Driver and passenger illuminated vanity mirrors (CDX) Roof-mounted sunglasses holder, map pockets (CDX) Rear fog lamp Pollen filter
Astra Wagon Feature Highlights Foldable remote control door key, remote central locking Air conditioning Power windows (CD front only) Steering wheel-mounted audio controls Single CD player, MP3-compatible 7-speaker audio system (CD) Six-stack CD player with seven channel graphic equaliser and digital sound processing, premium 7-speaker system (CDX) Graphic information display (CDX) Power exterior mirrors, heated Leather-wrap steering wheel (CDX) Trip computer (CDX) Cruise control (CDX) Roof-mounted sunglasses holder, map pockets (CDX) Rear fog lamp Pollen filter Exterior Colour Selection Casablanca White Star Silver Breeze Blue (coupe only) Olympia Blue (wagon only) Black Sapphire Papyrus Gold Silver Lightning Selected Holden By Design Options 17-inch alloy wheels; 18-inch alloy wheels; body kit (coupe); rear roof spoiler (coupe); reverse sensors; roof-mounted bike rack; ski carriers; boot organiser; luggage net; side net and towing kits.
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