Holden Astra Coupe and Wagon 2005 Review

What we liked
>> Stunning looks
>> Outstanding balance and ride
>> Top comfort and safety

Not so much
>> Flawed drivetrain
>> Poor cabin storage
>> No temperature gauge

OVERVIEW
It was as recent as last November's AH Astra five-door hatch launch that Holden strongly ruled out the local appearance of the new Astra wagon and was coy about the potential of another entry-level three-door. Not only does the sophisticated and price-busting $23,490 Astra wagon make a welcome local appearance, it's joined by a sleek and sporty three-door Astra coupe that also starts at $23,490 and couldn't be further removed from the old Astra three-door model.

Australian small car buyers have never had it so good with 20 competitors offering no less than 90 different models. The AH Astra now delivers Holden's first small wagon since the TF Gemini wagon was withdrawn in 1983 and the first small coupe since the TD Gemini coupe ended in 1979.

Ross McKenzie, Holden's Executive Director of Sales and Marketing, explained Holden's about turn: "Small car prices increased by one per cent a year between 1965 and 1995 but in the decade from 1995 to 2005, small car prices have tumbled by around two per cent each year!" This is dollar value only and doesn't take into account the big increase in small car size; doubling of engine size since 1965 and extra features like airbags, ABS, air-conditioning, CD players and power steering. Australians are set to buy over 200,000 small cars this year and Holden has just enjoyed its biggest ever Astra month in June 2005.

McKenzie is optimistic about the 2005 market passing the one million mark for the first time and didn't expect rising fuel prices to change sales volumes. Yet he conceded that rising fuel prices would change market segmentation as buyers downsized. Holden has decided to have all barrels loaded to meet the change.

Holden wants to be known as a small car specialist as well as larger cars. A stronger Astra range for the over-$20,000 buyer backed by the new sub-$20,000 Holden Viva range from Korea due later this year will make it one of the few manufacturers to have both segments of the small car market covered. The Astra Turbo coupe (and a likely HSV version) due on sale early in 2006 will add to Holden's blanket small car coverage at the upper end.

Despite this huge range, Holden will still be left with a sizeable gap as the older Astra Classic is phased out at the end of 2005. The sales figures provide a clue as to why the Astra wagon is being rushed onto the market.

Currently, the small car market is running at around 80,000 five-door hatches and 88,000 sedans annually with a handful of wagons and coupes. Holden's problem is that there is no new AH Astra sedan replacement for the outgoing Astra Classic sedan. Holden can't afford to lose the family and older small car buyers who want a premium small car but not a hatchback. Holden tested the waters with a preview AH Astra coupe and wagon at the 2005 Melbourne's motor show and were shocked the wagon drew an even bigger response than the crowd-stopping coupe.

Although Holden sells more passenger cars than Toyota, it can't aspire to Number One when it doesn't have direct Toyota RAV4 or Toyota LandCruiser Prado AWD rivals. Holden is banking on its revised Adventra V6 to grab some Prado and Kluger sales. From now, it's counting on the bargain-priced Astra wagon to offer enough style, space, dynamics and fuel savings to convince buyers they no longer need to pay a premium for an all-wheel drive RAV4 or Subaru Forester-style vehicle.

After the silly duty advantages enjoyed by four-wheel drives were further reduced in January 2005, Australians are starting to see the hidden costs of four-wheel drive against a comparable small wagon like the new Astra.

The new Astra Coupe virtually has the $20,000 sports hatch market segment to itself after Honda abandoned the three-door Civic several years ago.

Both models are built in Antwerp in Belgium with engines made in Szentgotthard, Hungary.

FEATURES
Although Holden suggests that the new Coupe and Wagon follow the CD and CDX model levels in the five door hatch range, there are some neat tweaks and equipment differences to keep the prices the same for both models. There are also fundamental architectural changes to meet the appearance and sporty driving feel expectations of the Astra Coupe buyer.

» AH Astra Coupe
The new Astra Coupe shares the same bonnet, front guards and bumper with the five-door hatch. Weight and length are so close to the five-door it doesn't matter. It is also built on the same 2614mm wheelbase so theoretically, interior space should be similar yet it's significant that the new model is not called a three-door hatch.

The Coupe body height is a full 25mm lower giving it a very different and much sleeker profile. The rear roofline is radical as its European designers made a conscious move away from the usual "five minus two doors". The Astra coupe is no longer positioned as an entry-level three-door but a sleek sporty alternative in the same vein as the Alfa 147, Audi A3 and Peugeot 307.

Australians first saw this "fewer doors equals more" approach in the Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Cordia, Ford Laser Lynx, Toyota Corolla Sprinter, Nissan Pulsar Coupe, Mitsubish Lancer Coupe and Nissan EXA/NX. Together they enjoyed significant sales in Australia with buyers who wanted the sporty feel and looks of a Celica without the pricetag. When none of these exist anymore, and the Celica is now a hard-edged sports coupe, the Astra Coupe is a breath of fresh air and warrants a closer look.

The Coupe's front seating is lowered by 9mm which allows the lower and narrower roofline to pull in more tightly over the slender side glass without eating too much into cabin space. Tapering of the rear section and hatch opening with extra chrome around the tail lights make it more distinctive while retaining the Astra family look. A neat centre crease line starts in the bonnet, runs through the dash and finishes in the rear bumper. The rear seat is still set up for three passengers while the luggage compartment is a full 302 litres (compared to 345 for the hatch) even if access is more restricted than a typical five-door hatch.

The base-level CD Coupe features ABS and brake assist, air-conditioning, front electric windows, heated electric mirrors, single-stacker CD player with steering wheel audio controls, touch control external hatch release, front and side airbags, pollen filter and rear fog lights as for the five- door hatch, then effectively adds the CD's $990 option pack including 15-inch alloy wheels and cruise control as standard. The CD Coupe also has the body-coloured bumpers and side mouldings of the CDX five-door. Price for the CD manual Coupe starts at $23,490 which makes it close enough to the same price as the CD five-door once all the extra features are taken into account.

Holden has ensured that both the CD and CDX Coupes are style and equipment leaders at each level so they can't undermine the coming Turbo and HSV premium performance models.

As for the five-door CDX, the luxury CDX Coupe adds 16-inch alloy wheels and low-profile tyres, six-stacker CD, multi-function graphic display, extra small item storage, leather-covered steering wheel but then adds the CDXi's leather-faced trim and front seat heating to its unique six-way adjustable front sports seats. Pick the CDX Coupe by its body-coloured door handles, extra chrome below the side glass and five spoke alloys instead of the CD's seven spokers. The CDX Coupe starts at $25,990 or just $500 more than the CDX five-door which wouldn't even cover the leather and special front seats so again, pricing is keen.

Breeze Blue, a bright new blue exclusive to the Coupe, replaces the Olympia Blue available on the Astra Wagon.

» AH Astra Wagon
The Astra Wagon is a striking-looking load carrier with its amalgam of five-door hatch and coupe styling themes topped by distinctive roof rails. Its sleek roofline, slender rear side windows and extended wheelbase (89mm longer at 2703mm) hide the extra height (up by 40mm over the five-door hatch at 1500mm) to the point where you could almost call it a sports wagon. This is one workhorse you wouldn't mind being seen in on the weekends.

It's worth comparing it to Holden's last medium-sized wagon, the 1998 JS Vectra wagon, to appreciate the value in Holden's new small wagon. The Astra wagon is higher, built on a significantly larger wheelbase and is longer. It also weighs the same and it is wider but cabin dimensions are slightly smaller all round as the Astra wagon's extra size goes into providing 2005 levels of crash safety. It has a smaller engine but any power shortfall is more than offset by the gains in economy. The 1998 Vectra wagon price started at $26,500 but you would need to spend at least another $4000 on the Vectra to match the base Astra wagon's extra airbags, electrics, ABS and air-conditioning.

Special attention has been paid to lowering the load height and the flat load platform. Clever reshaping of the tail lights allows almost full-width liftback access yet they still maintain the strong Astra identity. The Astra Wagon styling is very effective in protecting the Astra's cut above feel when it doesn't look like a van with windows.

The base Astra CD Wagon matches the CD five-door hatch and includes ABS, air-conditioning, front electric windows, heated electric mirrors, single stacker CD player with steering wheel audio controls, touch control external hatch release, front and side airbags, pollen filter, rear fog lights. Pick it outside by the black bumper inserts and side strips and 15-inch steel wheels with full wheel covers. The wagon also offers out-of-sight storage under the cargo floor; side storage compartment with power socket and a neat cargo blind that retracts with the touch of a finger. It starts at $23,490 for a $1500 premium over the CD Hatch.

The luxury CDX Wagon matches the five-door hatch and adds 16-inch alloy wheels and low profile tyres, six-stacker CD, multi-function graphic display, roof-mounted sunglasses holder, leather-covered steering wheel and velour trim. Outside, there is extra colour-coding in the bumpers and side strips. The CDX Wagon starts at $25,990 for only a $500 premium over the equivalent hatch.

Note: Both the Astra Coupe and Wagon have a full-sized steel spare wheel and tyre; an absolute bonus when the trend is towards useless space savers or none at all. Like other Astras, neither body style has a temperature gauge which can be critical in providing advanced warning of a cooling system leak, a malfunctioning thermostat or faulty thermo fan before you cook the engine. All of these are known scenarios in European cars under Australian conditions as they age.

COMFORT

The CDX level is a neat blend of CDX and CDXi features and the leather is a welcome touch of class at such a low price.

The big issue is how much you lose over the five door Hatch in terms of space. The Coupe increases front legroom by seven mm and reduces it by the same in the rear. This is to compensate for the lower front seat position which forces each front occupant's legs further out front. Front shoulder room is the same but the tighter rear pillars pinch rear shoulder room in by 4mm. Front headroom drops by 29mm and 44mm in the rear. Front and rear hip room is cut by 11mm.

If you have to transport adults in the rear on a regular basis, it is worth checking out whether they fit comfortably and can get in and out easily especially if they are older. For a Coupe, the new Astra is much better than most but its radical roofline does generate some compromises.

It is the load volume where the difference is massive. Under their respective cargo covers, the Wagon offers 454lt of space compared to 345 for the hatch. Remove the covers and the wagon can haul 1549lt compared to 1265 for the Hatch. The only downside is the extra size boosts the turning circle by 0.3m and weight by 58kg.

Given that the Wagon is more likely to see family duties, the lack of storage space in all AH Astras for drinks, kid's bits and pieces and other items becomes an even more annoying shortfall. There are small front seat back pockets and bottle holders in the front door bins but they are miserable and won't hold a decent cup of coffee or drink container even if they could be easily accessed. There is little joy in the centre console and the lone cup holder moulding in the inside of the glovebox lid is a joke when it lands on your knees and won't sit level.

The Wagon is almost as quiet as the Hatch in the rear with only a slight rise in road noise which only the rear passengers can pick. The body feels as tight and drum-free as any of the other AH Astras.

SAFETY
Because the Coupe and Wagon follow the lead of the Hatch, you can't argue with the standard driver and front passenger airbags, front side impact airbags, ABS with brake assist, front seat belt pretensioners and force limiters, audible and visual fasten seat belt warning systems and front seat belt height adjustment.

The enormous work that went into the five door Hatch's crash safety has been extended for the wagon and adapted for the coupe to maintain the same body strength and crash management levels. These include the costly boron steel B-pillars, door reinforcements, seat cross-members and substantial side sills.

Because side curtain airbags are restricted to the CDXi Hatch, they are not available on the Coupe or Wagon when neither comes as a CDXi.

For family owners, the Wagon features a centre lap-sash seat belt and centre head restraint for the rear seat plus child restraint anchorage points in the back of the rear seats.

The comprehensive and stiffer safety structure for both models is as described in the Hatch report.

MECHANICAL
The AH Astra Coupe and Wagon continue with the same 1.8 Ecotec engine as the Hatch which delivers 90kW/5600rpm and 165Nm/3800rpm. This increases to 92kW and 170Nm if you fill the tank with premium unleaded. It complies with Euro 4 emissions standards.

As expected, the new Astra Wagon is the heaviest variation with the CDX auto wagon topping a hefty 1350kg. The lightest is the CD Coupe manual at 1243 kg, under cutting the equivalent Hatch by 6 kg. Claimed fuel economy for the Coupe is the same as the Hatch with the manual achieving 7.8 litres/100 km and 8.2 litres/100 km for the auto. The CD Wagon manual matches the Hatch but the auto is slightly thirstier at 8.3 litres/100 km. The heavier CDX Wagon manual delivers 7.9 litres/100 km and the auto the same 8.3 litres/100 km.

No AH Astra automatic, not even the Coupe, has a manual sequential function for the auto that is now becoming the norm for the over $20,000 segment. In some rivals, it is barely needed but in the Astra it would come in handy as the smaller 1.8 engine has to be worked harder in the Wagon. The auto disengages when stationary to save fuel.

Suspension, brake and chassis specifications are basically the same across all body styles. However, the Coupe has a lower ride height suspension package that includes recalibrated dampers for crisper handling and more eager response.

The Wagon has heavier duty rear springs and dampers and the front anti-roll bar diameter is boosted to compensate for the extra body roll from the increased height and extra load carrying potential.

COMPETITORS

Besides, Holden intends to fire the wild little Tigra coupe/convertible into this premium light car niche shortly.

The Peugeot 307 XSi three-door does a much better job than the 206, but at over $8000 more than the Astra, it caters for another buyer level. Looks are subjective but for many buyers, the Astra Coupe may have grabbed a lead over both Peugeot models. The Citroen C4 VTR Coupe, at $25,990 but with a smaller 1.6lt engine, is closer in looks, size and price.

Renault offers various Clio three-door models in this price range but like the 206, the Clio three-door is a Barina hatch rival, not a sporty coupe. It is also well into its model life and looks a generation behind the Astra. The more comparable Megane three-door which shares a similar roofline to the Astra coupe is not available in Australia, except as a much more expensive over $30,000 LX Sport model.

In terms of image and fun, only the VW Beetle Miami at $25,990 comes close but its smaller 1.6lt engine and tighter cabin are drawbacks. The Audi A3 which shares the same 1.6-litre drivetrain starts to look too expensive when it's $10,000 more than the Astra.

In terms of street cred and style, the AH Astra Coupe looks like it has the goods before it even turns a wheel, an image that can only get better when the hot Turbo versions arrive.

It has a worthy rival in the latest Mitsubishi Lancer ES which appears to be cheaper at $21,990 but as soon as you start matching the Astra feature for feature, it falls behind. The Lancer's 2.0lt engine appears to have an adavantage but power output is no better than the Astra's 1.8 on premium unleaded fuel. The Astra also looks and feels classier inside and out.

The Toyota Corolla Wagon at base Ascent level offers more power from its 1.8lt engine and clever Japanese detailing and packaging but its cheaper $21,150 price tag is generated by deletion of features, not extra value. The Astra offers clear advantages in chassis dynamics and style but the Corolla is a proven hard worker with rock solid resale and low running costs. The Peugeot 307 XSR Touring wagon puts up a convincing case but starting at $31,690, it's not in the same market in Australia as it would be in Europe.

The real rivals are the all wheel drive SUVs when they still enjoy a 5 per cent tariff advantage. The Subaru Forester with a big new power boost from its 2.5lt engine is amazing value at just over $30,000 with all-wheel drive, extra clearance and sophistication more than making up the $7000 price difference. The same applies to the Honda CR-V, Nissan X-Trail and Toyota RAV4.

Against these all wheel drive rivals, small wagon buyers really need to keep an eye on price and intended use. The Astra Wagon makes plenty of sense at base manual level as an affordable and safe city and highway carry all that is surprisingly cheap to run but the margin for ongoing rough road work and heavy loads is slim with the small 1.8lt engine and road car ground clearance.

ON THE ROAD
Regular CarPoint readers will recall that the delayed throttle response in the hatch launch cars was a cause for major disappointment last year, especially the way the engine hangs onto its revs after you lift off the accelerator. While some Holden people were less than pleased, the number of letters from long-suffering Astra owners suggested it was not an isolated problem. Most thanked us for highlighting the concerns as they were getting sick of being blamed as poor drivers.

Major Melbourne Holden dealer Patterson-Cheney, who had been dealing with the same feedback, invited us to drive one of their latest 2005 Astra demos to highlight what they thought was a big improvement. Although it was not perfect, I agreed that their Astra was well within the limits of acceptability except Holden claimed there were no changes since the launch cars.

Because the AH Astra accelerator pedal has no direct mechanical connection with the engine, the driver's foot can only operate the electronic device that talks to the engine. After driving a selection of the latest Coupes and Wagons, there seems to be some variation in the way this electronic connection behaves. On some Astras, it feels as though a big squishy donut has rolled under the pedal and each throttle adjustment is delayed. Some Holden insiders have privately agreed that in some examples this makes adjusting the car's cornering line more difficult than it should be.

Unfortunately, this also creates the impression that the Astra engine is unresponsive and past its use-by date. In fact, it is more than adequate given its market. Bigger rival engines have to be revved quite high before you feel a big difference. Providing it does what it is told, the Astra engine has a nice meaty feel at engine speeds that most Astra owners would access. When today's Astra has the same power output as a whole generation of Subaru Liberty wagons but without the weight of all-wheel drive, there is no reason why it shouldn't be good enough.

As a manual, it works much better when there are five gears to cover every load and road situation. The four-speed auto is really only a three speed with a very tall overdrive fourth to generate outstanding fuel economy on open roads. The auto's Sports mode locks fourth out altogether at Australian speeds. This means that the gaps between the remaining three gears are too large for the Wagon's weight through a hilly or windy section. As for sporty driving in the auto Coupe, forget it.

After tiring of the auto constantly hunting between second and third, you soon find that holding second leads to a screaming match while third wouldn't pull the icing off a vanilla slice until it gathers speed. Like the new Ford Focus, the Astra needs a good five-speed auto before a new engine.

Because the auto constantly self-shifts into neutral when stationary, it takes a split second to get back into gear when you are ready to move. You soon learn to apply the throttle in two stages so it doesn't lurch forward as everything hooks up.

These shortfalls sadly take the edge off one of the best chassis set-ups seen in the small car market for a long, long time.

» AH Astra Coupe
Holden engineers have finally convinced their European colleagues that Aussie gravel and mud is not the same as a wet motorway. Nor are cobblestones the same as sharp, broken Aussie bitumen. Even with the Coupe's low ride height, the handling balance and ride are outstanding. Pleasantly absent is the tyre harshness that dulls the new Ford Focus even though the Astra shares the same tyres.

The Coupe's lower driving position meant that some serious driving through loose mud and fine wet gravel was a real buzz as the chassis silently glided over the poor surface while providing outstanding feedback. It is a very difficult combination to achieve and full credit to those engineers who got it right. It's just a crying shame that the drivetrain flaws don't allow you to fully exploit it. Bring on the Turbo.

» AH Astra Wagon
The extra seat height, longer wheelbase and extra weight give the Wagon a different feel to the Coupe but the end result is just as good. It delivers an uncanny big car ride while retaining the agility of the Astra Hatch with extra stability. It feels balanced and safe and more attached to the road than a high-riding all wheel drive wagon.

The fact that it never feels like a wagon on the road is a big plus to those hatch buyers looking for extra luggage space or an extra rear crush zone to protect children in the back seat.

As a dual purpose work horse and family car, the heavier CDX Wagon with auto is on the limit if you need to carry big loads. It will do it but it will remind you that it is a hefty package for a 1.8-litre engine.