Holden Astra 2005 Review

What we liked
>> Larger, safer, more stylish design
>> Revamped range
>> Big car feel

Not so much
>> Unresponsive manual
>> Delayed throttle response
>> Odd, irrelevant Sports mode

OVERVIEW
The new range now starts with the CD, the premium level in the previous model, at a sharp $21,990 including air-conditioning. Two new levels, the Astra CDX and CDXi, which add luxury then more luxury with extra sportiness and safety, mirror the new model hierarchy introduced with the latest Vectra.

The new range comes in one body style only, the five-door hatchback, and goes on sale in November 2004. Local plans for a new sedan or cabriolet depend on their availability in Europe. Currently, a wagon is the only other body style available in Europe and won't be seen here. A stylish new Astra coupe will be launched next week at the Paris Auto Salon.

The new model completes Holden's double-barrelled Astra attack, with two different model ranges above and below the $20,000 small car price point. Holden believes the small car market is splintering into two distinct groups: bottom-line sub-$20,000 buyers who make up 50 per cent of sales and others looking for extra style, refinement and features in a small car package capped by a small car price.

This year was the first time small cars overtook the large family car segment as Australia's most popular vehicle type. Private buyers now account for 70 per cent of all small car purchases and the new AH Astra is aimed at those in the 25-35 age group wanting extra flair and up to the minute design.

The Holden Astra is the only model that has threatened the Toyota Corolla's best-selling small car crown over the last 10 years. After winning a high of 17.5 per cent of small car sales in 2001, the Holden Astra had fallen to 14.3 per cent by August 2004.

To preserve the Astra's sixth-biggest market in the world, Holden is taking no chances. The previous TS Astra sedan and hatch, now sourced from Poland, are rebadged as the Astra Classic with several specification changes and priced from $18,990 with air-conditioning.

The new AH Astra, sourced from Antwerp, Belgium, is Holden's first small car from a global General Motors range, since the Gemini that does not carry a T-car model prefix. It has grown so much in size that it is now wider, higher and more powerful than the 1963 Holden EH family car, on a wheelbase almost the same. Because this also makes it bigger in most areas than the first Vectra, its feeling of spaciousness and smooth, big car ride on Australian roads have more in common with the Commodore than its rivals.

FEATURES
The most striking aspect of the new Astra is its styling and it can take some getting used to. Where the TS Astra was quite Germanic in its restraint, the new one has a flamboyant international look that could just as easily have come from France or Japan.

There are strong hints of the Renault Clio and Megane in the profile and headlights, and there is a new generation link with the Mazda 3 and the new Honda Odyssey. The strong crease lines running through the sides, bonnet and hatch, and the large tail lights with their translucent indicator sections align it with BMW's latest look. The latest Audis can be seen in the Astra's bonnet line that extends through the front bumper and air dam. There is also a strong link with Holden's recent VZ Commodore facelift.

The extensive use of chrome "jewellery", including intricate headlight detailing, badges and rear trim, is a first for a European in this price range.

Most small hatches fry Australians in the hot sun but not this one. Apart from its low drag, the new shape is highly effective in shielding rear passengers from the sun as well as the front. Under the scorching Queensland sun, the air-conditioning didn't have to work so hard, which should be a big fuel saver in Summer. Vision is also good, with a rear window that extends below the luggage cover.

Holden made a point of describing how the interior was designed by the same exterior design team, right down to the key fob for the Mercedes-Benz-type foldaway key.

The base level CD features 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 and rear fog lights. Pick it outside by the black bumper inserts and side strips, and 15-inch steel wheels. A CD option pack adds electric rear windows, cruise control and 15-inch alloys. Price for the CD manual starts at $21,990 and the CD is expected to account for 60 per cent of sales.

The luxury CDX adds 16-inch alloy wheels and low profile tyres, six-stacker CD, multi-function graphic display, roof mounted sunglass holder, leather covered steering wheel, velour trim and woodgrain scattered through the doors and dash. Outside, there is extra colour-coding in the bumpers, and side strips. The CDX starts at $25,490 for a projected 15 per cent of AH Astra sales.

The sports luxury CDXi adds eight-way adjustable sports seats, along with sports trim and highlight stitching, sports steering wheel, electronic climate control and side curtain airbags, and it loses the woodgrain. Pick it outside with its aggressive sports alloy wheels, chrome grille and front fog lights. Holden anticipates that the CDXi will generate 25 per cent of total sales with a $29,990 price tag. The auto adds $2000 on all models.

There are six colours including Casablanca White, Star Silver, Ultra Blue, Black Sapphire, Silver Lightning and the new Papyrus Gold.

All models have full-size steel spare wheels with tyres matching the other wheels.

COMFORT
The unwelcoming and easily marked cabin surfaces of the previous Astra have been replaced with class-leading soft-touch trim in the Barina's basket ball pattern almost everywhere your hands can reach, including the door trim. It is a big advance and belies the new model's entry price.

Big rotary heater and ventilation controls with clearly marked pointers and graphics, even at base level, are easy to use and make the current base Commodore layout look silly. The gauges are clear and the similar detailing for the manual and auto selectors is a neat touch. The new CANBUS electrical system made it easy for Holden to shift the indicator stalk to the right of the steering column.

This new Astra is big enough in the cabin to be a long distance, four-seater, or five, if the three in the rear are children. Front shoulder room has increased by 30mm, and 20mm in the rear. Rear headroom has increased by 40 mm and the reverse sloping rear doors leave a wide entry/exit opening for easy child seat access and better vision.

Both front and rear seats are bigger, with improved contouring and lateral support, longer cushions and better adjustment. Rear head restraints add to safety and comfort levels and feature the same new push button adjustment as the front.

The extra length has enhanced the rear load area and an almost vertical hatch means that it is now all useable. The only drawback is a hatch opening that narrows at the base.

The new body shell resists flexing 52 per cent better than the previous Astra, which was already reasonably good compared to rivals. Lateral flexing has dropped by 47 per cent and torsional rigidity has improved by 15 per cent. A strong and stiff body that doesn't rattle or creak is more important than any sugar coating.

If you have been turned off hatches for life by persistent rattles in the back, you might reconsider after experiencing the inherent silence of the new Astra, especially in the rear section.

SAFETY
Most small hatches depend on a sloping rear hatch window for rigidity and when that breaks, resistance to a rear collision drops dramatically. The new Astra is one of the first to feed rear impacts into the strongest parts of the body structure and position the three child restraint anchor points within the rear seat area. This keeps them out of the luggage area, which is so easily damaged in most small hatchbacks.

The thick rear pillars are heavily triangulated and wrap around at their base to meet an almost vertical rear hatch which together provide a more effective barrier not dependent on the rear glass. Rear impacts are fed under the passenger cell via the wheel arches and through the rear pillars into the roof structure.

At the front, impact forces are fed into three load paths around the passenger cell. High-strength cross-members feed energy through the wheel struts into the front pillars, door reinforcements and the roof. The central impact load area feeds crash energy into crash boxes and the body's main side-members which extend under the floor, back to the centre pillar. The body structure and a special hydro-formed front suspension sub-frame dissipate energy into the underbody.

Because the centre pillar is the bottom line for side, front and rear collisions, it is made out of an expensive high strength steel and is backed up by doors filled with steel beams, a cross-member seat support structure and substantial side sills. You don't need to have a crash to feel this strength. It is apparent as soon you drive the car.

All models have front and side airbags with the addition of curtain airbags on the CDXi. A patented pedal release system jettisons brake and clutch pedals under severe impact reducing injuries to feet and lower legs. Double-skinned bonnet and bumpers reduce pedestrian injuries.

Door snibs have been eliminated and if an airbag or seat belt pre-tensioner is triggered, the central locking releases at the same time. When activated a "follow me home" feature keeps the headlights on for 30 seconds after the ignition has been turned off.

MECHANICAL
It is now almost standard Holden practice to introduce an all new body or an all new drivetrain but never the two together to reduce teething problems. The AH Astra continues with the same 1.8 Ecotec engine as before which delivers 90kW/5600 rpm and 165Nm/3800 rpm. This increases to 92kW and 170Nm if you fill the tank with premium unleaded. It already complies with Euro 4 emissions standards when most local cars are getting ready for Euro 3.

As expected, the new Astra is heavier by around 50kg so there is a shorter final drive ratio in the manual to improve launch feel and the auto has been recalibrated for improved driveability. Claimed fuel economy for the manual is 7.8 litres/100 km and 8.2 litres/100 km for the auto.

Front suspension is more of the same but with many detailed improvements to reduce noise and vibration and to improve steering response. The double-walled U-profile torsion beam rear axle has bigger bushes and exploits a new Magnetarc welding process for extra strength and accuracy.

The bottom line is that ride and stability have improved dramatically. The electro-hydraulic power steering gains a new pump design and along with new geometry and steering rack ratio, there is improved steering feel and response.

The front ventilated disc brakes have been boosted to 280 mm in diameter supplemented by 264 mm rear discs. The new tandem brake booster has a special air inlet valve that can act as a brake assist under emergency braking.

COMPETITORS
As one of the first of the new breed of small cars that is a half-size larger, the Astra has few direct rivals at the price. The new AH Astra gains a huge advantage as an A-team Euro import with a B-grade price tag.

Its closest rivals in Europe include the Peugeot 307 but base 307 1.6 version starts at $4000 more than the Astra CD 1.8. Comparable 307 2.0-litre models start at around $30,000 and go up from there. The fresh new Renault Megane shadows the 307's engine sizes and pricing.

The outgoing VW Golf also has a 1.6 that starts in the mid-$20,000 range with 2.0-litre models that start closer to $30,000. The all new Volkswagen Golf is unlikely to change this parity dramatically.

The Ford Focus should come closest when the new model arrives in 2005 but it is now in runout mode and priced against the Astra Classic which makes it outstanding value but not comparable if the latest and greatest is important.

The Japanese come closest but the Subaru Impreza 2.0-litre's $24,440 pricetag doesn't include air-con. The Mazda 3 Neo offers a 104kW 2.0-litre engine and air-con at $21,490 but doesn't have the Astra's up-market cabin feel and misses out on key features like ABS and side airbags.

The Toyota Corolla also appears to have a pricing advantage until you start matching the Astra CD's standard kit. Depending on how you weight intangibles such as styling and cabin, Holden appears to have defined a new niche for the AH Astra where it has few direct rivals at the price. The only downside to all of this is that resale of the previous Astra is under attack from above and below.

ON THE ROAD
If this report sounds too good to be true, then it is. Holden executives pushed the line heavily that the new AH Astra was a driver's car and more than just your average small hatch. In nearly all respects, this is true until you hit the road. It has a fault that needs to be treated seriously but the upside is that there is time to fix it before the new car goes on sale in November 2004.

On moving off, the manual feels a little flat unless you give it plenty of revs and it is then that the fault is revealed. If you need to slow down to avoid kissing the boot of the car in front, removing your foot from the accelerator has little or no immediate effect on the engine. Before the engine slows down, it continues on regardless for some time at which point you are forced to hit the brakes when all you wanted to do was adjust your speed a little. Under 3000 rpm it isn't as pronounced but over 4000 rpm in second or third which most Australians encounter in the sprint between traffic lights or negotiating a winding road, it will actually continue accelerating even with your foot removed from the accelerator.

A second car was arranged but it did exactly the same thing. A Holden engineer was invited to watch the tacho as I removed my foot at around 4500 rpm. The engine continued at this speed for what seemed like several seconds, long enough to cause serious drama if you were going too fast in a corner or any tight situation where you were forced to quickly adjust your speed.

At this stage, the best that can be said for the AH Astra's grip and handling is that it will allow the driver to brake in all the wrong places after the engine drops you in it. It probably is sporty but under these circumstances it is difficult to assess how it handles if the accelerator doesn't immediately respond to your right foot.

This is not a first for Holden. The first Vectra 2.6 V6 manual in 2000 and the 2.2-litre engine in premium TS Astras and Zafiras suffered from the same fault as did some early 1.8 TS Astras. It can feel like the accelerator is stuck and scare drivers when they first encounter it.

The problem is probably generated by the new Euro 4 emissions calibrations and Holden is not alone. European cars are set up for trundling through traffic in first or second gear then pedal to the metal on a motorway. In Australia, most serious driving occurs between 50 and 100km/h exactly where this tendency is most pronounced.

Both Holden's and Ford's local proving grounds are set up for European-style speeds. When it is not the first time that either company's European models have required a hasty rethink after they hit local roads, I suspect local engineers quickly adjust to the tendency and get on with other testing. You can drive around it but gear shifts and brake wear will always remind you that all is not well.

The AH Astra auto doesn't seem to suffer as badly and is a civilized drive in normal mode but you would need to fill the tank with premium unleaded to give it the zip of its 2.0-litre rivals, most of which require premium all the time.

The auto has an odd Sports mode which is set up for a blast up or down a mountain pass with its aggressive upshifts and tendency to hold the lower gears even at 100km/h. As you button off for a corner or intersection, it also downshifts aggressively into the lower gears. When it is reluctant to shift into fourth overdrive even at 100 km/h, the Sports mode has little relevance to everyday motoring in Australia.

If you leave the engine out of the equation, the Astra has a sophisticated feel and ride once the preserve of medium sized Peugeots. There are hints that its handling may also be in a class of its own but until Holden sorts out the delayed throttle response, you would need to shop elsewhere if you are looking for a driver's car.