Super TestCar reviews - Holden - Astra - Coupe rangeHolden modelsOverviewSaucy sweeps staid aside as a striking new Astra Coupe seeks sales with style22 Jul 2005 HOLDEN is about to test Australian small car buyers’ loyalty to its brand with the Viva, a car sold here in sedan-only form in 2003 and 2004 as the Daewoo Lacetti. But while a new Korean-built Holden will replace the soon-to-be-superseded TS Astra Classic, Holden has also introduced a touch of glamour with an eye-catching three-door version of the AH Astra model. Joining the new Astra wagon (also launched in July) and the five-door hatchback versions released last October, the three-door Astra "Coupe" lives up to its name with sexy styling and a real sporty presence. Sadly, though, its engine – the regular 90kW 1.8-litre Ecotec unit – remains the same as the more mundane models. For now... Model release date: 1 July 2005 to 1 March 2007 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen Previous modelIn 2001 the City three-door opened up the strong selling TS Astra range, priced comfortably below the popular City five-door. It featured a 90kW 1.8-litre 16-valve four-cylinder - essentially the same powerplant as found in today’s AH Astra, although the TS City driver enjoyed a better power-to-weight ratio. Equipment levels included dual airbags, power steering, keyless entry and a CD player, until the better-specified SXi added alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, power windows and racier trim in early 2003. By the way, Holden's first Astra was a lightly modified 1982 N12 Nissan Pulsar. Following its mid-1984 release the model’s poor sales performance prompted one wag to dub it "Holden’s Dis-Astra". |
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