Holden Astra Sportwagon confirmed for late 2017

HOLDEN has officially announced that an Astra Sportwagon variant will be added to the hatchback and sedan range late this year as number 13 of 24 new models promised by 2020.

Dubbed the Opel Astra Sports Tourer in its native European markets, the Holden version will be offered only with a 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission when it arrives.

Although closely related to the Polish-built Astra hatchback, which uses the same engine in R form but scores a 147kW/300Nm 1.6-litre turbo in RS and RS-V model grades, the UK-produced Astra Sportwagon will miss out on the larger engine option, just as the South Korean-made Astra sedan does. It will also miss out on the manual transmission of both hatch and sedan.

The Astra sedan, as a locally tweaked version of the US-focused Chevrolet Cruze, also includes LS, LS+, LT and LTZ model grades, at least some of which are tipped to be used with the Astra Sportwagon.

Holden has not yet announced pricing or model grades for the Astra Sportwagon, however.

It has only confirmed that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, keyless entry, automatic park assistance, blind-spot monitor, lane-keep assistance and – like the hatch but unlike the sedan – autonomous emergency braking (AEB) will be available.

Unique-to-Sportwagon features will include a hands-free electric tailgate with auto-opening ‘kick’ functionality, raising to deliver a maximum 1630 litres of cargo space.

That is an increase of 80L compared with the previous-generation version briefly sold in Australia in 2013 as the Opel Astra Sports Tourer. The last time Holden sold a wagon version of the Astra was post-2005 with the AH generation.

The new Astra Sportwagon measures 4702mm long and 1510mm tall, stretching 316mm and 25mm further compared with the hatchback respectively. Despite the increases, it will share the Opel-derived chassis tune and Watts-link torsion beam rear suspension setup with the hatch, which differs from the Holden-tuned and regular torsion beam rear suspension setup of the Astra sedan.

“With Astra Sportwagon joining Astra hatch and Astra sedan, we’re making sure there’s an exciting and desirable Holden small car to suit any taste or circumstance,” Holden executive director of sales Michael Filazzola said in a statement.

“Astra Sportwagon gives customers the best of all worlds with sleek, stylish design and impressive interior space, all supported by a wealth of driving and infotainment technology.”

The Holden Astra Sportwagon will arrive in late 2017, around the same time as the Equinox medium SUV and ahead of the new-generation Commodore and Acadia large SUV in early and late 2018 respectively.