What was Holden Australia thinking

[patto]

I know this is a Commodore site, but I just had to discuss this.
What was Holden thinking with the new astra!?
They have taken out all of the features of the new opel astra and basically just left it with the old body/trans with a new shell.
Why aren't they importing the opel with all the features from overseas?
starting with the (forget what you call it) gearshift that is an auto with manual quick shift, the lights that corner with the car, the SPORTS mode which drops the car lower to the ground and tightens the steering and most importantly the 1.9L Diesel engine producing 150hp, 315Nm torque at 2000rpm and only using 5.6L per 100km!

BUT all they imported was the new bode with a CRAP interior with the 1.8L petrol engine with the standard 5 spd manual. WTF

What do you think?

 

[The1985divo]

I think more what were they thinking wit the Torana....looks more like the astra!

 

[jetspin_vn]

Don't knock the Tonara, its beautiful!!!

 

[The1985divo]

Don't knock the Tonara, its beautiful!!!

Are you serious , compared to the old one it has no resebleance at all

 

[2_SeeK_U]

Are you serious , compared to the old one it has no resebleance at all

And the monaro does ???

I think its a love/hate relation. Personally, l like it, albeit not in pink, but l like it. Just imagin that car, keep the white leather interior, spray it sky blue with a flick of pearl white, a set of nice chrome rims, dropped....

 

[jetspin_vn]

Imagine it in black with a blue interior...

 

[Gobbles]

i woulda picked a red interior but the Blue they use in the silver SS's etc would look sweet as well.

 

[The1985divo]

And the monaro does ???

I think its a love/hate relation. Personally, l like it, albeit not in pink, but l like it. Just imagin that car, keep the white leather interior, spray it sky blue with a flick of pearl white, a set of nice chrome rims, dropped....

The manaro looks quite a lot like the older one just a more modern and updated aperance

 

[davo]

What was Holden thinking with the new astra!?

sigh. When has holden / General motors ever showed signs of thought.

1.8L petrol engine

GM (who i swear must own a few oil companies) couldnt give a toss about fuel consumption. Thats why they make 7litre v8's

(forget what you call it) gearshift that is an auto with manual quick shift

You call it a "quick shift" but there is a massive lag between the click and the shift. The ones i have used you have to click a few seconds before you want it to shift. They suck balls, as do automatic transmissions in general.

The standard 5 speed manual in the astra is very nice and crisp. But i think a six speed would be handy. At about 150 160 in fifth its revving pretty high. It feels like it would go great with one more gear.

 

[Wombat]

"The manaro looks quite a lot like the older one just a more modern and updated aperance"



....erm.......


Totally agree with you Davo...it's criminal that we don't get some of the engines they get in Europe. Diesels are the new big thing over there, and have good power outputs now and are very smooth and unbelieveably economical. A girl I know has a turbo Diesel Puegeot, a 2002 model manual. It goes like sh1t off a shiny shovel, and still returns something like 50+ miles per gallon. Handles well too.

I have read about that Opel deisel...as I said, criminal that we don't get that sort of technology here instead of persisting with big V8's whose power is rapidly being closed on by even non-turbo 6-cylinders, not to mention things like the XR6 Turbo and the (hopefully) upcoming twin-turbo Alloytec V6 motor...