The Holden Astra hatch is back

The Holden Astra is back after a five-year break as the iconic Aussie brand tries to reverse its small-car sales slide.

The locally-made Holden Cruze has been in free-fall for the past three years and the model that once challenged the Commodore for top honours is now outside the Top 10 sellers list.

Despite the imminent return of Holden’s European favourite -- the Astra found almost a quarter of million Australian driveways between 1996 and 2009 -- the company insists production of the locally-made Cruze sedan and hatch will continue alongside the Commodore for the “forseeable future”.

The return of two upmarket versions of the Astra in early 2015 increases Holden’s chances of sales success in the cut-throat small-car class, and will play a key role in Holden’s ambitious plans to become Australia's top-selling car brand by 2020.

The target is a tall order given that Holden sales last year fell to a 20-year low and it currently sells a little more than half the number of cars as Toyota, market leader for the past 11 years.

But Holden has already started making crucial changes to its line-up.

The Cruze will remain Holden’s small-car price leader -- starting at $19,990, the cheapest locally-made Holden in 20 years -- while a pair of three-door, turbocharged Astras will compete with premium European cars.

Price for the Holden Astra GTC and VXR hatchbacks are yet to be confirmed but are expected to cost about $30,000 and $40,000 respectively as the brand moves upmarket.

“We are determined to offer … customers the best possible products that we can source from our global operations, as we build a strong future for Holden,” said Stefan Jacoby, the president of General Motors International Operations, during today’s second visit to Holden in eight months.

The two turbocharged Astras will also be joined by fellow Opel models, the sleek Cascada convertible and the Insignia VXR medium-sized sports-sedan, both likely to be priced close to $50,000.

The Cascada is the spiritual successor to the Astra convertible, which Holden sold across two generations from 2001 to 2010. The Insignia will be Holden's first turbocharged all-wheel-drive V6 sedan.

The regular Astra models have been left behind, for now, so they don’t do any further damage to the locally-made Cruze.

So far this year Cruze sales are down 22 per cent, and it is selling at a little over half the rate of the Commodore. At its peak three years ago, the Cruze challenged the Commodore as the top-selling Holden.

The return of the Astra is crucial to Holden’s plan to win back buyers who’ve defected to other brands.

About 15 per cent of all cars on Australian roads are Holdens, but the company’s share of new-car sales has slipped to between 8.5 and 10 per cent of the total market over the past 12 months.

Meanwhile Holden’s engineering division has been given a major boost with confirmation that General Motors will not sell its historic Lang Lang proving ground and test track.

The facility about 95km south-east of Melbourne includes a 4.7km banked test oval for high-speed testing, a giant skid pan, and 44km of sealed and unsealed roads that replicate real-world driving conditions, including tram lines.

Every Holden introduced since 1958 has been tested and developed at Lang Lang, but it was very nearly sold during the Global Financial Crisis in 2009.

Transport magnate and car enthusiast Lindsay Fox had reportedly expressed interest in buying the Holden test facility but in the end General Motors said it wasn’t for sale.

Holden currently employs about 180 engineers at Lang Lang and 140 designers at its Port Melbourne headquarters.

Once Holden closes its Port Melbourne engine factory in 2016 and the Elizabeth, South Australia car assembly line in 2017, it will retain a combined design and engineering workforce of more than 200 people, the company says.

“Our engineering and vehicle development team at Lang Lang will have the capability to tune suspension, steering and drivetrain characteristics for Australia’s unique conditions and customers,” Holden boss Gerry Dorizas said in a media statement.

“The Lang Lang team will also remain plugged in to GM’s global engineering department, with ongoing input into product programs that reach beyond Holden and influence GM vehicles around the world. Our world-class GM Australia Design Centre will also continue to help shape not just future Holdens but GM vehicles around the globe.”

Watch the desktop version of the Holden Astra VXR and Cascada at Lang Lang video here. 

What’s coming and when:

Holden Astra GTC
3-door hatch, 1.6L turbo petrol engine, 6-speed manual and automatic transmission, front-wheel drive. On-sale first half 2015.

Holden Cascada
2-door convertible, 1.6L turbo petrol engine, 6-speed manual and automatic transmission, front-wheel drive. On-sale first half 2015.

Holden Astra VXR
3-door hatch, 2.0L turbo petrol engine 6-speed manual transmission, front-wheel drive. On-sale first half 2015.

Holden Insignia VXR
4-door sedan, 2.8L turbo V6 engine, 6-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive. On-sale first half 2015.

This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling