Holden Astra 2008 review

Drivetrains

The Astra Diesel wagon runs on a 1.9 litre, DT Turbo Diesel, SOHC, ECOTEC four cylinder engine that outputs 88kW at 3500-4000rpm and 280Nm at 2000-2750rpm.

A six speed automatic with Active Select gets power to the wheels. And as you’d expect, fuel economy is reasonable at 7.3 litres per 100 kilometres.

Exterior

Compact yet roomy, the Astra wagon is a viable option for those who need a large cargo area but don’t want the hassle of a bulky van or large station wagon and the associated running costs. With a long rising waistband, the wagon is basically a stretched version of the hatch and comes with 16-inch alloys as standard.

Interior

The fully carpeted 454 litre load area is expandable to 1549 litres with both 60/40 split rear seats folded flat. As standard, the Astra wagon comes with a multi-function display, an MP3 compatible audio system, power windows and mirrors and cruise control.

Safety

A comprehensive safety package comprises curtain, drive, front passenger and front side impact airbags, plus brake assist, remote central locking and Electronic Stability Program.

Pricing

Pricing for the Astra Diesel wagon starts at $32, 790.

Driving

That fact that Holden have so few details of the exterior on the website speaks volumes about how much effort they put into the Astra wagon design. It’s a box on wheels, plain and simple – and a tinny looking one at that.

Stepping into the car our spirits didn’t lift. The bleak black dash is like a wall of drear, helped not at all by the quality of plastics used to build it. And because it’s as flat as a cliff face, and because the gear lever sits so low, it opens up a cavernous unusable space that made us feel somehow a little exposed.

But this car was built for its practicality, not for its beauty. It’s fairly spacious, and the seats are comfortable and smart, so we erase our poor initial impressions and fire up the engine – prompting the passengers to get out and scour the exterior for a John Deere badge. Old unmufflered tractors could be quieter than this. And for a car this small, the noise is laughable.

On the road the diesel engine does have quite a surprising amount of poke and the suspension is comfortable although the transmission tends to get a little confused when we sped up or slowed too quickly.

Holding the wheel at a quarter to three was slightly painful after a while with a sharp bit of plastic sticking up right where the thumb rests. The side mirrors were equally as irritating with the ‘objects in the mirror are closer than they appear’ distortion more confusing than helpful.

But again, this is meant to be a basic, economical A-to-B car with a big cargo area and it serves that purpose adequately.