Holden Astra 2004 review

The five-door hatchback range has had some serious restyling and is better for it.

The Astra's European feel is both stylish and cheeky, sporting a bold rear and more aggressively styled front end. Clear, bold lines give the car a unique shape and design.

Holden will sell the AH Astra hatch alongside the old one, which was recently renamed as the Classic. The retention of the Classic is aimed at fleet operators and price-conscious buyers who appreciate the $18,990 tag, which includes airconditioning.

The latest model range starts with the CD from $21,990, moving up to the CDX and the CDXi, which sits at the top of the tree.

The CD entry model includes front power windows, airconditioning, steering wheel-mounted stereo controls, CD player, and driver and passenger front and side airbags.

The AH Astra is 139mm longer, 44mm wider and 35mm taller than the old car, while the body is 15 per cent stiffer.

Shoulder room has been increased by 30mm in the front and 20mm in the rear, and despite the Astra's curved but sharp-sloping roof line, there is still a good amount of headroom in the rear for a small car.

On the road, the Astra feels solid and refined and there is little road or engine noise. Stiffer suspension helps ride comfort but still allows it to handle and turn-in well. The steering is solid and direct but light enough to make reversing into tight spots easy.

All the new models are powered by the old Astra's 1.8-litre four-cylinder, which has 90kW of power and 165Nm of torque.

The engine does the job well enough but is nothing special and the automatic suffers with the airconditioning on when climbing hills. The manual, however, makes perfect use of the power and is a lot more sprightly.

The clutch is light and the gearbox easy to use. On the freeway, the automatic did not complain and comfortably sat on 2700rpm at 110km/h, making for good fuel consumption.

Instantaneous reading showed between 4.6L/100km and 7.5L/100km most of the way.

The automatic features engine brake assist, a technological marvel that helps reduce stopping distance. In the model tested, it was a touch too energetic. At 100km/h, when the brake pedal was touched slightly, the gearbox automatically dropped to third and while the engine did not complain, it was not necessary and revved a little hard.

The nifty dual-stage indicators that flash three times when lifted for changing lanes or continuously when turned on are handy.

The height and reach adjustment on the steering makes finding the best driving position easy.

The CDX and CDXi are the luxury and sports luxury models. They feature 16-inch alloys, six-stack CD player, cruise control, leather wrap steering wheel, trip computer and front fog lights.

The CDXi adds a sports steering wheel and sports trim, curtain airbags, electronic climate control and eight-way adjustable sports seats. The test model also had heated front seats.

Inside, the Astra is simple and uncluttered, accentuating the Euro design cues of the car. It could, however, do with a tad more storage and an extra cup holder.

The information display is easy to use once you get the hang of it and controls almost everything, including the CDXi's climate-control aircon.

The orange display is easy to read and the Astra also has the function of lighting up the dash display when the car goes into shade, such as a car park or through a tunnel.

The Astra also has a host of safety features including an auto-lock function that relocks the car five minutes after the doors are unlocked without being opened and a function that allows the headlights to shine for 30 seconds after the ignition is turned off.

The new Astra model line-up starts from $3000 more than the Classic. Will that be enough to keep buyers under $20,000? Only time will tell.