Welcome to the future.
Well, perhaps not the future of the motor car itself.
But certainly to the future of Holden, Australia's most famous marque.
As the curtain comes down on Aussie automobile manufacturing in the coming months, Holden will look to imports, built by its European siblings, to underpin its model range. And this car is the first true glimpse of that future.
The all-new Holden Astra.
The nameplate will be familiar, of course. The Astra has a long and successful history Down Under - for more than two decades filling the very important role as Holden's most popular and most accessible four-cylinder model.
Its place in the pecking order was assumed a few years ago by the Australian-built Cruze - which met with only modest success despite its many impressive qualities. Now, like its Aussie-built Commodore sibling, the Cruze has literally reached the end of the (production) line.
In its place arrives a very stylish, and very up-market Astra, carrying the hopes of Holden dealers everywhere. Not surprisingly, its arrival has been accompanied by a pervasive promotional campaign that began before the car had even started arriving on our shores.
With no "buy Aussie" sentiment to fuel its future appeal, Holden has gone full-tilt at emphasising the new Astra's pedigree - built by General Motors' respected Opel brand at a factory in Gliwice, Poland.
So, how does this new Astra stack up?
Well, pretty nicely, thanks for asking.
Holden really can't afford to get this car wrong. And they haven't.
In fact they've got it very right in a couple of significant ways.
Firstly price. The Astra will cost as little as $21,990 in its basic form - money that buys you an impressive array of standard features and sets the platform for the more highly-priced, highly-specified models further up the line.
The entry price compares favourably to fellow Euro rivals like the VW Golf and, importantly, Holden is betting that its Euro pedigree will give it an edge over similarly-priced, but Korean-built rivals.
Secondly, the Astra will impress with its dynamics, finish and levels of equipment.
The Astra badge has a very proud place in Holden's history. It started rather humbly - a re-badged Nissan Pulsar when first sold in the mid to late 80s - but the Astra is most fondly remembered for the fourth-generation TS model, which sold from 1998 to 2005. So beloved was that car it endured as the "Astra Classic" even after it was superceded.
No need for such a safety net with this seventh-generation model.
This is one of the best cars to wear the proud lion badge. Dollar for dollar, it might just be the best Holden we've ever driven.
It boasts outstanding technology in both dynamics and convenience, and delivers style and comfort to match anything in this ultra-competitive class. Keep in mind its rivals include the dominant Mazda3 and the world's best-selling vehicle of all time, the Toyota Corolla.
The Astra makes a solid case against both.
Inside it's all elegant simplicity. Styling and soft-touch surfaces are first class.
Switches are minimalistic and classy, yet pleasingly easy to use. A seven-inch touchscreen, showcasing Holden's MyLink infotainment system, sits atop the dash and is vivid and smart. Instruments are crystal clear, supplemented by an information display between the two main dials.
But perhaps the most impressive feature is the simplest - and one that belongs in the "bleeding obvious" category - but which we've never seen before. A little slot-like shelf at the bottom of the centre stack, perfectly sized to cradle a smart-phone so it can sit, screen-out, in easy view. Perfect if you're using the phone to navigate - removing the need for people to handle the phone while driving.
Navigation is standard in the higher-spec RS-V models, of course, but not in the entry-level R or the RS tested here. That's one of the few exclusions.
Standard features across the range include reversing camera, six airbags, ABS, ESC and traction control; hill-start assist, cruise control with speed limiter and fuel-saving stop-start technology.
The R model uses a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine - while a more powerful 1.6-litre turbo four is found in the RS and RS-V models.
The RS, tested here, is $4500 more expensive than the entry-level model while a six-speed auto adds a further $2000. But at $28,690 it's impressively fitted out.
Radar-guided cruise control - bringing with it a frontal collision avoidance and emergency braking function - tops that list, along with lane keeping assist and blind-spot alert. A camera mounted behind the rear-view mirror, called Holden Eye, is at the heart of these functions.
Other standard kit on the RS included attractive alloy wheels, keyless entry with push-button start, heated wing mirrors and advanced parking assist - that will automatically park the car in parallel or end-in spots.
The only omission of note was the use of an old-style manual handbrake, rather than an electronic one. Despite its clear European heritage, Holden has kept faith with Aussie drivers by switching the indicator across to the right-hand side.
Step up to the higher-spec RS-V model ($33,990 plus onroads) and you can add a larger, eight-inch infotainment screen (with navigation), remote start, adaptive cruise, leather trim, colour digital instrument display and an optional, advanced LED headlight system that senses and adjusts to surrounding traffic.
Mechanically, the Astra is particularly strong. The 1.6-litre, turbocharged engine is instantly responsive, revs and accelerates with great enthusiasm and never seems stressed or overworked, thanks to a smooth six-speed auto.
Its outputs of 147kw and 300Nm match up well against average fuel consumption of better than 6L/100km.
Holdens have always delivered satisfying ride and handling characteristics and this new Astra is no exception. It feels secure and beautifully balanced, soaks up road imperfections nicely and feels sharp and almost sporty in its handling.
Road noise in the RS was a little more than we'd have preferred but hardly a deal-breaker. A rorty exhaust note is a welcome accompaniment.
The risk for Holden in so heavily promoting this car was that it might have under-delivered in the flesh. Nothing could be further from the truth.
It already makes the teaser campaign for the new, European-built Commodore a bit more tantalising, to be sure.
But that's a whole different future we're talking about.
Find Buyers of your Holden Cars-
HOLDEN ASTRA RS
HOW BIG? Delivers impressive interior space and a feeling of roominess, despite its compact dimensions. Decent cargo space beneath that rear hatch, too.
HOW FAST? Impressively so with the 1.6-litre, turbocharged petrol engine. It's responsive and very smart when darting in and out of city traffic.
HOW THIRSTY? The official figure for the bigger 1.6-litre engine is 6.3L/100km - while the smaller, entry-level 1.4-litre delivers 5.7L/100km.
HOW MUCH? The basic R model with six-speed manual transmission costs $21,990 plus onroads. Get into the top-spec RS-V - and add one of the option packs - and you'll be forking out almost double that.
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