Holden to ditch astra?

[snappy]

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/Ar...rticleID=62296

The future of Holden's second-best seller is under review, with currency fluctuations and commodity price increases threatening the future of the European-built Astra.

Holden has put a stop on imports of the Astra while it conducts price negotiations with Opel, the European subsidiary of General Motors that manufactures the vehicles.

Company spokeswoman Kate Lonsdale denies the two GM subsidiaries are locked in a dispute but says Holden has cancelled its April and May allocation of Astras until it conducts a review of its price structure. The decision means no Astras will arrive in Australia in June and July and could spell the end of the badge in Australia.

"The Astra is being studied at the moment and until we come to an agreement with Opel on pricing, we've placed orders on hold," she says.

The Astra situation is further complicated by the fact Opel is in the midst of a reorganisation that could see the company cut adrift from General Motors in the next couple of months as part of that
company's restructure.

Dealers are reporting the supply of Astras is already becoming restricted.

The situation is a blow to the company, which is struggling to cope with the slump in new-car sales.

Ms Lonsdale says there are still Astras available but some colours and models may prove hard to get.

The news comes as photos of the next-generation Astra have leaked to the internet ahead of the car's anticipated European launch at the end of this year.

Holden has sold a rebadged version of the European Astra in Australia since 1996 but Ms Lonsdale says the company won't reveal its plans for the car until it is ready.

"For competitive reasons, we'd rather not talk about our small-car strategy.

"Astra's a great car but it has to make business sense for us," she says.

The company will launch the Korean-built Cruze small car in the next couple of months and will also build a small car based on the same underpinnings as the Cruze at its South Australian plant from the third quarter of next year.

In Europe, General Motors sells the Cruze as a Chevrolet and the Astra as an Opel, with the Astra positioned as the more upmarket option.

The Astra is tipped to have a more sophisticated suspension set-up, more technology and a more up-market interior than the Cruze.

The same approach is possible for Australia, with Holden engineers and stylists developing a more up-market version to sell alongside the imported version of the Cruze.

Holden is committed to spending $450million on the Cruze, while the Federal Government will kick in $150million.

With that type of money, a range could be built on the same line, including a wagon and a small soft-roader. Holden currently sells the imported Astra wagon in Australia.

Holden's small-car strategy is crucial to the company's future in Australia, as sales of its bread-and-butter Commodore have almost halved in the past decade as buyers shy away from large cars.

The company's decision to sell a budget-priced, Korean-built Viva small car alongside the Astra has backfired, denting the company's small-car sales.

The Viva, introduced in 2005, was supposed to increase Holden's slice of the booming small-car market but had the opposite effect, with sales dipping while other brands enjoyed record demand.
Holden sold more than 30,000 Astras in 2005. Last year, it sold less than 15,000, while Viva sales totalled less than 6000. Sales of both cars are down about 20per cent this year, in line with the overall market downturn. The Viva has been discontinued.

Holden also replaced the Opel-sourced Barina and Vectra with Korean-built models that have been less than successful.

As the pictures show, the new Astra five-door looks like a winner.

With a longer wheelbase and wider stance than the current car, the new Astra looks sportier and is expected to be roomier inside, with improved crash protection.

In Europe, the Astra will be powered by a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine or a choice of either a frugal 1.3-litre, 1.7-litre or 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine with low carbon dioxide emissions.

The Cruze will use a different 1.8-litre petrol engine and the 2.0-litre diesel.

The Astra bears a strong resemblance to the larger Opel Insignia, with its high rear end and low nose.

The range will include a sportier, low-slung and sleek VXR three-door model and a wagon. The VXR will get more aggressive styling and a more powerful 200kW version of the current Astra's 2.0-litre turbo engine.

[Paxton]

I think that it would be a little counter productive for Holden to import Astra whilst they build Cruze in Australia. Cruze is supposed to be the saviour for Holden, but Astra will most probably be the superior car, defeating the purpose of making Cruze locally.

[csv8]

Then FORD can sell more Focus's....

[snappy]

Then there is also this .


GM may be close to a June 1st bankruptcy filing if the automaker can't restructure. In an effort to show that the automaker is serious GM may kill Pontiac and GMC in an effort to further cut costs.

Killing Pontiac and GMC would eventually mean that GM would only have three brands: Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac. The Saturn, Saab and HUMMER brands are either going to be sold off or closed.

According to some sources GMC has a better chance of surviving than Pontiac.

Currently the two brands are being studied as GM tries to find a way to avoid bankruptcy
http://www.thetorquereport.com/2009/..._gmc.html#more

Would that mean no more importing to the us for holden

[fou_bleu]

Times are looking more and more grim by the day! :( I mean it's great news for Ford (ie: potentially more Focus sales [yay!!!]), but as stated before, we need Aust. jobs in the future. Maybe not bringing the Astra back after Cruze comes out will be beneficial $$$ wise, but until then, with no Viva, what are they going to do? Oh well, off to Ford, Toyota or Mazda they (buyers) go. Potentially a bad move by Holden...

[JerseyVics]

Originally Posted by csv8

Then FORD can sell more Focus's....

I think its Foci! lol


isn't Astra one of those cars that they didn't modify at all for the specific markets?


our Saturn Astra looks exactly the same as the Holden Astra here, and as an Opel Astra in Europe...


you also have the Holden version of our Saturn Aura.... too many cars in Australia look like American cars... and way too many American cars here... we don't have any new Falcon's in the states... grrr.

[Bossxr8]

Holden seem to be moving to the cheapest, most rubbish cars they can get. Viva, Barina, Cruze, Epica, Commodore.

You think they would have learnt from the failures of Viva and Epica that people don't want cheap, poor driving Korean garbage.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Boss you forgot about the Craptiva to!

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by bfiipursuit

Boss you forgot about the Craptiva to!

Yep, that too.

[Windsor220]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Holden seem to be moving to the cheapest, most rubbish cars they can get. Viva, Barina, Cruze, Epica, Commodore.

You think they would have learnt from the failures of Viva and Epica that people don't want cheap, poor driving Korean garbage.

Even though the Epica is a piece of shi+ it still manages the same sales as Mondeo.

[2fishingdogs]

But people believe in what holden tells them. Captiva 25% better fuel economy but in the small print it is only the diesel. And it is just beating the terry in sales. But people believe the terry is a gas gussler from that ad.

[snappy]

Originally Posted by Torxteer

Even though the Epica is a piece of shi+ it still manages the same sales as Mondeo.

Are they priced the same .
opel/vauxhall are getting draged under .So all they will have soon is the Korean's to build for them . How long till quite a bit of commodores manafacturing willl be getting made by korean's .
Cant want for the adds meat pies , kangaroo's ,white rice and holden cars

Which unfortunately will probly work in there favour . Probly sell more cheap cars with larger profits .

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Torxteer

Even though the Epica is a piece of shi+ it still manages the same sales as Mondeo.

Not quite. Mondeo sells around 350-400 a month, Epica about 200-250, and it sells for more than 5k cheaper.

[TUF_302]

If they ditch there second best selling model then holden truly idiots!!, it would be like Ford ditching the Focus!! :

[388cube_edxr8]

Originally Posted by snappy84

The range will include a sportier, low-slung and sleek VXR three-door model and a wagon. The VXR will get more aggressive styling and a more powerful 200kW version of the current Astra's 2.0-litre turbo engine.

200kW?! They better be making it AWD or it will torque steer and change lanes by itself. You wont have to use your hands when turning left at an intersection.

Not to mention the power understeer that will be just plain dangerous with that amount of power in a FWD. :

[Ratmac]

Originally Posted by 388cube_edxr8

200kW?! They better be making it AWD or it will torque steer and change lanes by itself. You wont have to use your hands when turning left at an intersection.

Not to mention the power understeer that will be just plain dangerous with that amount of power in a FWD. :

Other cars manage ok with 200 KW through the front wheels, theres the aurion, mazda 3 MPS, accord and they all have close to or over 200 KW.
Some cars can manage with even more power through the front wheels than that.
FWD technology is more advanced than it used to be.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Ratmac

Other cars manage ok with 200 KW through the front wheels, theres the aurion, mazda 3 MPS, accord and they all have close to or over 200 KW.
Some cars can manage with even more power through the front wheels than that.
FWD technology is more advanced than it used to be.

Aurion is pretty ordinary, and the astra already had issues with power through the front wheels.

[RandomGuy]

I have an Astra company car, its had more warranty claims than any other company car I've ever had.. drives like utter garbage and sits around 9.0 (best) 12.9 (average).
I baby this thing to get the most out of it and I even challenged the local holden dealer to drive it around the block and come back with 8/100.. (he did 13.5 FYI).

Its still only done 18,000k's and its an 07 model.. I've spoken to people who bought fleets of astra's and hate them as much. For a "Green Car" it guzzles more petrol around town than a midsize car and from my understand its the weight and conservative auto shift pattern that forces them to labour significantly and no-one i've spoken to will be buying another astra. I'd love to see an O2 meter on these things, i think they are also running very rich.

They a doing the Viva and Astra in the same yard and a good consolidation may make sense, I'd imagine with the Euro and imports from Belgium the Viva would be higher margin and make more sense. Apart from being built in Europe.. the doors feeling better built e.t.c.. its not that superior even compared to an i30.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Ratmac

FWD technology is more advanced than it used to be.

spot on.

RWD cars have there problems aswell. if the chasiss can't handle the power it sends the car sideways or spinning.

Its down to the driver...

[reece1]

the astras are lemons anyway, ask anyone who works on them or owns one. the stuff that goes wrong with these cars is amazing

[bonspeed]

who cares.