In the first half of next year, Holden's lineup in Australia and New Zealand will be broadened with the addition of the Cascada hard-top convertible, Astra GTC and VXR hatchbacks and the Insignia VXR four-door performance sedan.
From a mechanical point of view, all four models are virtually unchanged from their European counterparts bearing the Opel or Vauxhall logos. Starting with the Holden Cascada, this two-door convertible sports a handy hard-top roof. It will be offered exclusively with a 1.6-liter four-pot EcoTec direct injection turbocharged powerplant. Rated at 125 kW (170 horsepower) and 280 Nm (206 lb-ft) of torque, it's not the fastest convertible out there in this price range, while drive is sent to the front wheels only. A six-speed stick shift will be offered as standard, along with an optional six-speed slush box.
Moving on to the Astras, the GTC is basically the three-door version of the C-segment hatchback, while the VXR represents the full-on horsepower crazy range topper. Also known as the Astra OPC in Europe, the front-wheel drive six-speed manual only Astra VXR will take its punch from a 2.0-liter turbo petrol with 205 kW (280 horsepower) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque. The more tame Astra GTC will come with the same 1.6 SIDI turbo engine and gearbox options as the Holden Cascada.
Last but not least, the Insignia VXR is the most potent of the lot. Under its hood you'll find a V6 turbocharged mill with a 2.8-liter capacity, churning out 239 kW (325 horsepower) and 435 Nm (321 lb-ft) of torque. As opposed to the other three models, the Holden Insignia VXR sports an intelligent all-wheel drive system and a six-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission. At the moment it's not known if a wagon model will be also offered.
“Astra, Cascada and Insigina will be niche vehicles in terms of volume for our company, and their performance credentials and premium execution are a perfect match for Holden and will provide yet more fantastic choice for our customers,” said managing director Gerry Dorizas.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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