Holden’s new Astra sedan arrived this week –built in Korea but developed in Europe the Astra sedan is an impressive newcomer. As Holden moves to fully imported product by year end its new offerings have got to be up there with the best in class and this new Astra on first impression is very much the equal of Mazda’s 3 and Toyota’s Corolla – our two best-selling small sedans. On wet washed out roads around Byron Bay this week the Astra sedan excelled in suspension tune and steering feel. Four sedan grades, LS, LS plus, LT and LTZ, all with a lively 140kW 1.4-litre turbo engine in six-speed manual or automatic. Prices kick off at $21,990 for the entry LS manual however of the four grades the LT six-speed auto at 27,990 drive-away is the one to own. All models feature five-star ANCAP safety, the entry LS featuring a rear-view camera, rear parking sensors, automatic headlights and 16-inch alloy wheels. I’m David Berthon

Download this podcast here