2017 Holden Astra Sedan - 11 things you need to know

The Holden Astra sedan will be joining the already-launched Astra hatch later this year, though the small four-door is far from a booted facsimile of its five-door brother. Here are some details you may find helpful:

• The Astra sedan replaces the Cruze sedan in Australia. However, the same car is sold as a Chevrolet Cruze in other parts of the world, including America.
• Despite sharing its name with the Astra hatch, the Astra sedan has a unique body; every panel - from the doors to the bonnet and the roof – is unique to the four-door.
• The Astra sedan also has a different interior to the hatch, with a unique instrument cluster and some switches and controls, including the indicator stalk and steering wheel.
• The Astra sedan will be sourced from Korea and is aimed largely at the Chinese and American markets, whereas the Astra hatch comes from Poland and is pitched predominantly at European markets.
• The Astra hatch and sedan each have three models in their lineups, but they have different names. The hatch’s range comprises of the R, RS and RS-V while the sedan will utilise LS, LT and LTZ.
• Despite utilising the same basic architecture (codenamed Delta II) as the Astra hatch, the sedan is 280mm longer and there is an extra 38mm between the front and the rear wheels. That translates into more legroom in the rear as well as a larger boot compared to the sedan.
• The Astra sedan gets a different rear suspension system to the hatch. It has a torsion beam, which is a basic beaming connecting the left and right rear wheels. The Astra hatch, on the other hand, gets a Watts link, which is an extra connector on either side to better control the rear wheels, resulting in sharper dynamics and better cornering manners.
• Whereas the Astra hatch is offered with a 1.4-litre turbocharged engine or a sportier, more powerful 1.6-litre turbo, the sedan will only be sold with the 1.4 turbo. It will be available with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.
• The Astra sedan will have a forward collision warning system on some models, similar to the system used in Commodores and other recent Holdens. It beeps and flashes if a frontal impact is imminent. However, unlike some rivals and the Astra hatch, the sedan misses out on autonomous emergency braking (AEB), which can automatically slow the car in an emergency.
• The Astra sedan uses the same basic electric power steering system used in other Chevrolets, including the sporty Camaro coupe.
• The Cruze/Astra is the best-selling car from General Motors in the world.