The Holden Astra is a compact car marketed by Holden. Spanning six generations, the original, Australia-only Astra of 1984 was a derivative of the locally produced Nissan Pulsar, as was the 1987 Astra. It was succeeded by the Holden Nova in 1989—another unique-to-Australia model line.
From 1995, the Holden Astra name was used in New Zealand, for a badge engineered version of the Opel Astra, which had been sold locally as an Opel since 1993.
The following year, Holden discontinued the Nova line in Australia in favour of the Opel-based Holden Astra. It then ran through TR (1996), TS (1998) and AH (2004) generations of European importation before the nameplate was again discontinued in 2009, replaced by the South Korean- then Australian-made Cruze.
On 1 May 2014, Holden announced plans to import the Opel Astra J GTC and Opel Astra J OPC with Holden badges to Australia and New Zealand, and the following generation replaced the Cruze officially in 2017. In late 2016 a new Holden Astra range was released comprising rebadged Opel Astra hatchbacks, (coded the BK series). This was followed in 2017 by rebadged Chevrolet Cruze sedans (coded BL), and rebadged Vauxhall Astra wagons (coded BK).
The original Holden Astra, introduced in August 1984 as the LB series was a badge engineered Nissan Pulsar (N12). The Pulsar, a Japanese designed model, sold alongside the unique to Australia Astra line-up. The Pulsar for Australia was assembled in Clayton, Victoria; however, for the Astra the body panels were pressed at Holden's Elizabeth, South Australia facility. Unlike its Nissan counterpart, the Astra was only offered as a five-door hatchback, with the three-door hatchback and four-door sedan body styles omitted from the range due to fears they would overlap with Nissan's own Pulsar range. However, Holden's continuation of the Gemini sedan range was the nearest equivalent of this in the range.
The only engine available was a Nissan-designed 1.5-litre engine, locally manufactured, this engine produced 52 kilowatts (70 hp) and 115 newton metres (85 ft⋅lbf) of torque. Transmission options were a five-speed manual or a three-speed automatic.
Compared to the N12 Pulsar, the Astra LB sported a distinctive grille, the work of Australian stylist Paul Beranger housing the Holden lion insignia in the centre. Also unique were Astra-only tail lamps, badging and decals.
A revised LC model was released in April 1986. Unleaded-fuel requirements uprated the engine displacement to 1.6 litres, power to 60 kilowatts (80 hp) and torque to 124 newton metres (91 ft⋅lbf). Model and trim changes were also a part of the update, including a new grille insert, and the addition of an SL model positioned below the SL/X and SL/E levels.
The Used Car Safety Ratings, published in 2008 by Monash University, found that first generation Astras (LB/LC) provide a "significantly worse than average" level of occupant safety protection in the event of an accident.
Two trim levels, the SL/X and the SL/E were offered in the LB Astra series, although a basic SL model arrived in 1986 with the LC upgrade.
For the second generation LD Astra, the Nissan Pulsar was again used as the basis, this time using the latest N13 series. Unlike before, the LD was the result of a proper joint venture development programme. That is, Nissan provided the bodywork and Holden supplied powertrains for fitment in both applications.
Launched concurrently in July 1987, both the LD Astra and N13 Pulsar were offered in four-door sedan and five-door hatchback body styles. Outside of Australia though, three-door hatchback and station wagon body variants of the Nissan were also available.
Both 1.6 (55 kilowatts (74 hp); 135 newton metres (100 ft⋅lbf)) and 1.8-litre (79 kilowatts (106 hp); 151 newton metres (111 ft⋅lbf)) displacements of Holden's Family II engine were offered in the Astra-Pulsar models. Badged as 1.6 and 1.8 injection, respectively, the term injection denoted the utilisation of fuel injection.
In July 1989, all associations with Nissan were severed and a new agreement between Toyota was formed. This relationship, known as the United Australian Automobile Industries (UAAI) was a continuation of the Australian Government's Button Plan that started with Nissan. Nissan continued to use the Holden engines until 1991 before replacing their N13 Pulsar line with the N14, while at the same time entering a new model sharing alliance with Ford.
The Used Car Safety Ratings evaluation from 2008 found that LD series Astras provide a "worse than average" level of occupant protection in the event of an accident.
Of the three trim specifications offered, the SLX and SLE nameplates no longer featured the "/" symbol, as in SL/X. Besides this anomaly, the LD range mirrored that of the LC Astra:
In September 1988, Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) launched the HSV Astra SV1800, which was a tuned version of the LD Astra. Most of the 65 or so examples employed the sedan body style. Upgrades from the standard Astra were limited to cosmetic and suspension changes, with both "Stage 1" and "Stage 2" suspension setups offered.
In 1995, the Holden Astra name was used again, this time in New Zealand for a model based on the Opel Astra F, Opel being the General Motors subsidiary in Germany. Imported from Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant in the UK, this third-generation Astra model and was sold as a four-door sedan, five-door hatchback and five-door wagon.
Holden in Australia did not sell the Opel-based Astra, known as the TR series, until September 1996, after the dissolution of Australian Government Button car plan. This resulted in the collapse of UAAI, the Holden-Toyota alliance, and as result Holden opted to return to marketing rebadged General Motors vehicles. Between 1989 and 1996, the Astra's role was fulfilled by the Nova, Holden's version of Toyota's Corolla (E90 and E100). Unlike New Zealand, the wagon was not offered.
During this period of badge engineering in Australia, General Motors New Zealand had used Opel as one of its main marques alongside Holden and Isuzu. Because the Button plan or local equivalent never existed in New Zealand, the two initial generations of Holden Astra (LB/LC and LD) were thus never available in that market.
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