HSV VXR Astra Turbo Verses Seven Of The Best Rival Hot Hatches!

**JoeT** · 08-31-2007, 12:13 AM

Hot Hatch Match

Joshua Dowling
31 August 2007
www.smh.com.au

If Ford fans aren't used to seeing a hot hatch, the idea of a four-cylinder performance car is even more foreign to HSV enthusiasts.

Holden's performance-car brand has built its reputation on V8s for the better part of two decades. The last four-cylinder hatch to wear a HSV badge was the Nissan Pulsar-based SV1800 18 years ago. The model was short-lived. Fewer than 100 were built.

Thankfully, a lot has changed since then. The Astra VXR comes to Australia via the special tuning division of General Motors' European brand, Opel. Which is why there are some Opel "lightning" logos on the steering wheel and instrument panel.

HSV's sedan and ute range is designed, engineered and developed locally but the company has had little input into the Astra VXR. It doesn't even fit the HSV badges - the cars don't go to HSV's Melbourne production line and the badges are fitted in the pre-delivery phase between the docks and the dealerships.

Does that make it unworthy of the HSV badge? Not according to HSV. The company says it wants to broaden the appeal of its brand as car buyers become more focused on fuel economy. "The important thing about this car is that it delivers the performance an HSV customer would expect," the then boss of HSV, Phil Harding, said of the Astra VXR last year.

Click here to continue article

Video Review: HSV VXR Astra
Road Test: HSV VXR Astra
Review: HSV VXR Astra

ZvetteGuy · 08-31-2007, 02:27 AM

That thing is sweet!!! Hope it makes it to the states!!!

mikmak · 08-31-2007, 07:38 AM

No time to read the article at the moment (footy is on) but that is a terrifying bunch of hot hatches (except the Civic which is a torqueless sewing machine).

Caddyguy57 · 08-31-2007, 08:42 AM

What's with the paint job on the Renault?

**paul8488** · 08-31-2007, 08:48 AM

They should have found them all in red... would have made a cool picture.

I'm impressed at how good the Megane looks after all these years... still quite fresh. I like it better than the VW, Subaru, Mazda, and Civic.

yamahr1 · 08-31-2007, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul8488

They should have found them all in red... would have made a cool picture.

I'm impressed at how good the Megane looks after all these years... still quite fresh. I like it better than the VW, Subaru, Mazda, and Civic.

I wish that the French cars, Peugeot and Renault, would come back to the states. Having recently been in London and Paris, I saw them all over. The big Peugeot coupes and sedans are very pretty, and the Megane has the kind of daring design flare that you never see here anymore. (When Asia does daring, it comes out goofy, and the U.S. just doesn't take chances anymore.)

saturnsteve · 08-31-2007, 10:21 AM

Sure hope we get that thing as a Redline Astra.

**paul8488** · 08-31-2007, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yamahr1

I wish that the French cars, Peugeot and Renault, would come back to the states. Having recently been in London and Paris, I saw them all over. The big Peugeot coupes and sedans are very pretty, and the Megane has the kind of daring design flare that you never see here anymore. (When Asia does daring, it comes out goofy, and the U.S. just doesn't take chances anymore.)

I love the rear-end design of the Magane. It's not quite sedan, not quite hatch... a nice transition vehicle for American's scared of telling their neighbours they drive a hatchback or wagon!

The interior isn't class-leading, as it's several years old, but I find it very ergonomic and nice to look at. I don't notice plastic quality the way some poeple do, so I don't know what it was like, but everything looked fine to me. I took a 1.9L DCi with 6-speed manual transmission on a trip about 6 months ago, and loved it on the highway.

nota · 08-31-2007, 10:55 AM

Megane styling is ageing well imo, I really like it. And the Renault seems to clearly stand above the rest of these cars as the enthusiasts choice

Payne78 · 08-31-2007, 02:47 PM

I've seen the Astra OPC in Europe during my trip. That is one hot little car and I would love to have one, though I've never been into 4cyl cars.

Ssom · 08-31-2007, 09:49 PM

The Megane R26 is what the RS225 should always have been.

That said, I still don't like the Megane, it's too fat and its' styling has moved from daring to ugly. The Civic Type R hatch lives in the shadow of the fantastic JDM Type R sedan, the Astra and MPS have too much torque steer.

So it comes down to Golf, Focus and S3. S3 is good if you have the money, but 80% of the time you won't miss what it offers over the Golf or Focus.

asim · 09-02-2007, 04:04 AM

Saturn Astra...astra...astra! Come on GM!

08-31-2007, 12:13 AM	#1 (permalink)
JoeT GMI's Holden Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Wollongong, Australia Drives: 2003 Holden Monaro CV8 Posts: 4,854	HSV VXR Astra Turbo Verses Seven Of The Best Rival Hot Hatches! Hot Hatch Match Joshua Dowling 31 August 2007 www.smh.com.au If Ford fans aren't used to seeing a hot hatch, the idea of a four-cylinder performance car is even more foreign to HSV enthusiasts. Holden's performance-car brand has built its reputation on V8s for the better part of two decades. The last four-cylinder hatch to wear a HSV badge was the Nissan Pulsar-based SV1800 18 years ago. The model was short-lived. Fewer than 100 were built. Thankfully, a lot has changed since then. The Astra VXR comes to Australia via the special tuning division of General Motors' European brand, Opel. Which is why there are some Opel "lightning" logos on the steering wheel and instrument panel. HSV's sedan and ute range is designed, engineered and developed locally but the company has had little input into the Astra VXR. It doesn't even fit the HSV badges - the cars don't go to HSV's Melbourne production line and the badges are fitted in the pre-delivery phase between the docks and the dealerships. Does that make it unworthy of the HSV badge? Not according to HSV. The company says it wants to broaden the appeal of its brand as car buyers become more focused on fuel economy. "The important thing about this car is that it delivers the performance an HSV customer would expect," the then boss of HSV, Phil Harding, said of the Astra VXR last year. Click here to continue article Video Review: HSV VXR Astra Road Test: HSV VXR Astra Review: HSV VXR Astra

08-31-2007, 02:27 AM	#2 (permalink)
ZvetteGuy 3.8 Liter Supercharged V6 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Arizona Drives: 1987 Chevrolet R10 pickup, 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix Posts: 550	Re: HSV VXR Astra Turbo Verses Seven Of The Best Rival Hot Hatches! That thing is sweet!!! Hope it makes it to the states!!! __________________ Awww... life is so grand... my truck in the garage and the Ponti look'n good... all I need now is a Corvette or a girlfriend.... hmmmm... a Corvette may be cheaper

08-31-2007, 07:38 AM	#3 (permalink)
mikmak 7.0 Liter LS7 V8 Join Date: May 2005 Location: Pacific Paradise, Australia Drives: VZ Wagon and JSII sedan Posts: 8,037	Re: HSV VXR Astra Turbo Verses Seven Of The Best Rival Hot Hatches! No time to read the article at the moment (footy is on) but that is a terrifying bunch of hot hatches (except the Civic which is a torqueless sewing machine). __________________ You start a conversation you cant even finish it. You're talkin a lot, but you're not sayin anything. When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed. Say something once, why say it again?

08-31-2007, 08:42 AM	#4 (permalink)
Caddyguy57 3.5 Liter V6 Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Trumbull,Ct Drives: 2007 Chevrolet HHR 1988 BUICK REATTA Posts: 238	Re: HSV VXR Astra Turbo Verses Seven Of The Best Rival Hot Hatches! What's with the paint job on the Renault?

08-31-2007, 08:48 AM	#5 (permalink)
paul8488 GMI Staff Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: France Drives: 2007 MBK Flipper Scooter Posts: 13,402	Re: HSV VXR Astra Turbo Verses Seven Of The Best Rival Hot Hatches! They should have found them all in red... would have made a cool picture. I'm impressed at how good the Megane looks after all these years... still quite fresh. I like it better than the VW, Subaru, Mazda, and Civic. __________________ *The department of redundancy department.*

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08-31-2007, 10:21 AM	#7 (permalink)
saturnsteve 4.4 Liter Supercharged Northstar Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Oklahoma City Drives: 2006 Ford Fusion 2005 GMC Envoy XL Posts: 2,088	Re: HSV VXR Astra Turbo Verses Seven Of The Best Rival Hot Hatches! Sure hope we get that thing as a Redline Astra. __________________ Cars.com Field Sales Manager

08-31-2007, 10:55 AM	#9 (permalink)
nota 3.8 Liter Supercharged V6 Join Date: May 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 612	Re: HSV VXR Astra Turbo Verses Seven Of The Best Rival Hot Hatches! Megane styling is ageing well imo, I really like it. And the Renault seems to clearly stand above the rest of these cars as the enthusiasts choice

08-31-2007, 02:47 PM	#10 (permalink)
Payne78 2.2 Liter ECOTEC Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 77	Re: HSV VXR Astra Turbo Verses Seven Of The Best Rival Hot Hatches! I've seen the Astra OPC in Europe during my trip. That is one hot little car and I would love to have one, though I've never been into 4cyl cars.

08-31-2007, 09:49 PM	#11 (permalink)
Ssom 3.8 Liter Supercharged V6 Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 536	Re: HSV VXR Astra Turbo Verses Seven Of The Best Rival Hot Hatches! The Megane R26 is what the RS225 should always have been. That said, I still don't like the Megane, it's too fat and its' styling has moved from daring to ugly. The Civic Type R hatch lives in the shadow of the fantastic JDM Type R sedan, the Astra and MPS have too much torque steer. So it comes down to Golf, Focus and S3. S3 is good if you have the money, but 80% of the time you won't miss what it offers over the Golf or Focus.

09-02-2007, 04:04 AM	#12 (permalink)
asim Firebird Concept (the turbine one) Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 11,271	Re: HSV VXR Astra Turbo Verses Seven Of The Best Rival Hot Hatches! Saturn Astra...astra...astra! Come on GM! __________________ I'll make a new sig. Later.

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