Taking the European Opel/Vauxhall Astra and bringing it to the Australian market has turned out to be a long process for Holden, but the car has finally reached the Pacific country’s shores.

Carrying a starting price of AUD $21,990 (USD $16,828), which is AUD $2,000 (USD $1,530) more than the rivaling Hyundai i30, it will reach dealers nationwide on December 1 in three flavors – R, RS, and RS-V.

The cheapest version is powered by a 1.4-liter engine, producing 149 PS (147 HP) and 245 Nm (181 lb-ft) for the 6-speed manual gearbox, or 240 Nm (lb-ft) for the six-speed automatic, and comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, rearview camera, Park Assist, Holden MyLink infotainment with 7-inch display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, Siri Eyes Free, DAB+, and cruise control with speed limiter.

The RS has a 1.6-liter petrol mill, with 200 PS (197 HP) and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic. It adds different alloy wheels, which are still 17-inch in size, keyless entry, push-button start, leather steering wheel, Advanced Park Assist, Front Park Assist, Holden Eye forward facing camera, Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Forward Distance Indicator, Forward Collision Alert, Blind Spot Alert and rain sensing wipers.

Holden’s top-of-the-line Astra RS-V uses the same 1.6-liter engine as the RS and adds two-tone 18-inch alloy wheels, LED taillights, remote start, heated leather appointed sports seats, heated steering wheel, 8-inch screen for Holden MyLink, sat-nav with traffic updates and color digital instrument display.

Additionally, the R can be specified with the Driver Assist Pack, for another AUD $1,000 (USD $765), adding leather steering wheel, electrochromatic mirror, rain-sensing wipers, and Holden Eye forward facing camera. The Touring Pack, which costs AUD $1,990 (USD $1,523), brings an electric sunroof and adaptive cruise control on the RS-V, while the Innovations Pack, priced from AUD $3,990 (USD $3,053) and available on the same range-topping trim, will also throw in the IntelliLux adaptive LED matrix headlights, along with the other features found on the Touring Pack.

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