The 2010 Honda Civic BTCC has been unveiled today and the company has also announced its drivers line-up for the new season. The 2010 Honda Civic BTCC will be painted in Championship White paint, the company's traditional racing color which is also on the 200 Civic Type R MUGEN units. The 2010 Honda Civic BTCC will be driven in the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship by Matt Neal and
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Marketing gurus earn rather healthy salaries in return for providing companies with the exposure they need to succeed in the marketplace - although seemingly all it takes is an angry woman from Shanghai. In what has become a rather lucrative endorsement for the local Holden Captiva, this genuine video shows a lady arguing with a tow-truck driver before taking matters into her own hands - sure beats the current ‘Go Better’ campaign.
© Source: caradvice
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Specifications:
Engine: 1991cc SOHC (in-line) four-cylinder
Induction: Common rail injection & turbo
Power: 110kW @ 4000rpm
Torque: 320Nm @ 2000rpm
Transmission: Five-speed automatic
Brakes: Discs with ABS, EBA & EBD
Driven Wheels: Front
Fuel Type: Diesel
Fuel Tank Capacity: 65 litre
Fuel Consumption: 8.6 litres/100km (Combined)
CO2 Emissions: 233 grams per kilometre
Safety: ESP (with TCS); front & curtain airbags
ANCAP Rating: Four Stars
Service Interval: 12 months/15,000km
Spare Wheel: Space Saver
Turning Circle: 11.5 metres
Towing Capacity: 1700kg (Braked)
Warranty: 3 years/100,000kms
Weight: 1770kg (Tare)
Wheels: Alloy 17 x 7.0-inch
In being flexible to consumer demand Holden has released a dedicated 2WD variant of the popular Captiva to afford customers the SUV practicality and fuel economy they want without the AWD capability they’ll most likely never use. The recipe too is starting to become more commonplace. Ford’s Territory has long offered a RWD only variant and other SUV manufacturers have caught on, with the likes of Hyundai, KIA, and Toyota all following suite.
Utilising a Bosch common-rail fuel injection system and a variable geometry turbocharger, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel develops a reasonable 110kW at 4000rpm and satisfactory 320Nm of torque which is on hand from a leisurely 2000rpm.
Fuel consumption is an acceptable 9.8 litres per 100km average (combined), which is a little more than a litre over the ADR claim, and is a decent figure for a vehicle of such bulky proportions.
On the up side internal proportions are exceedingly generous, especially in the rear leg room department (up to 939mm), and with 60:40 folding rear seats expanding the luggage capacity from 465 litres (to window height - seats up) to 930 litres (to window height – seats down) or 1565 litres all told, the carrying capacity is more than ample.
© Source: caradvice
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Holden continues its competitive push into the value end of the light car market with a fresh new look and feel for the Barina 3-door and 5-door hatchbacks, plus the addition of side impact airbags across the range. Starting from $14,490* (Australian dollars), the upgraded Holden Barina hatchbacks represent exceptional value for money, boasting a 1.6 litre powertrain and refreshed exterior and interior styling.
Most notably, the Barina 3-door and 5-door hatchbacks have been given a more dynamic body design, highlighted by a strong Euro-styled front fascia and rear end treatments. Inside, the interior is significantly upgraded and features an updated instrument panel, console and new fabric trim.
From a safety perspective, all Barina models including the the 4-door Barina sedan receive driver, front passenger and side impact airbags as standard. GM Holden Director of Marketing, Philip Brook said the latest Barina range offered customers choice, style and function at a great value price.
“With three body styles, striking exterior and interior design improvements, Barina will appeal to a broad range of customer groups. Add side impact airbags and the package becomes even more attractive,” Brook said. “Barina represents great value for money in a growing segment of the market that appreciates fuel economy and the convenience of a small vehicle.”
Barina 3-door and 5-door hatchback’s updated design is reflected in the strong signature radiator grille flanked by large curved and jewelled headlamps. Dynamic detailing includes sporty contours which flow from the bonnet to the A-pillar with prominent shoulder lines, rear roof spoiler and a rear bumper fascia surmounted by clear round tail lamps. The Barina hatch models also get a cleverly packaged interior characterised by the new instrument panel which features a matt chrome-trimmed four-circle instrument cluster.
The Barina range improves occupant safety with the inclusion of side impact airbags for driver and front passenger, which extend upwards to provide head as well as thorax protection and complement the driver and front passenger airbags already standard. Barina is powered by a 1.6 litre DOHC multi-point fuel injected engine that produces 76kW of peak power at 5800rpm and develops peak torque of 145Nm at 3600rpm#.
The 16-valve 1.6 litre powerplant returns 7.0 litres per 100 kilometres (manual transmission) and 7.6 litres/100 kilometres (automatic).
© Source: theautochannel
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The upcoming Holden Barina facelift has been spied on the streets of Sydney - and it looks very happy to say the least.
Recently released in Europe as the Chevrolet Aveo, the new Barina is the creation of General Motor’s Korean design team.
The exterior changes are more than obvious, sporting a completely new front end design with new headlights, grille and bumper.
The new Barina is expected to make its official Australian debut in the coming weeks.
© Source: caradvice
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GM Holden will possibly follow Ford down the path of diversifying local production by adding a small car to its local build program in the future.
A decision will be made in the next two to three years on the product mix of vehicles that GM Holden will build in Australia and a car other than the Commodore is likely to be added to the production mix.
In Melbourne for a series of high level meetings with senior Asia Pacific GM executives, GM Group vice president and president GM Asia Pacific, Mr Nick Reilly, told a media briefing that GM Holden could build a smaller cars alongside the Commodore at the company’s production plant at Elizabeth, near Adelaide, in South Australia.
Mr Reilly said GM Holden had come through a particularly tough couple of years as the Australian car market had made an irreversible change away from a predominantly large car market.
“That change has happened and I don’t see it being reversed,” he said, acknowledging, perhaps for the first time publicly, that GM Holden faces a very different future.
Mr Reilly said, “I would like to make that decision in the next two to three years, not really before that because we also have to know what the long term outlook is for our current products, especially those in export markets, are those markets going to stay with those products or not.”
Questioned about how Australian production of a smaller car would fit in with the company’s current policy of building its smaller cars for the region at GM-DAT in South Korea he said there would not be duplication.
© Source: caradvice
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These days, you expect small cars to be reasonably well behaved in the cornering department. The Astra CD with the optional 16” wheels does not disappoint. You can throw this car into corners and there is very little body roll meaning, the suspension has been well tuned.
As good as the handling is for a base model car, the overall ride is firm but never harsh. Those nasty little metal speed bumps in the shopping centres, produce no jarring or thump through the body of the car, whatsoever.
I don’t recall holding back very often while in the Astra, given that the manual box encourages some, shall we say, enthusiastic driving. So, I was surprised to register just 7.6-litres/100kms which is near enough to the published consumption of 7.4-litres/100kms.
There are currently sixteen Astra variants to choose from at your Holden dealer, from the CD manual at $21,990 to the 2.2-litre TwinTop convertible with a 4-speed auto at $47,490. That may be a tad too many to choose from I suspect.
If you do go for the Astra CD, you might keep an extra $1500 in reserve for the “K” option pack. You get a decent set of 16” alloys along with Cruise Control and one-touch up/down windows all round, instead of front only. Well worth it, for the alloys alone.
The overall look remains contemporary, despite the fact that this “AH” generation Astra, has been around since 2004. Styled in Europe and made in Belgium, might explain some of that.
If you’re intending on using the Astra as a family run around, safety is reasonably well provided for with 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, Brake Assist (BA) and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD), Driver, front passenger airbags and side impact airbags.
What you miss out on in the CD variant is full size curtain airbags and Electronic Stability Control, which is not so good. To get both of those features, you would need to step up to the CDTI or SRI. Boot space is both deep and wide and plenty big enough for a decent length trip away for three to four people and the rear seats are 60/40 split fold.
© Source: caradvice
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With trademark issues with the Rodeo name, GM Holden is set to replace the Rodeo completely, with an all new Holden Colorado starting in July.
So far little else is known about the car, we can confirm, however, that it will be built in Thailand (like the Rodeo) using a Chevrolet platform and is similar in size to the existing Rodeo.
The new Colorado is expected to be available with both petrol and diesel powerplants as well as numerous body styles such as Single Cab, Crew Cab and Space Cab.
Holden will have a hard fight on its hands trying to establish a new model given the competition from the Mitsubishi Triton, Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.
Holden will continue to support current Rodeo owners in GM Holden’s 3 year/100,000km warranty and Roadside Assistance.
© Source: caradvice
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(from Holden Press Release) Holden Fans Get 60th Anniversary Present
GM Holden today marked the diamond anniversary of its first all Australian car by unveiling a stunning two-door performance thoroughbred called Coupe 60.
Coupe 60 celebrates the six decades since GM Holden built the 48-215 at its Fishermans Bend plant in Port Melbourne, Victoria, and provides a glimpse of Holden’s future directions in design, engineering and emerging engine technologies.
Exemplifying sports luxury, Coupe 60 is a pillarless concept car that explores the limits of Holden’s current rear-wheel drive capabilities, combining racing looks and technology into a road going sportscar experience.
Its sophisticated appearance is delivered through simple and powerful design, highlighted by the pillarless construction and V8 supercar inspired cockpit layout and side-exiting chambered exhaust system with billet alloy tips.
GM Holden in 2008
2008 is a diamond year for GM Holden which will be recognising a number of key anniversaries. These include: the 60 th anniversary of Australia’s Own Car – the 48-215; the 50 th anniversary of the founding of Holden Vehicle Operations at Elizabeth; 40 years since the introduction of Monaro; 30 years of the Commodore nameplate; and the General Motors centennial.
© Source: seriouswheels
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We're elated when an embargo doesn't break or official images don't somehow manage to find their way to the wrong people ahead of time, because then we're totally surprised by things like this: the Holden Coupe 60. Unveiled today at the Melbourne Auto Show, the Coupe 60 honors Holden's 60th diamond anniversary in the car building business. Removing the two rear doors has allowed designers to make the sports coupe concept a full 60 mm shorter than the VE Commodore sedan that shares the same rear-wheel-drive Zeta platform, but the coupe's long wheelbase remains identical to the sedan.
The Coupe 60 looks absolutely brutal sitting on its 21-inch wheels that can barely be contained by the car's swollen fender flares. While the VE face up front is familiar, the design as a whole is decidedly clean thanks to a lack of wings, scoops and other superfluous paraphernalia. The only aerodynamic assistance is provided by a serious looking air diffuser in the rear apron, a rear deck lid spoiler and completely flat underbelly. Finally, Holden dipped its coupe concept in a one-off paint color called "Diamond Silver" that references the brand's diamond anniversary.
The Holden Coupe 60 is powered by a 6.0L flexfuel V8 sending power to the rear rubber through a 6-speed manual transmission, though Holden has withheld exact horespower and torque numbers. Brembo brakes bring the whole affair to a hault, while side-exiting exhaust tips add just the right amount of cool. The interior has also been heavily modified with one-piece carbon fiber seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, lots of suede and an LCD instrument cluster that looks lifted straight from a race car.
© Source: autoblog
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Holden wasn't sure if it was going to build a new VE Commodore Wagon when developing its new line of rear-wheel-drive Zeta-based sedans. Wagons are fleet darlings in Australia, and the new one from Holden was for some reason switched from the long-wheelbase Caprice and Statesman platform to the shorter Commodore platform. That reduced the wagon's cargo capacity, which in turn threatened its very existence. But after hearing that its parent company, General Motors, was interested in importing the VE Sportwagon as a Pontiac G8 wagon, Holden gave the wagon a green light in good faith that there would be additional sales from exports to offset the loss of fleet sales.
Well, Holden just lost the U.S. market, as Bob Lutz told Australian journalists at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show that the VE Sportwagon, a higher-octane version of the VE Commodore Wagon, would not be coming to America. His reasons include the cost of meeting U.S. regulations and the fact that Yanks don't seem to be interested in wagons at all anymore. Audi, BMW and Mercedes offer them but sell hardly any, while Dodge tried to make the sport wagon mainstream again with the critically-acclaimed Magnum. We all know how that turned out.
We bet that if the Magnum were a hot seller, GM would then have no qualms importing the VE Sportwagon. As it stands, though, without the Magnum, a Pontiac G8 wagon would be competing with Audi, BMW and Mercedes wagons for a small slice of this very niche segment's sales.
© Source: autoblog
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It's a pickup truck, only it doesn't have much payload. That's because this pickup is trying to imitate a sport sedan, and a sport sedan that also happens to be fast, sophisticated and highly acclaimed. And to wrap up the wrongness, this pickup is not only cheaper than its sport sedan sibling, it's also faster.
The new Holden VE ute continues the coupelike evolution of the ute into a unified body that really began with Holden's VU-VZ generation, launched in 2001. Ford's rival Falcon utility still separates the cabin from the cargo bed.
Style is important, because many of the people who'll be buying the VE ute are tradesmen made good. With a fleet of Japanese pickups to do his dirty work for the employees, a $42,000 ute full of sport-sedan fixings is the boss' way of saying that he hasn't forgotten his roots.
Weighty Matters, or Are They?
Holden had a hard act to follow in the VU-VZ, which had blossomed into models that ranged from crude 1-ton V6s to four-wheel-drive crew cabs and even included a lowered SS sports powered by a 6.0-liter L76 V8, plus a bunch of iterations in between.
Only one of the four new Holden VE models — the steel-wheeled, 260-horsepower V6 Omega — is an obvious workhorse. The luxed-up SS V with a six-speed automatic as seen here is rated for a payload of 1,120 pounds.Oh, sure, there's performance available from this 362-hp V8. Testing indicates this ute will get to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds and then cross the line in the quarter-mile in 13.8 seconds, making this trick truck a tenth or two faster than an equivalent four-door.Weight doesn't explain it, since this 3,981-pound ute actually pips the sedan's weight by 2 pounds.
© Source: edmunds
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(from General Motors Press Release) Holden drew on General Motors’ global resources to build the hot pink Torana TT36, which is powered by an experimental 280kW twin turbo 3.6 litre Alloytec V6 engine, sports a glass roof and showcases bold directional design themes.
Not for production, this mid-sized hatch concept demonstrates the strength and versatility of Holden’s design talent to a worldwide audience and emphasises its ability to react swiftly to changing customer demand.
Torana TT36 highlights Holden’s rear wheel drive powertrain engineering expertise and the practical benefits to be gained by sharing GM global suspension and chassis components and modular structural systems.
The new millennium hot hatch pays homage to Holden’s Bathurst-winning icon car of the seventies, the Torana A9X. It is 25 years since the revered V8-powered Torana A9X last conquered Mount Panorama and wrote itself into Australian automotive legend.
Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Denny Mooney, today said he believed the Torana’s spiritual successor showed how times continued to change in the automotive industry.
“Torana TT36 represents a revolution in concept car design at Holden. We’ve unveiled several examples of our design flexibility and build capability in recent years, but this car is exceptional for yet another reason,” Mr Mooney said.
“All recent showcars have been based on our Commodore V-car platform. Torana TT36, on the other hand, shares many basic structural elements with the latest GM sports concepts and much of its chassis componentry is sourced directly from GM.
“It is the first Holden showcar to merge Australian design and engineering expertise with GM technical resources. Quite simply, for us it is a ‘game changer’ in automotive design and production.
“Naming the concept car was easy. We knew many fans would immediately call it Torana because it is a high powered, mid-size, rear wheel drive hot hatch. The TT36 stands for Twin Turbo 3.6.”
The twenty-first century Torana has slingshot performance potential. Its experimental 3.6 litre twin turbo Alloytec V6, hand-built at Holden’s new Port Melbourne engine plant, produces 280kW of power, transferred to the tarmac via a heavy-duty six speed manual transmission.
Ninety per cent of the 480Nm of torque developed is available from just 1600 rpm and the TT36 shares the power-to-weight advantage that helped its A9X sporting predecessor to drive into the record books at Mt Panorama a quarter of a century ago.
The four-seater showcar is finished in luminous, look-at-me pink − dubbed ‘ManGenta’ by the trend-spotting stylists who created it − contrasted against a slick new-tech interior in minimalist black and white. A panoramic glass roof extends from the steeply raked windscreen all the way back to the hatch and the TT36 sits on 20-inch, ten-spoke alloys.
The project was originally named XP54, reflecting the acronym ‘eXperimental Project’ and coded 54 in recognition of Holden’s so-called Studio 54 design workshop in the outer suburbs of Melbourne .
Holden Design Director, Tony Stolfo, said the showcar’s aggressive, sports-oriented frontal treatment recalled its hard-charging Torana heritage while speaking the design language of the here and now.
“It’s very performance-driven in terms of the size of the apertures, the air intakes and grille.
The fenders and quarter panels are pumped to accentuate width and stance,” he said.
“It also displays some of the key proportions we’ll see in future cars generally: front wheels forward, minimal overhang, high belt lines and a high deck. All these elements create strength and purpose and deliver expressive contemporary styling.
“The hatch style gives us a very fast line running over the top, and we’ve given it strong directional lines. In terms of overall design intent, it’s far more sophisticated sports machine than street machine.
“And because it’s a vehicle which delivers a really large interior compartment in relation to its exterior size, it shows off our packaging skills, which are a traditional Holden strength.”
The Torana TT36 interior is an exercise in black and white contemporary cool, described by Holden’s young colour and trim team as ‘nu luxury’. Taking inspiration from forecast fashion trends in domestic and industrial design, they gave it smoothly sculptured white leather seats and mirror-gloss finishes in piano black and pearlescent perspex, contrasted with soft-feel textures and black techno-mesh rubber floor covering.
The pink exterior theme is picked up in clever LED lighting effects and a ‘retro future’ 3D instrument layout that can be customised to the driver’s taste. Open the door and a full- length lighting strip integrated into the glass roof radiates a healthy pink glow. Press the backlit central starter button to play twin turbo engine idle music. Touch the interactive infotainment screen to control myriad functions – phone, CD, SatNav, DVD, address book and other Blue Tooth-compatible features.
“The Torana TT36 may be simply for show – but it’s not about outrageous technology. We consider that something very close to this concept could be practically achievable in the not-too-distant future,” Mr Stolfo said.
“It’s a first step towards monitoring public reaction to a type of rear-wheel drive vehicle that doesn’t exist in today’s General Motors portfolio. It could be designed and produced off a number of GM platforms, taking advantage of the virtual maths-based processes and component sharing which enabled us to build this working concept in a very short space of time.“
Holden Torana TT36 - Design and Feature Highlights
Exterior:
- Layered, luminous ‘ManGenta’ paint finish
- Technical aero-theme projector headlamps with bead-blasted clear acrylic indicators and ambient LED pink lighting: matching wrap-around ‘circle and beam’ tail lamps
- Panoramic glass roof, frameless glass hatch opening
- Ten spoke, 20-inch, hand-cast aluminium alloy wheels in Titan Silver, wheel nut caps and lion brand in gunmetal chrome.
- Matt black Venturi-style rear underplate, housing twin rectangular chromed exhaust tips
- Mirror-mounted repeater LED indicators
- Twin aircraft-style fuel fillers
- Textured mesh grille inserts
- Fog lamps
Interior:
- Tailored white leather seats (8-way electric)
- White leather door trims
- Padded white leather console upper and binnacle hood
- Four-spoke, deep dished leather-rim steering wheel with menu navigation roller controls
- Pearlescent back-painted centre console with integrated grab handles, flowing front to back
- High-gloss white uppers, contrasting with soft-feel matt finish lower trim
- Glossy piano black lower door, front seatback and console accents
- Textured woven ‘Rubco’ floor covering, rear seatbacks, cargo floor with cross-patterned overlay
- Secure underfloor storage/wet area
- Full-length roof-mounted LED strip lighting with semi-translucent pink lens, LED task lighting
- Pink LED-lit foot wells, armrests, rear sub-woofers
- DVD screens with piano black surrounds, integrated into front seatback head restraints
- Gunmetal chrome Holden ID
- Pink backlit starter button on centre console
- Full-colour TFT touch screen menu-driven display can be set to individual preferences.
- ‘Floating’ IP dials with clear pink indicators on 3D black background
Holden Torana TT36 Specifications
Powertrain
Engine 3.6 L twin turbo Global V6
Turbo Air to air intercooler, Two x KO4 Warner turbochargers
Technologies Continuously variable valve timing, variable intake manifold, variable valve actuation
Engine displacement 3.6 L (60 degree engine)
Power 280 kW
Torque 480 Nm
Compression ratio 9.0:1
Bore x Stroke (mm) 94.0 X 85.6
Transmission 6-speed heavy duty manual transmission
Gear ratios (:1)
1 st 2.66
2 nd 1.78
3 rd 1.30
4 th 1.00
5 th .74
6 th .50
Final drive ratio 3:73
Structure
Body/chassis structure
Lower dominant tube structure
Chassis integrated with upper body structure
Full length outer main rails
Multi tube centre tunnel structure
Chassis material Steel
Suspension
Front and Rear
Independent SLA suspension
Forged aluminium upper and lower control arms and knuckles
Adjustable aluminium monotube shocks with coil springs
Wheels 20 x 8 inch ten-spoke aluminium
Tyre size (front and rear) 245/35 R20
Tyre brand Bridgestone Potenza REO5OA
Steering Forward mounted power rack and pinion
Brakes 4 wheel disc with Anti-Lock Braking System, Traction Control, Electronic Brake Assist, Electronic Brake Distribution, Corner Brake Control and Electronic Stability Program
Front size (mm) 365 x 35 ventilated discs, alloy billet machined 6-piston calipers
Rear size (mm) 365 x 35 ventilated discs, alloy billet machined 4-piston calipers
(from Holden Press Release) Holden has released special edition Commodore SVZ Ute and Wagon models offering key extra features and outstanding value for money.
Available now, SVZ Ute offers a six-speed manual transmission from $29,990 and a five-speed automatic from $30,990.
SVZ Ute is powered by the High Output Alloytec V6 engine which produces peak power of 190kW at 6500rpm (automatic transmission) and peak power of 187kW at 6000rpm (manual transmission) and 335Nm of peak torque at 3200rpm.
Both offers are limited to private buyers only.
Commodore SVZ Ute Specification
Additional content over SV6 Ute:
18-inch alloy wheels with full size alloy spare (CV8-R)
Performance brake package with red painted brake callipers (Holden logo on front brakes)
Onyx leather seats and door trim with SVZ embroided logo on seat face
SVZ exterior badging
Colours: (metallic paint $400 extra)
Heron White
Redhot
Nickel metallic
Impulse metallic
Ignition metallic
Phantom metallic
The new “Morpheous” metallic colour available on VE Commodore sports models is also available with the special edition SVZ Ute.
MELBOURNE, Australia — General Motors has updated the Holden Astra with a more powerful and fuel-efficient engine but has not increased the revised model's price.
The Astra CD and CDX five-door hatch, wagon and three-door coupe models, all built in Europe, now are fitted with the new XER 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. The new power plant has continuously adjustable camshafts, a two-step intake manifold and lighter construction. Power is up by 14 horsepower, to 138 hp. In addition, claimed fuel consumption figures for manual three- and five-door hatch models have improved slightly.
The updated Astra gets only a few changes to the headlamps, front fascia and grille, and more to the point, pricing has not changed. The cost is still equivalent to $18,275 for the CD five-door manual on up to $23,650 for the CDX wagon.
The new XER 1.8-liter engine joins 2.2-liter, 2.0-liter turbo and 1.9-liter turbo-diesel engines in the Astra lineup.
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