Holden Astra VI (PJ) photos

Following the brief standalone launch and subsequent withdrawal of the Opel brand in Australia, General Motors reintroduced the Astra nameplate under the Holden badge in May 2015 as the PJ series. Based on GM's Delta II platform, the PJ was sold exclusively as a three-door performance-oriented hatchback directly derived from the European Opel Astra J GTC, complementing rather than replacing the mainstream locally built Holden Cruze. The trim hierarchy consisted of the entry GTC, the mid-tier GTC Sport, and the flagship Astra VXR hot hatch. Powering the GTC was a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder delivering 103 kW, mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The GTC Sport utilized a direct-injected 1.6-litre turbo generating up to 147 kW. The performance benchmark, the Astra VXR, featured a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine producing 206 kW and 400 Nm of torque, paired with a six-speed manual gearbox, a Drexler mechanical limited-slip differential, Brembo performance brakes, and advanced HiPerStrut front suspension architecture. The PJ series concluded its short production run in late 2016.