Holden getting Cascada, Astra and Insignia from Opel

Holden, General Motor's Australian arm, is just beginning a major transition. The automaker announced late last year that it would end local production in 2017. But recently, Gerry Dorizas, its new managing director, boldly declared that the marque is gunning to lead the country in market share by 2020. His plan is to launch more youth-focused products and improve the brand's dealers to do it. We're seeing the first steps in that plan with the addition of three imported models to the Holden line in mid-2015.

The Cascada, Insignia and two versions of the Astra are all on their way to Oz from Opel in Europe next year. The Cascada is a two-door convertible with a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and choice of a six-speed manual or automatic, and it's a model that has been rumored to be under consideration for duty here in North America. The Astra will be available as the three-door GTC with a 1.6-liter turbo four and six-speed manual or automatic, or in hardcore VXR guise, with a 2.0-liter turbo four and a six-speed manual. Finally, the Insignia VXR four-door sedan has a 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 with a six-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. Holden doesn't have Australian-market power figures or pricing for the cars, so we don't yet know if there are differences compared to their European counterparts.

The company admits that it expects the three new models to be niche vehicles, at least at first, but they show the direction that the automaker is going. If Holden wants to survive with local production ending, it must find more attractive models to import. This addition underscores what the automaker is telling fans – it's in Australia to stay.