The Holden Nova was a compact car available to the Australian market in both four-door sedan and five-door hatchback versions from 1989 to 1996. It was produced under a joint venture between General Motors-Holden and Toyota-Australia as a rebadged version of the Toyota Corolla.
The Australian government’s Button Car Plan pushed for model-sharing and badge engineering amongst automakers to rationalize production resources and reduce import tariff costs. Through the United Australian Automobile Industries (UAAI), Toyota and Holden were able to locally manufacture their two respective car marques with essentially one model, save for some minor style distinctions.
1st Generation: LE & LF Series (1989-1994)
Nova LE Series
The Holden Nova introduced in 1989—which came out as the LE series—was based on the sixth-generation Toyota Corolla (code: E90). The Nova LE series, like the two other rebadged cars produced by UAAI, was introduced in SL, SLE, and SLX trim levels. These were the variants:
- 1.4L 60 kW engine – available in hatchback only for SL, SLE, SLX trims
- 1.6L 67 kW engine – available in hatchback only for SL, and hatchback/sedan for SLE and SLX trim levels
Nova LF Series
In 1991, the Nova LF series was released, introducing the following modifications:
- Fuel injection was added to the 1.6L powertrain, which was now rated at 75 kW.
- The SLE hatchback was discontinued, and a new sporty GS hatchback took its place.
- The SLE sedan and the 1.4L SL/SLX variants continued to be offered.
In 1992, a fuel-injected 1.8L 85-kW engine became available as an option for the GS hatchback.
In 1993, all 1.4L SL/SLX and the SLE variants were discontinued.
2nd Generation: LG Series (1994-1996)
The Nova LG series was badge-engineered from the seventh-generation Toyota Corolla (code: E100). This series featured the following range:
- 1.6L 78 kW fuel-injected engine – SLX trim, available in 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback
- 1.8L fuel-injected engine – GS trim, available in 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback
Like all the other UAAI ventures, production of the Holden Nova ceased in 1996. A new car, the Holden Astra, replaced it in the Australian market.