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The all-new Opel Astra is heading upmarket for 2015
The new Astra will support Apple's CarPlay and Android Auto. – AFP pic, June 3, 2015.The mid-sized hatchback market is one of the most competitive and challenging in Europe and one which is currently dominated by the VW Golf and Ford Focus. The new Astra has been built to stand out by focusing on attention to detail and an emphasis on quality.
The logic behind the move is simple. Focusing on premium materials, fits and finishes is what has allowed Audi to go from pretty much nowhere to being one of the world's leading premium automotive brands. And it's a metamorphosis that Opel (or Vauxhall as the company is known in the UK) is hoping to replicate with the Astra.
Although the car won't be officially unveiled until the Frankfurt motor show in September, the early signs are good.
The car is lighter, smaller and shorter than the outgoing model yet all of the reductions have been achieved without compromising cabin space.
The GM-owned company claims to have somehow found an extra 35mm of legroom and has been able to increase the space between the front and passenger seats too.
Yet, because the car is smaller, it's also more aerodynamic, suggesting that with a sensible engine under the hood it will be more efficient, and, with a less responsible powerplant, more sporty.
As for how that hood looks, the new car is strikingly similar to the 2013 Monza concept – a good thing – especially the ‘divided' C pillar at the rear that's interrupted by glass.
As well as the shape, the company wants potential buyers to notice the fit and finish of the panels that make up the exterior, and think premium. The addition of matrix LED headlamps and sparing use of chrome trim should also help in this regard.
Inside, the premium feel has been created via the list of technologies and features that will be standard or low-cost options. The car gets a new infotainment system with a central touchscreen display. It will also support Apple's CarPlay and Android Auto.
It will be the first GM car offered in Europe with the OnStar concierge service for calling for assistance, detailed navigation and alerting first responders in the event of an accident. A wifi hotspot is also an option as is access to remote diagnostics and vehicle data via a smartphone app.
As for active safety and semi-autonomous systems, owners can choose from a list that includes traffic sign assist, lane keep assist (with departure warning), assisted parking, a reversing camera and blind spot alerts.
When the car goes on sale this winter it will be offered with a choice of new engines including a 1.4-liter direct injection turbocharged engine that offers 145PS and a 1.6-liter CDTi diesel with up to 160PS on tap. – AFP, June 3, 2015.
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