22.8.2003
New Opel Astra: Progressive Design, Dynamic Driving

Premiere for the third generation Astra set for the IAA in Frankfurt.

As with every subsequent model generation, Opel/Vauxhall breaks new ground in terms of technology and styling. The new Astra marks another milestone in its market segment: exciting to look at, fun to drive and with a host of features new to the segment that accounts for around 25% of the entire European automobile market.

This dynamic new Astra, to be introduced to the public for the first time at Frankfurt International Motor Show, is every bit as good as it looks. Agile handling and rapid response to the controls were top priorities.

A highlight optionally available on the new Astra is adaptive IDSPlus suspension (Interactive Driving System), with electronic Continuous Damping Control (CDC), usually found only on larger luxury models and exclusive sports cars. Through the linking of sensors and control units for ESP, ABS and CDC, the new Astra is the first production car in the world with electronically integrated chassis control, which opens a new dimension of balance between comfort and active safety.

A special sport mode can also be activated at the touch of a button: it selects suspension settings that will appeal to the enthusiast driver, adapts the steering and accelerator response and, with automatic and Easytronic transmissions, adjusts the shift points higher up the rpm range. Additional state-of-the-art engineering includes the dynamic AFL (Adaptive Forward Lighting) headlamp system, a new electronic architecture, a newly developed generation of infotainment units in double DIN format, Twin Audio for separate listening in the rear, and new TWINPORT gasoline and common rail turbocharged diesel engines.

The front-wheel drive Astra will be available with five gasoline and three turbo-diesel engines, with displacements from 1.4 to 2.0 liters and power outputs of 80 to 200 hp. The new Astra can reach top speeds of up to 230 km/h and needs only about eight seconds to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h.

All engines are state-of-the-art ECOTEC units with four valves per cylinder, and comply with the Euro 4 exhaust emission limits which do not take effect until 2005. Particularly fun-to-drive are the 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine (170 hp) and the new 150 hp 1.9 CDTI 'power diesel', with the 200 hp turbocharged gasoline engine marking the top of the range. These three engines are supplied as standard with a new six-speed manual transmission. In addition, Opel/Vauxhall offer a five-speed manual gearbox, an automatic transmission and a further developed version of its "Easytronic" automated manual transmission, which now also includes a sport program.

With this technology package and its striking design, the third Astra generation is set to improve on the success of the previous model that was sold in 80 countries, with about 3.4 million units built worldwide by the summer of 2003.

" The new Astra symbolizes the dynamic of the brand as no other high-volume model has done before. With its expressive design it makes a bold statement in the compact segment," says Opel Chairman and Managing Director, Carl-Peter Forster. Since Opel is already strongly represented in the compact van segment with the Meriva und Zafira models, the company was able to emphasize individuality and emotion with the new Astra. "This sets us clearly apart from our competitors", comments Forster on the positioning of the all-new model range.
A five-door version is the first Astra model version to be launched, and it will be followed later by a station wagon with a longer wheelbase and a dramatically sporty three-door hatchback.

According to Carl-Peter Forster, the Astra's prospects of success are not only based on it being "a car people love to drive and be seen in." The new Astra will also attract attention from new customers, because it meets drivers' individual needs and requirements by offering five different trim levels to choose from, as well as a host of practical features. These include the optional folding rear seat-back, that folds down in a 40/20/40 ratio, a new Hill-Start Assistant or the innovative "Quickheat" electric auxiliary heater.

Carl-Peter Forster is convinced: "With this combination of dynamic styling, agile handling, many practical innovations and a wide range of model versions, the new Astra is just the car that many buyers of compact cars have been waiting for!"