Opel has revealed details of the new, 11th generation Astra which is set to make its world debut this September at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt.
Based on an all-new lightweight vehicle architecture, the new Astra will be driven by latest generation engines and offers many first in-class features in its segment.
“To date 24 million Kadett and Astra models have been sold to customers and the new Astra offers some of the latest technologies that will increase comfort and safety for passengers. With design cues taken from our Monza concept car, the Astra delivers on a striking athletic design that resembles a coupe car, despite having more interior space than the outgoing model. We anticipate the new Astra will disrupt its segment with pioneering innovations and look forward to its arrival this October in Ireland” said Dave Sheeran, Managing Director, Opel Ireland.
Lighter, more frugal and agile and at the same time even more comfortable. The visionary Monza Concept was the model for the new Astra, every element and design feature of the concept reflects efficiency and the new Astra follows this vision rigorously. With a reduction of up to 200kgs, the new vehicle architecture plays a major role in the weight reduction. Every component was checked for compact design and lightweight materials. The body shell weight alone was reduced by 20 percent from 357 to 280 kilograms. Additional, chassis-related measures resulted in another 50kg of weight reduction; these include high-strength and ultra-high-strength low-weight steels, compact sub frames as well as weight reductions to the front and rear axle. In a nutshell, this makes the new Astra is more fun to drive than ever before.
The engine in the new Opel Astra supports this claim. Under the hood of every new Astra a new member of the new engine portfolio can be found where outputs range from 95hp to 200hp. The highlight in the Astra engine portfolio is the all-new 1.4 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo petrol engine, a four-cylinder unit from the same family as the smaller but nonetheless powerful one-litre, three-cylinder engine. The all-aluminum engine will make its debut with 145 hp. It impresses with responsiveness and high performance while curbing fuel consumption. The engine delivers maximum torque of up to 250Nm very early. Maximum power is available between 1,800 and 4,000 rpm – perfect conditions for driving pleasure in combination with efficiency. Based on its construction, the new 1.4 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo also adds less weight to the car. The aluminum engine block alone weighs ten kilograms less than the current 1.4-litre turbo engine.
