Frankfurt, Germany - Lighter, more frugal and agile... the eleventh generation Opel Astra made its global debut at the 2015 Frankfurt auto show.
Opel South Africa confirms the new Astra will arrive locally in 2016.
According to Opel: "The new Astra is up to 200kg than the outgoing model, mainly due to its completely new vehicle architecture. The result of this weight reduction is improved agility and driving comfort. The new Astra is more fun to drive than ever before."
Under the bonnet
Powering the new Astra is a range of engines with outputs from 70kW to 147kW. The automaker's new 1.4 Ecotec direct injection turbo makes its debut in the Astra. The four-cylinder unit is tuned to deliver 92kW or 110kW and up to 245Nm, the latter output will be available in SA.
Depending on the output, consumption in the combined cycle decreases down to a claimed 4.9 liters/100 km and CO2 emissions of 114g/km.
The three-cylinder 77kW 1.0 Ecotec is the most frugal petrol engine in the line-up, with a claimed fuel consumption of 4.2 liters/100km and emissions of 96g/km.
The styling of the new Astra is an evolution of the Opel design philosophy ‘Sculptural Artistry meets German Precision’. At the front it has a new double-grille bar and radiator, new bumper and LEDs.
With a total length of 4.37m, the newcomer is almost 5cm shorter than the outgoing model while its height has been reduced by 2.5cm to 1.48m. The new Astra currently already boasts a drag coefficient of 0.285.
Rear-seat passengers benefit from 35mm more legroom. The cockpit also embodies the automaker's efficiency maxim - the number of knobs and buttons has been reduced to a minimum and most infotainment functions transferred to the touch screen.
Click here for more New Models at the 2015 Frankfurt auto show
The automaker's IntelliLink infotainment system is located in the middle of the centre console.
According to Opel: "The new generation AGR (campaign for Healthier Backs) certified premium ergonomic seats offer additional comfort with their unique combination of side bolster adjustment, massage and memory function as well as ventilation."