Video Galore: New Opel Astra Interior, Trailers and Interviews

Once upon a time not too long ago, you'd consider yourself lucky if you found a single official video of a newly presented car. Nowadays, carmakers churn them out like sausages at a factory. Only today, along with the first official interior shots of the Astra, Opel released five new videos on its hatchback. Something tells us that most will stop at the first animated film showing the Astra's interior, but for those that might be interested, there's four more films including an interview with Mark Adams, VP of Design at GM Europe and with John Puskar, Director of Interior Design. The latter seems like the kind of guy who'd design a really, really, relaxed cabin...

New Live Photos of the 2010 Opel Astra Hatchback on the Road

Either Opel is putting the final touches on its recently revealed Astra or the final prototypes have started finding their way among the company's employees. This grayish-blue example of the five-door Astra that was "scooped" somewhere in Germany providing us with our first live photos of the five-door model. Since GM's European unit has already published a set of official images of the 2010 Astra, there's no reason to hide the car so the only bits of camouflage remaining on the prototype cover the front and rear logos.

Selected journalists will have their first contact with the new Opel - Vauxhall Astra next month while the public will have to wait until September 17 for the Frankfurt Motor Show to see the car up close.

The new Astra is scheduled to arrive in most European markets by the end of fall 2009. The initial range will comprise of eight engines, including 1.4-liter and 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol units producing 140HP and 180HP respectively plus four common-rail diesels from 1.3 to 2.0 liter with outputs ranging from 95HP to 160HP.

Later on Opel will enhance the Astra's range with the presentation of a three-door GTC version, a four-door sedan, an estate and a coupe-convertible.

New Wallpaper Photos of 2010 Opel Astra

Opel may have just released initial details on its sixth-generation Astra only a couple of days ago, but General Motors' European division is trying to keep the momentum going by publishing a new set of desktop wallpapers of its Ford Focus challenging hatchback. We'll be hearing more about the Astra shortly as according to Carscoop sources, Opel is planning to introduce the car to the members of the press in mid-June., ahead of the scheduled world debut at this September's Frankfurt Motor Show.

VIDEO: 2010 Opel Astra Hits the Road

After the release of the full blown photos and preliminary specifications on its brand new 2010 Astra, Opel has now published the first official video of its Focus challenger. The five-door hatchback will make its inaugural appearance in front of the public at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September with European sales following shortly after. For more detailed info and photos of the new Astra, click here.

2010 Opel Astra Fully Revealed: New 1.4 and 1.6 Turbo Engines, Sales Start this Fall

While these aren't the first photos of the all-new Astra, they are certainly the best we've seen up until now, revealing Opel's (Vauxhall in the UK) new subcompact hatch in all its glory ahead of its scheduled world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Clearly influenced by the Insignia, the sixth generation Astra hatch is based on GM's new Delta platform that also underpins the Chevy Volt and Cruze models and it comes with a new set of engines including 1.4-liter and 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol units.

Unlike VW's rivaling Golf VI with its stale design language that keeps evolving from previous generation models, the new Astra features a new design and from what we reckon by looking at the photos, it will be a head turner. Its up to date and clean looks combine a sleek and sporty shape with the latest Opel styling cues such as the characteristic scalloped side blades and the Insignia-inspired headlights.

Opel has not disclosed any photos of the new Astra's interior yet, but thanks to our spy photographers, we have a few shots of the hatchback's dashboard that borrows heavily in design from the Insignia. Highlights include the four deeply positioned instrument dials in front of the driver and the swoopy central console with an elevated lower section.

European buyers of the Astra will be able to select from a broad selection of gasoline and diesel engines. Aside from an entry-level 1.4-naturally aspirated engine and the Insignia-derived 1.6-liter Turbo with 180HP, the Astra's petrol range will also include GM's new 1.4-liter turbocharged unit. It will be offered with outputs ranging from 120 hp to 140 hp and torque values of 175 to 200 Nm. General Motors says that the 1.4 Turbo engine will deliver fuel savings of up to 8 percent compared to the naturally aspirated 1.6 and 1.8-liter engines that it will replace.

The diesel range comprises of 1.3-liter, 1.7-liter and 2.0-liter turbocharged units ranging from 95 to 160HP while Opel also plans to introduce an ecoFLEX version with low CO2 emissions and improved fuel economy sometime in 2010.

Depending on the market, the five-door Astra will go on sale in Europe this fall. It will be joined by a sporty three door fastback variant called GTC Coupe and the more practical station-wagon in late 2010 - early 2011 followed by a four-door sedan model and a coupe-cabriolet with a retractable hardtop.

And no, we do not know if the Astra will make it across the Atlantic and arrive in one form or another in U.S. showrooms due to the instability in GM's current situation and of course, the pending sale of the American automaker's stake in the Opel / Vauxhall brands.

*Click Here for an Updated High-Resolution Photo Album of the 2010 Astra

Buick to get 2010 Opel Astra in China?

It seems that China has become some kind of paradise for Buick as the brand is getting some of the best products that General Motors has to offer. After the Park Avenue and Regal which are essentially rebadged variants of the Holden Statesman/Caprice and Opel Insignia respectively, it looks like that Buick's Chinese range will also benefit from the addition of the next generation Opel Astra, the first photos of which you can check out here.

These spy pictures from Chinese website Auto Sina show that, just as with the Insignia-based Buick Regal, the only significant difference between the European 2010 Opel Astra hatchback and the Chinese market model will most likely be limited to Buick's family crest and waterfall-style grille.

Via: Auto Sina

2010 Opel Astra: First Official Photos of Hatch, GTC Coupe and Estate models

These are the first full blown photos of GM's all-new Opel / Vauxhall Astra that is destined to make its world debut as a five-door hatchback at the Frankfurt motor show in September 2009. Along with the photos of the five-door model, Opel also released two sketches depicting the new Astra GTC which looks more like a fastback coupe than your traditional three-door hatchback, and the more practical and spacious Astra Estate.

As expected, the new Astra's exterior styling echoes that of the well received Insignia with details such as the shape of the headlamps, the roofline and the concave surfacing on the doors all pointing towards the larger Opel. Overall, the new Astra hatch looks sportier and more dynamic in an upscale sort of way compared to the current generation model.

While Opel has yet to release photos of the interior, previous spy shots reveal that the Astra's interior is heavily inspired from the Insignia with the dashboard featuring four deeply positioned instrument dials in front of the driver and a swoopy central console with an elevated lower part.

All three variants of the Astra are based on GM's new front-wheel-drive Delta platform that is also found on the Chevrolet Cruze and Volt models. However, from what we learnt, the chassis has been modified by Opel's engineers to offer more dynamic handling to Opel's trio.

The 2010 Astras will be available with numerous diesel and gasoline powertrains including GM's an all-new 1.4-liter turbocharged petrol engine that will be offered with outputs ranging from 120 hp to 140 hp and torque values between 175 and 200 Nm.

The 5-door hatchback versions of the newly developed Astra will find their way to Opel showrooms across Europe by the end of the year, while the GTC coupe and the Estate variants should follow by mid-2010.

It remains to be seen when, or better yet if, General Motors will bring the Astra to the States.

Saturn’s Kiss my As…tra Photo Contest

The things people are capable of doing just to obtain the feeling that they may actually win something is truly amazing. Like, can you imagine yourself bending over and kissing a car just to take part in a competition that you have less chances of winning than being stuck by lightning? Sadly, as Saturn’s Kiss My Astra competition proves, there are plenty of folks out there who don’t seem to have any problems of the sort. -Continued

In any case, Saturn’s competition has now entered its last phase where online viewers can view the twenty finalists and vote for their favorite Astra-kissing picture at 'saturnkissmyastra.com'. Only one of them will actually win the Grand Prize – a new Astra of course, with the next five runner-ups winning $300 gift cards and the remaining finalists receiving $100 worth of gift cards and the glory of having their face on the internet.

More 2010 Opel Astra Photos Hit the Web

The all new fourth generation Opel (and Vauxhall, Saturn, Holden - forgive us if we forgot to mention any other GM brand...) Astra will make its world debut as a five-door hatchback at next year’s Frankfurt Show but the German automaker has already begun teasing us initially with a pair of sketches and now, with a set of real life photos showing the 2010 Astra covered in a white veil.

Based on GM’s latest Delta platform, the new compact hatch will be insired from the recently launched Insignia as Opel wants to take the 2010 Astra more upmarket setting new standards in its class. “The Opel Insignia has newly interpreted the mid-size segment. Now, with its dynamic design and innovative technology – much of which has been the preserve of higher-class vehicles before now – the new Astra generation will continue the pioneering role of its large model brother,” said Alain Visser, Chief Marketing Officer at GM Europe “To put it in a nutshell, the next Astra will carry the spirit of the Insignia into the compact class.” -Continued

Opel says that the Astra’s all-new chassis will be mated with equally new engines designed following the right-sizing concept that combines high low-end torque with moderate fuel consumption. Technical gizmos such as the ‘Opel Eye’ camera system that recognizes traffic signs warning the driver and the adaptive headlamp system will come straight from the Insignia.

After the European launch of the 5-door Astra in late 2009 – early 2010, Opel will take the wraps off the sportier 3door GTC at the Geneva Show in March 2010 which will be followed shortly after by the sedan, station-wagon and coupe-cabriolet variants. Expect to see the Saturn badged and this time, U.S. built Astra replacing the current hatchback on this side of the Atlantic in mid 2010.

2010 Opel / Saturn Astra: First Official Sketches and Details

Opel’s British arm Vauxhall, has released the first teaser images of the all-new 2010 Astra ahead of its official launch at next year’s Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Although Vauxhal/Opel’s pictures of both the five-door (black) and the three-door GTC (white) Astras are kinda… sketchy, expect to see an evolutionary styling seasoned with design cues from the firm’s latest model, the Insignia. Inside, GM’s European subsidiary said that the next generation Astra will feature a ‘wrap-around interior with a wing-line sweep that links the instrument panel to the door’. -Continued

Mark Adams, GM Europe’s Vice President of Design said: "The present Astra already combines a high level of technical substance and emotional styling, but with the new car we are taking a big step forward in both respects, while emphasising its sporting credentials."

The new Astra will be based on GM’s latest Delta platform and according to Opel/Vauxhall, it will be offered with a new range of engines designed to maximize fuel economy. On the technology field, the Astra will benefit from a series of systems that were launched in the Insignia, including the Front Camera System, which combines traffic sign recognition with a lane departure system, and the next generation Adaptive Front Lighting (AFL) that provides nine unique light beams to improve visibility.

In Europe, the 5-door version of the Astra will go on sale by the end of 2009/early 2010. The sportier three-door GTC with its coupe-like roofline will be available by spring 2010 followed by the sedan, station-wagon and coupe-cabriolet models. As for the North American market, the Saturn will arrive in late 2010. Unlike the current Astra that is imported from Europe, the new model will be built locally to take advantage of lower U.S. production costs, thanks to the weaker dollar.