Opel Astra will launch with 2 plug-in hybrid options

Opel is moving the new-generation Astra compact upscale with two levels of plug-in hybrid power, an all-digital dashboard and improved driver-assistance systems.

The Astra has moved to a Stellantis platform, the third-generation EMP2 architecture for compact and midsize vehicles, from a General Motors one. 

Production for Opel and Vauxhall versions starts this autumn at Opel’s factory in Reusselsheim, Germany, with the first deliveries at the start of 2022. The current Astra is built in Gliwice, Poland, and Ellesmere Port, England.

A station wagon version will follow the launch of a five-door hatchback.

The new Astra – the sixth generation of the model – is 4 mm longer than the previous model, but the wheelbase is 13 mm longer, increasing interior space.

Opel did not release prices or full technical details on Tuesday, but the Astra’s drivetrain options are expected to be similar to those of the sibling model Peugeot 308. Internal-combustion-only choices include gasoline and diesel engines with power levels between 110 and 130 hp. Plug-in hybrid output is 180 or 225 hp.

Peugeot has said it will build a full-electric version of the 308 for 2023, but Opel has not confirmed that an Astra EV is in the works.

Opel says the Astra’s driving dynamics have been optimized for high-speed travel on Germany’s autobahns, with the structure’s torsional rigidity 14 percent greater than the current generation.

The Astra is the first Opel to feature the all-digital Pure Panel cockpit, which has two 10-inch displays, a central screen and the instrument panel that are positioned side by side with an integrated air vent.

There is no hood over the displays to shield against glare or reflections, which Opel says are prevented by a “shutter-like layer.” 

A head-up display is also available. 

Driver assistance and safety features include adaptive cruise control, active lane positioning and rear cross-traffic alerts.

The Astra is the third Opel model to use the brand’s new horizontally oriented “Vizor” grille after the new Mokka small SUV and face-lifted Grandland compact SUV. 

Opel is also hoping the Astra builds on the sales success of two other models developed since the brand was bought by then-PSA Group in 2017, the small Corsa and the Mokka. CEO Michael Lohscheller told Automotive News Europe in an interview in April that the new Astra is a cornerstone of Opel’s plans to increase volume, especially as the brand expands outside of Europe.

It will compete with the Volkswagen Golf, the longtime leader in the mainstream compact segment. The Astra ranked ninth in European sales last year in the segment, with 70,008 sales, a 48 percent decline from 2019, according to figures from JATO Dynamics market researchers. The Golf led the segment with 283,651 sales.

The Golf is followed by the Skoda Octavia, Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla, Seat Leon, 308, Kia Niro and Renault Megane, which also has a plug-in hybrid option.

A number of models have plug-in options, either hybrid or full-electric: The Citroen C4 returns to the segment this year with a full-electric option; the Niro has both plug-in hybrid and full-electric options; and the VW e-Golf full electric has been replaced by the slightly larger ID3 EV, but a plug-in option remains with the Golf GTE.