Opel teases the new face of its Astra compact car

Opel/Vauxhall has confirmed that the new Astra compact car will be the brand's next model to use a stretched 'Vizor' grille that debuted on the brand's latest Mokka small SUV.

Opel on Tuesday released images of some of the car's design details, including the grille with incorporated LED headlights, an elongated dual-screen dashboard, and the Astra name stretched across the tailgate.

The new Astra will be available as a hatchback and a station wagon, Opel has said.

Opel is expected to fully unveil the car in August.

The latest Astra will be based on the same Stellantis EMP2 platform used by the Peugeot 308 and will launch with gasoline, diesel and plug-in-hybrid models, Opel CEO, Michael Lohscheller said in an interview in April.

Lohscheller would not comment on reports that the Astra will follow the 308 in offering a full-electric version.

The Astra was ranked ninth in the compact-car segment across European last year with 70,008 sales, a 48 percent decline from 2019, according to figures from JATO Dynamics market researchers.

The plug-in-hybrid version of the Astra is expected to have the same specifications as the 308 equivalent, meaning two power levels.

The sportier 308 plug-in hybrid will offer 225 hp by mating 180-hp gasoline engine and 81-kilowatt electric motor, while a cheaper version will offer 180 hp from a 150-hp gasoline engine and the same 81-kW electric motor.

Peugeot says the 308's electric-only range is 60 km (37 miles), pending final WLTP certification.

In a statement on Tuesday, Opel said production of the new Astra will begin this year at its plant in Ruesselsheim, Germany. The company did not mention whether the car will also continue to be built at its Vauxhall plant in Ellesmere Port, England.

Carlos Tavares, CEO of Opel's owner, Stellantis, has said the future of the Ellesmere Port factory is dependent on support from the British government following Brexit.