Astra 4dr is in for a stretch

	Set to be unveiled at next month's Istanbul Motor Show, the Astra Saloon will go on sale in 2007

So much for being a compact family car... Vauxhall's new Astra Saloon is longer than a Vectra! The 4,618mm length does have an advantage, how­ever. It gives the four-door a 500-litre boot - 150 litres more than the hatch.

Set to be unveiled at next month's Istanbul Motor Show, the Astra Saloon will go on sale in 2007. Four engines are to be offered - split equally bet­ween petrol and diesel - with power ranging from 90bhp to 140bhp.

Bosses at GM reckon the saloon, wearing Opel badging in show trim, will be a big hit in Eastern and Central Europe. In these markets, four-doors account for around 65 per cent of sales in the small family car sector. However, there are no plans as yet to bring this variant here badged as a Vauxhall.