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New Astra Hits Road!

Vauxhall sets its sights on Ford Focus as it releases first pictures and full details of best-selling hatchback

New Vauxhall Astra

By Jack Rix

08th May 2009

The all-new Astra is ready to take a starring role in Vauxhall’s range! In Issue 1,059, Auto Express revealed leaked pictures of the Ford Focus rival – now, we’ve bagged the first official images, plus all the crucial details on the best-selling British-built hatch.

It’s set to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, and go on sale by the end of the year. Its bold styling borrows heavily from the new Insignia, which has made a real impact on the sales charts.

A low front end, featuring a sleeker take on the Insignia’s nose, rises up to a high tail, giving the car a modern, purposeful look. Along the flanks, the Insignia’s trademark ‘blade’ kicks up in front of the rear wheelarch.

Vauxhall claims the only part of the Astra that isn’t new is its name! Underpinning the newcomer is GM’s latest Delta platform, which debuted recently on the Chevrolet Cruze. As a result, the wheelbase is 17mm longer, plus there are wider tracks front and rear, and a completely revised rear axle design, which is claimed to improve the car’s ride comfort beyond recognition.

And Vauxhall is ensuring that the Astra will be a dynamic performer by offering buyers its FlexRide adaptive damper system – a rarity in this sector of the market.

This allows owners to tailor exactly how the car handles, with a choice of standard, sport and tour modes to suit the road conditions or simply the mood they are in. The innovative dampers also become firmer or softer automatically, depending on driver behaviour and cornering speed.

The highlight of the new engine line-up is a new 138bhp 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol unit – reinforcing Vauxhall’s commitment to producing a raft of smaller, forced-induction powerplants, with reduced emissions and less of a thirst for fuel.

Three further petrol motors, with power outputs from 99bhp to 178bhp, will also be available. Completing the line-up is a choice of four diesels, delivering from 94bhp to 158bhp, while an ecoFLEX version emitting less than 120g/km of CO2 will follow later.

However, the worrying news for performance fans is that there’s no word from Vauxhall on plans for a flagship VXR three-door.

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New Vauxhall Astra
New Vauxhall Astra
New Vauxhall Astra
New Vauxhall Astra
New Vauxhall Astra
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... And it's all change inside

Although Vauxhall has yet to release any official pictures of the new Astra’s interior, Auto Express understands that designers have been tasked with offering a big step forward over the current model – both in terms of finish and equipment.
As with the exterior, styling cues will be taken from the Insignia family car – such as the distinctive wraparound dashboard – while similar materials will be used, too.

The new model’s larger dimensions will translate into more generous space inside than in the outgoing car, while higher-quality seats and improved storage areas should enhance the model’s appeal.

Unique technology for this class includes Vauxhall’s latest generation of Adaptive Forward Lighting. The headlamps sense where light is needed most, and change the spread of the beam to suit the location, speed and weather conditions. The system even recognises oncoming vehicles, and dips the beam automatically to avoid dazzling the other driver.

Vauxhall is also promising further practical features, taking inspiration from systems such as the Corsa’s FlexFix inte grated bike carrier.

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