May 2004

Our spies caught the estate version totally undisguised as it underwent high-speed testing in Germany. And unlike to outgoing load-lugger, which had very little in the way of styling-flair, the newcomer is aimed at a much trendier market. Note the sleek lines, chunky wheelarches and classy full-length chrome roof rails. In profile, the new models bears more than a passing resemblance to the Peugeot 307 SW.

The car will also be far bigger than the existing Astra estate. The wheelbase is around 10 cm longer than that of the outgoing model - and 10 cm up on the new hatchback - while the rear doors are slightly larger, too, giving better access to the back seat.

Vauxhall says the newcomer will have class-leading load capacity, following the example set by the Vectra estate, launched last year. With the seats up or down, it will offer more luggage space than the old-shape Vectra carrier, despite having smaller dimensions. It will be also available with the FlexOrganiser system introduced in the new Vectra, which allows the load bay to be divided up into compartments to prevent smaller items from sliding around.

The luggage compartment will also have easy access - our pictures clearly show how the tailgate cuts deep into the rear bumper, giving a convenient low-loading lip. Inside, the new car has slightly more legroom for rear passengers than the standard Astra, but the dashboard is identical to the hatch's.

There will be a choice of four petrol engines, with entry-level cars powered by a 1.4-litre 90-bhp 16-valve unit. A 105-bhp 1.6, 125-bhp 1.8 and 170-bhp 2.0-litre turbo will also be on offer. But it is the diesel models that are expected to take the lion's share of the sales, most of which will be bought by fleets. Initially, there will be two Euro-IV-compliant 1.7-litre powerplants, offering 80 bhp and 100 bhp respectively. Later, the car will get the new 1.9-litre engine jointly developed between Opel and Fiat, with 120 or 150 bhp outputs.

There will be seven trim-levels from launch, but the manufacturer has ruled out the possibility of a VXR-badged performance version of the estate. Instead, the flagship will be the 170-bhp SRi (the vehicle seen in our photographs) while the other models - badged SXi, Elite, Design, Club, Life and Expression - will come with identical levels of standard equipment to the equivalent five-door hatchbacks. The Astra estate goes on the sale in October, and will be seen for the first time in the metal at the Paris Motor Show in September.

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