New Vauxhall STX concept to preview next Astra and the “future of the estate car”
Paris Motor Show concept should offer us another glimpse into Vauxhall’s fresh design direction
Vauxhall is set to give us our first glimpse of the next-generation Astra and the brand’s “vision for the future of the estate car” with a bold new concept being unveiled at the fast-approaching Paris Motor Show in October.
It’s called the Vauxhall STX concept, with the name standing for Sports Tourer eXperimental. Opel/Vauxhall CEO Florian Huettl has already hinted to Auto Express that the new ninth-generation Astra might not be a traditional hatchback, and could instead be exclusively an estate car, hence why we’re expecting this show car will preview the big rethink for the faithful family car.
Posting on Linkedin, Huettl said: “In Paris, we will unveil the Opel STX Concept, our vision for the future of the wagon silhouette. The name includes the Sports Tourer reference for a good reason: Opel pioneered this segment in Europe as early as the 1950s. With the STX Concept, we reaffirm our commitment to a bodystyle that continues to combine versatility, innovation and everyday practicality in a unique Opel way.”
At the same time, the STX concept will show us the next evolution of Vauxhall’s “bold and pure” design language, and Huettl confirmed certain elements that will appear on future production models.
The next-generation Vauxhall Astra will arrive by 2030 and is one of four models the brand currently has in the works. The others are the new Vauxhall Corsa, a C-segment SUV being developed in collaboration with Chinese brand Leapmotor, and most likely a replacement for the popular Mokka crossover.
The future Astra will be based on the new STLA One architecture that also underpins the next Corsa, and should be offered with a broad variety of powertrains, not just electric. “It will certainly be BEV,” Huettl told Auto Express earlier this year. “But then STLA One isn’t limited to BEV only in its capabilities, so we’re currently looking at the right calibration of the powertrain offer.” Interior space and long-distance cruising capability are set to be key attributes for the next Astra.
While we await the arrival of the all-new Vauxhall Astra, right now you can save more than £10,000 on the current model with the help of the Auto Express Buy A Car service, with offers available on the Sports Tourer estate and pure-electric versions.
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