New Vauxhall STX concept previews next-gen Astra estate

Among the bright lights and near countless concept cars of this year’s Paris Motor Show, it might seem easy to overlook one previewing a new Vauxhall Astra. But the Vauxhall STX Concept could be the silent assassin of this year’s French spectacular, previewing a striking new design language that should thrust the British brand firmly into the limelight. 

The STX Concept, or Sports Tourer eXperimental, is a direct preview of the next Astra estate. Yet look beyond the concept’s specific form, and it also reveals Vauxhall’s evolving design language, which will be applied to all its future models.

There are many highlights, but key to all future Vauxhalls will be the next-generation ‘Vizor’ that dominates the ‘face’. In place of the black mask that until now has integrated the headlights and grille into one graphic, this new interpretation uses lighting to form its shape. In fact, there won’t be any glossy black plastic used at all; instead it’ll be body-coloured and demarcated by gradient lighting. 

The new Vizor also houses a larger take on Vauxhall’s new badge, which has been designed to be more visible from a distance. Together with the vertical lighting elements, this delivers a more distinctive look than we’ve become accustomed to. 

The fresh take on design extends to the rest of the exterior styling, too, with fewer sharp creases and an emphasis on broad shoulders and rounded volumes. While the concept car does take many of these shapes to an extreme, Vauxhall’s VP, design, Mark Adams told us that all of these themes will be applied to future road cars. 

Adams explained: “We’ve got lots of control with proportions, and there’s no reason many of these elements, like the wheelarches and creases, can’t be applied to a future model.”

However, the concept’s most dramatic feature is the rear end. This differs from the existing SUV and estate norm, with the roof’s leading edge being the furthest point of the car. The rest of the rear end is then tucked beneath it, making for a very distinctive silhouette. To stop it looking too boxy, the rear wheelarches help create a distinct shoulderline, not unlike Volvos from the mid-nineties. 

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There are technical benefits to this look, too, as it unlocks more space in the cabin for bulky items and improves the aerodynamics. Adams continued: “When you’re working with an EV, aerodynamics isn’t just a bonus, it really is crucial to make sure you’re making the most from the car’s energy. This form helps us do that, alongside the other benefits.”

The STX Concept has a few design flourishes that might be difficult to imagine on a production Astra, such as the active aero on the outer bumper and the one-piece glass at the rear, which integrates the lights. However Adams insists that elements such as the rear lamps could be brought into production with only minor structural changes, such as encasing them in their own housing. 

The complex glass in the C-pillar is another design highlight that will be reimagined on future Astra estate models. Although enhancing the sense of style, the black oblongs that spread onto the roof will help disguise the boot opening, which on the production models will begin there to increase the aperture. 

The triangle motif will also be reimagined on future production models, having previously been seen on the Gran Turismo Vision Concept that previews the future Corsa.

Will the new Vauxhall Astra actually look like this?

Looking ahead to the future Astra that this STX Concept previews, the new model will be built as an electric car first, and run on the new STLA-One platform used across all mainstream Stellantis brands. This means future models will have more advanced batteries, more efficient electric motors and an SDV-based electronic architecture that’ll make them more connected, digitally agile and flexible, ensuring they feel less of a carbon copy of Peugeots, Citroens or Fiats, as has been the case in the current era.

With all European brands under pressure to prove their worth, Vauxhall and its Opel sibling had to do something radical. The STX Concept is just that, and might finally help the brands realise their full potential in the not too distant future. 

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