Opel to Present New Astra at 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show - VIDEO ENHANCED

FRANKFURT - September 15, 2009: With the debut of the new Opel Astra at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show (Sept. 17–27), the German brand will offer a super efficient palette of engines with low fuel consumption in the compact class. To mark ten generations of Opel compact cars, the new Astra will launch later this year with a complete line-up of eight engines ranging from 70 kW/95 hp to 132 kW/180 hp. The new Astra has grown slightly to provide a roomier interior and, at the same time, it has benefited from engineering enhancements that allow it to improve fuel efficiency and performance.

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Designed for sporty good-looks, engineered with innovative technology and equipped with a full clean powertrain line-up, the all-new Opel Astra, debuting as a five-door hatchback, is set to re-energize Europe’s compact car segment.

Grounded in the compact class tradition Opel initiated in 1936 with the first Kadett, the Astra has consistently made the top three list of Europe’s best-selling compacts – a segment which accounts for 27 percent of the total car market. Astra sales make up a third of all Opel/Vauxhall purchases, for an average volume of nearly 500,000 units per year.

The new Astra brings many comfort and safety features to the compact class that the Insignia first introduced to mid-sized cars. Exceptional technologies like an all-new mechatronic chassis, the most advanced lighting system, a front camera that recognizes traffic signs and seat technology with the best ergonomics will be available.

“The new Astra raises the bar in its class with exciting design, dynamic driving and great practical features,” says Alain Visser, Vice President Sales, Marketing & Aftersales Opel/Vauxhall.

Opel’s new design language reinterpreted for the compact class
The new Opel Astra brings into the compact class its own interpretation of the brand’s award-winning design language of combining sculptural artistry with German precision first seen in the Insignia. Its strong coupé-like silhouette and stylish details add to a new handsome look. Elegant proportions give it a strong, cab-forward silhouette, with a steeply-raked windshield and falling rear roofline, adding visual excitement to the traditional hatchback format.

Also new to the Astra are double wing-shapes in each of the rear lights and a dynamic inverted blade on the flank that visually connects to the powerful movement of the rear window and C-pillar.

“The design cues introduced in the Insignia, like the wing and the blade, have been given a fresh interpretation in the Astra, because it’s important that each Opel model has its own personality,” says Mark Adams, Vice President of Design, General Motors Europe.

The interior echoes the flowing forms of the bodywork: sweeping lines, curvaceous shapes and the quality of the execution are all part of Opel’s design language. A signature design cue is the wraparound wing shape of the instrument panel that arcs into the top of the door moldings. The effect is a warm embrace of the occupants, providing a welcoming ambience.