Opel Astra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Opel Astra | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Manufacturer | General Motors |
| Production | 1991–present |
| Predecessor | Opel Kadett |
| Class | Small family car |
| Layout | FF layout |
- See also Vauxhall Astra and Holden Astra for the usage of the nameplate by other General Motors subsidiaries.
The Opel Astra is a small family car designed and manufactured by Opel, the European subsidiary of General Motors.
It is branded as an Opel in continental Europe, the Republic of Ireland, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Africa, as Vauxhall in the United Kingdom, as Holden in Australasia, and as Chevrolet in Latin America. In Russia, it is sold as both an Opel and Chevrolet. Starting with the 2008 model year, the vehicle is exported to the United States and Canada, where it is sold as a Saturn.
The Astra is now built in Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Brazil, South Africa, Poland, Ukraine and Russia, as well as being assembled in CKD kits in other countries.
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[edit] Naming convention
As of 2006, there have been three generations of the vehicle. In a fashion typical for Opel models, they are designated with subsequent letters of the Latin alphabet. Opel's official convention is to continue the Opel Kadett lineage, thus referring to the first generation of Opel Astra as the Astra F (the last Opel Kadett was the Kadett E). Another convention used by GM starts with Astra A, adopting the notion that the Astra is a separate model. Models sold as Vauxhall, Holden or Chevrolet have different generation designations reflecting the history of those nameplates in their home markets and their naming conventions.
[edit] Astra F/A
| Astra F/A | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Also called | Vauxhall Astra Opel Astra Classic Holden Astra Chevrolet Astra Chevrolet Optima Opel Kadett (South Africa, hatchback only) Opel Astra II (Denmark, 1998-99) [citation needed] |
| Production | 1991–2002 |
| Assembly | Antwerp, Belgium São Paulo, Brazil Struandale, Port Elizabeth, South Africa St. Petersburg, Russia Zaporoshje, Ukraine Gliwice, Poland |
| Body style(s) | 2-door convertible 3-door hatchback 4-door saloon 5-door estate 5-door hatchback |
| Platform | T-body |
| Engine(s) | 1.4L I4 1.6L I4 1.8L I4 2.0L I4 |
| Related | Opel Vectra |
The Astra F debuted in 1991. With the Kadett E's successor, Opel adopted the Astra nameplate, which was already used by Vauxhall for the Kadett D and E (see Vauxhall Astra). It was offered as a three or five-door hatchback, a saloon (sedan), and an estate (wagon), known as the Caravan. A cabriolet was also offered, designed and built by Bertone in Italy. This car offered in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Turkey for name Astra Classic for 1998 to 2002. The Astra F finished production in 2002.
The model was launched in South Africa in 1992, where it was produced under licence by Delta. However, the Kadett name was retained for the Astra hatchback until 1999. The South Afican Astra included a variant with a 2.0 L turbocharged engine called the 200tS which was produced in limited numbers in both sedan and hatchback guise. The engine (C20LET) in the 200tS was sourced from the Calibra 2.0 L turbo 4wd found on European markets, but local engineers converted the 6 speed drivetrain to front wheel drive only and as such was unique to that market. Sedan and station wagon models were offered under the Astra name. Controversially, the Kadett and Astra in South Africa won the title of 'Car of the Year' in two consecutive years (1993 and 1994) even though they were versions of the same car. South African nomenclature was denoted in decilitres, so the Astra and Kadett ranges featured 140, 160i, 180i and 200i models.
The Astra also became available in Australasia badged as a Holden, first in New Zealand in 1995, and then Australia in 1996. The first models were imported from the UK, but the current model is imported from Belgium. The original Holden Astra was originally a rebadged Nissan Pulsar, first sold in the mid-1980s.
Opel Astra's first generation was imported to Brazil. Chevrolet of Brazil sent the 2.0 liter/115 bhp engines to Belgium whence the completed cars took their way to Brazil. In 1996 the Brazilian government increased the import rate, though the car remained very expensive[citation needed]. The second generation was manufactured in Brazil.
The Astra F consisted of two main revisions and was revised in 1995, with the launch of Opel's new Ecotec engine. For a short period, a submodel which consisted of parts from both revisions was produced. The submodel used all the new Ecotec running gear, but many parts from the previous revision were used in order to use up leftover parts. Other main changes included mildly-altered exterior styling, and availability of new specification models.[citation needed]
Aside from the South Africa-only 200TS, the lead model was the GSi — a 2.0 L I4 16v petrol injected model with 147 bhp (110 kW), available as a 3-door only. It also featured sports bodykit and interior. The GSi too was updated in 1997, with the engine being replaced for a lower-powered but more modern 'Ecotec' version.
Common Engine Lineup for Astra F
| Engine Model | Displ. | Power | Torque | Fueling System | Valvetrain | Compression Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4i | 1389 cc | 44 kW @ 5200 rpm | 103 N·m (76 ft·lbf) @ 2800 rpm | MPi | OHC | 9.4:1 |
| 14NV | 1398 cc | 55 kW @ 5800 rpm | 110 N·m (81 ft·lbf) @ 3000 rpm | Carb | SOHC | 9.4:1 |
| 14SE | 1398 cc | 60 kW @ 5600 rpm | 115 N·m (85 ft·lbf) @ 3400 rpm | MPi | SOHC | 9.8:1 |
| 20SEH (South African Edition) | 1998 cc | 95 kW @ 5600 rpm | 180 N·m (133 ft·lbf) @ 3400 rpm | MPi | SOHC | 9.8:1 |
| 20XE-LN (South African Edition) | 1998 cc | 110 kW | 200 N·m (148 ft·lbf) | MPi Sequential | DOHC | 9.8:1 |
| 20LET (Exclusive South African Edition) | 1998 cc | 150 kW | 280 N·m (207 ft·lbf) | MPi Turbocharged | SOHC | 8.8:1 |
| C14NZ | 1398 cc | 44 kW @ 5200 rpm | 103 N·m (76 ft·lbf) @ 2800 rpm | SPi | SOHC | 9.4:1 |
| X14NZ | 1398 cc | 44 kW @ 5200 rpm | 103 N·m (76 ft·lbf) @ 2800 rpm | SPi | SOHC | 9.4:1 |
| C14SE | 1389 cc | 60 kW @5800 rpm | 113 N·m (83 ft·lbf) @ 3400 rpm | MPi | SOHC | 10.0:1 |
| C16NZ and X16SZR | 1598 cc | 55 kW @ 5200 rpm | 125 N·m (92 ft·lbf) @ 2800 rpm | SPi | SOHC | 9.2:1 |
| C16se | 1598 cc | 74 kW @ 5800 rpm | 135 N·m (100 ft·lbf) @ 3400 rpm | MPi | SOHC | 9.8:1 |
| X16SZ | 1598 cc | 52 kW @ 5000 rpm | 128 N·m (94 ft·lbf) @ 2800 rpm | SPi | SOHC | 10.0:1 (9.6:1 for X16XZR) |
| C18NZ | 1796 cc | 66 kW @ 5400 rpm | 145 N·m (107 ft·lbf) @ 3000 rpm | SPi | SOHC | 9.2:1 |
| C20NE | 1998 cc | 85 kW @ 5400 rpm | 170 N·m (125 ft·lbf) @ 2600 rpm | MPi | SOHC | 9.2:1 |
| X14XE(Ecotec) | 1398 cc | 66 kW @ 6000 rpm | 125 N·m (92 ft·lbf) @ 4000 rpm | MPi | DOHC | 10.5:1 |
| X16XEL(Ecotec) | 1598 cc | 74 kW @ 6200 rpm | 148 N·m (109 ft·lbf) @ 3500 rpm | MPi | DOHC | 10.5:1 |
| C18XE | 1794 cc | 92 kW @ 5600 rpm | 168 N·m (124 ft·lbf) @ 4800 rpm | MPi | DOHC | 10.8:1 |
| C18XEL (Ecotec) | 1798 cc | 85 kW @ 5400 rpm | 168 N·m (124 ft·lbf) @ 4000 rpm | MPi | DOHC | 10.8:1 |
| X18XE (Ecotec) | 1794 cc | 85 kW @ 5400 rpm | 170 N·m (125 ft·lbf) @ 3600 rpm | MPi | DOHC | 10.8:1 |
| C20XE | 1998 cc | 110 kW @ 6000 rpm | 196 N·m (145 ft·lbf) @ 4600 rpm | MPi | DOHC | 10.5:1 |
| X20XEV (Ecotec) | 1998 cc | 100 kW @ 5400 rpm | 185 N·m (136 ft·lbf) @ 4000 rpm | MPi | DOHC | 10.8:1 |
| 17D | 1699 cc | 42 kW | unknown torque data* | Bosch injection pump | SOHC | 23:1 |
| 17DR | 1699 cc | 44 kW | unknown torque data* | Bosch injection pump | SOHC | 23:1 |
| X17DTL | 1700 cc | 50 kW | 132 N·m (97 ft·lbf) @ 2400 rpm | Bosch injection pump | SOHC | 22:1 |
| X17DTL | 1686 cc | 60 kW | 168 N·m (124 ft·lbf) @ 2400 rpm | Bosch injection pump | SOHC | 22:1 |
[edit] Astra G/B
| Astra G/B | |
|---|---|
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| Also called | Chevrolet Astra Holden Astra Vauxhall Astra |
| Production | 1998–2003 (Astra) 2003–Present (Astra Classic) |
| Assembly | Antwerp, Belgium São Paulo, Brazil Struandale, Port Elizabeth, South Africa Gliwice, Poland St. Petersburg, Russia Zaporoshje, Ukraine |
| Body style(s) | 2-door convertible 2-door coupé 3-door hatchback 4-door saloon 5-door hatchback 5-door estate |
| Platform | GM GM2700/3000 platform |
| Engine(s) | 2.0L 1.6L 1.4L 1.8L 2.2L I4 |
| Transmission(s) | 5-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | 2614 mm (102.9 in) |
| Length | Hatchback: 4199 mm (165.3 in) Saloon: 4342 mm (170.9 in) |
| Width | 1989 mm (78.3 in) |
| Height | Hatchback: 1431 mm (56.3 in) Saloon: 1425 mm (56.1 in) |
| Related | Opel Zafira |
The Astra was launched in Europe in 1998. It was available as a 3 and 5-door hatchback, 4-door saloon and two special versions: the Astra Coupé and the Astra Cabrio, both of them designed and built by Bertone. The Astra G/B saw the introduction of a natural gas-powered engine. Its chassis was tuned by Lotus and formed the base of a seven-seater compact MPV, the Opel Zafira.
The manufacturing of Astra G/B continued at GM's Gliwice plant in Poland after the debut of the next-generation Astra H/C, with the older model being branded as Astra Classic in a similar fashion to its predecessor, catering to the lower end of the market. Apart from European markets, these models were sold in Australia and New Zealand as Holden Astra Classic, until they were replaced by the Holden Viva in 2006.
The Astra G/B continues as the locally-built Chevrolet Astra in Brazil. It was facelifted in 2003, and is sold in Brazil and other Latin American markets. In Brazil, the Astra G/B remains as the leader of its segment in sells since 1999.[citation needed] The GM Brazilian 2.0 8v I4 engine which equips the Astra has the "flexpower" technology, that allows the car to run on both petrol/alcohol fuels, providing 121/127 hp (G/A) @ 5.200 rpm.
A taxi version of the Brazilian sourced model, powered with diesel is sold in Chile as the Chevy Taxi, and a powered one as the Chevy Urban.[1] [2]
In 2004, GM's Russian joint venture, GM-AvtoVAZ, launched the Chevrolet Viva, a four-door version of the Astra G/B. It is sold through Chevrolet dealers in Russia, while Opel dealers sell the newer Opel Astra H/C.
[edit] Astra DTM
The Astra G series was also the basis for the Astra touring car, raced in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) series. Although several cars were entered in the races, only one, driven by Manuel Reuter, placed significantly; it took second in 2000. The car's bodywork featured gull-wing doors that were each supported by two gas struts. The race cars were mostly powered by 4.0L V8 engines with nearly 500 hp (370 kW).
[edit] Astra XTreme
The Astra XTreme, a concept presented at the 2001 Geneva motor show, was a single-production V8 powered Astra based on the G-series Astra DTM. Like the DTM race car, it featured a 4.0L V8 engine, producing 444 hp (331 kW), gull-wing doors supported by gas struts, carbon fiber panels, and race-specification interior with five-point seatbelts.
[edit] Astra H/C
| Astra H/C | |
|---|---|
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| Also called | Chevrolet Astra Holden Astra Vauxhall Astra Saturn Astra |
| Production | 2004-present |
| Assembly | Antwerp, Belgium Gliwice, Poland São Paulo, Brazil Struandale, Port Elizabeth, South Africa St. Petersburg, Russia Zaporoshje, Ukraine |
| Body style(s) | 2-door coupé convertible 3-door hatchback 4-door sedan[1] 5-door estate 5-door hatchback |
| Platform | GM Delta platform |
| Engine(s) | 1.4L I4 1.7L I4 1.6L I4 1.8L I4 1.9L I4 1.3L I4 |
| Transmission(s) | 5-speed manual 6-speed manual 4-speed automatic 6-speed automatic |
| Wheelbase | Wagon: 2703 mm (106.4 in) Convertible & Hatchback: 2614 mm (102.9 in) |
| Length | Wagon: 4515 mm (177.8 in) Convertible: 4476 mm (176.2 in) Hatchback: 4331 mm (170.5 in) |
| Width | Wagon: 1753 mm (69 in) Convertible: 1759 mm (69.3 in) Hatchback: 2032 mm (80 in) |
| Height | Wagon: 1500 mm (59.1 in) Convertible: 1411 mm (55.6 in) 5-Door Hatchback: 1458 mm (57.4 in) 3-Door Hatchback: 1418 mm (55.8 in) |
| Related | Chevrolet Cobalt Opel Zafira |
GM Europe launched Astra H/C in March 2004. Based on the then-new Delta platform,[citation needed] its size was increased compared to the previous version. Each engine is provided with its own Lotus-tuned suspension settings.[citation needed]
The Astra H/C was first launched as a five-door hatchback, which by the end of 2004 was joined by a five-door Caravan estate and a sporty three-door hatchback, designated the GTC for European markets, Sport Hatch in the UK and the Coupé in Australia. The GTC has the option of a windscreen called "panoramic windscreen" (unique for a production car at the time of its launch) which extends into the roof area.
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Chevrolet do Brazil did not launch the Astra H/C production, keeping the previous model as Chevrolet Astra sold in many South American countries (yet the newer model is sold as Chevrolet Astra in Mexico and from 2006 in Chile), but it has developed a 4-door sedan based on the Astra H/C, which has been launched as the Chevrolet Vectra in 2005. The Chevrolet Vectra utilises a longer (2.70 m - 106.3 in) wheelbase, with its platform is borrowed from the Zafira minivan. It replaced the Vectra B, which was still available in Brazil until that date. On 19 October 2006 at the international auto show in Istanbul, Turkey, Opel launched this version of the sedan, to be manufactured in Gliwice as an Opel for several Eurasian markets. At that time, a 3-door van variant of the wagon was introduced by Vauxhall in Britain. In May 2007, GM Brazil announced the launch of the 5-door Astra H/C, as the Chevrolet Vectra GT, to differentiate from the already existing Astra G/B, which will remain in production.
A first for any major European car is the availability of digital radio on some versions of the new Astra, while for the Astra product class first are electronic Continuous Damping Control (CDC) and AFL (Adaptive Forward Lighting). In 2005, the new Opel Astra Diesel-Electric Hybrid appeared. By the end of 2005, estate and coupé versions were also launched. In 2008, sales of the Astra commenced in the United States and Canada, where it is sold as the Saturn Astra.
[edit] Astra OPC/VXR
During 2005 Opel introduced the OPC version of the Astra GTC (Astra VXR in the UK) which is powered by an updated version of the 2.0 L turbo ecotec engine producing 240 PS (177 kW) and 320 N·m (236 ft·lbf) of torque. Standard features of the OPC version include sports bodykit and interior, a six-speed manual gearbox, xenon headlamps and 18" alloys wheels amongst others.
In 2006 to coincide with April Fools Day, Vauxhall announced a new piece of technology to tame its high-powered VXR models. As a response to critics who claimed the Astra VXR was too powerful, a fully-branded detachable padded mat was to be made available. This padded mat used Velcro fasteners to attach itself to the carpet beneath the accelerator pedal and prevented the throttle from being depressed fully and instantly reduced the power output to the lower levels of some rivals.
The product was cunningly named "Accelerator Pedal-Retarding Intervention Lump" (or AP-RIL), and was priced at just £104.06 (1-04-06), or 'about the same as two tanks of fool', it did not stop some half-sharp Vauxhall enthusiasts on Internet forums to insist the product was in fact real and even went as far as "confirming" the products authenticity with Vauxhall staff members.
[edit] Saturn Astra
Intended to replace the Ion as the company's smallest model, the Saturn Astra is built in Antwerp, Belgium.[2] The car is a captive import. It is available in three and five-door hatchback body styles, with sales starting on January 2, 2008 and is available with one engine only: a 1.8 L Family 1 DCVCP inline-4 cylinder gasoline engine with variable-valve technology producing 138 hp (103 kW) and with an available five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic transmission.
The Astra XE is available only on the five-door hatchback bodystyle version; this is the basic trim level for the 2008 Saturn Astra. The XR version is the more upmarket trim level of the Saturn Astra. This is the only trim level for the three-door; it is also available on the five-door hatchback bodystyles. It gets 17 inch alloy wheels.[3]
General Motors are predicting sales of between 30,000 - 40,000 vehicles a year in the United States. The Saturn Astra debuted during the 2007 Chicago Auto Show.[4][5]
[edit] Future Astra
Spy photos of the next-generation Astra surfaced on the internet on the 4th of March 2008 [6]
[edit] References
- ^ Homola, Peter (2007-08-23). GM Launches Opel Astra Sedan Output in Poland. WardsAuto.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-30.
- ^ Gastelu, Gary (2008-05-08). "2008 Saturn Astra 3-Door XR". Fox News. Retrieved on 2008-05-08.
- ^ Saturn Astra XR. Autoweek.
- ^ Saturn's next Opel: 2008 Astra. AutoWeek. Retrieved on December 7, 2006.
- ^ Inside Line: 2007 Chicago Auto Show: Saturn Takes the Wraps off Euro-Flavored 2008 Astra. Edmunds.com. Retrieved on February 8, 2007.
- ^ 2009 Opel (Holden) Astra spy photos. CarAdvice. Retrieved on March 4, 2008.
[edit] External links
- Official Astra website at opel.ie
- Official Astra website at saturn.com
- Glossary of Technology and Innovations pertaining to the Astra TwinTop.
- Chevrolet VIVA produced by GM-AVTOVAZ
- [3] Internet Movie Cars Database entry on the use of the Astra in Vantage Point)
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| Supermini | Corsa A | Corsa B | Corsa C | Corsa D | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Small family car | Kadett C | Kadett D | Kadett E | Astra F | Astra G | Astra H | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Large family car |
Ascona B | Ascona C | Vectra A | Vectra B | Vectra C | Insignia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Executive car | Rekord E/ Commodore C | Omega A | Omega B | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Luxury car | Senator A/ Monza | Senator B | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sports car |
Tigra | Tigra TwinTop | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manta B | Calibra | Speedster | GT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mini MPV |
Agila A | Agila B | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Meriva A | Meriva B | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compact MPV | Zafira A | Zafira B | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Large MPV | Sintra | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SUV | Frontera A | Frontera B | Antara | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| LCVs | Combo A | Combo B | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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