Opel Astra

The Opel Astra is a small family car engineered and manufactured by the German automaker Opel since 1991.

It is branded as Vauxhall Astra in the United Kingdom, the Buick Excelle XT in China and the Chevrolet Astra/Vectra in Latin America. The Saturn Astra was also built for the American and Canadian market, but sales were discontinued in 2009 due to the discontinuation of GM's Saturn marque. The Holden Astra was also discontinued in Australia in 2009 due to exchange rates making the car uncompetitive, and was replaced by the Holden Cruze. It is planned to return it to the Australian market in 2012 as the Opel Astra.^[1] The Chevrolet Vectra (Astra H) was also discontinued in Latin America and was also replaced by the Chevrolet Cruze.

The Astra is now built in China, Germany , the United Kingdom, Brazil and Poland, as well as being assembled from complete knock down (CKD) kits in other countries.

Naming convention

The Astra nameplate originates from Vauxhall who had manufactured and marketed earlier generations of the Opel Kadett (the Kadett D (1979–1984) and Kadett E (1984–1991)) as Vauxhall Astra. Subsequent GM Europe policy standardised model nomenclature in the early 1990s whereby model names were the same in all markets regardless of whether the vehicle was being sold as an Opel or a Vauxhall.

As of 2009, there have been four generations of the Astra. In a fashion typical for Opel they are designated with subsequent letters of the Latin alphabet. Opel's official convention is that the Astra is a logical continuation of the 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.

Astra F

The Opel Astra F debuted in October 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 a estate (wagon) known as the Caravan and available with five doors only, bringing Opel's run of three-door wagons to an end at long last. A cabriolet was also offered, designed and built by Bertone in Italy. This car was offered in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Turkey with the name Astra Classic from 1998 to 2002. The Astra F finished production in 1998.

The model was launched in Europe and South Africa in 1991. In South Africa it was produced under licence by Delta. However, the Kadett name was retained for the Astra hatchback until 1999. The South African Astra included a variant with a 2.0 L turbocharged engine called the Opel Astra 200t S. The 200t S was a specific name where Delta Motor Corporation wanted to show the specialty of the type, which could beat the M3 in a quarter mile in that time. The 200t S stands for: 200 for the horsepower, t for the turbocharger and S for the six speed transmission which was unique in its class at those ages. Both engine and chassis was produced in limited numbers (250 only) in both sedan and hatchback guise in Opel's Hungarian factory at Szentgotthárd. The engine (C20LET) in the Opel Astra 200t S was sourced from the Opel Calibra and Opel Vectra A 4x4 2.0 16V turbo, 4 wheel drive found on European markets, but local engineers converted the 6 speed, 4 wheeldrive drivetrain (Getrag F28) to front wheel drive only and as such was unique to that market. Sedan, hatchback 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 centilitres, so the Astra and Kadett ranges featured 140, 160i, 180i and 200i models.

The Opel 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 later models were imported from Belgium. The Holden Astra name had previously been used on rebadged Nissan Pulsar models from 1984 to 1989.

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 . The second generation was manufactured in Brazil.

The Opel 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.

Aside from the South Africa-only Opel Astra 200t S, the lead model was the GSi — a 2.0 L I4 16V petrol injected model with 151 hp (110 kW), available as a 3-door only. It also featured sports bodykit and widened front seats in the interior. However, this was substituted in 1995 and was renamed as SPORT, although only a limited number were produced and the bodykit was removed also and it could be selected with the lower-powered, but more modern 'Ecotec' version, the X20XEV (136 hp, 100 kW) parallel with the C20XE. In Europe from 1994 all Astra models were offered with the 2.0 L 16V ECOTEC X20XEV parallel with the 2.0 L 8V (C20NE) engine, but the 3-door and station wagon models could be selected with the 151 hp (110 kW) C20XE engine. After the Astra F series has been replaced by the new generation Astra G in 1998, the also called "REDTOP" C20XE engine was written off by Opel.

Awards

1992 – Semperit Irish Car of the Year

1993 & 1994 – South African Car of the Year

Engines

Petrol

Diesel

Astra G

The Astra G was launched in Europe in 1998, though sketches of the car can be seen as early as 1992. It was available as a 3 and 5-door liftback, 4-door saloon, 5-door station wagon and two special versions: the Astra Coupé and the Astra Cabrio, both of them designed and built by Bertone. The Astra G 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 continued at Opel's Gliwice plant in Poland after the debut of the next-generation Astra H, with the older model being branded as Astra Classic in a similar fashion to its predecessor, catering to the lower end of the market. This car was offered in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Turkey with the name Astra Classic II from 2004 to the end 2009. 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 continues as the locally-built Chevrolet Astra in Brazil. It was facelifted in 2003, and is sold in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and other Latin American markets. In Brazil, the Astra G/B remains as the leader of its segment in sales since 1999. 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 128/140 hp (G/A) at 5200 rpm.

A taxi version of the Brazilian sourced model, powered with gasoline 2.0 engine was sold in Chile as the Chevy Urban.^[5][6]

In 2004, GM's Russian joint venture, GM-AvtoVAZ, launched the GM-AvtoVAZ Chevrolet Viva, a four-door version of the Astra G/B. It was sold through Chevrolet dealers in Russia, while Opel dealers were (and are, as of July 2008) selling the newer Opel Astra H/C. Sales were poor from the start due to high pricing: the only version launched was equipped with a 1.8L engine with an above-average trim level, placing the Viva's price above the Toyota Corolla.^[7] A project costing $340 million was selling less than a thousand cars annually^[7] (801 cars in 2007);^[8] rumours of shutting down Chevy Viva production circulated as early as summer of 2005.^[9] GM-AvtoVAZ shut down small-scale production of the Viva in March 2008.^[7]

V8 Coupe in DTM

The Astra G series Coupé look was used for the V8 powered dedicated race cars in the DTM series. These DTM cars are purpose built race cars with barely any parts taken form the road cars save for lights or door handles. The car's bodywork featured gull-wing doors that were each supported by two gas struts. The race cars were powered by 4.0L V8 engines with nearly 500 hp (370 kW). Opel did poorly during several season of DTM as only Manuel Reuter placed significantly in the championship once, taking second in the inaugural season 2000. Opel won the 24h Nürburgring in 2003, though.

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 4.0 litres (240 cu in) 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.

Astra H

The Opel Astra H was launched in March 2004 as a five-door hatchback, whilst a five-door estate launched late 2004 and a sporty three-door hatchback, designated the GTC (Gran Tourismo Compact) for European markets , Sport Hatch in the UK and the Coupé in Australia, launched in 2005. 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. This Astra is currently sold alongside the Astra J in the UK.

Based on the then-new Delta platform, its size was increased compared to the previous version.

In the 2005 European Car of the Year contest, the Astra H was just edeged out by the top three, Toyota Prius, Citroën C4 and the Ford Focus.

In 2005, a Diesel-Electric Hybrid prototype was presented but not put into production, whilst the aging Vectra B was replaced in Brazil with a sedan version of the Astra H, named Chevrolet Vectra. The model was matched with the others models offered in Brazil. This version was offered as an Opel in some Eurasian markets in 2006,following a debut at the international auto show in Istanbul, Turkey. This was manufactured in Gliwice, Poland.^[11] Also in 2006, the Astravan, a 3-door van variant of the estate, was launched.

In September 2007, a version of the 5-door Astra was launched in Brazil, marketed as Chevrolet Vectra GT to differentiate from the already existing Astra G, which remains in production with a lower price.

In 2008, the Astra sedan was launched in Ireland as the Opel Astra Saloon, one of the countries in Western Europe where it was sold.^[12] In Spain it is sold as Astra "Sedán".

GM Russia launched SKD assembly of Astra on a temporary production site near Saint Petersburg in February 2008, with a potential capacity of 25,000 vehicles annually.^[13]

The Chevrolet Astra was withdrawn from Mexico in 2008 as a result of withdrawal of Opel products from the brand, replaced by the Chevrolet Cruze sedan for the 2010 model year.

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).

OPC

During 2005 Opel introduced the OPC version of the Astra GTC (Sold as the Astra VXR in the UK) which is powered by an updated version of the 2.0 L turbo ecotec engine (Z20 LEH) producing 240 PS (177 kW, 237 bhp) and 320 N·m (236 lb·ft) of torque. Standard features of the OPC / VXR version include sports bodykit and recaro interior, a six-speed manual gearbox, xenon headlamps and 18" alloy wheels amongst others. This vehicle was sold until late 2009 in Australia and New Zealand by Holden Special Vehicles as the HSV VXR. HSV VXRs are sold as standard with full leather trim, climate control, 6 disc CD and 19" alloy wheels. HSV VXRs were badged as per the UK Vauxhall Spec models, but without the usual rear boot badge. Inside the Opel blitz appears on the steering wheel with an OPC dashboard.

TwinTop

In 2006, the Astra TwinTop arrived. The "TwinTop" name also applies to the smaller Tigra refers to a folding hard-top coupé version of the car. In the case of the Astra, the TwinTop has a three-part folding metal roof which sits in the upper half of the boot space, leaving considerable luggage space below it. Still marketed as a four-seater, the rear seating space is smaller than a "normal" Astra. The TwinTop was available in three trim levels with a range of engines in each, including a 200 PS (147 kW; 197 hp) 2.0L turbo and the 1.9CDTi diesel in 150PS form.

Chevrolet Vectra Stock Car

In Brazil, Chevrolet Vectra (Astra H) substituted the Chevrolet Astra on Stock Car.The V8 is still the same, apart that now they use Ethanol instead of Petrol.

Saturn Astra

The Saturn Astra debuted during the 2007 Chicago Auto Show.^[14][15] Intended to replace the Ion as the brand's smallest model, the Saturn Astra was a captive import built in Antwerp, Belgium.^[16] It was offered in three and five-door hatchback body styles, with sales starting on January 2, 2008. Only one engine was available: 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 was available only on the five-door hatchback bodystyle version; this was the basic trim level for the Saturn Astra. The upmarket XR trim level was available in both the three and five-door hatchback. 17-inch (430 mm) alloy wheels were standard.^[17]

In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests the Astra earned a Good overall score in frontal impacts, while in side impacts it received a Marginal overall rating. Front and rear head curtain airbags and front seat-mounted torso airbags were standard.^[18]

General Motors predicted sales of between 30,000–40,000 vehicles a year in the United States. Due to a large number of unsold 2008 & 2009 remaining on dealer lots, GM announced it would end production of the Saturn Astra.^[19] Fewer 2009 model Saturn Astras were imported to the United States, with a majority of the final Saturn Astras imported to Canada. On June 5, 2009, GM announced it was selling the Saturn Corporation to Penske Automotive Group. Under the terms of the ultimately aborted deal GM would have continued to produce Saturn Aura, Vue, and Outlook models for two years, expressly excluding the Astra. Production of the Saturn Astra effectively ended. The Chevrolet Cruze serves as a de facto successor for the Saturn Astra, as the Chevrolet Cruze went on sale as a 2011 model.

Astra J

The Astra J is based on the General Motors' Delta II platform and debuted at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show in Frankfurt.^[22][23] The car has taken most of its styling from the new Opel Insignia, with many of the higher options fitted as standard. Full production came on line at Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port Plant at the end of September 2009. Deliveries began in December 2009.

The Astra features a torsion beam rear suspension with Watt's link.^[24]

The Estate version of the Astra - dubbed the 'Sports Tourer' by Opel, debuted at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, and went on sale shortly afterwards, with a starting of £16,575 for the ES version, then Exclusiv, SRI and SE versions, with the SE costing from £20,345. This is cheaper than the previous estate, but has more kit.

Presently, Vauxhall are selling this model along with the previous generation Astra Sport Hatch and Twintop.

Shanghai GM launched the Chinese specification of the Opel Astra, which is badged as the Buick Excelle XT. This car went on sale in January 2010. Three engines have been announced: Ecotec D-VVT 1.6L, 1.8L and 1.6T.

The Opel Astra came third in the European Car of the Year award in 2010.

The Astra was developed at Opel's European Design Center in Rüsselsheim, continues the evolution of Opel's design language, ‘sculptural artistry meets German precision’ first introduced on the Insignia and won the red dot Design Award 2010.

GTC

A 3-door version dubbed Astra GTC has been introduced in July 2011. It will feature a HiPerStrut front suspension from the Opel Insignia OPC and Buick LaCrosse which will help aleviate torque steering. The wheelbase is enhanced to accommodate wider low-profile tyres. Similarily to the Astra H GTC, a 'panoramic windscreen' option is available.

OPC

The OPC trim of the Astra GTC will be available since 2012. The car will feature a turbocharged 2.0 L direct injection engine with a power of 206 kW (280 PS; 276 hp) and torque of 400 N·m (300 lb·ft), a limited slip differential, an electronically controlled FlexRide active suspension, and sport seats from Recaro. ^[25]

Engines

Engines are available with the 5-speed or 6-speed manual transmission. The only optional available automatic transmission is the 6-speed with active select mode, which can be ordered for the 1.4 turbo ecotec, 1.6 ecotec, 1.6 turbo ecotec and 2.0 CDTI ecotec depending on region. From 2011, Start/Stop was introduced in certain countries on some models. It is expected to be on all models by mid 2012. [Engines with (S/S) are in bold in CO2 column]. The engines are Family 0/Family 1/Family II (gasoline), and MultiJet/Circle L (diesel).

Motorsport

The Astra has been used in auto racing around the globe, in particular in touring car racing. Its highest success were achieved in the British Touring Car Championship (see BTC-T Vauxhall Astra Coupe). The Astra Coupe soon became successful car in British Touring Car Championship history after taking both 1st and 2nd in the BTCC in 2001, 2002, 2003 & 2004 with it also managing to take the Teams and Manufacturers Championships at the same time. During its 4 years in the hands of the works VXRacing team it was almost invincible. after 2004, it was decided that Vauxhall would retire the Astra Coupe and move on to the Mark 5 Astra Sport Hatch for the next two years. The newer cars struggled to match the coupe's pace and were beaten by the Hondas and SEATs on many occasions. Yvan Muller was runner-up and Colin Turkington sixth in 2005. Fabrizio Giovanardi finished fifth, Gavin Smith seventh and Tom Chilton eight the next season. For 2007, VX Racing dropped the Astra in favour of the Vectra C. Due to the reliability and speed of the cars, they were used by many independent teams such as GA Motorsport, Collards Motorsport, Thurlby Motors and Arkas Racing for the next few years with one car entered this year by Martin Johnson.

In 2002, 2003 and 2006, three different drivers were European Rallycross Champions in the Division 2 driving Astras. The 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008 runner-ups also raced in that car. Christian Ledesma was 2004 TC 2000 champion with an Astra and Matías Rossi took that title in 2006 and 2007.

The Astra has been used in the shape of silhouette racing cars as well. It was featured in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters from 2000 to 2003 (Manuel Reuter was runner-up in 2000) and the Stock Car Brasil from 2004 to 2008 (Giuliano Losacco won the tournament in 2004 and 2005). In 2009, the Astra B body was replaced Stock Car Brasil by a Vectra, which is in fact the same as the European Astra C.

References

External links

• Opel Astra Webspecial
• Opel Astra GTC Webspecial
• Official Astra website (Ireland)
• Official Astra website (South Africa)
• Glossary of Technology and Innovations pertaining to the Astra TwinTop