Photo: Vauxhall
You wanted an all-new Vauxhall Astra? You've got it! The British sibling of the 2015 Opel Astra K is slated to hit showrooms next month, with on-the-road pricing starting at £15,295 for the trim level commonly referred to as the "cheap & cheerful" one.
The popular compact hatchback is already on sale in the United Kingdom. A household name for British motorists, the Astra sold roughly three million units over the better part of 36 years. That tally includes 50,000 examples sold in the last year alone. According to Vauxhall, more than 25 percent of British drivers have "either owned or driven an Astra." Gee, can the peeps from Vauxhall get more delusive than this?
PR stunts aside, the 2015 Vauxhall Astra does have a few tricks up its sleeve. First and foremost, you can order it with AGR front seats that are healthy to your back and bottom. These babies are equipped with seat-width settings, ventilation, and a massage function, which is something to admire in this segment.
The lightweight platform is another highlight. Internally known as the D2XX/D2UX, this architecture is lighter, stronger, and safer than the one underpinning the old-gen Astra. Built at the Vauxhall Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire, the all-new Astra also boasts a body shell that weighs 20 percent less than the former model's skin. And we all know what dieting means in this situation – lower weight, better handling.
In terms of powertrain choices, you get turbo petrol and turbo diesel engines that range from 100 PS (73.6 kW or 99 bhp) to 200 PS (147 kW or 197 bhp), including a 1.4-liter ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo mill and a 1.6-liter CDTi Whisper Diesel oil burner. Or is it "litre" Johnny English likes to spell it?
Moving on to technological goodies, the OnStar connectivity system features a 4G LTE-capable Wi-Fi hotspot, emergency response notifications, and a stolen vehicle recovery alert. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also available via the IntelliLink touchscreen infotainment system. You can find out a lot more details about the new Astra from our first contact on the C segment's newest offering.
PR stunts aside, the 2015 Vauxhall Astra does have a few tricks up its sleeve. First and foremost, you can order it with AGR front seats that are healthy to your back and bottom. These babies are equipped with seat-width settings, ventilation, and a massage function, which is something to admire in this segment.
The lightweight platform is another highlight. Internally known as the D2XX/D2UX, this architecture is lighter, stronger, and safer than the one underpinning the old-gen Astra. Built at the Vauxhall Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire, the all-new Astra also boasts a body shell that weighs 20 percent less than the former model's skin. And we all know what dieting means in this situation – lower weight, better handling.
In terms of powertrain choices, you get turbo petrol and turbo diesel engines that range from 100 PS (73.6 kW or 99 bhp) to 200 PS (147 kW or 197 bhp), including a 1.4-liter ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo mill and a 1.6-liter CDTi Whisper Diesel oil burner. Or is it "litre" Johnny English likes to spell it?
Moving on to technological goodies, the OnStar connectivity system features a 4G LTE-capable Wi-Fi hotspot, emergency response notifications, and a stolen vehicle recovery alert. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also available via the IntelliLink touchscreen infotainment system. You can find out a lot more details about the new Astra from our first contact on the C segment's newest offering.
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