Vauxhall GTC Paris Concept

One model we were really sad to see go when General Motors killed Saturn was the Astra – and now with an exciting new successor on the way, we’re even more upset. What you’re looking at here is the Vauxhall GTC Paris Concept, a study that “gives the strongest hint yet to the Astra Sport Hatch’s successor.”

Mark Adams, Vauxhall/Opel’s Vice President of Design, has described the GTC Paris as, ‘bold, pure and iconic’ and hinted that the production model will not stray far from the aggressiveness of the concept.

Power for the Vauxhall GTC Paris comes from a 2.0L 4-cylinder turbocharged engine with direct gasoline injection and Start/Stop technology. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

We’re crossing our fingers for a Buick version. Hey, at least something like this will bring some of the ‘young’ crowd to Buick that GM is constantly looking for.

Vauxhall GTC Paris Concept:

Press Release:

GTC PARIS CONCEPT MARKS VAUXHALL’S NEXT BOLD DESIGN MOVE
07/09/10

• Three door Astra-based concept stars on Vauxhall’s Paris Show Stand
• Dynamic, sweeping lines make bold statement about Vauxhall’s design evolution
• Innovative suspension and drivetrain features hint at performance remit

Luton”“These are the first official pictures of Vauxhall’s GTC Paris Concept, which gives the strongest hint yet to the Astra Sport Hatch’s successor and is set to cause a stir when it receives its debut on September 30 at the Paris Motor Show.

Mark Adams, Vauxhall/Opel’s Vice President of Design, has described the GTC Paris as, ‘bold, pure and iconic’ in its appearance. Vauxhall has hinted that a production version will not stray far from the rakish lines of the concept, and if the GTC moniker were to be adopted, it would be the first time that a Vauxhall has been so named.

At 4.46 metres, the GTC Paris offers ample space for five people, yet still maintains a svelte and sporting appearance. Adams’ team has maximised ‘tension’ in the design by limiting the amount of lines in the car’s profile, and leaving the impression that the car’s highlights and surfacing are ‘pressed’ on to the concept’s 21-inch wheels.

Vauxhall’s signature blade mimics that on the Insignia and creates a fine, tense crease along the rocker panel. This combines with a second line running from the door handle to the rear of the car, emphasising both a fine undercut and broad shoulder. A third line following the silhouette of the roof is finished in fine brushed aluminium accentuating the window graphic and leads to a sharply accented integrated spoiler.

Slim, eagle-eye shaped headlamps, flanked by LED running lights with chrome surrounds dominate the front of the GTC Paris. A sharp centreline crease runs down the bonnet (a trademark styling cue from Vauxhalls of yore) and leads to a dramatically low trapezoidal grille incorporating a chrome emblem bar.

At the rear, the imposing features of the concept are enhanced with LED tail lights, showcasing a long, stretched ‘wing’ night time graphic.

Underpinning the GTC Paris is a specially designed chassis with an extra-wide stance. Hinting at the car’s power potential is an electronic limited slip differential and an updated version of Vauxhall’s FlexRide adaptive damping system. The new Astra’s unique compound crank / Watt’s link rear suspension provides excellent packaging and secure, driver-focused dynamics.

A four-cylinder, 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, with direct petrol injection and Start/Stop technology is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, providing drivers with high levels of performance and fuel efficiency.

More details about the GTC Paris Concept will be revealed before the Paris Motor Show.

- By: Kap Shah

After a little leak yesterday, GM has finally released all the details, images and a video of the 2010 Opel Astra (known as the 2010 Vauxhall Astra in the UK). The slightly longer (71mm wheelbase) Opel Astra will make its world debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show in Sept. as a five-door hatchback.

Opel says that the powertrain lineup will feature eight Euro 5 compliant engines including four gasoline engines and four diesel engines.

The gasoline engines range from a 1.4L to a 1.6L with outputs ranging from 100-hp to 180-hp. A new downsized 140-hp 1.4L Turbo replaces the 1.8L. The diesel lineup includes a range of CDTI turbo-diesel units with outputs ranging from 95-hp to 160-hp. Besides the lowest entry-level model, all 2010 Opel and Vauxall Astras are mated to a 6-speed transmissions.

Pricing and availability details will be announced closer to launch. As many of you know by now, when Saturn is phased out or sold by the end of this year, Buick will get the Astra in 2011.

Click through for the press release, high-res image gallery and the video.

2010 Opel Astra:

2010 Opel Astra in Action:

Press Release:

New Opel Astra: The First Class Compact

- Upscale: Exceptional technologies and innovations in the compact class
- Spirited: Athletic sculptured design promises a thrilling driving experience
- Agile: New mechatronic chassis raises bar in class for handling and comfort

Rüsselsheim. Integrating German engineering excellence, fluid sculptural design and accessible innovative technologies, the new Opel Astra captures the philosophy which quickly made the Insignia Europe’s best-selling mid-sized sedan. Opel’s new compact will premiere September 17 in Frankfurt at the IAA as a dynamic five-door hatchback with elegant touches that profits from the best of Opel engineering for a thrilling driving experience.

The next generation 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.

“Opel’s unique expertise of making new technologies accessible in compact cars is really highlighted with this tenth generation. In addition, the new Astra carries the spirit of the Insignia into the compact segment with unprecedented passion and commitment to excellence,” says Alain Visser, Vice President of Opel.

At 4.42 meters, the new Astra offers increased passenger space and wellness in both the front and rear thanks to a 71 mm longer wheel base. Its slim and sleek body is designed for maximum efficiency in close collaboration between the designers and aerodynamic engineers who put the car through 600 hours of testing in a wind tunnel.

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. The brand’s new design language – sculptural artistry combined with German precision – is now seen in a different way.

“The design themes 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. “This is why you see double wings 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 interior uses the same wing and blade design cues as the exterior, creating harmony inside and out. A special effort, too, has been made to add multiple flexible storage solutions.

“Opel’s mission to make high tech innovations accessible has proven to be successful in the Insignia. We’ve set ourselves an even more ambitious goal in bringing most of these features to the compact segment with the new Astra,” says Hans Demant, Managing Director of Opel.

Developed in Rüsselsheim, Germany, the Opel Astra also comes with an all-new chassis. Its longer wheelbase combines with wider tracks and a new rear axle construction to further enhance agility and stability with no compromise to comfort.

The Opel Astra’s chassis has been developed as a mechatronic system that fully integrates mechanical functions and electronic controls. Like the Insignia, it can come with the clever Opel FlexRide electronic driving system, a rarity in this class, which offers the driver three settings – standard, Sport and Tour – while being fully and continuously adaptive to changes in driving style and cornering speed.

Other innovative technical features introduced to the compact class by the new Astra:

* A new generation of bi-xenon Advanced Forward Lighting (AFL+) that changes its intensity and reach to suit prevailing drive and road conditions using nine different lighting functions.
* The Opel Eye front camera system, which recognizes road signs and warns the driver when the car inadvertently departs from its lane.
* Ergonomic front seats, developed for optimal back support and safety.

The powertrain line-up focuses on efficient performance and features eight Euro 5 compliant engines. All except the lowest powered units are equipped with six-speed transmissions. One new compact automatic gear box with Active Select function, for a clutch-free selection, will debut.

The CDTI turbo diesel line-up includes four common-rail, multiple injection units from 1.3 to 2.0 liter with outputs ranging from 70 kW/95 hp to 118 kW/160 hp. All are equipped with a Diesel Particulate Filter. An ecoFLEX version with particularly low fuel consumption and CO2 emissions will naturally be part of the program.

The four gasoline engines with 1.4 and 1.6 liter give a power bandwidth from 74 kW/100 hp to 132 kW/180 hp. A new, downsized 103 kW/140 hp 1.4 Turbo replaces the current naturally-aspirated 1.8. Thanks to exceptional high-tech features in this displacement range, the 1.4 Turbo develops 14 percent more torque yet maintains sensibly lower fuel consumption.

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.

- By: Kap Shah

The 2010 Opel Astra has been leaked prior to its world debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

The 2010 Opel Astra will be build on the same platform as the “upcoming” Chevrolet Cruze and Volt with design influenced by the Opel Insignia. The powertrain lineup will feature an entry-level 1.4L 4-cylinder with output ranging from 120-hp to 140-hp. Also available for the European market will be a range of diesel engines including a 1.3L, 1.7L and a 2.0L turbocharged engine. An ecoFlex model is expected to join the lineup in 2010.

Sales of the 2010 Opel Astra 5-door variant will start early next year with a 3-door and wagon model in early 2011. Recent reports suggest that with Saturn ending production later this year, Buick will be getting Astra in 2011 as a 2012 model year.

2010 Opel Astra:

- By: Kap Shah

Source: GM (via Jalopnik)

Sometime last week, I was discussing the future of Saturn and the death of Pontiac with a friend. He mentioned how it broke his heart that the Saturn Astra, which just came to the stateside, will most likely be forced out of production. Of course, it is widely known that if Saturn lived to see the future, it would have eventually become the Opel for North America, featuring products from GM’s German division.

It seems like there may still be hope out there for the Astra to stay in the stateside. According to sources at GM Inside News the Astra is going to be rebadged as a Buick. Sources said that the Astra has been approved by the GM Product Board to become a part of the North American Buick lineup.

However, the Astra has not been approved for Buick in China, which enjoyed a 63.6 percent growth in the month of April.

Sources say that the Buick Astra will be built at GM’s Lordstown, OH plant or at its new San Luis Potosi, Mexico facility. Production will start in December of 2011 for the 2012 model year.

No word on whether Buick will keep the Astra name or which variants of the Astra Buick will get.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: GMI