VW Golf has lost its historic market leadership in Europe this year, to the new generation of Fiesta. In addition, Volkswagen’s sales champion will not be threatened solely by Ford’s smaller hatchback in light of the fact that the new generation Opel Astra has been presented. The sixth generation is so similar to the Insignia it certainly deserves the same successful pathway its older brother is leaving behind.

Built based on the new Delta platform, the same one already used by Cruze and that which the Chevrolet Volt will eventually be based on, the new Astra is 4.40 m long and has a wheelbase of 2.69 m. Engines will be the 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre petrol units, and the diesel powerplants will be 1.3-litre, 1.7-litre and 2-litre.

Among the petrol powered engines, there will be a naturally aspirated 100 bhp 1.4-litre, a turbocharged 1.4-litre with 120 bhp and 175 Nm, a turbocharged 1.4-litre 140 bhp and 200 Nm and a 180 bhp 1.6-litre engine. Among diesel units, all of them turbocharged, there will be a 95 bhp 1.3-litre, a 110 bhp 1.7-litre and two units of the 2-litre, one producing 13o bhp and the other 160 bhp.

Although the new Astra was expected to adopt an independent multilink rear suspension, it kept its torsion beam. The five-door version, the first to be presented, will be followed by the three-door (GTC), by the coupe-cabriolet, by the station wagon, by the minivan (Zafira, if you prefer) and a saloon.

Readers that are paying careful attention will find it odd to have two sedans over the same Delta platform, but truth is Opel will soon split from GM. That explains the Astra Sedan, which tends to be much more attractive than the Cruze. GM may escape bankrupcy, but won’t regret selling Opel, even more so with Insignia and Astra. The new hatchback will be presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show, in September.

Opel Astra 2010

Source | CarScoop

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