After taking a dig at the Audi A1 and its supposedly disappointing sales results so far, German magazine Automobilwoche is also citing the new Opel Astra as a flop for 2010. The take on the Astra comes with comparison of the Volkswagen Golf, which has vastly outstripped the former in sales for this year. On the local German market, Astra sold 65,472 units in the last year against the 234,135 Golfs that were sold. From November 2009 to November 2010, those Astra sales represent just 28 percent of the Golf sales.

Opel sales chief for Germany Alain Visser has admitted that the Astra sales are (unsurprisingly for us) inferior to those of the Golf, but says that the company will be focusing on its new Astra Sports Tourer station wagon in the new year. The Sports Tourer apparently represents 50 percent of overall Astra sales and this compact wagon is more than a significant competitor for the Golf Variant.

The Opel Astra fares better against the Volkswagen Golf on some other European markets, while across Europe over the last year the Astra has sold 254,773 units to the Golf’s 533,009. That makes for a percentage of about 48 percent, which is far healthier than on the local German market. It still puts the Astra behind the Golf but the latter has always reigned as Europe’s favourite hatchback so the figures are not exactly ground breaking. What will be interesting to see is how the Sports Tourer goes in the future.

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The Opel GTC Paris Concept shown at the 2010 Paris Motor Show is just the first in a couple of big models from Opel that went on display at the event. The GTC Concept, as already discussed at length, is the precursor to what we’ll see when the new Astra GTC sports model is revealed. The concept is perhaps more interesting from a design point of view than anything else, but it currently has a 2.0 turbo engine with 290 hp, direct injection, start&stop system and a six-speed manual gearbox.

It appeared alongside the new Astra Sports Tourer, which should prove to continue the success of this model for the company. Unlike the Volkswagen Passat, which comes across as anonymous and perhaps on the verge of falling behind the times, the Sports Tourer has managed to keep the pace with updated design. Opel likes to focus on the fancy FlexFold seats as a key feature, but really this is one overall practical model with a boot that ranges from 500 to 1,550 litres of capacity and the FlexRide adaptative chassis system.

The Astra Sports Tourer will be available from 2011 with start&stop system and the 1.3-litre CDTI ecoFlex engine option (more on that after the jump) will also appear in the future. The engine range otherwise includes the 1.4 turbo with 120 hp and 140 hp and a number of diesel options from the 1.3 CDTI, to the 1.7 CDTI with 110 or 125 hp and the 2.0 CDTI with 160 hp. The more powerful petrol and diesel engines are available with automatic transmission.

Continue reading: Opel GTC Paris Concept, Astra Sports Tourer and ecoFlex models pics and details

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The Opel GTC Paris Concept was the first cab off the rank at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. This gallery shows the Astra GTC prototype in all its red, shiny glory, and demonstrates the talent of designer Mark Adams. He has slowly been modernising the brand and this sexy sports concept shows the new dynamic design that Opel has been adopting.

Alongside the GTC Paris Concept is the Opel Astra Sports Tourer which could prove to be a remarkably successful model for the company. Photos of it were released a few months ago but this is the first world debut of the Sports Tourer and seeing it live shows just what a tough competitor in its segment it might prove. The Astra Sports Tourer has a FlexRide chassis and will provide start&stop technology and the 1.3 CDTi ecoFLEX engine from 2011. Of all the banal things that most catches our attention though are the cool and practical FlexFold seats - what more could we want from a station wagon?

The GTC Paris Concept has been described by Mark Adams as the most exciting Opel ever. A phrase from Jonathan Livingston Seagull has been embroidered into the seats: “and the speed was pure beauty”. Some elements of the car will clearly stay in the prototype phase (like the enormous 21-inch wheels) but overall this concept represents most of what we’ll see on the Astra GTC. It is 4.46 metres long and has a 2.0-litre turbo engine with 290 hp.

Continue reading: Opel GTC Paris Concept and Astra sports tourer live at 2010 Paris motor show

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Here we get to see the new Opel Astra Sports Tourer with official pics as it’s finally been presented by the company after a debut at last year’s Paris show in October. For the Sports Tourer video preview, see our previous post. The Astra Sports Tourer is very close to the hatchback it’s based on and will be available in Europe with a full eight options in the engine range.

The engines range from the 1.3 CDTI with 95 hp, to the 1.6 turbo petrol with 180 hp. A brand new option is available for the 1.4 turbo with a new powerstep of 120 hp, which now appears alongside the 1.4 with 140 hp, and which will eventually replace the 1.6 aspirated with 115 hp. The new unit will have a six-speed manual gearbox, the same as can be found on the other fuel models. The other new feature for the Astra Sports Tourer is a six-speed automatic gearbox which appears on the 1.4 turbo engine with 140 hp. More details after the jump.

The diesel range for the Sports Tourer starts with the entry level 1.3 CDTI with 95 hp, and then includes: the 1.4 CDTI with 110 and 125 hp, and the 2.0 CDTI with 160 hp. The new six-speed automatic gearbox is also available on the latter model and should prove a good combination for this car.

Opel Astra Sports Tourer

Continue reading: Opel Astra Sports Tourer unveiled: all the pics

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This video reveals the new Opel Astra Sports Tourer in all its glory. It has been a popular model for the company, and the new version should continue its success. We’ll have more news later with official pics and details (the images below are of the Vauxhall Astra Sport Tourer which is the same model), but in the meantime, enjoy the funky video above.

Continue reading: Opel Astra Sports Tourer video preview

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The much-anticipated Opel Astra Sports Tourer is on its way and these spy shots with limited camouflage show what the new wagon will be like. Keeping the sports style of the Astra, the Sports Tourer also has the sloped look of the Opel Insignia with a chunky rear door.

The Astra Sports Tourer will debut at the 2010 Paris Motor Show and will be market-ready straight after. It’s main rival is the new Ford Focus Wagon, which was unveiled as a concept at the Geneva show but which is also ready to be presented, quite possibly at Paris as well.

Source | SpyShots.nl

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After the first spy shots of the Opel Astra Sports Tourer emerged in March, here is the first spy video of the station wagon model which was taken as the car underwent testing at the Nurburgring. The Astra Sports Tourer will be presented this summer with its official photos, after which its first public debut will be at the 2010 Paris Motor Show in autumn.

The Astra Sports Tourer is similar in the rear to the larger Insignia Sports Tourer model, although it does seem to be a sportier and more aggressive wagon model. The underlying platform is slightly longer than the Astra sedan while the engine range will be exactly that of the Astra five-door model that was recently launched.

The new Opel Astra is certainly enjoying some success and after the Sports Tourer model is presented, we will also see the sports three-door version followed by the Astra cabriolet (to return to a classic soft top model), and another sedan model which will appear under Buick in the US.

Opel Astra Sports Tourer spy shots

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Here’s a rendering of the Opel Astra Sports Tourer, with the Astra station wagon expected to be one of the most important Opel models to appear in 2010. After the Insignia adopted the “sports tourer” name, the Astra will also take it up, while the car itself is expected to be assembled at the Vauxhall facilities of Ellesmere Port in England.

The Astra Sports Tourer should see Opel increase sales on the back of the successful new Astra, which has already achieved more than 45,000 orders. The Opel Astra range will extend from the standard hatchback model, to the station wagon and also an Astra coupé, which could appear under the historic “Calibra” name.

Source | Autoweek.nl

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After the official launch of the new Vauxhall Astra, we’re seeing the first renderings of the Astra station wagon, a successful model for Opel. It will also be called a Sports Tourer, in line with the Insignia model and broadening that family for the Vauxhall line.

The new Astra Sports Tourer will be about ten centimetres longer than the hatch back version, improving its comfort and boot room, aimed at customers who are in the market for a new family car. It will feature the FlexRide system of electronic suspension control and Adaptive Bi-Xenon lights will be available. The Astra Sports Tourer will debut in 2010.

Source | MotorAuthority

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