As you may well imagine, Volkswagen did very nicely in the European market for 2009, as did Opel and Ford (and there’s no prizes for guessing for which models). There are a couple of surprises though, with Fiat doing very well, but not with the Fiat 500, which makes a nice change, and Peugeot and Renault put in appearances as well. Check out Europe’s top ten cars for 2009 after the jump.

Continue reading: Europe's top ten cars for 2009

The new Opel Meriva has debuted, with these first official Meriva pics showing the compact people mover in its production version. It is based on the Meriva concept car from the 2008 Geneva motor show, and will be available on the European market in summer.

The 2010 Meriva will be slightly larger in dimension than the model it’s replacing, particular in terms of interior space. The famous FlexDoors are the biggest novelty on the new model, for excellent access in and out of the car, while the rear doors can still function independently.

The interior also features a “FlexSpace” function for rapid changing of the distribution of the interior, and a rear “FlexFix” system, previously seen on the Opel Corsa and Antara, enables for easy carriage of bicycles. It will also appear on the new Opel Astra.

Opel Meriva 2010

Continue reading: Opel Meriva official pics

Opel experienced positive sales in 2009, reaching second place in its in local German market ahead of Mercedes and BMW. The results come despite the uncertainty over its possible sale and then reverse decision by General Motors to keep the precious European brand. While helped on the way by the German government, Opel still managed a sales increase of 31 percent.

Which begs the question of why GM was so bent on selling the brand in the first place. While we ponder that, 2010 is looking like a positive year with the new Opel Astra heading for success and new business plans on the table that should hopefully prove sensible.

Moving ahead, 2011 will see just one Opel sports model available in the range, in the form of the Opel Astra coupe. The coupe will be a true sports model, and not just a reinterpretation of the five-door version, and we could even see a possible re-birth of the Opel Calindra. Currently, the Opel Tigra and Opel GT are on stand by with no promises that they will appear on the product list next year.

Source | Auto Motor und Sport

Continue reading: Opel Astra coupe only sports model for 2011

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

Continue reading: Opel Astra sports tourer rendering

The new Opel Astra now has a new bodykit from Irmscher, which was originally presented at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The German tuning company has always specialised in Opel models, and has changed the look of the new Astra, without modifying the technical or mechanical aspects.

The Irmscher Astra kit includes 20-inch wheels, or an 18-inch option is available if you want something smaller. The front of the Astra takes on a different grille design, and new look spoiler and side skirts. The rear now includes a spoiler on the roof, and a redesigned rear bumper to accommodate the diffuser and the two or four exhaust outlet. The Irmscher kit lowers the Astra by 30 mm, and on the insider we get leather seats, door panels and central arm rest, with the final touch of aluminium pedals.

Continue reading: Irmscher bodykit for new Opel Astra

The Auto Trophy 2009 awards have been given by Auto Zeitung after reader surveys of about 105,000 participants. Obviously the local German cars were very successful, with Audi taking home a total of 40 percent of votes across all categories, but there have been a couple of surprises, too.

A special mention goes to the Opel Astra for its quality-price ratio, while the new BMW 1 Series won the best advertising campaign award. Across the categories, readers voted on 370 different models in total. In the small car category, the Volkswagen Polo won with 32.9 percent, while for imported small cars the Fiat 500 won with 20.6 percent. Among the mid-size range was the Volkswagen Golf 6, and for imported cars in this category, the Skoda Octavia won a divided contest, with 18.5 percent of votes.

The mid-size, top range cars featured some of the larger German models, with the Audi A5 Sportback winning with 27.2 percent of votes, and the Volvo V70 winning in the imported category. The luxury category was dominated by the Mercedes E-Class with 42.7 percent of votes, while the Jaguar XF took the title for imported vehicles. Among the flagship models, the Porsche Panamera won and the Aston Martin Rapide won in the imported category with 33.7 percent.

Continue reading: Auto Zeitung Auto Trophy: SLS AMG top supercar

The Car of the Year prizes have been dominated by the Germans with many being awarded one of Autobild’s “Golden Steering Wheel” awards. The Porsche Panamera won the luxury car category, beating the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes S Class, while the medium to large sedan category was won by the Audi A5 Sportback, followed by the BMW 5-Series GT and the Mercedes E Class.

Among the compact class, a nice win for the new Opel Astra, beating the Skoda Yeti, which came in second ahead of the Renault Megane. In its sector, the Renault Scenic emerged ahead of the Toyota Verso and Peugeot 5008, and among the small cars the Volkswagen Polo won over the Citroen C3 and Hyundai i20. The Toyota Prius took out the ecological prize, followed by the Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion and the Mercedes S400 Hybrid.

The supercar category was dominated by the new Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing, followed by the Audi R8 Spider and the Aston Martin One-77. The finalists for overall COTY are the Citroën C3 Picasso, Mercedes-Benz E-class, Opel Astra, Peugeot 3008, Skoda Yeti, Toyota iQ and Volkswagen Polo. Take your bets now…

Continue reading: Golden Steering wheel car of the year prizes: SLS AMG supercar of the year

According to the 2009 Internet Auto Award from AutoScout24, Europe’s favourite car is the Opel Insignia. We perhaps would have placed our bets on the Opel Astra, but clearly a sedan is still more popular than a hatchback.

The trophy is known as the ‘Carolina’ and was accepted by the company at an awards ceremony in Munich. Carl-Peter Forster, chairman of the Supervisory Board of Adam Opel GmbH, said: “This new award for the Insignia proves that our blend is right: sporty, elegant design combined with innovative technology. The new Opel philosophy also resonates with the customer.”

Opel has already sold more than 150,000 Insignia in Europe, and the Astra is also a big-selling model for the company, taking up a third of its sales volume. It begs the question as to why General Motors really wants to sell the brand, and whether the sales success with this model design will continue with new owners. Opel Insignia OPC in the pics.

Continue reading: Opel Insignia Europe's favourite car

Here’s a video of the new Opel Astra for 2010. It’s looking sparky and should certainly pep-up the compact and hatchback market in Europe. Opel is counting on the Astra continuing as a sales success, with a third of all Opel/Vauxhall sales gained from this model alone.

The Astra is building on its reputation as a sporty but comfortable hatchback, and footage here shows a lovely looking interior bordering on luxurious. Eight engines will be available from the launch, with powersteps ranging from 70 kW/95 hp to 132 kW/180 hp, while the ecoFLEX version will be available from next spring. Full details and specs are available in the press release after the jump.

Continue reading: New Opel Astra video

A friend of mine says an Opel Astra feels just like an Audi A3, but costs less. And in these live pics from the Frankfurt Motor Show of the new hatch, it looks like the Astra might also get an award for being the sexiest of the two. In terms of dimensions, it comes in at 4.42 metrs long, 1.81 metres wide, 1.51 metres tall and with a wheel base of 2.65 metres.

Prices for the German market range from 15,900 euros for the 1.4-litre EcoFlex model with 87 hp, to 27,405 euros for the 2.0-litre CDTI with 160 hp. The 1.3-litre MultiJet at 95 hp costs 19,390 euros, while the 1.4-litre Turbo petrol with 140 hp has a price tag of 19,075 euros. While the Opel Astra doesn’t really compete with the Audi A3, it’s certainly a very very good option if you’re in the market for a new hatchback.

Continue reading: Opel Astra German pricing and live pics from Frankfurt

While this draft rendering is probably a little exaggerated in how fat the car looks, the new Opel Astra GTC will be very similar to this official drawing. The Astra GTC is expected on the market in 2011, and design head Malcolm Ward has said that the evolution will be radical. In fact, expect a far more “outlandish” shape than the five-door model.

Ward says: “It will be a very dramatic execution and very, very close to the sketch. Think about the current three-door then think about where the new car will go.” The new Astra Sport Hatch will have some very smooth lines, and has spent more than 600 hours in the wind tunnel to improve its aerodynamics.

Source | Autocar

Continue reading: Opel Astra GTC sport hatch drawing

The new Opel Astra will have an electric version that will debut no earlier than 2014. The Astra electric will utilise Voltec technology, the same on the Chevrolet Volt and the Opel Ampera. The technology is the key feature, as further versions of the Volt and Ampera are not planned and Voltec can easily migrate to other models.

The new five door Astra will appear at the Frankfurt show this year, while the Sports Tourer family will debut next year. The three door GTC version will also emerge in 2010, while the OPC will come out in 2011.

Source | Autocar

Continue reading: Astra to go electric in 2014