“It annoys the upper class,” Opel claims about its new Astra, as the car is brimming with features that, for the most part, are available only in larger and more expensive cars. And that bodes well for Buick, as the new Astra foreshadows future models that will come to the U.S. market.
At its debut, the Astra comes in two body variations, a five-door hatchback and a five-door station wagon. Down the road, there will be a coupe and a four-door sedan, and those are the versions most likely to come to the U.S. with a tri-shield badge and angular waterfall grille. This in addition to the other GM cars that share its underpinnings, such as the Chevy Cruze and Volt.
While the new Astra is offered in relatively basic spec, among the available items are an assistance package that includes lane-keeping assist with corrective steering action, a crash mitigation system with automatic braking, and traffic sign recognition. Available power seats include heating and cooling, as well as a massage function and active side bolsters that provide extra support during cornering.
Inside, the sea of buttons that made the previous Astra a nuisance to figure out has vanished; many functions are now operated via touch screen. The new Astra also serves to relaunch the OnStar system in Europe. We doubt it’ll be a major asset, but it serves as a differentiator on the marketplace.
While the Euro Astra offers a plethora of engines—there’s a surprisingly smooth 104-hp three; a 1.4-liter four with 123 and 148 horsepower, and a 1.6-liter four with 197 horsepower—it’s safe to assume that any derivatives brought here will be powered with some of the forthcoming engines that are expected to make more than 200 horsepower.
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