Generation 6 – Opel Astra: Sporty restart with a Manta face


After six years of construction, Opel is retiring the last General Motors Astra. The new generation should be sportier, cooler and, last but not least, electric – for the first time, the compact model developed and built in Rüsselsheim is also coming to customers with an electrified drive. The order lists will open in autumn and the first cars will hit the streets in early 2022.

Externally, the Astra adopts the design language introduced last year with the Mokka mini SUV. At the front is the Vizor radiator grille, which can be found on both the Mokka and the Restomod-Manta GSe; the flanks are modeled more sinewy, the fenders more flared. A roof optionally painted in a contrasting color and a triangular C-pillar round off the sporty impression. Inside is the brand’s new infotainment system with two up to 10-inch displays and a reduced number of buttons. The center console is also greatly reduced, and instead of an automatic selector lever, a switch now controls the gear. There are still no pictures of the variant with six-speed manual transmission, which has also been announced.

Technically, the Astra L is for the first time not based on a General Motors platform, but on the EMP2 architecture of the new parent company Stellantis. The technology is also used by the new Peugeot 308, which comes onto the market a few months before its Rüsselsheim competitor and sister model. With a length of 4.37 meters, the compact is based closely on its predecessor (plus 4 millimeters), but the wheelbase has grown by 1.3 centimeters, which should provide a slightly better interior space. The track, which has been widened by almost 5 centimeters to 1.86 meters, also contributes to this. The trunk size is specified as 422 liters.

For the drives, the Astra can use itself from the group shelf. Opel initially only mentions a performance range from 110 HP to 225 HP system output. The peak value comes from a plug-in hybrid based on a four-cylinder petrol engine, which should enable an electric range of almost 60 kilometers. At the lower end of the range there is a 1.2-liter three-cylinder petrol engine with 110 hp. As with the sister model from Peugeot, a diesel with 131 hp should also be on offer. A pure electric model has not been announced for the time being.

The Astra wants to score points with modernized technical equipment. For example, the new generation of the Matrix LED light known from its predecessor is available for the compact model, which now has more diodes and a higher resolution. There is also a wide range of assistants, including for partially automated driving. For the first time, a head-up display is also available. Prices for the new Astra are not yet known.