Wednesday 10th December 2003

New Astra

It's bigger and with more gizmos but we're not very excited

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Vauxhall is promising that the new Astra will be more exciting to drive than it is to look at when it goes on sale in May of next year.

Looking like a mini Signum (how many of those have you seen on the road?!), the Astra won't win any prizes for innovative styling when it's launched. However, the boffins at Vauxhall reckon they've outshone their colleagues with the crayons by bolting together a class leading chassis.

Features will include state-of-the-art, adaptive suspension technology and a press-button Sport mode.  Vauxhall’s new compact competitor is the first car in its segment with an integrated chassis control network. In addition to ABS and ESP^Plus , the network includes CDC (C ontinuous D amping C ontrol), a major component of the IDS^Plus system which first appeared on Vectra. None of that means a great deal in the real world, so just place your trust in the chaps with the thick glasses, programming skills and a penchant for acronyms.

Selected models in the Astra range will feature the ‘sport’ switch, so that at the touch of a button suspension settings and steering and accelerator response can be modified to turn it from a docile, plodding hatchback of a car into a wailing, warm hatchback.

Other technical highlights of the Astra chassis include Understeer Control Logic (UCL) where if understeer occurs, road speed is reduced automatically by closing the throttle and then braking on two wheels; Hill Start Assistant (HSA) where pressure in the brake system is maintained for 1.5 seconds to enable easy drive off on uphill gradients, and a tyre deflation Detection System (DDS) which detects loss of pressure in a tyre by measuring its circumference. A warning signal is given if pressure loss reaches 30%.

All sounds like a lot of unnecessary weight to us...

[laner]

Mini signum or fat arsed corsa........not for me thanks

[Podie]

laner said:

Mini signum or fat arsed corsa........not for me thanks

100% agree...

[AlexH]

Vauxhall constantly amaze me. How they continue to turn out, year upon year, the dullest, most blandly styled cars known to man baffles me (and don't mention the VX220...the exception that proves the rule and all that). I mean, FFS, they must be actually trying to do this; nothing else can explain it. Someone must have decided their cars mustn't offend anyone...so by trying to appeal to everyone they end up appealing to noone. Anyway, they've certainly earned some kind of award for consistency at this.

[LuS1fer]

It's a lovely looking Golf.

[v8thunder]

Hang about - didn't Vauxhall wheel out a nice, sporty-looking concept they said was to be the new Astra?

This thing looks frumpier than the new Civic! Is this what the styling of the future, under numpty protection regulations will look like? If so, I despair. Hope it never gets to Alfa, Jag, Mercedes and the like.

What I don't understand is that the American GM designs look great. Why don't they do what they did from the '40s to the '70s and be inspired by their more imposing and impressive brethren from across the Atlantic?

It'll look pretty stupid wearing a 'GSi Turbo' badge!

[LuS1fer]

Er..which American GM designs would those be? They've always been modified Astras, Cavaliers and Vectras so, car for car, they've been equally appalling.

[Swilly]

I'm so excited
I just cant hide it

[AlexH]

Why don't they just kill off the Vauxhall name and call them all Opels? There can't be anyone left who thinks they're British and doesn't know they're just part of the GM empire.

[Nightmare]

v8thunder said:

Hang about - didn't Vauxhall wheel out a nice, sporty-looking concept they said was to be the new Astra?

yeah they did - sodding Autocar et al again. This really p**ses me off nowadays. Not a week goes by without some form of scoop about a new model which turns out to be complete toss. I am 100% sure that their was a definite frisson of excitement around the potential new astra because of the looks and nothing else - and now it turns out not be like that...grrr....do car marketeers think we have no memory? well I guess we dont really or more people would whinge pointlessly like me!

I have to say I really like the looks of the Signum though.....

[specitup]

v8thunder said:

Hang about - didn't Vauxhall wheel out a nice, sporty-looking concept they said was to be the new Astra?

as Nightmare quite rightly said, VX have plans to release a 3 door GSi type Astra. however from what i understand this is due much later in the year (poss 2005) than the blandish 5 door shown above. Fingers crossed as that really did look the part. well for an Astra anyway.

Nightmare said:

I have to say I really like the looks of the Signum though.....

i work for GMAC and have had the pleasure(?) of driving a couple of Signums since the launch. go take a drive in one then come back to me and tell me how it differs from the Vectra. i found it hard. well except I suppose the Vectra has 5 seats going for it.

[WildfireS3]

So if it has all these freatures what do you have to do? Just steer.

[specitup]

looks that way doesnt it? one day all new cars will ditch the steering wheel and gearbox in favour of two sofas and a minibar.

[britten_mark]

If Vauxhall truly will make something that looks like the pretty "SCOOP" Astra that was touted in the mags, they need to get it out quick before the punters nod off................

[DennisTheMenace]

Havent they driven this against the 6 year old Focus and said the focus is still the better drivers car ??



or was that the golf ????

anyway the new focus arrives next year , and that will kick the golf astra and everything else in that class IMO

[Teppic]

britten_mark said:

If Vauxhall truly will make something that looks like the pretty "SCOOP" Astra that was touted in the mags, they need to get it out quick before the punters nod off................

The closest thing to that is going to be the Astra CC, but that's not due until 2005