Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer
Vauxhall’s all-new Astra Sports Tourer is to make its debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Like its five-door hatch sibling, the Sports Tourer is based on an all-new lightweight vehicle architecture with a new design, powertrains and technology. It is built at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port manufacturing plant in Cheshire.
Design
Just like the five-door hatch, the Sports Tourer takes Vauxhall’s design philosophy ‘Sculptural Artistry meets Technical Precision’ to the next level.
The Sports Tourer further extends the dynamic lines of the five-door. The slightly arched sloping roofline gives the Sports Tourer a longer appearance – an effect that is further enhanced by the divided C-pillar. The rear view combines high functionality with elegant design. The Sports Tourer has a stable, robust and safe stance – the muscular rear-wheel arch contours and the divided rear light clusters add to this impression.
The latest generation Sports Tourer has the same dimensions as the outgoing model with a length of 4,702mm, a width of 1,871mm (with exterior mirrors folded in) and a height of 1,499mm – however, it offers much more space for passengers and luggage. The driver can enjoy 26mm of additional headroom, passengers in the rear have 28mm more, providing more space and comfort. The Sports Tourer’s total cargo capacity is now 1,630 litres, thanks to more efficient packaging.
Loading space
For the first time on a Vauxhall, the tailgate can be opened without a touch or a remote control. In combination with “Keyless Entry and Start” a simple small kicking motion under the rear bumper is enough to open the tailgate. A further kicking motion under the bumper will close the tailgate. The clever system can detect any obstruction and stops the mechanism in case of an emergency. The tailgate can still be opened by a switch on the driver’s side of the car or via the key’s remote control.
In order to increase loading space the Sports Tourer comes with 40/20/40 foldable rear seats enabling even more flexible loading space configurations. The FlexOrganiser product range with side rails, dividing nets and various fastening options is available as an option so that all loaded materials can be stored safely and tidily.
Powertrains
The powertrain portfolio features petrol and diesel units ranging from 100PS to 200PS, including an all-new 1.4-litre (150PS) ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo and the recently-launched 1.6-litre CDTi Whisper Diesel. The 200PS version of the 1.6-litre ECOTEC petrol will celebrate its world premiere at Frankfurt.
Chassis
Depending on the model and trim level it is up to 200kg lighter than its predecessor. The completely new vehicle architecture plays a major role in the weight reduction. Every component was checked for compact design and lightweight materials. The body shell weight alone was reduced by 20 per cent from 357kg to 280kg.
Additional, chassis-related measures resulted in a further 50kg weight loss. These include high-strength and ultra-high-strength low-weight steels, compact subframes as well as weight reductions to the front and rear axle.
Connectivity
The Astra Sports Tourer also features OnStar, the ground-breaking connectivity technology now available across Europe. OnStar includes high-speed 4G LTE mobile network, emergency response notification and stolen vehicle recovery alert. The Sports Tourer is also one of the first vehicles from a mainstream manufacturer to get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, available through a new version of the IntelliLink infotainment system.
