Astra is a model name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors (GM), on their small family car ranges since 1979. Astras are technically essentially identical with similar vehicles offered by GM's German subsidiary Opel in most other European countries. For the first two generations, the nameplate was applied to UK-spec right-hand drive versions of the Opel Kadett, and since 1991, Opel also uses the Astra nameplate on its B/C-platform, so Vauxhall and Opel Astras are essentially identical vehicles. General Motors' Saturn division in America also offered the Astra as a captive import since late 2007 through until that marque's dissolution in 2010 following the GM bankruptcy.The Astra name originated with Vauxhall's 1980 model, though the car was launched almost a year earlier as the Opel Kadett D. This model replaced the Vauxhall Viva in the UK, along with some versions of the Vauxhall Chevette. However, the Chevette (itself based on the previous generation Kadett C) remained available for several years afterwards until the Vauxhall Nova was launched. The Astra was Vauxhall's first model to have front wheel drive. Not all trim levels were available with all body styles. Confusingly in the British market, both the Kadett D and the Astra were sold alongside each other until the consolidation of Opel and Vauxhall dealerships in the early 1980s, when the Opel badged versions were dropped. The Mark 2 Astra first appeared in the autumn of 1984. It used the same range of engines and running gear as the Mark 1, but with a completely restyled body with better aerodynamics. It was voted 1985 European Car of the Year. Long-lived, the Mark 2 was available in estate, hatchback, saloon and cabriolet versions. The saloon was launched in January 1986 and sold as the Vauxhall Belmont; this trend to brand saloon models independently of hatchbacks was also used by other manufacturers of the period, with examples including the Ford Orion and the Volkswagen Jetta. However, this strategy was mostly unsuccessful, as this was Vauxhall's only attempt at badging its hatchback-based saloon as a separate model, and Ford rebadged its Orion range as Escorts in September 1993.
Vauxhall Astra review - CarBuyer
Released in 1991, the Mark 3 model was essentially an evolution of the Mark 2, rather than a redesign. This generation was the first to be called Astra by Opel as well as Vauxhall (in Opel's case succeeding the Kadett E), and the first to also be sold by Holden. It was offered as a three or five-door hatchback, a saloon, and an estate, known as the Caravan. A cabriolet was also offered, designed and built by Bertone. The model was launched in South Africa in 1992, where it was produced under licence by Delta Motor Corporation. However, the Kadett name was retained for the Astra hatchback until 1999, which included a variant with a 2.0 L turbocharged engine called the 200TS, unique to that market. Saloon and estate models were offered under the Astra name. Controversially, the Kadett and Astra in South Africa won the title of 'Car of the Year' in two consecutive years (1992 and 1993) even though they were versions of the same car. South African nomenclature was denoted in centilitres, so the Astra and Kadett ranges featured 140, 160i, 180i and 200i models.Released in 1998, the MK4 addressed many of the criticisms of the MK3 in the UK with greatly improved ride and handling. The growing emphasis on safety was also reflected in greater body rigidity, resulting in a Euro NCAP 4 star crash test rating, considered excellent for its time. In the UK the MK4 Astra was available with a range of 16v Ecotec engines as well some 8v units. The 8v unit was refined during the model's life however, with the Z16SE offering good all round performance compared with its higher insurance 16v equivalent. In addition to the standard hatchback, the MK4 also had a popular choice of the coupe. This was available in 4 engine types. The 1.6 Produced 101 bhp (75 kW; 102 PS). The 1.8 produced 125 bhp (93 kW; 127 PS). The 2.2 produced 147 bhp (110 kW; 149 PS). The 2.0 Turbocharged produced 189 bhp (141 kW; 192 PS) SRI Turbo and 197 bhp (147 kW; 200 PS) GSI Turbo Variant.The Astra Mark 5 was first launched as a five-door hatchback, which by the end of 2004 was joined by a five-door estate and a sporty three-door hatchback called the Sport Hatch in the UK. The Sport Hatch has the option of a windscreen called "panoramic windscreen" (unique for a production car at the time of its launch) which extends into the windscreen into the roof area.
The Vauxhall Astra J/D was officially unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The car has been available to purchase since Friday December 11, 2009. The principal manufacturing plant for the latest Astra (though not for its Zafira sibling) is at Ellesmere Port enabling the manufacturer to benefit from sterling depreciation with this model. Design has been a major consideration in the development of new Vauxhall Astra and the car is heavily influenced by the Vauxhall Insignia. The new Vauxhall Astra has all the design features of a saloon car but in a much more compact model. As well as incorporating a more luxurious design, the 6th generation Astra includes a variety of innovative storage solutions. Vauxhall designers identified the 20 most commonly carried items in a car and developed storage solutions for each one. They have developed a patented the 'Flexfloor' adjustable boot space system as well as a 'Flexfix' bike carrier. Despite being more expensive than the old Astra, the new Astra has been a strong sales success in the UK, where it was the best selling car in June 2010 with well over 10,000 sales - outselling its crucial rival the Ford Focus by nearly 50%. This however is mainly because production of the current Focus is being scaled back prior to the launch of a new MK3 model in early 2011. The Estate version of the Astra - dubbed the 'Sports Tourer' by Opel/Vauxhall, debuted at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, and went on sale shortly afterwards, with a starting price of £16,575 for the ES version, then Exclusiv, SRI and SE versions, with the SE costing from £20,345. This is cheaper than the previous estate, but has more kit. The vehicle has a top speed of 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) and a 100 miles (160 km) range between charging.
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