Exciting product news from General Motors South Africa is that the all new Opel Astra is set for an earlier than expected arrival in South Africa. Initially scheduled for launch in the early part of 2011, the new Astra is now expected at local dealers within the coming weeks.
A clean sheet design from Opel engineers the new Astra has a sporty, coupé-like, profile with full five-door functionality and seating for five adults. The all new design incorporates a host of safety features, some a first in class for this ‘C’ segment competitor. The stylish interior is complemented by up-to-the-minute interior treatments with exceptional ergonomics and occupant comfort.
A clean sheet design from Opel engineers the new Astra has a sporty, coupé-like, profile with full five-door functionality and seating for five adults. The all new design incorporates a host of safety features, some a first in class for this ‘C’ segment competitor. The stylish interior is complemented by up-to-the-minute interior treatments with exceptional ergonomics and occupant comfort.
Initially GMSA is expected to offer a choice of the latest 1.4 and 1.6 litre turbo charged and 1.6 litre natural aspirated ECOTEC engines matched to either a 5-speed or 6-speed manual transmission. These latest technology powerplants from Opel are both leaner and greener than their predecessors and offer an excellent balance between performance and economy.
GMSA engineers have been running in country verification tests on early versions of the Astra in preparation for its launch later this month. These verification tests included testing in a climatically controlled chamber designed to simulate real world conditions to ensure the vehicles can withstand South Africa's tough environment and challenging driving conditions. The two vehicles tested thus far have accumulated a total of 100 000 km during durability testing around SA and 960 hours of testing.
GMSA’s Vice President of Product Engineering Wendle Roberts says that “the new Astra is the best ever.., an impressive vehicle build to the highest quality standards. We are very happy with the exceptional performance of the turbo charged power trains which also have class leading CO2 emission figures.”
Together with the clean sheet design for the Astra comes a quality enhancement associated with new levels of manufacturing precision. The Astra engineering team was charged with designing a vehicle that offers the latest in technology and vehicle dynamics but also optimises the opportunities for quality enhancement presented by the latest in manufacturing technologies.
The Astra’s exciting new looks are based on a totally new platform that offers a wider stance, higher torsional stiffness, improved driving dynamics, exceptional NVH characteristics, and enhanced safety.
Opel’s advanced “FlexRide Chassis” with “Drive Mode Control”, a fully adaptive chassis control system unique to the new Astra, is expected to be offered on at least one model in the range.
Flexride Chassis, controlled by the DMC module, offers effective electronic control of the vehicle dynamics for a significantly enhanced driving experience in terms of ride and handling and vehicle safety. The system continuously monitors 11 inputs in different driving situations to optimise the performance of the chassis. FlexRide offers two selectable driving modes, “Sport” and “Tour”. In addition the DMC module will recognise the style of driving and react accordingly.
An important component of the FlexRide system is Continuous Damping Control. CDC constantly monitors and adjusts the suspension for optimum stability, driving satisfaction, and comfort. This happens at a frequency of 100 times per second. The system assists in reducing pitch under heavy braking and also acts to limit roll of the vehicle induced by steering inputs with a firmer damping characteristic introduced in concert with rapid steering inputs.
The exciting new Opel Astra is set to revitalise Opel’s presence in the competitive “C” segment of the South African vehicle market.
Together with the clean sheet design for the Astra comes a quality enhancement associated with new levels of manufacturing precision. The Astra engineering team was charged with designing a vehicle that offers the latest in technology and vehicle dynamics but also optimises the opportunities for quality enhancement presented by the latest in manufacturing technologies.
The Astra’s exciting new looks are based on a totally new platform that offers a wider stance, higher torsional stiffness, improved driving dynamics, exceptional NVH characteristics, and enhanced safety.
Opel’s advanced “FlexRide Chassis” with “Drive Mode Control”, a fully adaptive chassis control system unique to the new Astra, is expected to be offered on at least one model in the range.
Flexride Chassis, controlled by the DMC module, offers effective electronic control of the vehicle dynamics for a significantly enhanced driving experience in terms of ride and handling and vehicle safety. The system continuously monitors 11 inputs in different driving situations to optimise the performance of the chassis. FlexRide offers two selectable driving modes, “Sport” and “Tour”. In addition the DMC module will recognise the style of driving and react accordingly.
An important component of the FlexRide system is Continuous Damping Control. CDC constantly monitors and adjusts the suspension for optimum stability, driving satisfaction, and comfort. This happens at a frequency of 100 times per second. The system assists in reducing pitch under heavy braking and also acts to limit roll of the vehicle induced by steering inputs with a firmer damping characteristic introduced in concert with rapid steering inputs.
The exciting new Opel Astra is set to revitalise Opel’s presence in the competitive “C” segment of the South African vehicle market.
STORY BY GM
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