VAUXHALL Astra Hatchback
Generations Timeline, Specs and Pictures
In Europe, it was called Opel Astra and in China, it was Buick Excelle XT.
The seventh generation of the Astra was launched in 2014 and, in 2018, a mid-life cycle refresh was introduced.
A quarter of British drivers had or drove a Vauxhall Astra in their life. That is huge and it shows the success of the German compact vehicle. The 2018 facelift was introduced to support the sales figures of the high-selling vehicle, on a market highly contested by most of the car manufacturers.
GM wanted to do a more efficient Astra. To do this with the lowest possible costs, it put the car into the wind tunnel and adjusted what it could be adjusted and dropped the drag coefficient to a stunning Cx of 0.26. That was better than 90% of the cars on the market at that time. In the late ’80s, that was a world record and it was obtained by another Vauxhall/Opel, the Calibra. Revisions to the bodywork the grille that had shutters.
For the interior, the Astra received a faster and more intuitive Multimedia Radio, Multimedia Navi, and Multimedia Navi Pro systems compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The top-of-the-line Multimedia Navi Pro - already featured in the Vauxhall Insignia flagship - had an 8” touchscreen and supported voice control. The instrument cluster featured a new digital speedometer.
For the engine bay, there were new, three-cylinder units of 1.2- and 1.5-liter displacement. The former was gasoline and the latter was a turbodiesel. The most powerful version was the 1.4-liter turbocharged that offered 145 hp and it was mated with an optionally 9-speed automatic gearbox.
The seventh generation of the Astra was introduced in 2015.
It was a newer, sharper design. It featured more technology than its predecessor, and it was bigger on the inside.
The Astra was one of the best-known names in the U.K. Almost all of the British drivers drove or knew someone who drove an Astra. That was possible due to its high number of vehicles sold over the 36 years since the Astra started to be sold on the market. It was sold in more than 2.9 million units. It was a huge success due to its very good price/value factor.
The Astra K was introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2015. It was shorter than its predecessor. Its exterior design was inspired by the 2013 Monza concept-car. The Griffin in the center of the chrome bar on the grill and the characteristic ‘blade’ raising towards the rear make the new Astra immediately recognizable as a member of the Vauxhall family. A novelty for its car-segment was the full LED matrix headlights, which were offered as an option.
The Astra K featured a shorter wheelbase than the one on the Astra J but it offered 35 mm (1.4”) more legroom for the rear seat occupants. The trunk was decent, offering 371 liters (13.1 cu-ft) of space, that could have been extended by folding the rear seats. The infotainment unit was offered as an option, but it could feature an eight-inch touchscreen on the center console.
Mechanically and structurally, the 2015 Vauxhall Astra was 200 kg (441 lbs) lighter than the Astra J. It also was stiffer and came with a revised suspension and steering as well as the latest generation engines in the automaker’s stable.
Vauxhall quit doing things halfway and built a sporty hatchback, which was not just a 3-door version of the same 5-door Astra.
Vauxhall, the British arm of the GM, built the same vehicle as to the Opel Astra GTC for the European continent. Both vehicles were based on the Astra 5-door platform, but with completely different styling.
At the front, the design of the eagle-like headlights looked sharp, and, along with the wide grille from the apron, it created an aggressive image. The windshield was raked even more than the regular Astra, followed by a short roof sloped toward the back. A long tailgate with a big windscreen covered part of the trunk. Viewed from the profile, the high shoulders over the rear wheels and the small rear side windows emphasized the sporty look.
Inside, there was the regular Astra dashboard. The four-dials instrument cluster featured an LCD display between the tachometer and speedometer. On the base version, the seats were regular, but a pair of bucket-type was on the options list. There was hardly room enough for two adults in the back, but the bench’s back seat could have been folded to expand the trunk space.
For the drivetrain, Vauxhall offered the Astra GTC with a choice of gasoline and diesel engines paired to manual or automatic transmissions.
The fourth generation of the Opel/Vauxhall Astra, or Astra J, was unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.
It competed successfully in the most competitive compact segment.
The Astra didn’t have the hi-tech look of some of its competitors or the low price of the others. It didn’t have the high quality of the interior either. But the overall price/value package was among the best in its class. That is why it became one of the most known cars in Europe.
The styling was inspired by the Insignia, with curved headlights on their lower part. The large and narrow grille was accompanied by another grille in the bumper. Both did the same job, of cooling the engine and the AC compressor. From the side, a corner-window was installed in front of the rearview mirrors.
Inside, the dashboard looked high-tech for the time it came on the market. It featured four round dials on the instrument cluster, with the engine temperature and fuel level in the upper-middle sector. Between the large speedometer and tachometer, there was an LCD screen. The seats were awarded by a German institute for comfort and that said a lot about the car.
Under the hood, there were engines for everyone. From a naturally aspirated 1.4-liter unit to high-tech turbocharged diesel and gasoline options. The Astra had something for every pocket and every taste. It featured manual and automatic transmissions. And, due to its unique Watt rear suspension, it offered one of the best compromises for a rear semi-independent suspension.
The Vauxhall Astra Hatchback is the main version of the Astra H/C generation first launched in 2004.
Just like all the other Vauxhall vehicles, the Astra Hatchback is based on the Opel wearing the same name that was introduced during the same year. The new model was available in multiple body styles, including a 2-door coupe convertible, a 3-door hatchback, a 4-door sedan, a 5-door hatchback and a 5-door estate introduced in the end of 2004. And just like the Opel version, the Vauxhall Astra comes with redesigned front and rear ends, bigger headlights, taillights, bumpers and new interior.