Autoblog UK

In the compact car category, the Vauxhall Astra was awarded a Golden Steering Wheel and thus succeeds the VW Golf VI. The Astra has overhauled its rival from Wolfsburg primarily in the areas of comfort and quality. The Astra won through this year against the following cars: the Renault Megane, Citroen C3 Picasso, Chevrolet Cruze, Skoda Yeti, Mazda 3, Toyota Urban Cruiser, Kia Soul and Nissan Cube.

They've all been trying to catch up with the top-of-the-class VW Golf for ages now, but to no avail. Yet the new Astra - a ray of hope for the European GM subsidiaries of Vauxhall and Opel - has much to recommend it. They have at last introduced elements of modern design and a full palette of engines, plus the prices aren't going to burn a hole in the pocket of the average crisis-ridden motorist. In addition, they seem to have got the material specifications and finishing quality right. Now it has to prove itself under market conditions. The Astra is a step in the right direction but it's unlikely to topple the Golf off its podium. Before that happens, the Vauxhall/Opel image needs a boost. But it could certainly give the VW best-seller a run for its money.

Speaking at the launch of the new Astra, the head of Opel/Vauxhall, Carl Peter Forster, went out of his way to praise Vauxhall. He said that, while the focus in Frankfurt was naturally on the German market, he wanted to point out that Vauxhall is actually the most successful part of the company with the highest domestic market share of any group company. He said Vauxhall was "fighting for market leadership". That is putting it a bit strongly, but at least he is publicly stressing the importance of Vauxhall to "New Opel" as the company is becoming known in Germany.

Autoblog's James Baggott reports from the Frankfurt Motor Show

VAUXHALL'S new Astra will debut a host of clever technology when its
hits the road later this year.

The new car, unveiled officially at the Frankfurt Motor Show today, will
feature a clever 'Opel Eye' system that reads the road ahead.
The camera, mounted on the front of the dashboard, can tell drivers when
they stray out of a lane and even read speed limit signs and display
these on the dash.

The new Astra, which is available to order now, is the 10th generation
of the vital model. It has been consistently in the top three best
selling models across Europe throughout its production run and remains
vital to the marque's future.

At the launch, Opel's Carl-Peter Foster said: 'The new Astra is a very
important model for us. The new version will play a key role in our
future.

'We intend to work alongside GM as we go forward and can only be
successful by drawing on the economies of scale that partnership offers.
To the doubters I would say let us get on with it and prove we can be
successful.'



The new Astra will be launched in five door guise but an estate and
feisty three-door are coming soon. Fuel usage has been improved by 12
per cent and although there won't be a sub-100g/km car at launch, the
maker is working on getting a model in that free road tax bracket soon.

VAUXHALL's star electric car, the Ampera, will feature a four-cylinder
petrol 'generator' to help boost its range.

At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Opel chief Carl-Peter Foster confirmed that
it will have an 'on-board generator' to extend the range to 500kms.
At present, the electric Lithium Ion batteries - which are recharged
using a normal household plug - can power the saloon for 50-60kms.
Vauxhall believes this will be more than enough for the average daily
commute. However, to satisfy longer distance journeys the generator will
kick in to charge the batteries.

The Ampera - seen at the Frankfurt show in all but production ready form
- is still being road tested by the manufacturer, but is in the latter
stages of development.

Look out for more news from Autoblog's James Baggott at Frankfurt Motor Show

Elegance and comfort will become the hallmark of the new Vauxhall Astra. The tenth generation Astra is 17cm longer, and, at 4.42 Meter it is now considerably longer than its Wolfsburg competitor and is almost as big as a VW Passat. This 5-door-Golf competitor can be seen for the first time at the IAA in Frankfurt from the 19th-27th September. The Astra will have a wheel base, which is seven centimetres longer, a wider track and a new chassis. As an option, the electronic FlexRide system with three settings is offered: Standard, Sport und Touring. It adjusts the damper settings continually to your driving style and the speed at which you corner. Amongst other innovations, which the Astra adopts from the Insignia are: the next generation xenon lights, AFL+ (Advanced Forward Lighting), having nine different settings, which adjust intensity and range to suit road conditions. Likewise taken from the Insignia, 'traffic sign recognition' gives a warning, should you change lanes by mistake. These items are, of course, only available as extras.

The Astra has also had a make-over on the inside. A wide curved section extending out from the crescent-shaped dashboard cocoons driver and passenger. The mid-section console then runs down from there to meet the gear lever at a shallow angle of 30 degrees, which entirely befits its flowing silhouette and the sporty look of this Golf adversary. The cockpit colours Spice Red and Ocean Blue are new additions to the interior and complement the black base colour available in all levels of trim.

In future, speeding drivers on Britain's roads could find an encounter with the new Vauxhall Insignia a miserable experience. The new police vehicles boast increased power and advanced technology. General Motors UK Special Vehicles are upgrading the UK police fleet with a special version of Vauxhall/Opel's mid-range model. GM are expanding their range of special fleet vehicles and expect this to prove a source of sound, long-term business.

Next time they're chasing villains, our officers have the choice of three powerful engine variants. For the real desperadoes, there's the 260bhp 2.8-litre V6 with AWD. On shorter missions, the constabulary could choose the 220bhp four-cylinder turbo. And for the local beat, there's the torquey 160bhp oil-burner. The police Insignia is only available as a Sports Tourer. Its 1430-litre load-carrying capacity provides ample room for operational kit and safety equipment. Vauxhall are supplying the police vehicle fully equipped with blue flashing light, siren, cameras, radio equipment and data link technology. The police Insignia also comes with an automatic number plate recognition system.

After buying into the insolvent US Chrysler group, it seems that Italian car manufacturer Fiat are now more interested in ever than getting their hands on Opel. Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne announced that Opel would be the perfect partner for Fiat. There is indeed good reason for the increased interest shown by the Italians, since state funds of 3.3 billion euros could also cushion their Chrysler investment.

Opel's business has taken a boost from both the German "scrappage allowance", as well as from the new Insignia model which has been very well-received. Apparently Opel has 100,000 orders on its books, which has in fact led to extra shifts at their Rüsselsheim plant.

How crazy the car world can be. Whilst General Motors, Opel and Vauxhall are struggling and fighting with governments for their future, the cavalry of their engineers is also happily under full charge. The results of their unbridled ideas can be seen in the gallery. The new Vauxhall Insignia OPC is already cruising through the springtime air under disguise and the final version will be seen at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

Limousine specialists Wilcox are planning to launch two different stretch conversions of the Vauxhall Insignia onto the UK market. One is fitted with three rows of seats and six doors so that dignitaries and VIPs can look forward to 'long journeys' in the appropriate level of comfort. The other is to be converted into a hearse for that 'final journey'. Even here, Wilcox has some pleasant extra features in mind. Take a 'long look' at the photo gallery and let us know what you think...

Opel's US parent company General Motors has requested further state aid amounting to billions of dollars. The American government will no longer rule out the possibility of the car maker being declared insolvent. General Motors have now announced their intention to cut jobs by a total of 47,000, of which 26,000 will be outside the USA. Five of their US plants are set to close.

It is not yet clear what consequences this move will have for the four Opel sites in Germany at Bochum, Eisenach, Kaiserslautern and Rüsselsheim. North Rhine-Westphalia Minister President Jürgen Rüttgers has booked a meeting with General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner in Detroit at which he will be arguing the case for retaining the European sites.

Up to now, General Motors have received 13.4 billion dollars in government hand-outs to stave off the threat of bankruptcy. According to a restructuring plan worked out on Tuesday, the company requires a further state credit of 16.6 billion dollars.