Opel has introduced the Astra L, which can be ordered this fall with gasoline engines and plug-in hybrids. A full-electric version of the Astra-e will be available starting in 2023.
Opel announced the new Astra in July, but the full details of the new model were detailed with car journalists on the first day of September. We learned that the new model will have three engine options – gasoline, plug-in hybrids and a full-electric model, available later in 2023.
The new model is made on the EMP-2 platform of the Stellantis Group and brings for the first time a plug-in hybrid engine option. The range of engines starts at 110 hp for the PureTech petrol engine and reaches 225 hp for the plug-in hybrid engine (a 180 hp version is also available).
There is also information on a more powerful version of this propulsion system, of about 300 hp, sold under the Astra OPC brand. An electric version will be available from 2023. Even if the information is missing, we do not expect it to be different from the one under the hood of the Citroën e-C4, which has 136 hp. Especially because the two models are produced on the same Rüsselsheim manufacturing line.
Opel Astra L: Generous space and modern facilities
Press releases are important sources of information, but nothing compares to the experience of the person who gets in the driver’s seat and touches the steering wheel. Everyone who did this in the new Astra was impressed by the interior of the new model. It is both modern and functional, with touch screens but also direct physical controls for the main functions and a driver-oriented center console that makes you feel important.
AGR certified seats offer an ergonomic position for the driver and front passenger, being, in addition, lower than in the case of the previous generation. However, the back space at the knees is not very generous, especially when a tall person is installed behind the wheel. The dimensions of the seat cushion are also quite narrow, which affects the support for those with long legs. Fortunately, the headroom is generous, a consequence of the low seats.
The petrol version of the Opel Astra has a generous trunk, which starts at 422 liters. With the folded seat it reaches 1,250 liters – the value for the plug-in hybrid engine is not specified. The battery in this case is located under the seat, but it certainly affects the volume of the trunk.
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