Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer (2011)

The petrol line-up starts with the 100PS 1.4i ECOTEC-4 with variable valve timing and sequential fuel injection, while a 1.6i ECOTEC-4 with 115PS is also available. The Sports Tourer's most powerful petrol engine will be the smooth and punchy 1.4i Turbo which produces 140PS, yet achieves a combined fuel consumption of 46.3mpg and C02 emissions of 144g/km.

A new ecoFLEX model will be available soon after launch and will be one of the first Vauxhall models to get Start/Stop technology. Based on the 1.3 CDTi 95PS engine, the ecoFLEX features a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) and variable geometry turbocharger.

Two 1.7-litre CDTis, with either 110 or 125PS, and a 160PS 2.0 CDTi, which combines high performance with 55.4mpg combined economy and emissions of just 134g/km, complete the Sports Tourer's diesel engine range.

Chassis

From the start of the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer's development, Vauxhall's target was to maintain current levels of ride and handling enjoyed by the five-door hatch. As a consequence, its wheelbase remains the same at 2685mm, as do its front and rear tracks (1544 and 1588mm respectively).

Also carried over is the hatch's innovative compound crank/Watt's link rear suspension, which combines exceptional body control and ride characteristics and is unique to Vauxhall/Opel. For the Sports Tourer, the compound crank's settings have been revised, as have damper calibrations, to cater for the model's higher load capabilities without compromising the hatch's dynamics.

Vauxhall has also carried over the steering settings from the hatch, which are bespoke to all new UK Astras. This programme offers drivers a more natural feel, thanks to careful tuning of the car's electronic power steering system.

FlexRide, Vauxhall's adaptive suspension system, is also available as an option on the Sports Tourer. The system continuously adapts to changes in driving style and cornering speed. In Standard mode, FlexRide offers the whole bandwidth of settings available and adjusts to suit the driver's behaviour. In Tour mode, damper settings are relaxed to optimise ride quality, while in Sport mode, throttle and steering responses are sharpened, in addition to the adoption of stiffer damper settings.

For customers who tow, the Sports Tourer will be available with Vauxhall's electronic Trailer Stability Assist system, which subtly brakes individual wheels to maintain control of the trailer/caravan in emergency situations.

Range & Pricing

The new Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer will enter UK showrooms on November 26, 2010 priced at just £16,575, over £500 less than the current entry-level Astra Estate, yet incorporating a long list of additional standard kit.

The Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer range starts with the 1.4 (100PS) ES model, which gains an extra 10PS of power over the equivalent 1.4 Astra Estate. It also adds: air conditioning, curtain airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESP), Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), an aux-in socket and Active Safety Front Head Restraints, all as standard.

Better still, the Sports Tourer's premium over the 5-door hatch model starts from just £995, for which customers benefit from a larger cargo area (500 versus 470 litres, with rear seats up), despite retaining the same wheelbase as the new hatch.

Diesel pricing is equally aggressive, with the entry-level 110PS 1.7 CDTi ES Sports Tourer costing less than the outgoing 90PS 1.3 CDTi Astra Estate Life, yet packing more power and benefiting from sub-120g/km C02 emissions.

The Sports Tourer range comprises four trim levels: ES, Exclusiv, SE and SRi, but adds a variety of standard and optional equipment, including FlexFold, which allows each section of the 60:40 split-fold rear seatbacks to be lowered at the press of a button housed in the walls of the cargo compartment.

CARGO AREA

Packed with clever features, the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer maintains the hatch's wheelbase (2685mm), yet its superior packaging has allowed the maximum load length to be increased by 28mm to 1835mm, and its load volume by 30 litres to 500 litres (when fitted with the optional tyre inflation kit) with the rear seats up. The cargo area's load height is just 630mm - a real boon when lifting heavy items over the rear bumper - and there is up to 73 litres of additional storage space beneath the cargo floor.

The Sports Tourer's cargo area has flat wall-linings, with no wheel-arch intrusions or side shelves to hamper easy access. The tailgate and load-bay are also exactly the same width, making loading a straightforward and hassle-free process. All Sports Tourers benefit from chrome tie-down loops and full carpeting in the cargo area, as well as a 12v socket and pull-down grab handles on either side of the tailgate.

A new FlexFold feature (standard or optional depending on trim level) allows each section of the 60:40 split-fold rear seatbacks to be lowered at the press of a button housed in the walls of the cargo compartment, without having to re-position seat belts or head rests. In addition, with the rear seat cushions removed altogether - a unique feature in this class - the Sports Tourer has a completely flat load floor and a maximum load capacity of up to 1550 litres.

Completing the functionality of the rear cargo area is a two-touch luggage compartment cover, standard on all models. This easy access cover slides upwards and out of the way with a simple tap to load or remove smaller items. But for larger loads the cover retracts completely into a cassette, coming to a soft stop. When not needed, the complete assembly can be removed and stored below the load floor of the cargo space.

The Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer also benefits from the following two optional items:

• Luggage Compartment Liner - The cargo floor carpeting, the tailgate opening and the rear bumper can all be easily protected by a new floor mat that has been rubberised on one side. This is tailored to cover the rear floor and can be unfolded/folded both longitudinally and transversely to cover parts of the cargo deck, including the rear seat backs when lowered.
• The fold-out flap over the rear bumper is particularly useful in preventing scratches and accidental damage during loading and unloading - as well as helping to keep trousers and dresses clean. Dog owners will also appreciate the Liner's protection when their pet enters or leaves the cargo area.
• FlexOrganizer - Another clever storage concept, the FlexOrganizer system separates and secures different cargo loads. It comprises flexible nets and foldaway dividers, mounted on two horizontal rails running along each side wall of the cargo deck, which can be fixed right across or along the side of the cargo compartment as required. It enables the users to configure the boot space to their needs.

DESIGN, ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING

With lines penned by Brit, Mark Adams' design team, the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer aims to raise the bar for aesthetics in the UK's compact estate market, without compromising its high levels of practicality.

As with the Insignia, Astra Hatch and latest Meriva, a prominent 'blade' is reinterpreted into the sides of the Sports Tourer, complementing the car's tapered profile and falling roofline. A muscular shoulder line, which leads gracefully into sculptured rear light units, completes the picture

"Our key aim with the Astra Sports Tourer was to achieve a well-balanced shape that communicates the car's athletic qualities without compromising its functional capabilities," says Mark Adams, Vice President Opel/Vauxhall Design. "An estate's looks are traditionally characterised by functional requirements. With the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer we have created a vehicle that meets all those functional needs but wraps them in a beautifully tailored elegant design."

UK engineering excellence turns stunning design into production reality

Once Mark's design team had completed their work, 100 per cent of the engineering required to make the car a production reality was handed over to Vauxhall Engineering Centre (VEC), based at Millbrook in Bedfordshire.

Led by Engineering Group Manager, Andy Hitchcock, VEC's team started work on the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer's body-engineering in 2006, managing the design, development and validation of all its upper structure and closures before the car's final launch this year. Virtual engineering was used to prove panel formability, welding access, crash strength and durability/fatigue, before prototype parts became available late in 2009. At this point, each spotweld on the Sports Tourer's body was checked for position and presence, along with the fine-tuning necessary to ensure exceptional panel fit.

Since everything aft of the Sports Tourer's B-pillar is unique from the Hatch model, the engineering programme included complete re-designs of the C-Pillar, roof panel, rear side assemblies and the rear-end panel, as well as developing the car's all-new tailgate. Seals, trims and hinges were also designed and engineered by VEC's team.

While the functionality of these elements was VEC's responsibility, the team was also tasked with creating a structure that met the most stringent crash tests, ensuring that the Sports Tourer could, for example, pass Euro NCAP's 29 and 35km/h side impact tests with flying colours, which it achieved with ease.

Ellesmere Port - home of Vauxhall's compact cars for nearly five decades

For 46 years, Ellesmere Port has been the manufacturing home of every compact class Vauxhall sold in the UK, and is now set to become the sole factory for not only all RHD versions of the new Astra Sports Tourer, but also all Opel versions sold across Europe.

The current Astra is the tenth generation of compact car to be built at Ellesmere. It opened its lines to the original Vauxhall Viva HA in 1963, and went on to produce a further two Viva models, the Chevette and then each successive Astra in five door and Astravan form.

General Motors' plan to locate its revolutionary production facility at Ellesmere Port in 1961 was a vital shot in the arm for the economy in England's Northwest region. Based on a 440-acre, ex-RAF station, the plant now employs 2200 people and has, in total, produced nearly 4.5 million vehicles since that first Viva HA rolled of its lines

Today, the current Vauxhall Astra is the best-selling UK-built car in Britain, and thanks to Ellesmere Port's ultra-modern and efficient infrastructure - which in the last 17 years has received nearly £1 billion of GM investment - that success is set to continue.

SAFETY, INNOVATION & EQUIPMENT

With bi-xenon headlamps, AFL+ can be specified on all new Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourers, except ES and Exclusiv models, as part of a Premium Forward Lighting Pack. This also includes High Beam Assist, automatic headlight-beam switching, LED daytime running lights and headlamp washers. AFL+ includes a total of nine functions, each automatically engaged to suit prevailing road profiles and driving conditions

Occupant safety

Occupant safety has played a major role in the new Astra Sports Tourer's development, and a comprehensive set of active and passive safety systems are standard an all models.

All Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourers are fitted with dual-front seat belt pre-tensioners, which provide over the shoulder and across the occupant's lap. They are pyrotechnically activated to restrain forward body movement in the event of a severe impact.

Other standard safety equipment includes two front airbags, two side airbags and a pair of roof rail-mounted airbags that cover the entire glass area between the A- and C-pillars. Three, three-point seatbelts are provided for rear seat passengers, and the front passenger-side airbag can be de-activated if the seat is occupied by a rear-facing child seat.

Whenever the airbags and pre-tensioners are deployed, a series of additional safety features is activated: the hazard warning lights come on; all doors unlock; the interior lights illuminate; and the heating/ventilation fan and fuel pump are both switched off.

The latest generation active head restraints, developed from those on the Insignia, are fitted as standard to all models, and provide enhanced protection from whiplash injuries if the car suffers a rear-end impact.

Other occupant safety features include:

• Seatbelt reminder - with audible warning. Operates on both front seats
• Front seat frames - with ramps to restrict occupant movement in a frontal impact
• Enhanced Pedal Release System (PRS) - in heavy frontal impacts, clutch and brake pedals are de-coupled to prevent foot and lower leg injuries
• ISOFIX child seat mounts for the outer rear seats, plus seatback-mounted top tether brackets for all rear seating positions
• Height-adjustable rear head restraints (optional for centre position)
• Adaptive brake lights - warn drivers behind by pulsing five times per second if the ABS is engaged above 20mph.

Seat Technology

Vauxhall's target was to produce best-in-class seating for all new Astra models, with special attention paid to comfort, position, range and protection during an accident.

The front seats offer the industry's best range of adjustment, with fore and aft movement extending to 280mm. The driver's seat is also adjustable for height by up to 65mm and the steering wheel can also be adjusted for reach and rake, ensuring that drivers of virtually all shapes and sizes will feel comfortable and in control.

Ergonomic Sports Seats are offered as an option across most trim levels. The driver's seat features a six-way adjustment, a four-way adjustment of the powered lumbar support and an extendable seat cushion.

On SRi models, the Ergonomic Sports Seats are available in leather, together with heating for the front seats.

Infotainment

The new Astra Sports Tourer offers a class-leading choice of infotainment and communications systems. Audio packages offer four to eight speakers, ranging in power from 80 to 350 Watt's. A DAB-enabled radio is available with all trims. The complete range comprises one audio package and one navigation system:

CD 400 (Standard)

• Radio/CD
• Aux in for MP3/iPod connectivity
• Seven speakers
• Graphic information display
• Graphic equalizer
• Secondary tuner function for areas with poor reception

CD 500 Navi

• Seven premium speakers
• 7-inch colour monitor
• Digital travel guide / scroll & zoom functions
• iPod/MP3 ports, with iPod interface offering functions such as track list
• 1 GB internal flash memory, allowing individual country maps to be downloaded
• Post code recognition

Infinity Premium Audio

• Superb sound reproduction from auxiliary amplifier
• Seven premium speakers
• Sub-woofer located under boot floor

Hands-free phone system

• Choice of connection via wireless BlueTooth
• Voice command facility in addition to steering wheel-mounted controls
• All information shown on main display screen

CHASSIS

Illustrating Vauxhall's commitment to developing its cars specifically for British roads and drivers, the new Astra Sports Tourer has adopted the Astra Hatch's bespoke UK steering settings developed in conjunction with the Vauxhall Engineering Centre, based at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire.

And continuing Vauxhall's trend for innovation, its engineers have again employed the patented compound crank rear axle layout with Watt's link used in the Astra Hatch, which supports lateral forces during cornering. For the Sports Tourer, spring and damper rates have been revised to cater for the potential of heavier loads being carried.

The optional FlexRide adaptive damping system, first seen in the European Car of the Year-winning Insignia and rare in the compact class, adjusts the suspension character automatically depending on drivers' needs, while also offering three programmable damper settings.

Enhancing this sophisticated system is an increase in the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer's torsional body stiffness of 18 per cent, and of 10 per cent in bending stiffness, compared with the outgoing Astra Estate, improving the car's handling and ride quality, as well as making a significant reduction in noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).

Advanced front suspension design and clever Watt's link at rear for superb dynamics

The Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer's suspension layout combines MacPherson strut front suspension with the Hatch model's clever compound crank rear axle with a Watt's link.

Front suspension is by MacPherson strut, with de-coupled top mountings that separate the paths of spring and damper loadings. To reduce unsprung weight and improve weight distribution, the combined strut carrier and the lower control arm are made from aluminium and the anti-roll bar is formed from hollow-section steel.

For optimum stability, the L-shaped control arm is attached through two bushings to the front sub-frame. The suspension geometry, and the tuning of the bushes, is designed to provide both lateral stiffness and longitudinal compliance for excellent handling and good ride comfort. The rearmost bushing of the L-arm is also hydraulically damped for excellent road isolation.

The Astra Sports Tourer's unique compound crank/Watt's link rear suspension system has many advantages over a multi-link design, including improved packaging, greater wheel camber stiffness and less lower suspension friction. It also creates less camber loss due to body roll, while the Watt's link ensures that lateral stability is maintained.

The torsion beam of the patented compound crank axle is attached between the trailing links, about half way between the axle bush and the rear wheel. The open, U-shaped profile between the attachment points has now been lengthened and the wall thickness generally increased to provide more roll stiffness. In addition, beams with different wall thicknesses are fitted to give the required roll-steer characteristics.

The Watt's link is carried on a small cross-member attached to the underside of the car, just behind the rear wheel centre line. It comprises a short, pivoting centre link with a ball joint at each end, to which the lateral links from the wheels are bolted.

In a straight line, the set up ensures excellent stability, but during cornering it minimizes lateral deflection in the same way a modern multi-link system would do. Vauxhall's engineers estimate that the new linkage absorbs around 80 per cent of all lateral loadings on the rear suspension. In addition, the Watt's link reduces axle bush loads to allow softer bushings, which further isolate occupants from road noise and vibration.

Bespoke UK steering settings to cater for Britain's unique road infrastructure

Right from the start of the Astra Hatch's and Sports Tourer's development, Vauxhall's UK engineering arm recognised that the car needed to fulfill the very specific needs of British drivers travelling on the kind of road surfaces that are not replicated anywhere else in Europe.

Connection, Assistance, Responsiveness, Isolation, and Smoothness were cited as the key fundamentals in the Astra's steering DNA, and after exhaustive testing on the notoriously demanding roads around GM's Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, Vauxhall has produced a system which provides acceptable assistance levels for a broad spectrum of drivers, while ensuring that the driver feels connected with the road at all times.

The Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer uses a rack and pinion steering system with speed sensitive assistance. But in order to provide drivers with more steering feedback, the system's electric motor is mounted directly on the steering rack, as opposed to the base of the steering column.

The key benefits of using an electric power steering (EPS) are well known. At low speeds, the level of power assistance is increased to minimize steering effort. At higher speeds, assistance is automatically reduced to ensure a high degree of steering feel for the driver. The second important benefit is that because it does not require an energy consuming pump, and responds directly to the amount of power needed at any speeds, fuel consumption is also reduced.

FlexRide system makes welcome return

First seen in the Insignia, and a rarity in this sector, FlexRide offers the driver three settings - Standard, Sport and Tour - while being fully and continually adaptive to changes in driving style and cornering speed. The system is offered as an option on SE and SRi models with all engines, except the normally-aspirated 1.4-litre petrol and 1.3 CDTi (95PS) diesel engine.

FlexRide provides electronic control on all four dampers and continuously adapts their settings within milliseconds, according to the prevailing road conditions, vehicle movements and individual driving styles, thereby enhancing driver safety.

In addition, FlexRide offers three settings that the driver can programme via dashboard buttons. In Standard mode, FlexRide continuously adapts to all driving conditions, but drivers can also opt for either Tour or Sport settings, too.

Tour mode relaxes the damper settings for a more comfortable ride and also reduces the steering effort, benefiting drivers on long journeys.

Sport mode offers a more connected driving experience: the dampers stiffen; the steering sharpens and the electronic throttle offers a swifter pedal response. To underline this effect, the instrument panel illumination changes from white to red, and if fitted, the Adaptive Forward Lighting system reacts even more quickly. Cars fitted with automatic transmission also have higher change-up points.

As a further refinement, Sport mode includes a customisation menu, where the driver can de-select the damper and steering-assistance elements.

The electronic brain behind FlexRide is the Driving Mode Control module. Using vehicle dynamics information, the DMC constantly monitors driving style and conditions, including acceleration, braking and cornering to optimise the chassis' behaviour.

Apart from a more rewarding driving experience, the FlexRide system offers safety benefits in emergency situations. For an avoidance manoeuvre in Tour mode, for example, chassis sensors convey this information to the DMC and the dampers are stiffened within a millisecond to provide maximum stability.

Electronic Parking Brake (EPB)

This easy-to-use function, which is standard on all models, replaces the conventional mechanical handbrake. As well as providing added convenience, the EPB also frees up valuable additional storage space in the centre console.

Instead of pulling a handbrake lever, the driver simply pulls a switch located near the gearshift. This sends an electrical signal to actuators in the rear brake calipers. The EPB can secure the car on gradients as steep as 30 per cent and is automatically disengaged when the vehicle moves off.

The EPB is combined with Hill Start Assist (HSA), which helps minimise downhill movement of the car when taking off on an uphill slope. HSA briefly maintains pressure at all four brakes to minimize the possibility of vehicle movement when the driver steps from the brake to accelerator pedal while engaging the clutch.

Braking system: Two systems depending on the performance level

The dual-circuit braking system features two brake disc combinations. The "15-inch" specification uses 276 mm ventilated front discs and 268 mm solid rear discs, clamped by single piston calipers. The "16-inch" version has 300 mm ventilated front discs and 292 mm solid rear discs with single piston calipers.

The four channel ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) is fitted as standard, together with the Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), which ensures that optimal braking force is applied on both axles for maximum stability under heavy breaking.

The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) including Traction Control (TC) is also fitted as standard across the range offering a high level of active safety.

POWERTRAINS

Boasting a seven-engine line-up from launch, the new Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer range will be on average 13.3 per cent cleaner and more economical than that of its predecessor, without denting the performance of any specific models. C02 emissions start from as low as 109g/km for the 1.3 CDTi ecoFLEX model.

Downsizing has been key to achieving lower emissions and fuel consumption, while a clear focus on high specific outputs and low-end torque values have ensured that strong performance is retained across the range.

The new 1.4-litre Turbo is a perfect example of this philosophy, producing 140PS and 144g/km combined C02 emissions, compared with the outgoing 1.8-litre engine in the Astra Estate, which produces the same power but with an extra 25g/km.

Sitting below the 1.4 Turbo in the petrol engine range is a normally aspirated 1.4-litre unit producing 100PS. Complementing this engine is a 1.6-litre un-blown unit producing 115PS.

The CDTi diesel line-up includes a 1.3-litre 95PS (ecoFLEX models only), two 1.7-litre engines and one 2.0-litre unit, all of which feature common rail with multiple fuel injection and are equipped with particulate filters (DPFs). These range in power from 95PS for the 1.3-litre to 160PS for the 2.0 CDTi.

All Astra engines meet Euro 5 emissions standards and each of the four-cylinder units is mounted transversely and features an aluminium cylinder head, with dual overhead camshafts operating four valves per cylinder.

Cast iron blocks have been used across the range for strength and reduced noise resonance, with a hollow-frame design for minimized weight. A die-cast, structural aluminium oil pan adds further stiffness and noise suppression.

Continuously variable valve timing, for both inlet and exhaust sides, is adopted on all engines. The camshafts have hydraulically operated vane-type phasers which vary the angle of each camshaft relative to the crankshaft by up to 60 degrees on the inlet, and 45 degrees on the exhaust side.

Cam phasing allows the engine control module to adjust the timing of the valve opening and closing according to varying conditions, such as engine speed and load. The many benefits include a broader spread of torque, higher maximum power and improved fuel consumption. Cam phasing is also an effective tool for controlling exhaust emissions, managing valve overlap at optimum levels to eliminate the need for a separate exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) unit.