When Opel's well-established model in the compact class, Astra, hit the road in the spring of 1998 as its second generation Astra G, it became one of the stars of its segment by emphasizing safety and quality with its DSA chassis, ESP, H7 headlights and fully galvanized body. Entering the 8s strongly with the Astra OPC, Astra V2000 Coupé and Astra OPC X-treme versions, Astra continues to present its pioneering character to its customers with its new generation, rechargeable hybrid and battery electric versions.
Opel introduced the Astra F in 1991 as the successor to the Opel Kadett. This marked the beginning of a new era in the company's success story in the compact class. Launched in 1998, its follower had the best conditions to continue the success of its predecessor. Opel Astra G hit the road with many innovations. For example, being the first Opel model with a fully galvanized body placed it in a special place. In addition to the 7% higher lighting performance of the transparent H30 headlights, active driving safety was supported with the newly developed DSA (Dynamic Safety Action) chassis. Apart from that, customers could choose between different body types. The Astra G has also shown performance car potential over the years. For example, while the Astra OPC was very popular, the Astra V8 Coupé also competed in races such as the 24-hour Nürburgring, apart from the German Touring Car Masters.
The Astra G has many similarities with the next-generation Astra in many ways. First of all, Opel has opened a whole new chapter in its success story with the new generation Astra. The updated Astra stands out with its bold and simple design, including the characteristic Opel Vizör brand face and the all-digital, intuitive Pure Panel Cockpit. The 2022 Golden Steering Wheel Award-winning Astra hits the road for the first time as electric. The battery-electric Opel Astra Electric also joins the powerful rechargeable hybrid version. With the best zero emission range in its class, the Opel Astra GSe (according to WLTP norm: 1,2-1,1 lt/100 km fuel consumption, 26-25 g/km CO2 emissions; each mixed) combines dynamic driving pleasure with a sense of responsibility. in a way that combines.
From Rüsselsheim to Hollywood: From development to promotion!
Given the responsibilities that the Opel Astra G fulfilled in the late 1990s, it was not surprising that the car's development process was also groundbreaking. It was very important for Opel to repeat the success of its predecessor. That's why the development team took a completely new approach when planning the second Astra generation. The movie "Jurassic Park", which achieved significant box office revenue, guided the designers. Actually, Astra G had little to do with dinosaurs. However, the team used a computer-aided design program called ALIAS, originally developed for blockbuster computer-animated movies like Hollywood productions. Thanks to the software, the designers were able to expose the new model in a virtual, three-dimensional computer world.
In the spring of 1998, the Astra G was introduced to the market in 3- and 5-door hatchback and station wagon body types. Subsequently, 4-door sedan, 2-door coupe, commercial Astravan and convertible body types with rear seats were included in the product range. The Astra G was a distinctive design thanks to the dynamic wedge-shaped design with its characteristic trapezoidal grille and front windscreen, as well as the elongated roofline, high archline and coupe-like silhouette in the 3-door version. It also had the best-in-class aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0,29.
Great overall package: DSA chassis, fully galvanized body and ample living space
Comfort and safety were the highest priority during the development of the Astra G. The Astra G drew attention with its dynamic chassis and power-transmission technology, as well as its torsional and torsional rigidity, which is almost doubled by the use of high-strength steels. With the combination of smart lightweight construction solutions and powerful and efficient engines, superior driving pleasure has been achieved.
The newly developed DSA chassis contributed to the dynamic driving characteristics, while also providing maximum driving stability in critical situations such as braking on different road surfaces. The German manufacturer explained the innovative solutions with the expressions, “The front wheels, which have better handling thanks to the Opel DSA chassis, create a controlled toe-in effect, counteracting the tendency to roll with the counter-steering effect”. Safe chassis same zamIt offered superior comfort and agile driving characteristics even when loaded at the same time, and combined all these with superior driving safety. From 1999, with the introduction of ESP, security was further enhanced. The patented pedal release system was also standard on every Astra G, protecting against serious foot or leg injuries in the event of a crash.
In 1998, Astra G was setting the standards in its segment in terms of interior space. The wheelbase, which was about 10 centimeters longer than its predecessor, provided more interior space, and more head and legroom, especially at the rear. While the hatchback body type offers 370 liters of luggage volume; In the station wagon body type, the volume could be increased up to 1.500 liters. Same zammoment, it zamAs confirmed by the Frankfurter Rundschau, the Astra G had made a “quantum leap in quality”. Apart from low noise and vibration levels, quality interior materials contributed to this improvement. However, the fully galvanized body offered for the first time provided a higher impression of quality and high value protection.
Race targets: OPC and V8 Coupe versions of the Astra G
Second Astra generation same zamHe also showed by becoming a popular athlete that he could do much more than just perfectly perform his daily tasks at the same time. Attracting the attention of sporty drivers, the Astra G zamIt instantly got its version, also known as the Opel Performance Center, or OPC for short, under the direction of Volker Strycek. The performance department's first model was the 118 Astra OPC with 160 kW/1998 HP. Not much, but 4 years later, the team showed that much more is possible with the even more advanced Astra OPC, which can reach speeds of up to 240 km/h. The advanced version had a 147 kW/192 HP engine under the hood and was available in both three-door and station wagon body styles.
However, pushing the limits in Astra G was not limited to these versions. Opel has participated in the German Touring Car Masters with the Astra V2000 Coupe, which it has specially developed since 8. The racing car took second place in the championship. He also participated in different races such as the legendary 24 hour Nürburgring race. Opel also unveiled an extreme sports car with the Astra OPC X-treme concept at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show. Astra OPC X-treme, which could accelerate from 326-444 km/h in 0 seconds with its 100 kW/3,9 HP power, could be driven on public roads.
Opel Astra and Astra GSe today: Responsible driving with supreme driving pleasure
With the updated Astra, Opel once again carries this sporting heritage into the future with a responsible approach. The new Astra GSe and Astra Sports Tourer GSe, which form the top of the product range, meet the roads as powerful, dynamic and, more importantly, electrically assisted. Today, the abbreviation GSe stands for “Grand Sport Electric” and forms Opel's new sub-brand. This acronym is sporty but the same zammeets all the expectations of responsible drivers: high performance, sporty chassis and electrically assisted powertrain for locally emission-free driving. All this combined with a stunning design.
Also, like other Astra versions, it hits the road with many advanced technologies such as the adaptable, non-glare Intelli-Lux LED® Pixel Headlight with a total of 168 LED cells, which makes driving more comfortable, which customers were accustomed to seeing only in high-end vehicles before. The interior of the current Astra generation is equally innovative and exciting. With the fully digital Pure Panel, all analog displays become a thing of the past. Instead, the high-end human-machine interface (HMI) provides an intuitive operating experience with an extra-large touchscreen. Opel engineers took care that the driver received all the necessary information and had direct access to all important functions, but was not confused by unnecessary data or function. Important functions such as air conditioning can be easily adjusted with just a few remote controls.
Exceptional seating comfort is also unique to Opel. The front seats, developed in-house, are AGR (Healthy Backs Campaign) certified and make long journeys relaxing with their exemplary ergonomics. The driver is supported by state-of-the-art assistance systems, from the raised instrument display to the Intelli-Drive 1.0 system, which combines many driving assistance systems, and the 360-degree surround view system called Intelli-Vision. In addition to this, the new Opel Astra; makes a bold design statement. With plain, exciting lines free from unnecessary elements and the new, characteristic brand face Opel Vizör, every zamIt leaves a more dynamic effect than the current one.