18 June 2009 - 12:00
Astra: inside’s out
See more pics of the Astra's interior
Vauxhall has just given us a first look at the interior of the new Astra, set to arrive later this year.
It looks good. It looks posh. It’s clearly influenced by the Insignia’s classy, understated cabin, with a curved, swooping centre console and echoes of the ‘blade’ motif – look at the side strake on the Astra – along the door grabs.
Vauxhall has gone for a more muted interior than, say, the current Honda Civic, but it’s a less muted effort than the new VW Golf – you’ll be able to spec a range of different colours on the dash and trim inserts.
By the way, that big wheel next to the electronic parking brake – an optional extra, since you ask – isn’t an iDrive-style controller. It’s an ashtray. Sorry.
Like the Insignia, that red glow coming from the base of the doors and the dash indicates you’re in ‘Sport’ mode – click into a more sedate mode and it’ll glow white or blue.
All in all, we’re impressed. While Ford interiors are getting a bit bling, a bit blousy, this looks like a solid, classy effort from Vauxhall.
Top Gear drives the new Astra in early July, so we’ll let you know soon whether the rest of the car lives up to the standards set by the cabin.
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*The legroom looks good in the Astra I mean.
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It looks a lot like... a car interior, actually. Nothing to complain about, though.
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i would like that sort of design repeated in my house.... too bad we dont get to have Vauxhals in America
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^ I thought you did get them with a Saturn badge? You got the Vauxhall Vectra as the Saturn Aura, and the VX Lightning Concept/Opel GT as the Saturn Sky, so surely this will make it over too? Or perhaps as the Chevrolet Astra like last time?
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Saturn is being sold out of GM, so i doubt we will be geting ANYTHING cool out of Saturn or GM in the near future..... i dont think the government should make cars......
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not that GM has made a good car other than the 'vette...
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Not bad at all. If the build quality matches that of golf VI this could be a strong alternative. As much as I like bitching about it's slightly boring looks I would rather buy this as opposed to a Ford Focus any day of the week. Actually I'd rather pee shards of glass as opposed to buying a Ford Focus, so that doesn't say much really. Take 2: If I ever find myself in possession of enough money to get a nice used 2 seater sports car and for unforseen reasons (kids, wife, pet anaconda, ...etc) I have to have 5 seats, I'd begrudgingly get this and wait until my well deserved midlife crisis to get the sports car. I have no doubt in my mind that it's going to be a beat up old Triumph TR5 that I'll think I can fix up myself, leave it undone out of frustration and spend the rest of my days on one of those GM/Segway P.U.M.A. things (Flee Infested Kitten more like) with a paper bag over my head.
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One degree of separation from a Tie-Fighter; it should come with the option of a genuine Imperial Stormtrooper helmet - then at least the driver could hide from the masses judging your "haven't-yet-been-promoted" rep-mobile.
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Roger Penske bought Saturn, and they have a two year contract with GM to get the Aura (Vectra), Vue (Opel Antara), and Outlook (pointless, huge 7-seater SUV since some Americans still like those). He's looking for a company to supply additional cars in the meanwhile and the whole lineup after the contract ends. I hope it continues to be Vauxhall/Opel under their new owners (don't remember who they are).
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@chickenfeed: Hot hatch?
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It's just a pity it's a Vauxhall...
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It looks simply astonishing but it isn't so sporty. How about the outside?
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Inside looks good. But the outside... It's just not beautiful.
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Inside looks good. But the outside... It's just not beautiful.
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Inside looks good. But the outside... It's just not beautiful.
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Sod VXR and all that malerky, I want them to get back together with Lotus. A Lotus Insignia or VXR8, even a Lotus Astra (oxymoron I know) would be sweet. I know there's a VXR8 Bathurst S which has about 540BHP but more power = more fun. F1 car or Perodua Kelissa? My point exactly.
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i thought the mark1 ford focus era was over ... i haven't understood yet why everything has to be round again... but anyway let's leave angular shapes to more premium brands... i'm not saying it's bad.. it might just be a nice place to sit in but in a way that a bathroom is a nice place to sit in, it doesn't associate with sharp driving dynamics to me, ill stick with vw
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As in Insignia, you can tell the Korean influence.
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wow good interor
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How can you not like Vauxhall? There cool (Much more than Fords, Citroens, Honda's e.c.t). There look subtle without looking ugly, or they just look wicked. There reliable (unlike Renaults, Citroens e.c.t). The Interior always looks good, there is a huge list.
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sorry im a ford man. i love them so much ive just bought a new Fiesta a good one though. and in a blokish way gone crazy on the spaec list which is grt fun :D. although this looks nice its still an Astra. i mean its very nice i love tht inside i love the Insignia VXR but i wouldnt own either because the Fords look better and i think will last longer. VWs are horrid built well gd quality but boring mundane and jst a crime to be so ugly the golf is prime example. so this beats the golf by miles. id have a Focus though haha
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Mikeado commented on this article
18 June 2009
It looks good. It looks modern. It looks almost exactly the same as the Insignia interior. But, having been inside an Insignia myself, I can say that this is certainly no bad thing. It all feels expensive, which is a good thing. The legroom looks good too.
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