Opel has announced details of its new Astra Sports Tourer estate which features a new look, greater practicality and a range of powertrain options including a plug-in hybrid model. It's set to land in Ireland next summer.
Super vizor
Up front, the Sports Tourer gets the same familial look as the Astra hatchback with the "Vizor" design incorporating LED headlights as well as a range of sensors for driver and safety aids. Moving towards the rear though, it's that longer estate body that'll be of most interest to Sports Tourer buyers.
Space aplenty
An electronic tailgate can be specified as an optional extra with the user able to wave their foot under the rear bumper to open and close the hatch. Once the rear tailgate is open, the boot offers 608 litres of storage space with the back seats upright and 1,634 litres when the 40:20:40-folding seats are lain fully down to create a completely flat floor. Due to the underfloor batteries in the plug-in hybrid model, there's a little less space, with 548 litres and 1,574 litres when the rear seats are folded up or down respectively.
High-tech comfort
Those in the front seats benefit from the Pure Panel sweep of digital dashboard as is also found in the hatchback Astra and other Opel models. This incorporates a screen in front of the driver with speed and navigational information and the infotainment/control screen for other functions. Though the cabin has been pared back as far as hard buttons are concerned, not everything has been relegated to the screens, and a few buttons for the most often-used controls such as temperature and fans settings remain. The infotainment system can wirelessly connect with phones too using Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.
Added comfort is found in the form of the ergonomically designed seats with, optionally, a number of electronically adjusted functions such as electric tilting, electro-pneumatic lumbar support, heating in the front and rear and, for the driver alone, ventilation and massage capability.
Driver assistance features will likely depend on the trim level, with lane change assistance, a blind-spot alert, Lane Positioning Assist, a rear cross-traffic alert system and semi-automated lane-changing capability all possible on higher-spec models.
Powering ahead
As for power, expect a similar engine line-up to the Astra hatch. There'll be a pair of 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engines with 110hp and 130hp respectively as well as a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel, also with 130hp.
Plug-in hybrid models will utilise a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine coupled with a 12.4kWh battery pack and electric motor to deliver up to 225hp, and there'll likely be a lower-powered 180hp version too.
The Astra Sports Tourer is due to arrive in Ireland in the summer of 2022 with pricing and specs still to be announced.