The new Opel Astra won't make its public debut until the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, but details of it continue to trickle out.
One of the new features to be made available will be the option of special front seats that are designed to be more comfortable over longer distances. In fact, they have been certified by the AGR (Campaign for Healthier Backs, Germany), an independent association of doctors and experts in back problems.
What helps to make the seats, which will be an optional extra priced from €390, so comfortable is the (up to) 18-way adjustable position that includes side bolster adjustment along with the further option of massage and memory functions, as well as seat ventilation - something that is usually only seen on more upmarket vehicles. For your base level €390 seat there will be four-way electro-pneumatically adjustable lumbar support, variable seat cushion tilt and length adjustment, as well as seat form with contours that adapt to the shape of your spine.
Anything else?
Opel has taken the development of these seats very seriously and has been working on them for almost five years with over one hundred people involved in the process. Andrew Leuchtmann, Senior Manager GME Interiors, explained: "Integration of the relatively bulky seats must be considered from the very beginning. This means the seats have to fit into the car accurately to the last millimeter - in every direction. Compared to the predecessor, not one single part is identical." He went on to say: "We want to really speed up the democratisation of good seats - more Opel models with AGR seats will follow."
Here's a video showing the wellness seats in action as well as their design and construction.