Rüsselsheim. With its clean and bold design, the new Opel Astra Hybrid Hatchback aims to deliver high quality in every detail. The sixth generation Astra, which celebrated its world premiere in September, is designed to provoke emotions and achieve a “must have” effect at first sight.
The design and development teams, of which about 50 percent are women, have set a goal to make the new compact model of the German car manufacturer a real “designer piece”, both inside and out. After chief engineer Mariella Vogler, color and decoration designer Ilka Hobermann now gives an insight into the design world of the new Astra with a video on YouTube. The new video is part of a social media campaign that shows how the new Astra has matured in the brand’s design statement, thanks to a high level of commitment, focus on detail and a willingness to think “out of the box”. Ilka Hobermann explains what Opel designers paid attention to and how they endowed the newcomer with their unique design, “made in Germany”.
After the Mokka, Crossland and Grandland SUVs, the new Astra also features the Opel Vizor. The new face of the brand and the central element of the exterior design follows the Opel Compass where the vertical and horizontal axes – sharp folds on the hood and wing-shaped daytime running lights – intersect with the Opel Lightning emblem in the middle.
Stretching over the front, making the new Astra Hybrid Hatchback look even wider, the Vizor also seamlessly integrates technologies such as ultra-thin Intelli-Lux LED headlights.
Viewed from the side, the new generation Astra looks particularly dynamic thanks to the accentuated angle of the C-pillar.
At the rear, Opel’s Compass is repeated through a centrally placed Lightning, vertically high-mounted brake lights and taillights (energy-saving LEDs, as well as all exterior lights). The Lightning emblem also serves as a lock for the tailgate.
“For me, German design is simplicity, purity and technical elements combined,” says Ilka Hobermann. “Sometimes it’s hard to keep this clean, and then add courage. Everything is always in harmony and the right balance. ” The result is a successful blend of clear and emotional style that makes the new Astra Hybrid Hatchback 2023 stand out from the crowd of compact class models. The characteristic look is underlined with a new metallic paint. “The team has developed a super-fresh and modern yellow that adds juiciness and boldness to the car,” adds the designer.
New Opel Astra 2023 Hatchback Interior
The right balance for the new 2023 Astra Hybrid Hatchback was especially important for the color and trim design team, especially for the interior. “We had to think outside the box to find the best solutions for these materials. You have a really great variety of colors, textures, graphics and patterns. Gathering them all together is actually a big challenge. It’s like a big puzzle. You combine different exciting materials to achieve a nice contrast or balance “, explains Ilka Hobermann.
The result of this process is a step forward in interior design and comfort for the brand. The all-digital panel combines two 10-inch displays and side vents for the driver under a horizontally stretched and, depending on the variant, fully glazed surface. Analog displays are a thing of the past in the new Astra. Fully functional, high-tech design that combines style with the latest technology. Astra drivers and passengers look at Pure Panel’s precision glass optics and can intuitively control the new human-machine interface – “visual detox”.
The ultra-modern panel is designed to convey an atmosphere in which passengers feel safe. Accents such as finely crafted controls are kept to a minimum, infotainment frames and matt aluminum surfaces bring “great value to the Astra”, says Ilka Hoberman. “They can only be beautiful, they can have a functional aspect and they can even make you laugh sometimes. Every detail – from Opel Lightning in the middle of the steering wheel to the fabrics and seams on ergonomic seats approved by AGR (also available in Alcantara or Nappa leather) – bears the unique signature of Opel color and decoration designers.
Opel’s official website and playlist Opel Astra playlist on the Youtube channel offer more behind-the-scenes insights into the development of the new Astra. In addition, Opel’s head of design Mark Adams publishes his personal impressions on his Instagram account @opelvauxhalldesign.
The new Astra is 4,374 millimeters long and 1,860 mm wide. It is only 4.0 mm longer than the previous model. The wheelbase increased by 13 mm to 2,675 mm. Notwithstanding the muscular, confident stance, the new Astra’s practical boot with adjustable floor still offers the driver and four passengers up to 1,250 liters of luggage volume with the rear seats folded down.
Astra is now a plug-in hybrid and from 2023 as purely electric Astra-e.
New Opel Astra 2023 Hatchback release date, cost
No official statement is given for a new 2023 Opel Astra Hybrid Hatchback release date but it all suggests in late 2022 with a price range expected around $28,000
source: carscoops