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2020 Opel Astra Brings the Recipe for Success Back to Germany

Nearly four decades ago, Opel ventured into the European C-segment with the Astra. The model, which sold briefly or still sells in the U.S., China, and Australia has become over the years one of the pillars of the German brand, alongside the Corsa.
2020 Opel Astra 14 photos
Photo: Guido ten Brink - SB-Medien
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Back in July 2019, the facelift version of the current generation was introduced, building on the pedigree of the car that in 2016 was named European Car of the Year. And now the brand new model is on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The new Astra features a number of discreet visual changes that make it achieve a drag coefficient of 0.26, the same as the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe, and it even matches the Tesla Model X for the wagon body style, with a drag coefficient of 0.25

Inside, the changes are less important, but they do consist of new seats in the front and the use of a heated front windscreen.

The new German hot seller is powered by two gasoline engines and one diesel, offering between 110 and 145 hp. All four meet the future Euro 6d emissions standard.

“We focussed on reducing fuel consumption and emissions during the development of the new Astra,” said when the car was presented Christian Müller, Opel director of engineering

“Thanks to the excellent aerodynamics as well as new-generation engines and transmissions, we reduced CO2 emissions by up to 19 percent. That is a huge step to the benefit of our customers, who can also profit from lower running costs. This all puts the new Astra at the top of its class.”

Despite the changes, the German carmaker probably won't push the new Astra to its limits when it comes to sales, but will let the history of the nameplate do the heavy lifting. That's because presently the Astra is getting ready to switch to a PSA platform, so most of the company's energies go into that.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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