With the crossover, SUV, and truck ax hanging above their segment’s “head,” station wagons need to break the norm to entice. Stellantis’ German arm Opel promises the lot with the release of its all-new sixth-generation Astra Sports Tourer.
Does anyone really need a crossover when automakers promise their latest estates are “practical, stylish, sporty, and spacious” like Opel with its latest Astra Sports Tourer? That’s a question for upcoming customers to answer. Until then, the German automaker tries to entice them with their version of the Peugeot 308 SW platform sibling.
While Opel is trying to spin around the design as a premiere (because it’s their first estate with the latest styling philosophy), you would be hard-pressed to recognize an Astra hatchback from the Sports Estate if both were viewed side-by-side squarely from the front. Depending on whether or not you’re a fan of the company’s latest styling, that’s going to be a plus or a minus.
Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, but as far as I am concerned, the new design cues fit like a glove on the elongated Sports Tourer. The carmaker is also nailing a more important aspect: sustainability. We are dealing here with the first Sports Tourer available from the get-go with a couple of levels of electrification.
That’s not to say ICE has been dropped, though. Instead, Opel will motivate buyers to choose between gasoline, diesel, and a duo of electrified plug-in hybrid variants. All of them churn out between 109 hp and 129 hp for ICE options, while electrified oomph goes all the way up to 221 horsepower. At 4,642 x 1,860 x 1,480 mm (182.75 by 73.22 by 58.26 inches), the Astra Sports Tourer can also pride itself on being 60 mm (over 2 inches) shorter than its predecessor.
But it still comes with a 2,732 mm (107.55 in.) wheelbase that’s 57 mm (2.24 in.) longer than a new Astra hatch and some 70 mm (2.75 in.) above the fifth-generation Astra estate. That means it has ample space in the boot, between 608 and 1,634 liters (21.5 to 57.7 cu. ft.). Or 548/1,574 liters (19.3 to 55.5 cu. ft.), when batteries are located under the floor. So, practicality isn’t an issue.
Other big highlights include the Opel Vizor exterior design and Pure Panel interior arrangement. Those have features such as the adaptive Intelli-Lux LED Pixel headlamps outside and extra-wide touchscreen with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for the human-machine interface located in the cockpit. Creature comforts also include the well-known AGR-certified front seats, or the optional Intelli-HUD head-up display and Intelli-Drive 2.0 assistance system.
Unfortunately, Opel hasn’t said a word about the Astra Sports Tourer’s availability at European dealerships. But if we take its Astra hatchback sibling into account, it shouldn’t be long before interested fans can start thinking about taking it home.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News