These are the first photos of Opel specialist Irmscher’s new Astra i1600 hatchback. The car boasts a beefier turbocharged petrol engine and a cosmetics package, among other modifications.

Based on the most-powerful version of the new Astra, the 1,6-litre Turbo, the German tuner’s engineers squeezed out an extra 15 kW and 65 N.m of torque from the four-cylinder petrol unit, boosting output to 147 kW and 295 N.m of torque.

The Opel’s image and handling are further improved with Irmscher’s 30 mm lower sport suspension and a choice of 18- or 20-inch alloy wheels in sticky sport tyres.

Completing the package is body kit that includes a front spoiler, side skirts, a rear diffuser that houses quad tail pipes, a roof spoiler, a new front grille finished in carbon and decorative stripes on the car’s hood and the profile.

The new Opel Astra will arrive in South Africa in the first quarter of 2011. Find out more here.

General Motors South Africa (GMSA) has announced that it will be introducing the new Opel Astra to South Africa in the first quarter of 2011. GMSA says the decision by parent company General Motors to retain the Opel brand and improved business conditions in general have opened up new opportunities in South Africa for the Opel brand.

“The certainty around the future of Opel is great news for South Africa and allows us to build on the fine history of the Opel brand and the Corsa and Astra ranges,” says GMSA Vice President of Planning, Ian Nicholls.

The introduction of the new Opel Astra to South Africa will continue a legacy in the compact car segment that started with the Kadett. The German engineered vehicle promises to carry on the success story of previous generation Opels in South Africa. The Astra is more spacious than ever, thanks to its longer wheelbase and greater width.

The new car will be offered with four new ECOTEC petrol engines, specifically a 1,4-litre, 1,4-litre turbo, 1,6-litre and 1,6-litre turbo. The new engines are expected to offer a balance between economy and performance. The diesel engine line up consists of 1,3-litre, 1,7-litre and 2,0-litre common rail engines. The average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of the Euro 5 compliant engines have been cut by nearly 12 percent.

Powertrains and model specifications for the South African market have not yet been announced. When the new Opel Astra goes on sale in South Africa in 2011 it will complement the existing range of Opel products like the Corsa 3 door and 5 door, the Vivaro MPV/Van, and the Combo panel van.

British summertime may have begun, but Vauxhall’s latest addition to the VXR range (Opel OPC range to South Africans) still looks cooler than the country’s recent snowstorms, yet its performance is as hot as ever.

Priced a fraction above the cost of the more standard Astra VXR – each of the 500 Arctic Editions are painted in Olympic White with a contrasting black painted roof, mirror covers, front V-grille and tailgate trim, ensuring that this version of the Astra VXR looks like no other.

Each Arctic Edition also gets a healthy does of options included in its price. Heated leather Recaro front seats, tinted glass and Black 19-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels all form part of the Astra VXR Arctic Edition’s armoury.

And for the first time on a VXR product, customers can also specify their Arctic Edition with the Panoramic Windscreen, an option that offers a window on the world that extends back over the front seats with heat-absorbing glass. And if the skies are grim, a full-length shading system with pull-out sunblinds is also included.

Of course, none of this diminishes the Astra VXR Arctic Edition’s exceptional performance. With 177 kW of power and 320 N.m of torque between 2 400 and 5 000rpm, it’ll hit a top speed of 243 km/h, with 100 km/h arriving from standstill in just 6.2 seconds. Lowered and uprated sports suspension, ultra-low profile 235/35 x 19 tyres and 321 mm front ventilated brakes discs complete the Arctic Edition’s dynamic package.

With Opel being on-hold in SA at the moment, the Astra OPC getting a bit ‘long in the tooth’ and Europe having launched a Nurburgring Edition and now the Arctic Edition, we really think Opel SA should consider an exclusive, limited edition, SA only, Superboss, or motorsport inspired Astra GTC OPC.

It’s no secret that GM’s eleventh hour decision to keep Opel left many in Germany, both public and private, feeling a bit burned. But Nick Reilly, the new Opel CEO, isn’t running from the issue. In fact, he’s addressing it head on.

He’s saying it’s time to end the usual blame-shifting tactics within GM’s European branch. The ultimate problem, he says, was the bureaucratic culture that found roots in the company. With Reilly’s appointment, he’s looking to change that, and that means taking responsibility for the company’s failures as well as its successes.

At this early stage, that amounts to little more than a lot of flowery talk, however. If Reilly’s enthusiasm should bear fruit, it might serve to ease some of the fears in Germany’s auto workers unions and within the German government. On the other hand, the realities of adjusting Opel’s capacity to fit the smaller global marketplace may leave Reilly no alternative but to make unpopular cuts.

And that may be the darker side of the responsibility Reilly is talking about assuming. Opel’s German workforce is about 25 000 members strong, and despite an announcement last week upon taking the reins that no product engineers would lose their jobs, there’s still a very real possibility that capacity – and therefore jobs – will have to be cut.

On the up side however, there are some bright spots in the product portfolio, including the new Insignia sedan/wagon, which have been on the road for just about a year in Europe now. Headed to the U.S. largely unchanged as the 2011 Buick Regal, the Insignia could speak well for the future of Opel. The new Astra, which will also spawn a Buick variant that shares much with the Cruze as well, could also point the direction toward a future that doesn’t require drastic cuts.

Whatever the next few months may hold for Opel, it’s looking like the new leadership may be just what the company needs to shed its tired, near-bankruptcy image.

Adapted from MotorAuthority

Beating out a field of over 30 rival cars, the Volkswagen Polo 5 has been voted Europe’s Car of the Year – the first victory for VW in 18 years.

The supermini narrowly beat the Toyota iQ in the final voting, earning 347 points versus 337. The Polo received 59 scoring votes in total from the 59-strong judging panel, including 25 selections as the number one car. In contrast, the iQ received 58 votes, with 20 selections as the best car.

The result is determined from a list of 33 new cars, which are voted on by European car journalists.

A shortlist of seven cars is then determined, with 59 European judges making their selection. Each judge has 25 points to allocate as they see fit, although at least five contenders must receive points, and the chosen winner must receive more points than the runners-up.

Last year’s winner was the Opel Insignia, also sold in the UK as the Vauxhall Insignia and the US as the Buick Regal. There are no plans to offer the Insignia in South Africa.

The full list of results is below. (Click to expand)

In Europe, engine options include 1,2 and 1,4-litre petrol engines, and a turbocharged 1,2-litre TSI petrol engine. A new 1,6-litre TDI common rail diesel engine is also offered.

The new Polo is scheduled to arrive in South Africa in the first quater of next year. Specific dates, local pricing and engine options have not yet been revealed.

The International Motor Show, or Frankfurt Motor Show, is the world’s largest motor show. It is held every two years in Frankfurt, Germany and this year, from 17 – 27 of September, the 63rd exhibition takes place.

The 2010 Volkswagen R20 Golf, Mini Coupe Concept, Fiat Punto Evo, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and brand new Bugatti Bordeaux car are just a few of the top cars making up Frankfurt’s stellar line-up. But are any of them good enough to make it into our Top 10 cars hitting the showroom floor?

Join us as we run through ten cars you should take note of at the 2009 International Motor Show.

(Click to reveal...)

Adapted from Orange

Early last month we made mention that the all new Chevrolet Cruze had landed on our shores for testing and homologation. Well, a month later Chev have given us a sneak peak of the new car, ahead of the scheduled launch at the end of September.

The new Cruze is the first ‘world car’ to be produced by Chev and paves the way for a plethora of small vehicles in the GM family, including the next generation Opel Astra and a compact MPV to replace the Zafira.

A pronounced grille, striking headlights and a high shoulder-line give the Cruze a unique and coupe-esque look. The Cruze will be available in three specifications levels – L, LS and LT. The L and LS feature a 5-speed manual transmission and 16-inch alloy wheels, while the LT model receives a set of 17-inch alloys and a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

GMSA has not finalised the product range and specification but it is likely that the Cruze will initially be offered with a choice of 1,6 or 1,8-litre VVT petrol engines, with a 2,0-litre common-rail diesel to follow. The 1,6 litre engine is said to produce 83 kW with 153 N.m of torque at 4200 rpm, while the 1,8-litre produces around 104 kW and 176 N.m of torque at 6200 rpm. With 110 kW and 320 N.m of torque from around 2000 rpm, the 2,0-litre turbo diesel offers a claimed 5.6l/100km in the combined cycle.

Watch this space as we’ll be bringing you our first impressions of the car in late September. In the meantime take a look at the all new Chevrolet Cruze in the gallery below.

After months of previews, teasers and small official photos, the 2010 Opel (Vauxhall) Astra has finally been let out of the bag. The hatch has been revealed in high-res photos and for the first time we get a look at the upcoming car’s stylish new interior.

The new Astra is crucial for Opel as it will need to recover market share lost by the current model to Ford’s strong-selling Focus hatch as well as fend off the Fiesta compact. With Europe’s love for hatches and the increasingly tight fuel and emissions standards – not to mention the taxes that go with them – the hatch will be key for Opel’s sales.

The car will make its official world debut at this September’s Frankfurt Motor Show, before arriving in European showrooms by the end of the year. This is the sixth generation of the Astra, which comes almost 30 years after the launch of the original, and its styling was led by Mark Adams, the British designer responsible for Opel’s award-winning Insignia. Also, like the Insignia, the new Astra has spent over 600 hours in the wind tunnel, benefiting performance, economy and overall refinement.

Echoing the flowing forms of its bodywork, the new Astra’s interior marks a major shift towards premium design and quality in the compact sector. The Astra’s interior employs the recurring wing and blade motifs that were first introduced in the Insignia and also includes a wraparound instrument panel, which embraces both front seat occupants.

Ambient lighting enhances the quality feel of the cabin, with lighting points framing the gearbox surround, and providing illumination from above the center console and within the door handle recesses, depending on trim level.

Beneath the car’s pretty sheet metal is a 4.4 metre-length body and an updated GM Delta platform with a 71 millimetre-longer wheelbase. Tracks are wider in the both the front and the rear, with the later featuring a new axle design. This not only improves stability and agility but improves ride and comfort as well. Enhancing ride quality further is the addition of Opel’s FlexRide adjustable damper settings, which allows drivers to select between standard, sport and tour suspension modes. Another special feature is adaptive bi-xenon headlights.

The highlight of the new Astra’s powertrain line-up is the introduction of an all-new, 103 kW turbocharged 1,4-litre petrol unit, which builds on Opel’s commitment to engine downsizing and reduced emissions and fuel consumption. This engine joins three further petrol engines, which range from 74 kW to 132 kW, and four diesel engines ranging from 70 kW to 118 kW. All engines are Euro 5 compliant.

Adapted from MotorAuthority

Volkswagen’s sixth generation Golf arrived on South African shores a little over a month ago. SACarFan recently tested the new 1,4-litre TSI Comfortline model and discovered that building on the solid platform and success of the Golf V, VW have managed to take the Golf from good, to great.

Exterior
Let’s be honest, the new Golf 6 isn’t going to turn any heads or elicite an approving smile from onlookers as you cruise past. The styling is somewhat bland and it’s not a particularly exciting car to look at when compared to competitors such as the upcoming Renault Megane or Opel Astra. The previous generation Golf 5 sported a welcome makeover from that of the 4th generation but the ‘6′ is simply an evolution rather than a revolution. The new shoulder, or character line as VW calls it, which begins at the headlights, continues along the side of the car and tapers off into the rear lights, helps to define the look of the new Golf VI but still does not help it stand out. We like the new headlights and front grille – a’la Scirocco – for their rather elegant and purposeful pose. The colour coded bumpers and side mouldings are standard on the 1,4 TSI Comfortline and styling of the side mirrors is a somewhat refreshing addition to an otherwise yawn-producing design. The 16-inch Atlanta alloy’s fitted with 205/55 rubber, fill the arches adequately and add a touch of zest to the overall look.

Interior
We suppose it goes without saying but the new Comfortline model is indeed a comfortable place for passengers. Standard equipment includes electrically operated windows all round; armrests front and rear; height and reach adjustable steering wheel; and adjustable lumbar support to name a few. Our test car was fitted with optional leather sports seats; power sunroof; satellite navigation; and multifunction steering wheel, which you’d assume would leave us wanting for nothing. However, the one thing which we felt stood out like the proverbial sore thumb, was the lack of a simple storage compartment for bundling our wallets, keys and cellphones into.The most logical place for such a compartment would be within easy reach in front of the gear lever but this spot has been reserved for an ashtray and lighter. An insignificant point you may say, but an oversight which left us a little surprised.

On occasions where you’re carrying a bit more than just your personal belongings, you’ll be happy to know that the Golf Mk6 has more than enough space. Luggage capacity is a useful 350-litres and with the seats folded down in a 60/40 split, a cavernous 1 305-litres is available. Your rear passengers will be well catered for by the Golf 6, with ample leg and headroom for two adults. Safety is one of the areas in which the new Golf shines, boasting 9 air bags (even one for the driver’s knees); Isofix child seat preparation in the rear; side impact protection; anti-lock brakes; electronic brake force distribution and more. With all these features as standard across the new Golf 6 range, it’s easy to see why it has a best in class Euro NCAP rating of 5 stars.

The build quality of the fifth generation Golf was solid but with their latest incarnation Volkswagen have taken things a step further. For one, the windscreen has received a layer of damping film to reduce wind noise, along with new seals for the doors and side window guides. The styling of the side mirrors we mentioned earlier is not without purpose, their aerodynamic shape reduces wind noise and a subtle channel ensures water streams away from the car. The new Golf 6 exudes quality in every area and were it not for the VW badge in the centre of the steering wheel, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were surrounded by luxury usually reserved for ’superior’ brands. Thankfully the interior styling is far more interesting than the exterior, with brushed alluminium surrounds on the gear lever, dash and door sills. The instruments are lit up with a red backlighting, which is striking and adds a sci-fi glow afterdark.

The new Golf is available with some trick gadgets. Our test car was fitted with a touch screen radio and 6-disc CD with satellite navigation, but most impressive was the Park Assist function. The system enables almost fully automatic reverse parallel parking. The driver need only operate the accelerator, brake and clutch while the Golf 6 steers into the premeasured parking space, controlled by sensors. Also available with the touch screen system is Rear Assist. A small video camera, hidden beneath the VW emblem on the tailgate, shows the driver what’s going on behind the car while reversing.

The Drive
As with the Golf V, the new car provides a well balanced and comfortable driving experience. We immediately felt at home behind the controls – like slipping into your favourite pair of jeans. Cruising around town the car is supple and compliant, making for a relaxed drive without being soft, while on the open road it cruises comfortably and soaks up the bumps. Head for your favourite set of corners and the new Golf 6 won’t disappoint. The handling is predictable and unbiased towards either under- or oversteer. Feedback from the steering is adequate and, safety-wise, the electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) does a good job of keeping the car on your chosen line,  should you ever need to slam on brakes mid-turn.

Performance
As the name may suggest, the Golf 6 1,4 TSI Comfortline features a 1,4-litre engine. But how do you know whether it’s the 90 kW single-charge (turbocharged) motor, or the 118 kW twin-charge (turbo- and supercharged) version?
The answer lies in the ‘TSI’ badge – the single-charge models have a red ‘I’ and the twin-charged models have a red ‘SI’.

The 1,4-litre turbocharged motor found in the Comfortline is a gem. It produces 90 kW at 5 000 rpm and an impressive 200 N.m of torque between 1 500 and 4 000 rpm. The torque generated by the turbo makes it an easy car to drive around town and progress is swift without having to keep the engine ‘on the boil’. The throttle is responsive and you’re rewarded with a sporty exhaust note when putting your foot down. Currently the new Golf is only available with a 6-speed manual gearbox, but one which is silky smooth and a joy to slip up and down the rev range with.

The 1,4-litre TSI Comfortline will launch from zero to 100 km/h in 9,5 seconds and has a top speed of 200 km/h. Truly impressive though is the claimed fuel consumption of just 6.2 l/100 km on the combined cycle, making it one of the most powerful and efficient engines available today.

We like…

• Top-class build quality – yes, it’s pricey but you certainly get what you pay for.
• Silky smooth 6-speed manual gearbox.
• Strong engine and fuel efficiency.
• Well balanced and comfortable ride.

We would like…

• Not much really, it ticks all the boxes and proves it with the title of World Car Of The Year 2009.
• Oh yes, that easy-access, on-hand storage compartment for the obligatory mobile phone and wallet.

Opel may have only just released initial details on its sixth-generation Astra a few days ago, but GM Europe is trying to keep the momentum going by publishing a new set of desktop wallpapers. Opel is planning to introduce its new VW Golf 6 rivalling hatchback to the members of the press in mid-June, ahead of the scheduled world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

Click below to view hi-res images of the new 2010 Opel Astra.

Adapted from CarScoop

Opel (Vauxhall in the UK) has chosen to reveal pictures of its new subcompact hatch in all its glory, ahead of its scheduled world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Clearly influenced by the new Insignia, the sixth generation Astra hatch is based on GM’s new Delta platform, that also underpins the Chevy Volt and Cruze models. The new Astra also comes with a new set of engines including 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol units.

Unlike VW’s rivaling Golf VI, with its design language that keeps evolving from previous generation models, the new Astra features a new design and judging by the photo’s, it will be a head turner. Its up to date and clean looks combine a sleek and sporty shape, with the latest Opel styling cues such as the characteristic scalloped side blades and the Insignia-inspired headlights.

Buyers of the new Astra will be able to select from a broad selection of petrol and diesel engines. Aside from an entry-level 1.4-naturally aspirated engine and the Insignia-derived 1.6-litre turbo with 134kW, the Astra’s petrol range will also include GM’s new 1.4-litre turbocharged unit. It will be offered with outputs ranging from 89kW to 104kW and torque values of 175Nm to 200Nm. General Motors says that the 1.4 turbo engine will deliver fuel savings of up to 8 percent compared to the naturally aspirated 1.6 and 1.8-litre engines that it will replace.

The diesel range comprises of 1.3-litre, 1.7-litre and 2.0-litre turbocharged units ranging from 70kW to 119kW, while Opel also plans to introduce an ecoFLEX version with low CO2 emissions and improved fuel economy sometime in 2010.

Depending on the market, the five-door Astra will go on sale in Europe this winter. It will be joined by the sporty three-door GTC Coupe and the more practical station-wagon in late 2010 – early 2011, followed by a four-door sedan model and a coupe-cabriolet with a retractable hardtop.

Adapted from CarScoop