Opel and its sister company Vauxhall have published the first interior photos of the all-new, sixth generation Astra, which is due to make its world debut at this September's Frankfurt Motor Show and reach European showrooms by late this year. Along with the interior shots, the German automaker also issued a new set of studio photos as well as sketches of the Astra that show the evolution of the exterior and interior styling of the car.
As anticipated from the various spy shots, the 2010 Astra's cabin is a fresh reinterpretation of the Insignia's design, which isn't a bad thing at all. Highlights include the recurring wing and blade motifs, the wraparound instrument panel with deep set gauges and the ambient lighting that provides illumination from above the centre console and within the door handle recesses.
The company says that the interior also stands out due to the high quality of the materials which can be seen in areas like the grained, soft-touch surfaces, the textured panels, the chrome trim elements, and the feel of operating buttons and switches.
"Our goal was to make the perceptual quality in the interior of the next generation Astra as great as that of the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia," says Peter Hasselbach, in charge of Design Appearance Quality. "This is in line with Opel/Vauxhall's mission to bring innovations and quality to the compact class."
Opel claims that with the new Astra it has addressed one of the most common complaints on the previous model, that of limited storage areas in the cabin. The company said that it has created a raft of "clever storage solutions" like a shelled sunglass case inserted above the door opening on the driver's side, coin slots and pen holders moulded into the inside edge of the glove box lid while the glove box itself has two removable compartments.
There's also a second mini-glove box below the light switch, an under-seat drawer beneath the passenger seat which is big enough to hold a pair of shoes while the centre console can accommodate nine CD cases, as well as having a small storage area and an insert for two cup holders.
"It was important for the team not only to find places for the items to fit, but for the new Astra's interior to still look great, and maintain high quality standards throughout the cabin," says Max Kuncl, Performance Integration Manager.
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