FRANKFURT - Vauxhall again pushes the boat out with a host of premières from cars to vans and new Tech too.

VAUXHALL’S ANNOUNCES ALL-NEW BRIT-BUILT ASTRA SPORTS TOURER

• All-new Astra Sports Tourer in Vauxhall showrooms next year
• Smaller outside, bigger inside – up to 200kg lighter than outgoing model
• New seat architecture and tailgate that opens via a kick
• New powertrains and technology including OnStar and Apple CarPlay

VAUXHALL PRESENTS BRIT-BUILT VIVARO SURF CONCEPT AT FRANKFURT

• World premiere of lifestyle van for sport and leisure
• Space for up to six people, active sports and leisure equipment
• Powerful 1.6-litre CDTi (140PS) BiTurbo CDTi with 340Nm

VAUXHALL ASTRA MAKES WORLD DEBUT AT FRANKFURT SHOW

• Five-door hatch and Sports Tourer body styles debut at Frankfurt
• All-new Astra in Vauxhall showrooms from October
• New powertrains and tech including OnStar and Apple CarPlay

Vauxhall’s all-new Brit-built Astra, in both five-door hatch and Sports Tourer body styles, will premiere at the 2015 International Motor Show (IAA). Built at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire, the new Astra is up to 200kg lighter than the outgoing model and thanks to its clever design it is smaller on the outside and bigger inside.

The powertrain portfolio features petrol and diesel units ranging from 100PS to 200PS, including an all-new 1.4-litre (150PS) ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo and the recently-launched 1.6-litre CDTi Whisper Diesel.

New Astra is also the first Vauxhall to feature OnStar, the ground-breaking connectivity technology now available across Europe. OnStar includes high-speed 4G LTE mobile network, emergency response notification and stolen vehicle recovery alert.

Astra is also one of the first vehicles from a mainstream manufacturer to get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, available through a new version of the IntelliLink infotainment system.

"The all-new Brit-built Astra raises the bar in terms of quality, design and connectivity," said Tim Tozer, Vauxhall's Chairman and Managing Director. "Lighter than ever before, with new powertrains and cutting-edge technology, the new Astra is set to shake up the C-segment when it arrives in showrooms this autumn."

VAUXHALL’S ANNOUNCES ALL-NEW BRIT-BUILT ASTRA SPORTS TOURER

• All-new Astra Sports Tourer in Vauxhall showrooms next year
• Smaller outside, bigger inside – up to 200kg lighter than outgoing model
• New seat architecture and tailgate that opens via a kick
• New powertrains and technology including OnStar and Apple CarPlay

Vauxhall’s all-new Astra Sports Tourer is to make its debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Like its five-door hatch sibling, the Sports Tourer is based on an all-new lightweight vehicle architecture with a new design, powertrains and technology. It is built at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port manufacturing plant in Cheshire.

Design

Just like the five-door hatch, the Sports Tourer takes Vauxhall’s design philosophy ‘Sculptural Artistry meets Technical Precision’ to the next level.

The Sports Tourer further extends the dynamic lines of the five-door. The slightly arched sloping roofline gives the Sports Tourer a longer appearance – an effect that is further enhanced by the divided C-pillar. The rear view combines high functionality with elegant design. The Sports Tourer has a stable, robust and safe stance – the muscular rear-wheel arch contours and the divided rear light clusters add to this impression.

The latest generation Sports Tourer has the same dimensions as the outgoing model with a length of 4,702mm, a width of 1,871mm (with exterior mirrors folded in) and a height of 1,499mm – however, it offers much more space for passengers and luggage. The driver can enjoy 26mm of additional headroom, passengers in the rear have 28mm more, providing more space and comfort. The Sports Tourer’s total cargo capacity is now 1,630 litres, thanks to more efficient packaging.

Loading space

For the first time on a Vauxhall, the tailgate can be opened without a touch or a remote control. In combination with “Keyless Entry and Start” a simple small kicking motion under the rear bumper is enough to open the tailgate. A further kicking motion under the bumper will close the tailgate. The clever system can detect any obstruction and stops the mechanism in case of an emergency. The tailgate can still be opened by a switch on the driver’s side of the car or via the key’s remote control.

In order to increase loading space the Sports Tourer comes with 40/20/40 foldable rear seats enabling even more flexible loading space configurations. The FlexOrganiser product range with side rails, dividing nets and various fastening options is available as an option so that all loaded materials can be stored safely and tidily.

Powertrains

The powertrain portfolio features petrol and diesel units ranging from 100PS to 200PS, including an all-new 1.4-litre (150PS) ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo and the recently-launched 1.6-litre CDTi Whisper Diesel.  The 200PS version of the 1.6-litre ECOTEC petrol will celebrate its world premiere at Frankfurt.

Chassis

Depending on the model and trim level it is up to 200kg lighter than its predecessor. The completely new vehicle architecture plays a major role in the weight reduction. Every component was checked for compact design and lightweight materials. The body shell weight alone was reduced by 20 per cent from 357kg to 280kg.

Additional, chassis-related measures resulted in a further 50kg weight loss. These include high-strength and ultra-high-strength low-weight steels, compact subframes as well as weight reductions to the front and rear axle.

Connectivity

The Astra Sports Tourer also features OnStar, the ground-breaking connectivity technology now available across Europe. OnStar includes high-speed 4G LTE mobile network, emergency response notification and stolen vehicle recovery alert. The Sports Tourer is also one of the first vehicles from a mainstream manufacturer to get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, available through a new version of the IntelliLink infotainment system.

VAUXHALL PRESENTS BRIT-BUILT VIVARO SURF CONCEPT AT FRANKFURT

• World premiere of lifestyle van for sport and leisure
• Space for up to six people, active sports and leisure equipment
• Powerful 1.6-litre CDTi (140PS) BiTurbo CDTI with 340Nm

Vauxhall showcases a Luton-built Vivaro Surf Concept at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.

This lifestyle version of the Vivaro is ideal for sporting activities and can accommodate five to six passengers (depending on the seating configuration) along with sport and fitness equipment.

Roomy and spacious, this doublecab van offers a separate cargo area of 3.2m³ – or 4.0m³ for the long wheelbase version. The Vivaro Surf Concept is ideal for transporting wet or dirty items after a trip to the beach or to the mountains in the large cargo area.

The Vivaro Surf Concept is a real eye-catcher with its shiny copper-brown paintwork. Customised Irmscher alloys complete the look.

The lifestyle van shows its full functionality once the doors and tailgate are opened – either manually or via Keyless Open. A cargo area with a total permissible weight of up to one tonne is extremely practical with plenty of room for skiing or snowboard equipment, surfboards or bikes. The floor of the cargo area is fitted with a newly-developed rail system; the entire width under the second row of seats is used for a storage box that can hold small items. The interior, fitted by the specialists from Snoeks Automotive, features blue lighting in the sidewalls and the roof liner.

On the roof, the Surf Concept has a special surfboard bracket so that longboard fans don’t have to go on holiday without their beloved board.

Powertrain

Powered by a 1.6-litre CDTi (140PS) BiTurbo, it mobilises 340Nm of torque and propels the Vivaro Surf Concept to a top speed of 112mph. The ecoFLEX version with Start/Stop achieves 46.31mpg, which is equivalent to 160g/km (preliminary values).

The idea of providing additional comfort also features in the suspensions system. The air suspension at the rear axle compensates for all sorts of bumps in the road giving passengers a comfortable ride, shortened springs also reduce the vehicles height by around 7cm to 1.80m.

“The Vivaro Surf Concept is the ideal vehicle for large families or groups of friends,” said Steffen Raschig, Vauxhall/Opel Director Commercial Vehicles. “The close-to-production concept offers space for up to six passengers with its crew cab. There is a large cargo area with numerous practical details behind the second row of seats. The sporty styling on the outside and numerous comfort features along with the ultra-modern IntelliLink system on the inside make it an elegant roomy van. The Vivaro Surf Concept is the perfect alternative for people who need more than a passenger car but do not want to miss out on the usual comfort.”

The spacious and comfortable Vivaro Surf Concept will be on show at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt and could soon go into production as a “Limited Edition”.