Here’s our very first glimpse at the interior of the upcoming, fifth-gen Opel (Vauxhall in Britain) Astra compact.
The top of the tester’s dashboard was covered, while the instrument panel gauges were hidden behind a Plexiglas, but the center console was open for business.
The first thing you notice is how Opel drastically reduced the number of controls for the new infotainment and air condition systems compared to the button-fest that is the current Astra, which is a welcome ergonomic change.
The specific prototype also featured a painted lower console and a sleeker steering wheel that appears to be similar to the one fitted on the latest Corsa.
On the outside, the car was heavily camouflaged and was wearing non-production parts on both its nose and tail, so we still don’t have a clear view of how Opel’s new styling language will translate on the Astra’s compact body.
It does look, though, that Opel and Vauxhall’s competitor to the VW Golf and Ford Focus will grow in size and have a more sculpted design.
The Astra will likely ride on GM’s revised compact platform and (eventually) offer the European brand’s recently introduced frugal Ecotec engines ranging in displacement from 1.0- to 1.5-liters with up to 165hp, and possibly, a 2.0-liter turbo for the high performance OPC (Opel) / VXR (Vauxhall) version that will follow after the regular model’s late 2015 – early 2016 launch.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops
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