Opel may have been responsible for the development of the Astra being the first to launch the five-door hatchback, Sports Tourer station wagon and three-door GTC variants amongst GM’s global brands, but there’s one body style it will be the last to get and that’s the four-door sedan model.
The Astra sedan essentially made its debut as the new Buick Excelle GT in China back in the summer of 2010 followed by the North American 2012 Buick Verano at last year’s Detroit Motor Show.
Now, our spies bring us pictures of the Opel Astra model while testing in Germany. There’s no camouflage up front so we can see that the Opel-flavored version sports the same fascia as the European Astra.
The automaker’s engineers covered the rear end, but from what we can tell, the only differences with the Buick models concern the tail lamp graphics and possibly the removal of the chrome eyebrows to create a more three-dimensional look, along with a differen license plate holder and the incorporation of a spoiler lip to the boot.
The interior will feature the same décor as the other Astra models while the engine lineup will also be carried over unchanged and include both petrol and diesel units.
The new Astra Sedan will likely go on sale in select European markets as well as Russia, Turkey and other countries in the region by the end of the year or early 2013.
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