Review: the new Astra goes "straight to the top of its class"

[DmitryKo]

http://honestjohn.co.uk/road_tests/index.htm?id=408

Vauxhall Astra 2010 Road Test

Make no mistake, the new Vauxhall Astra is a very important car. The survival of GM manufacturing in the UK depends on it... but none of that would matter to the average car buyer if the new Vauxhall Astra wasn’t a very good car.

I can tell you, it’s not only very good. It leaps straight to the top of its class.

The first important reason goes back to the steam age. It’s called the Watt’s linkage and was originally designed by James of the same name to constrain the movement of a steam engine piston in a straight line. When applied to a car’s rear suspension it prevents relative sideways motion between the axle and body of the car much more effectively than a single Panhard rod. In the case of the new Astra, it allowed the engineers to use much softer rear axle trailing arm bushes and fit softer springs without compromising the car’s roadholding.

And it works sensationally well. The car takes bends so smoothly and naturally you can find yourself going 20mph faster through them. Yet at the same time the car has the ride quality of a good limousine, even on the 205/50 R17 tyres ours came fitted with.

...

The old Astra was second only to the Focus in UK sales. But while the Mk III Focus is a big improvement over the Mk II, it’s still basically a Mk II, with a body shape that has been around for five years now.

The new Astra is all new. New body. New suspension. New petrol engines. And it all works sensationally well... I don’t think it will be long before the new Astra wrests top spot from the Focus.

And, though I still like the Focus, I think this will be well deserved, with a lot of happy and very comfortable Astra drivers.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/index.htm?md=1425

Car by Car breakdown
Vauxhall Astra I (2009 - )
*****
Straight to the top of its class with sensational combination of ride quality, steering and handling. Excellent, economical 1.4 turbo engine

...

The new Astra’s front and rear tracks have been increased by 56mm and 70mm respectively, while its wheelbase has been increased by 71mm, the cumulative effect being improved handling and ride quality, as well as more space and comfort for occupants.

GM engineers have combined the size, weight and efficiency of a compound crank rear axle layout with a cleverly positioned Watts link, which supports lateral forces during cornering. A FlexRide adaptive damping system adjusts the suspension character automatically depending on drivers’ needs, while also offering three programmable damper settings. Finally a stiffer core body structure, enhances the new Astra’s ride and handling while also reducing noise and vibration inside the cabin.

....

The Astra’s new suspension layout combines MacPherson strut front suspension with a clever, newly developed compound crank rear axle with a Watts link. This set-up has many advantages over a multi-link design, including improved packaging, greater wheel camber stiffness and less lower suspension friction. It also creates less camber loss due to body roll, while the Watts link ensures that lateral stability is maintained.

The torsion beam of the compound crank axle is attached between the trailing links, about half way between the axle bush and the rear wheel. The open, U-shaped profile between the attachment points has now been lengthened and the wall thickness generally increased to provide more roll stiffness. In addition, beams with different wall thicknesses are fitted to give the required roll-steer characteristics.

The Watts link is carried on a small cross-member attached to the underside of the car, just behind the rear wheel centre line. It comprises a short, pivoting centre link with a ball joint at each end, to which the lateral links from the wheels are bolted.

In a straight line, the set up ensures excellent stability, but during cornering it minimises lateral deflection in the same way a modern multi-link system would do. In addition, the Watts link reduces axle bush loads to allow softer bushings, which further isolate occupants from road noise and vibration.

The MacPherson struts which feature on the Astra’s front suspension incorporate dual-path top mounts that separate spring and damper forces. To reduce unsprung weight and assist weight distribution, the knuckle and the lower control arm are made from aluminium and the anti-roll bar from hollow section steel.

The L-shaped control arm is attached through two bushings to the front subframe. The front bush is particularly stiff to optimise handling, while that at the rear is a radial-loaded hydro-bush. The suspension geometry and the tuning of the bushes are designed to provide both lateral stiffness and longitudinal compliance to benefit ride comfort and handling. The rearmost bush of the L-arm is also hydraulically damped for excellent road isolation, helping to prevent vibration transmission into the car’s cabin.
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[Suziebob]

GM should take the Astra and badge it as a budget Chevrolet in Europe, just to make Opel cry.

[ne_one]

Originally Posted by Suziebob

GM should take the Astra and badge it as a budget Chevrolet in Europe, just to make Opel cry.

Because chopping off your nose to spite your face is good business?

GM should bring the Astra over to NA instead of diddling around deciding how to derive something new that will invariably be less appealing.

[Suziebob]

Opel and Vauxhall, should the sell actually finalize, aren't GM anymore. They'll be independent companies. Therefore, the competition.

Or they could bring it to the US as a Chevrolet.

[Bravada]

Forget the Astra

IT'S DMITRY!!!!

[johnstarnes]

Is this the car that might be the basis for a new small Buick?

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by johnstarnes

Is this the car that might be the basis for a new small Buick?

Delta-II based, yes.

[mattyman1010]

Why GM isn't making this more widely available is beyond me. Forget the Cruze, produce Astras in South Korea as well to supply to Asian/Oceania markets please! Cruze has nothing on this Astra!!





Stunning from every angle - Well done Opel!!

[BlueMontreal]

When is the Buick Astra is coming here ?

[turbotoad]

Come on GM.....throw a Buick grill on it along with some chrome door handles & window trim, then sell the crap out of it NOW!!!! Not a friggen year from now. Put your money where your mouth is Fritz.....move fast!

[ford&holden]

Originally Posted by mattyman1010

Why GM isn't making this more widely available is beyond me. Forget the Cruze, produce Astras in South Korea as well to supply to Asian/Oceania markets please! Cruze has nothing on this Astra!!





Stunning from every angle - Well done Opel!!

This is and has always been my point also.

Why the hell we have the cruze is beyound me, however since the sale of Opel, it's much clearer to see why...sadly.

[Blair1118]

I want a 5 door Buick Astra (or vert) NOW

[TKR]

Why don't they sell the Astra as a Chevrolet or instead of the Cruze? Because it is too expensive. This has been mentioned by those in the know many times but people don't seem to comprehend this fact.

Do you see VW offering a stripped down, cheap version of the Golf? No. Honda have even done a new 'City' which is a different, cheaper vehicle to the Civic in order to get the 'value' deals?

http://http://www.honda.co.nz/site/new_cars/index.html

In order for GM to make money in Australia or NZ the car would have to be priced at VW Golf levels. This would make it a niche vehicle as opposed to a volume vehicle which the Cruze is. Same goes for the Insignia which is why it will be a Buick, where it can command a higher price, and not a Chev.

[TKR]

Originally Posted by ford&holden

This is and has always been my point also.

Why the hell we have the cruze is beyound me, however since the sale of Opel, it's much clearer to see why...sadly.

Yeah the Cruze is a failure and the buying public hate it......

PS: Well done with the Astra GM and I think it will make a very good Buick, both in the the US and China (and where ever else GM decide to sell it).

[Bravada]

Well, for once you are wishing for what will, or actually did, come true. The Astra has long been confirmed to be coming as Buick, production is being ramped up in China (rather than South Korea), and the "mini-LaCrosse" Buick sedan called Verano for the US market is in fact the sedan version thereof. There is quite a bit of chance GM would also bring the hatch if you ask them frequently enough