After the unveiling in September of the hatchback, five-door saloon, Opel is now lifting the curtain on the Astra Sports Tourer, the long-awaited van of the German family member.
It grows 268 mm in length relative to the car, settling at 4642 mm, an elongation that is also reflected in the wheelbase, extended by 57 mm to 2732 mm. It is also taller at 39 mm (1480 mm).
Compared to its predecessor, the new Astra Sports Tourer achieves the feat of being shorter (60 mm less, but interestingly, more 70 mm between the axles), but with a higher luggage capacity, which reveals a superior use of space.
The new German van announces 608 l of capacity against the 540 l of the previous generation, a figure that can be increased to 1634 l with the asymmetric folding of the rear seat backs (40:20:40). The value of the luggage compartment drops to between 548 l and 1574 l if we choose one of the plug-in hybrid engines, as the battery is housed under the floor of the luggage compartment.
The opening and closing of the tailgate is electric and can be activated with a movement of the foot under the rear bumper and the loading plane is only 600 mm above the ground.
‘Intelli-Space’
It is not just by offering more space in the trunk that combustion engine-only variants gain an advantage over plug-in hybrids. The combustion-only Opel Astra Sports Tourers also have their load volume optimized with the ‘Intelli-Space’ system.
It is a mobile loading floor, says Opel, easily adjustable with just one hand, in a higher or lower position and even positioned at a 45º angle.
Another detail that increases the versatility of use, once again, in combustion-only versions, has to do with the possibility of stowing the retractable luggage compartment cover under the luggage compartment floor, regardless of the position of the mobile floor, if in the highest or lower.
Finally, access to the tire repair and first aid kits can be done not only through the trunk, but also through the rear seats, and are also housed under the trunk floor. Which means there is no need to empty the trunk if one of these kits is needed.
Astra Sports Tourer in the second half of 2022
Furthermore, the new Opel Astra Sports Tourer shares everything with the car, including engines that can be petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrids.
So we have a three-cylinder 1.2 Turbo petrol that can have 110 hp or 130 hp or a 1.5 Turbo D (diesel) with 130 hp. The 1.2 Turbo 130 and 1.5 Turbo D can be paired with either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic.
To top the range we have two plug-in hybrid engines, with 180 hp or 225 hp — a combination of 1.6 Turbo of, respectively, 150 hp or 180 hp with a 110 hp electric motor — with an eight-speed electrified automatic transmission. At the moment an electric autonomy has not been announced, but it should not deviate from the 60 km of the Astra car.
Although it has already been unveiled, the new Opel Astra Sports Tourer is expected to be launched only in the second half of 2022. Prices have not yet been advanced, but those for the car are already known, with those for the van being, traditionally, a little more high.