Russelsheim, Germany - Opel boss Karl-Thomas Neumann has confirmed in a video interview that the all-new Astra will make its world debut at the Frankfurt auto show in September.
The promo was shot with Neumann standing next to a heavily camouflaged engineering development prototype and telling the camera it's a "revolutionary car that is much more efficient in all respects" with "awesome design" that was created "from a white sheet of paper".
More specifically, he said the new Astra would be slightly smaller outside than its predecessor (very slightly, if the car in the video is anything to go by) but "dramatically" lighter, with substantially more passenger space. Neumann also confirmed that the new Astra would be offered in Europe only with the new-generation engines, as seen in the recently launched Adam, Mokka and Corsa models.
Whether this applies to the South African market remains to be seen - it hasn't thus far.
10 GENERATIONS
To date Opel had produced more than 24 million compact cars in 10 generations of Kadett and Astra models, Neumann said, with the Kadett making motoring accessible for millions of people around the world, and the later Astra bringing new technologies from the premium class to the budget segment.
And that would continue with the new Astra, he promised, with Opel OnStar's new online help and rescue service, on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.