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This is the first picture of the new Vauxhall Astra, captured for the first time completely undisguised.

Spotted at a GM testing facility in Germany, the car in our exclusive spy pic is a styling model, but it shows how the new Vauxhall Astra will look when it goes on sale at the end of this year.

The new Vauxhall Astra’s true windowline is visible for the first time, as are the rear lights and the real shape of the rear window. Until now we’ve only seen heavily disguised Vauxhall ...Read the full article

"The suspension layout is the same, however, with MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear."

Really? I thought the Astra was finally getting a multi-link rear suspension set-up?

Styling looks nice and sleek but not exactly what you could call a major change.

I like it. Styling looks to be a big improvement, if the interior is similar to the Insignia it should be just fine. It should join the Insignia and get a name change as well to move it away from the old Astra if its going upmarket, it needs to.

Like that a lot.  I had a Mk... something (the one before the current one, erm, it was X reg..!) Astra SRi years ago and liked it a lot - my brother still has it, it has 164,000 miles on the clock, doesn't use a drop of oil, and is still on the original clutch!  Good car... its replacement never grabbed me.  This new one looks promising. 

The Insignia stylng will probably go down well on the currently very dull 5 door model, lets hope the great looking 3 door manages to keep the quality of its looks.

Looks like a Fiat Bravo. Like the Fiat it also has a torsion beam which is bad news, especially compared with the Focus and the Golf.

Re. the styling - just as on the Insignia - this car has been Bangled. Once comic, now copied. CB was right all along....

Quite a classy looking prospect, in the same vein as the Insignia. There is quite a hint of the Kia Cee'd about this new Astra, from the side profile anyway.

 

Oh come on! This definitely looks like a SEAT Leon... Copy-paste?

Torsion beam, how dull a bit too Megane/Civic.

Quattro369:

Really? I thought the Astra was finally getting a multi-link rear suspension set-up?

 

Agreed - I thought so to. Can anyone please clarify?  

samjohnson:

Oh come on! This definitely looks like a SEAT Leon... Copy-paste?

Hmm... doesn't look much like a SEAT Leon to me, though the side glass is not dissimilar.  This looks sleek, refined, low, all-of-a-piece.  The Leon looks like a tall, dumpy, frumpy, malformed estate car with a hideous droopy gash along its side.  Just my two cents...  :o)