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Opel/Vauxhall is on the point of launching the most important model offensive in its history. It will start with a sleeker, more upmarket Astra range (seen here undisguised for the first time), followed by all-new 2010 Meriva and 2012 Zafira models designed to maintain the marque’s strong MPV foothold across Europe.

More flexibility for new Vauxhall Meriva
More grown-up look for Vauxhall Zafira

Vauxhall is also ...Read the full article

For the Astra they've taken styling cues from a few other cars and made one of the plainest cars ever...the coupe looks like a mix of Mazda3 and the 90s Tigra. It will get lost on the road.

Chaps, links are faulty in the original article. Here are ones that work :)

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/Vauxhall-Meriva/239435/

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/Vauxhall-Zafira/239436/

Firstly thanks sirwilliam for the links...

I think they look really good!! well done GM and or Opel!!

Don't understand Andy's comment at all - I think this looks very promising and I wish Vauxhall/Opel every success with it. 

Yes I can see some styling similarities with other cars, but that's hardly unusual these days - to me this is a good, well resolved and fresh look and a huge step forward from the current rather sorry effort.  Want bland Andy?  'New' Golf, Focus anyone?  This Astra looks ten times sharper than either.

 People on these boards baffle me sometimes.

SDR:

 People on these boards baffle me sometimes.

You mean they're wrong because they don't share your opinion?

As for the latest Vauxhalls, they look pretty good. I hope the Meriva/Zafira still look good by the time they come out. The Insignia was promising and then look we ended up with.

andyc79:

For the Astra they've taken styling cues from a few other cars and made one of the plainest cars ever...

Its not a good start for the new Opel Astra, considering it looks considerably worse than the current sleek and dynamic looking 3-door. It's even more bizzare when you realise the lenghts Opel have gone to in the last few years to try and encourage younger buyers to its marque, and this has resulted in major strides forward with car design and quality, culminating with the fantastic new Insignia, however I think the new Astra looks disastrous. Its lower grille looks like the Mazda3/6 and the headlamps look reminiscent of the Astra of 2 generations ago. And to the reader who criticised the Golf for being "bland", if one ran a google search on the word "bland", this new Astra should be the first result in the google search, at least the latest Golf looks very similar to the mk5, something Opel should have done when you consider this effort.

Its not all bad news though, it could have been worse, they could have got some of the designers from Subaru to design the new Astra!

I think this looks better than the current overly boxy 5 door, but there is much room for improvement, lets hope the 3 door builds on the current cars good looks and doesn't ruin them by following the current trend of becoming bloated.

The Autocar title - Bigger, Better annoys the heck out if me. When can we have a magazine that actually uses "Smaller- Better" in the titles? - stop the tabloid style headlines pushing manufacturers for larger heavier cars, when the people who write the magazine understand that this is not the way forwards. 

I know there is a comma in there but the association is implied and the dumbing down is annoying for what is a relatively well educated target audience.

I like them. Especially when you remember that these are just artists impressions. No mention of the Astras' rear suspension though... will it be independent?

Quattro369:

I like them. Especially when you remember that these are just artists impressions.

no they're not, they're official Opel photos. It's a hit. Add in the new 1,4l turbocharged, direct-injection engines and VW and Ford particularly should be worried:

horseandcart:

no they're not, they're official Opel photos. It's a hit.

 

H&C, I think you're right, they look great. All we need now is for Opel/Vauxhall to stay around long enough to make the bloody thing.

the front looks like a Civic mated with a Passat CC.