The new Opel Astra Sports Tourer is a masterpiece of design

Pure dynamism also from the side: the Opel Astra Sports Tourer's optically flared wheel arches give it a powerful yet clear and bold appearance. Moreover, they emphasize the sports suit's solid foothold on the road. The crouched attitude accentuates the rear's large, forward-reaching pillars as if ready to leap. Additionally, the back view shows the Opel compass – complete with a flashing light in the center – the vertical third brake light, and the ultra-slim LED taillights, which are standard on all Astra lighting units.

Despite their dynamic appeal, the designers of the new Opel Astra Sports Tourer generation always had the client in mind. Because the new Opel Astra Sports Tourer should be the best of both worlds: it should be a true eye-catcher while retaining the established strength and adaptability for everyday use of its predecessors.

The mission has been accomplished: The new Opel Astra Sports Tourer demonstrates its external dimensions of 4.64 x 1.86 x 1.48 meters (length x width x height) and a loading sill height of around 60 centimeters, versatility as a sporty all-rounder. For example, to maintain a low loading sill, unlike the five-door variant, the license plate is located in the tailgate rather than the bumper. This allows for the more straightforward loading of luggage or work utensils into the flat back compartment. And despite a seven-centimeter increase in wheelbase to 2.73 meters (+ 5.7 centimeters compared to the new Astra five-door), which increases passenger comfort,

"Yet its tiny dimensions, the new Opel Astra Sports Tourer appears to be nearly as long as an Opel Insignia - despite being far shorter. We accomplish this aesthetic effect by combining beautiful, flowing lines with a distinctive two-tone paint finish," explains Mark Adams. For the first time on an Opel station wagon, a color contrast between the roof and the rest of the body is available. The new Astra appears even sleeker and longer on the road due to the roof's color contrast with the rest of the vehicle.

The interior reflects the exterior's clean, strong appearance pared down to its basics. The digital, driver-centric Pure Panel Cockpit transports passengers to a new universe. As a next-generation Human Machine Interface, it provides clients with an intuitive user experience (HMI). Depending on the variant, it combines two 10-inch widescreen screens and the driver's side air vents beneath the horizontally stretched glass top. "I refer to 'Glass to Edge' as the total glass cockpit surface. The glass reaches to the Pure Panel's edges. This results in an incredibly modern and innovative cockpit design" extols the Opel design chief.

"Maximum detox" was the guiding philosophy behind the cockpit's design. The Opel developers placed a premium on the driver receiving all relevant information and operating options without being overwhelmed with extraneous data or features. The ultra-flat, no-frills control buttons have been kept to a minimum. Consequently, a balanced combination of digital appearance and a few pressing buttons - for example, direct air conditioning control - is achieved. There are no extra visual stimuli or distracting searches for essential tasks of submenus - only pure concentration on the road is ensured.

With the Snapdragon Cockpit platform, the entirely digital Pure Panel delivers an intuitive AI experience. Personalization options for the driver and passengers, virtual assistance, natural language recognition and control, and an adaptive HMI system are included.

Tangled cords are a thing of the past in the new Opel Astra Sports Tourer and Astra five-door: the new generation of infotainment systems in all model variants supports wireless connection of smartphones and gadgets via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. But, again, the guiding principle was to produce a clean, fully functional high-tech design that does not appear chilly but gives a sense of security. @via bilbasen.