Vauxhall Astra (2009): first interior photos

By Ben Pulman

First Official Pictures

18 June 2009 15:15

Vauxhall has released the first interior pictures of the new sixth-generation Astra, showing that the inside of the five-door hatch has been heavily influenced by the bigger Insignia's.

The architecture broadly follows that of the Insignia, with (at least in top-spec models) a high-set sat-nav system, sitting above the audio and air-con controls and flanked by the central air vents. The air vents themselves are more angular than the items you'll find in the Insignia, and the dash itself also appears more upright. Other differences include much more sweeping door handles and a different location for the electronic handbrake.

If the overall ambience and quality of the materials in the Insignia are anything to go by, the new interior of the sixth-gen Astra should mark a big step forward over the current car.

Yes. Vauxhall is promising that the Astra's new seats will have 'industry-leading levels of adjustment', plus the company is claiming that its extensive research into storage solutions has made it file for a number of patents for the interior. Apparently the Astra's interior team compiled a list of the 20 most common items stored in a car, then set about finding nooks and crannies for all of them. The end result is a sunglasses case above the driver's door, mouldings on the inside of the glovebox for coins and pens, moveable compartments in the glovebox and a 12v connection for back-seat passengers.

We'll see the new Vauxhall/Opel Astra in the metal at the Frankfurt motor show in September 2009, before it goes on sales towards the end of 2009 priced from around £14,000.

By Ben Pulman