OPELAstra Sports Tourer 2010 - 2015

　　Opel launched the fifth generation of the Astra at the 2009 Frankfurt International Auto Show. Still, the station wagon version of its successful compact contender saw the light of day one year later, at the Paris Motor Show.

　　General Motors' European branch was not in good shape, shaken after the world financial crisis that almost killed it. Yet, the carmaker moved on and introduced a new generation for its compact-segment lineup, which sold it in various shapes. For the station wagon, it chose the name Sports Tourer to emphasize the vehicle's sporty character.

　　The styling was inspired by the Insignia, with curved headlights on their lower part. Its large and narrow grille was accompanied by a second one in the lower bumper. Both did the same job of cooling the engine and the AC compressor. The long roof version of the Astra family featured a more extended glass panel behind the rear doors than its five-door hatchback sibling. Moreover, the tailgate was also slightly raked-forward. Finally, a small lip adorned the rear part of the roof, improving the aerodynamic coefficient.

　　Inside the cabin, the dashboard looked high-tech for the time it came on the market. It featured four round dials on the instrument cluster, with the engine temperature and fuel level in the upper-middle sector. Between the large speedometer and tachometer, there was an LCD screen. The rear bench featured a split-folding system that expanded the trunk to 1,550 liters (54.7 cu. ft.).

　　Under the hood, the carmaker added a new Euro5 emission standards engine range, fit for all tastes. Moreover, it built the vehicle with six-speed automatic transmissions for specific powerplants.

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