With most car makers talking about their wares on display at next month's
Paris Motor Show we had to double check the wording on Vauxhall's press release this morning, as it is previewing its all-new Astra, which makes its world debut - at the
2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.
That's right; it's a year away from the revealing, so expect a long drawn out strip tease. First up are a couple of line drawings of the side profile of the new Astra, indicating that the new car will retain the overall proportions of the current model and that the three-door version will hold onto its distinctly sporting roofline.
Vauxhall has told us that the new Astra will feature a version of the Insignia's 'sculpted blade' side detail, as well as the new technology found in the Vectra replacement, such as Adaptive Forward Lighting and the Front Camera System, which combines a lane departure warning with traffic sign recognition.
It's likely that a new range of low capacity, boosted engines will make its debut in the Astra too. More will be revealed ahead of the Frankfurt debut next year.
Shane O' Donoghue - 8 Sep 2008