The Astra still carries a little bit of kudos, so Vauxhall has resisted giving it the same treatment as the Vectra by renaming it for the next generation. That's a shame really, because we liked the idea of another car named after a cheesy deodorant. Oh well.
So, in lieu of Luton's unveiling the Vauxhall Slazenger Sport Hatch, we'll just have to make do with a cockpit that smells an awful lot like
Insignia. All the talk from Griffin HQ is of blade motifs, wraparound instrument panels and gooseneck grab handles, which is all well and good, but we're just pleased it looks decent.
The first thing we noticed was the red light smattered throughout the cabin, which we at first assumed was some cheeky Photoshopping. But no - it's genuine. Depending on trim (obviously - they don't give the good stuff away), you get ambient lighting in the grab handles and gearbox surround.
Vauxhall is also promising class-leading levels of seat adjustment, which will please midget and giant alike, and the glovebox is, we're told, designed based on the responses to a survey asking people what they actually use it for. The centre console holds nine CD cases, or one iPod, for those of us residing in the 21st century.
And it's all soft touch, high-quality, premium, blah... you get the idea. It's out at the end of this year, but the drip feed of information will no doubt continue until the bitter end, so we'll filter out the good stuff and get it to you in the meantime.
Mark Nichol - 19 Jun 2009