The 2026 Opel Astra range has made its public debut at the Brussels motor show, shortly after being revealed online by the Stellantis-owned German brand.
Like the related Peugeot 308, the Opel (and Vauxhall) Astra gets a refreshed design with some choice technology and trim updates to keep the compact hatch and wagon range competitive with the likes of the Volkswagen Golf and aforementioned Pug.
Headlining the changes is the brand’s latest ‘Visor’ design language, which incorporates a permanently illuminated ‘Blitz’ emblem up front, and bolsters the new Intelli-Lux HD adaptive headlights which feature more than 50,000 elements – said to be quicker and more precise than previous matrix headlight tech.
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As part of the brand’s ongoing commitment to reducing emissions and sustainable transport, the new Astra’s interior offers 100 per cent recycled fabrics on the seat covers, as well as numerous other resource-saving materials and surface structures throughout the interior.
Said seats, which have been developed specifically by Opel and are fitted as standard on all Astra variants in Europe, are characterised by a “special recess running in the middle of the seat, which – inspired by the bicycle saddle design on road bikes – reduces pressure on the tailbone”.
The Astra Electric, which shares its drivetrain with the Peugeot E-308, gains 34km more WLTP driving range than before (up to 454km) from its 58kWh battery. For the first time, vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality is also available, which the company says is useful for charging external devices like e-bikes.
As with its Peugeot cousin, the Astra Electric is available in hatchback and Sports Tourer wagon body variants, with the latter offering a capacious 1634L maximum cargo capacity and a 40:20:40-split folding rear seat.
The sixth-generation Opel Astra was first launched in 2021, and was the first to be wholly developed by the PSA Group – parent of Peugeot and Citroen – prior to its merger with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to form Stellantis.
Apart from its significant design overhaul, developments over the previous GM-developed Astra – sold briefly in Australia under the Holden brand – include the introduction of electrified drivetrains, including mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric powertrains.
Funnily enough, the sixth-generation Astra is the only generation of the small car nameplate to not be sold Down Under – all five previous generations, all sold under the Opel brand in Europe, were marketed in Australia under either the Holden or Opel brands.
While its predecessors were assembled everywhere from Poland and the UK to China, the latest Astra is exclusively built in Russelsheim, Germany.
Opel as a brand existed for barely 12 months in Australia between 2012 and 2013, when it was still owned by General Motors, the parent company of Holden.
Stellantis has showed no interest in reintroducing the German carmaker back into the Australian market since taking over, nor its UK-based Vauxhall sister brand, though Opel returned to the New Zealand market in 2022.
The parent company has a split distribution model in Australia, with Peugeot and previously Citroen distributed by third-party entity Inchcape, while the Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Jeep brands are a factory-backed operation. Maserati and Ram, meanwhile, are distributed by another independent importer, Ateco Automotive.
Let us know in the comments if you’d like to see the Astra, as well as the Opel or Vauxhall brands, return to Australia.
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