Opel Expands Astra BiTurbo Line To Three Total Body Styles
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In June, Opel announced the Opel Astra GTC BiTurbo — a fuel-efficient and high-performance diesel-powered variant of the Astra GTC that joined the Insignia BiTurbo. This week, Opel announced that the Astra line of BiTurbo models is growing with the addition of the five-door hatchback and the Sports Tourer station wagon.
The unique feature of the 2.0 liter CDTI BiTurbo powertrain is the sophisticated sequential dual-turbo technology that uses two turbos of different sizes as well as two intercoolers to reduce the “turbo lag” effect and improve vehicle response to the accelerator pedal, all while featuring Start/Stop technology and running on diesel — making vehicles with the BiTurbo engines highly efficient and entertaining to drive.
Interestingly, the three body variants of the Astra BiTurbo line all have slightly different top speeds, as the GTC can go as fast as 223 km/h (138 mph) the Sports Tourer can reach 222 km/h (137 mph), while the five-door is the fastest as 226 km/h (140 mph). Meanwhile, fuel economy also varies slightly per Astra BiTurbo body variant, with the GTC being the most efficient — using 4.9l/100 km (48 mpg) while the Sports Tourer and five-door are good for 5.1 l/100 km (56 mpg).
To differentiate itself from the plebeian (read: non-BiTurbo) Astra line, the BiTurbo family features slightly different styling cues including a modified upper grille, two exhaust pipes, and a more pronounced rear bumper shape; the side window surround on the five-door and wagon variants are chromed while the GTC’s lower window insert is black.
On the inside, Jet Black cloth or leather are combined with red accents in the edge of the seats, door inserts, and the gear shift boot. A new flat-bottom steering wheel and unique floor mats with red surrounds add more sporty flair to the cabin of the Astra BiTurbo. Opel’s patented Panoramic windshield, which reaches all the way to the middle of the car’s roof, is available on the Astra GTC BiTurbo.
The entire Astra BiTurbo line also features a few chassis-level modifications over the traditional Astra line, including modified bushings, stiffer springs, and a new rear axle with higher roll rate. The FlexRide system, which automatically adjusts to driving conditions and offers three driving models (Standard, Tour, Sport) is optional and has been specifically tuned for the BiTurbo “to guarantee good ride performance together with the higher level of vehicle responsiveness.” In addition, the BiTurbo variant of the GTC features HiPerStruts, which are standard across the Astra GTC and OPC.
Customers will be able to place orders for the Astra BiTurbo line of high performance diesel models starting this fall and the cars will start becoming available at dealers at the end of 2012. At the time of publication, the BiTurbo line of engines does not meet U.S. fuel emissions standards. In addition, the recently-announced Astra sedan is noticeable absent from the BiTurbo party.
Send that here and put it on the Cruze!! Perhaps make it a ECO-D Sport?
Oh my gosh these cars are so awesome!!!! I completely agree with the first guy. This bi turbo stuff needs to be on a Cruze (I’d rather see a hipo Sonic, but…..). This plus the refresh and I think the Crize would be ready to go/sale again!
Forget jusr bringing the powertrains, bring the whole car! All of them are dead sexy!
WOW, that wagon is really talking to me!
Make mine a wagon!
Can you hear me GM?
I WANT ONE.
diesel can equal fun and vic is right the cruze eco d would be a good start
Call it eco-d sport or somewhere along the line of eco and sport together
Has anybody heard that the revamped Cruze will have Impala’s design cues I guess it might be a little different than the ones in Korea but has anyone thought of what if Chevrolet put the face that’s on the next Impala and put it on the Cruze, don’t you guys think it looks good?
Fellas, you know why GM is losing sales? Simple. Because, the damn Cruze should have this type of variation in body styles and engine choices to sustain a high level of interest. Moreover,fellas, GM is too reluctant and slow to react to market demands, don’t ya think?
Right on the money there, Valiance Holder. Only one body style and a less-than-modern engine (the 1.8 doesn’t count) aren’t helping. Meanwhile in Europe… four body variants and how many engine combinations? The only thing the Astra (and GM) is missing is a dual-clutch transmission as Ford and VW do.
Your exactly right. GM finally has a competent compact car and they just leave it alone. A big refresh is exactly what it needs right now, but it would have been better to slightly update the car yearly. Not wait for it to stop selling and then make it massively better (hopefully). I’m still holding on for a sporty Sonic but the Cruze is in dire need of an update.