2016 Opel Astra To Strongly Resemble Monza Concept

As Opel continues its climb back to profitability, the automaker and its British sister brand Vauxhall will continue to release new models and a range of new engines. Most recently, Opel unveiled the all-new Corsa hatchback, which will soon be followed by the replacement for the Agila, to be called Viva, and the all-new Astra .

Almost all present-day and future Opels pull some styling cues from the Monza concept, but according to Top Gear, the new Astra will especially resemble the rakish design study from the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. The car will also sit atop a new platform with a longer wheelbase providing more room for occupants, but will actually be lighter than the outgoing model.

We’ve already seen spy shots of the new Astra and from what we can tell, it does indeed appear to pull styling cues from the Monza. It’s only been spotted in pre-production guise and covered in camouflage, however the Astra’s doors and hatch appear to be dramatically sculpted, much like on the Monza, while the front and rear fascias also appear to slightly resemble the concept.

Top Gear also says replacements for the Zafira and Meriva MPVs will arrive in the next two years, but will look nothing like MPVs.

“Meriva and Zafira both created segments, but both got larger and too expensive for families, and anyway MPVs are the fastest-shrinking segment in Europe,” said Opel boss Karl-Thomas Neumann. “The People want the SUV look and the high seating position, but true SUVs will always be bad actors in CO2. So we need the SUV look in fuel-efficient ways. The Meriva and Zafira [replacements] will develop in this direction.”

The Meriva and Zafria replacements will ride on a Peugeot platform, as part of the Peugeot-Citroen and GM cooperative deal. The two MPVs will also be built in Peugeot plants, as Opel’s plant in Bochum, Germany, tasked with building the Zafira, will close in 2016 in order to save money.