Meet the high-tech new Astra - Introduction

This is the all-new Vauxhall Astra – the first in a quarter of crucial new hatches to break cover in the coming months.

The Astra will be unveiled officially at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and reach UK showrooms next April, and will face competition from all-new versions of the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf. They will have to contend with newcomers from Mazda, Seat and Citroen, too.

To counter the challenge, the fifth-generation Astra is bigger than the car it replaces, and brings a sharper look as well as a host of high-tech features new to its class.

The five-door hatchback in these pictures is the first of a family to arrive. It will be followed by an estate and a sporty three-door, which is expected to look similar to the GTC concept unveiled at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.

Read on for more details of Vauxhall’s all-new small car.