Styling and performance

Currently, Vauxhall is merely inviting people to admire the car's styling and interior and is not saying too much about the mechanical features, but we know there'll be a new low-CO2 1.4-litre turbo engine, some of the 2.0-litre diesels from the Insignia as well as a selection of updated power units from the current Astra.

Where Insignia was designed to be 'elegant and sporty', the aim with Astra was to be 'sporty and elegant'. Honestly, they really did say that.

So, you have a coup-like roof, a wedge-shaped shoulder line running from the broad tail and tapering out at the nose, and a big glass area at each side, with full chrome surround on some models.

The 'blades' Vauxhall-ese for the body creases just above sill level feature, but they're back-to-front compared with those on the Insignia. There are nice graphics in the front and rear lights, while the turn indicators are built into the front foglamps rather than being housed in the door mirror casings.

New Vauxhall Astra preview video
• [Click here to see the new Astra](/car-news/video-news?vurl= mms://a1211.v38076a.c38076.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1211/38076/v0001/haymarket.akamai1.streamuk.com/wmv/WhatCar/News/2009/July/Vauxhall_Astra_Preview_512kws.wmv&vtype=WM)