Frankfurt Motor Show 2015: All-new Astra Sports Tourer set to be Vauxhall’s star

Vauxhall’s Frankfurt Motor Show centerpiece will be the new Astra Sports Tourer, which is due to hit showrooms at the beginning of 2016.

The exterior dimensions of the Astra are the same as the outgoing car’s, but it’s more spacious inside and offers more boot space. It’s also 200kg lighter on average, which along with engine efficiency improvements means it’ll be altogether better on fuel.

Its most distinctive visual feature is the divided C-pillar at the rear, which makes the estate look long and sleek in profile, though with a total cargo capacity of 1630-litres (rear seats down), it’s very nearly as big as the class leading Honda Civic Tourer.

Occupants get around three centimeters more headroom than before, front and back, and as standard the rear bench folds 40/20/40 for maximum interior flexibility. The Astra Sports Tourer also boasts an entirely hands-free tailgate operation, with a wave of the foot under the rear bumper enough to do the job – a system also employed in the latest Volkswagen Passat, for one.

Power comes from petrol and diesel engines ranging from 100PS to 200PS in power, says Vauxhall, with the headline acts being an all-new 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine with 150PS and 200PS 1.6-litre petrol, which will provide power for the Frankfurt show car.

Technology is pushed further to the cutting edge in this Astra with Vauxhall’s OnStar mobile connectivity technology featuring, as well as Apple CarPlay for seamless iPhone integration.

There’ll be more details on the Astra Sports Tourer at its Frankfurt Motor Show reveal next week, but prices are likely to start at just under £17,000.

Click here for our road test of the current Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer