!NEW! Successful Opel Astra and IntelliLux LED Matrix Light Winning over Customers

• Recipe for success: Astra’s overall package wins over customers across Europe
• Shining example: System popular on the important Germany market
• Seeing the light: Technology enables permanent high-beam lighting without dazzling
• Next generation: Further development of LED matrix light coming in new Opel Insignia

Sterling display: Innovative IntelliLux LED Matrix headlights are popular with the Opel Astra customers.

Over 350,000 Opel Astra orders since the car went on sale in 2015, Opel’s bestselling model in 2016, second place in the compact segment across Europe and in the compact retail segment in 2016 and a host of international accolades including the Golden Steering Wheel and the European ‘Car of the Year 2016’ award – Opel Astra is without a doubt a real winner. Its recipe for success consists of ingredients such as lightweight construction, highly efficient propulsion systems, outstanding digital connectivity and driver assistance technologies normally only found in the premium segment. The intelligent IntelliLux LED Matrix light is one these technologies. It has not only won over critics across Europe winning various awards on the way but it has also established itself as one of the most sought after options available for the Opel Astra. Eighteen months after its introduction, IntelliLux LED Matrix light can look back on a success story only rivalled by the success of the Opel Astra itself.

In Germany, Opel’s important home market, every third Astra is ordered with the highly efficient and high performance lighting system. In neighboring Switzerland around 45% of Opel Astra buyers want IntelliLux LED Matrix light and the feature is also winning over customers in Austria with over 40% of vehicles intended for the Alpine republic coming with the innovative and affordable lighting technology. Elsewhere, IntelliLux LED is also extremely popular in Finland and Sweden (each 37%). However, even these impressive figures are dwarfed by the success of the system in Norway where a massive 84% of new Opel Astra cars on the roads are equipped with the lighting technology of the future.

“We are obviously delighted with the success of the IntelliLux LED Matrix light. It is further proof that our principle of democratizing technology by providing innovative and affordable solutions is finding its mark with the customers. I must compliment our engineers on this highly effective system that provides outstanding night time performance enhancing safety for the driver and those around them,” said Opel Vice President Sales & Aftersales Peter Christian Küspert.

Matrix system automatically adapts to every traffic situation

Light on: Consisting of 16 LED segments – 8 on each side of the vehicle – the new LED Matrix system automatically and constantly adapts both the length and shape of the light cone for every traffic situation

Consisting of 16 LED segments – 8 on each side of the vehicle – the LED Matrix system automatically and constantly adapts the length and distribution of the light beam to every traffic situation. As soon as the vehicle exits urban areas, the high-beam lighting is automatically switched on. Not only Astra drivers benefit from this – while they enjoy excellent light and visibility conditions, they do not dazzle other road users. When the camera detects light sources from oncoming or preceding traffic, individual LEDs in the relevant zone are deactivated, simply “cutting out” the area around the vehicles. The rest of the road and its surroundings remain brightly illuminated. With this degree of precision and adaptation, LED Matrix light elevates lighting technology to the next level.

Opel lighting engineers have not only made an intelligent, Full LED system more affordable, they have also taken it to a new level of intelligence. As not all Astra customers opt for an embedded navigation system, the lighting system can recognize if the vehicle is in an urban area or on a highway for instance independently. In addition to the many automatic low and high beam pattern variations, IntelliLux LED also provides a special highway light mode that further increases safety at night. In addition, the system also has a considerably longer running life than headlamps with Halogen or Xenon lamps.

Added safety and comfort also coming in new Opel Insignia Grand Sport

New Opel Insignia Grand Sport with latest generation IntelliLux LED Matrix light: 32 individual LED segments – 16 per headlight – and a special high beam range of up to 400 meters.

Given the success of the system in the Opel Astra, it is hardly surprising that the company is optimistic that the next generation of IntelliLux LED lighting, which will be introduced with the all-new Opel Insignia Grand Sport in 2017 will prove to be just as popular with the customers. LED technology has developed rapidly since the introduction of the Astra and the Opel engineers have been able to incorporate 32 individual LED segments on the Insignia. As a result of the smoother transitions between the higher number of LED segments, the light patterns can be more precisely adapted. The adaptive IntelliLux LED Matrix headlights of the new Insignia therefore produce a larger amount of even brighter light.

To improve visibility still further while driving through curves on full high beam, the engineers added a new function to the new Opel Insignia IntelliLux LED Matrix headlights. The light intensity at the inner Matrix segments rises according to steering angle in order to increase the illumination of the curve. Each IntelliLux LED headlight also features a high-beam spotlight that provides additional illumination at full high-beam for up to 400 meters, further improving the new Opel Insignia long-range visibility.

Higher trim levels proving to be popular

Elsewhere, both the higher trims available for the Opel Astra, ‘Dynamic’ and ‘Innovation’, have also proved to be extremely popular with customers. Since the European “Car of the Year 2016” was launched, over 60 percent of Astra buyers have opted for the higher trim choices, giving them access to a lot more standard equipment and features that they subsequently do not need to order as an option. For example, Opel’s personal connectivity and service assistant Opel OnStar comes as standard in both of the aforementioned trim levels. Furthermore, comfort features such as leather steering wheel, adjustable armrest or fog lamps are also included.