Serial Success: All-New Opel Astra Wins “Golden Steering Wheel 2022”

• Best car up to €50,0001: All-New Opel Astra and Astra Sports Tourer lead the field
• “Speaks for itself”: Opel wins “Golden Steering Wheel” for third time in succession
• Anniversary victory: This year’s award is 20th “Golden Steering Wheel” for Opel

Opel CEO Florian Huettl

All-new Opel Astra has won the “Golden Steering Wheel 2022”. Also electrified for the first time as a plug-in hybrid, the Astra as five-door and Sports Tourer convinced the readers of AUTO BILD and BILD am SONNTAG as well as the expert jury. Latest generation of the compact class bestseller from the German carmaker beat off strong competition to win one of the most prestigious prizes in the automotive industry as “Best Car up to €50,000” 1.

At the same time, Opel is celebrating an extraordinary series of success with the new Astra. With the “Golden Steering Wheel 2022”, the manufacturer has also won the “triple” for the first time: for the third time in a row, the award has gone to Opel. In 2020, the Opel Corsa-e [2] won the coveted award, and last year the Opel Mokka-e [3]. In addition, the current award is already the 20th “Golden Steering Wheel” for Opel.

“We have really hit the bull's eye with the new Opel Astra,” said Opel CEO Florian Huettl at the award ceremony of the “Golden Steering Wheel 2022” at the Axel Springer Haus in Berlin. “Our latest compact class generation is not only convincing, but also exciting, especially as a plug-in hybrid. We are delighted that the readers of AUTO BILD and BILD am SONNTAG, the expert jury and the editorial team see it the same way.”

“All-new Opel Astra has shaken up the compact class because it has many of the qualities that you need to be successful in this segment. A large display, reasonable trunk volume and the choice of different drives – all of this on a single platform. And if that doesn't convince you, you just have to try the ergonomic seats,” said Tom Drechsler, Editor-in-Chief & Managing Director AUTOMOTIVE of the BILD Group.

Attention to detail: Opel Astra unites bold and pure design with top technologies

True to the motto “New Astra speaks for itself”, newest generation Opel Astra and Astra Sports Tourer are not only more dynamic than ever, but with the new brand face, the Opel Vizor, and the all-digital, intuitive Pure Panel cockpit, they also set standards in the compact class. Top technologies in the new Astra include the latest evolution of the adaptive, glare-free IntelliLux LED Pixel Light headlamps with a total of 168 LED elements. Excellent comfort is provided by the AGR-certified ergonomic seats. With a system power output of 133 kW/180 hp and high torque of 360 Nm, the electrified Astra plug-in hybrid is also great fun to drive (WLTP 4 fuel consumption: 1.1-1.0 l/100 km, CO2 emissions 24-23 g/km, combined). Five-door accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in only 7.6 seconds. The Astra is thus locally emissions-free for the first time.

Opel and “Golden Steering Wheel”: 20 winners from Rüsselsheim

All-New Opel Astra is the latest in a proud line of “Golden Steering Wheel” winners from Opel. The award, which has been presented since 1976 by the Axel Springer publishing house BILD am SONNTAG (as of 2009 in cooperation with AUTO BILD) was won for the 20th time by the German carmaker. It all started in 1978, two years after the award was founded, with the Opel Senator A.

On the way to the “Golden Steering Wheel” victory, the readers of AUTO BILD and BILD am SONNTAG are always first in line. They vote on the new cars and thus choose their three favourites in each category for the final. At the DEKRA Lausitzring racetrack in Germany, a prominent jury of journalists, racing drivers and car experts then examine the individual finalists according to criteria based on the AUTO BILD test scheme.

[1] AUTO BILD edition 45/2022 and BILD am SONNTAG edition 46/2022, category for “Best car up to €50,000”.

[2] AUTO BILD and BILD am SONNTAG edition 45/2020, category for “Small cars”.

[3] AUTO BILD edition 45/2021 and BILD am SONNTAG edition 46/2021, category for “Best car under €25,000” incl. environmental bonus.

[4] Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures mentioned comply with the WLTP homologation (regulation EU 2017/948). From 1 September 2018, new vehicles are type-approved using the World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP), which is a new, more realistic test procedure for measuring fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. WLTP fully replaces the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC), which was the test procedure used previously. Due to more realistic test conditions, the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions measured under the WLTP are in many cases higher compared to those measured under the NEDC. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures may vary depending on specific equipment, options and format of tires.

[5] Range determined according to WLTP test procedure methodology (R (EC) No. 715/2007, R (EU) No. 2017/1151). Actual range can vary under everyday conditions and depends on various factors, in particular on personal driving style, route characteristics, outside temperature, use of heating and air conditioning and thermal preconditioning.