Designed for Success: Opel Astra Wins Red Dot Award 2023

• Visionary and full of character: Opel Astra takes award in “Product Design” category
• Expressive: Bold and pure design with Opel Vizor brand face
• Focussed on essentials: Fully digital and intuitive Pure Panel cockpit
• Serial winner: Opel Astra adds Red Dot Award to growing list of accolades

Opel Astra impresses at first sight – as a five-door model as well as Opel Astra Sports Tourer estate. A statement that the international expert jury of Red Dot Awards fully agrees with. Panel of experts, consisting of 43 judges this year, awarded compact class bestseller from Rüsselsheim Red Dot Award 2023 in "Product Design" category. This adds yet another award to Astra’s growing list of accolades. Among others, it has already won ”Golden Steering Wheel 2022” 1, was voted “FAMILY CAR of the Year 2022” 2, and independent expert jury of the "German Car Awards" (GCOTY) voted Opel Astra "German Compact Car of the Year 2023" 3.

“Our Bold and Pure design philosophy really shines in our latest generation Opel Astra. Like every new Opel model, Astra comes with expressive Opel Vizor brand face and combines innovative technology with emotional design. We also developed cockpit according to this principle. Fully digital Pure Panel can be operated intuitively and is focused on essentials,” said Opel’s Vice President Design Mark Adams.

Bold, pure, expressive: Opel Astra design stands out in compact class

Current Opel Astra not only thrills with its locally emission-free plug-in hybrid drives and soon as a fully electric Opel Astra Electric – it also stuns with clear, exciting lines without superfluous flourishes. Opel Vizor (new face of brand first seen on Opel Mokka and central exterior design element) follows Opel Compass where vertical and horizontal axes – sharp crease in hood and wing shaped graphic of daylight running lamps – intersect with Opel Blitz emblem in middle. Stretching across front, making new Opel Astra look even wider, Vizor also seamlessly integrates technologies such as the optional ultra-slim IntelliLux LED headlamps and front camera of Intelli-Vision system. Viewed from side, next-generation Astra looks especially dynamic thanks to pronounced forward rake of  C-pillar.

At rear, Opel Compass is repeated by centrally mounted Blitz, vertically aligned high-mounted brake lamp and tail lamps (energy-saving LED, as is all exterior lighting). Blitz emblem also doubles as latch for tailgate, which is made of state-of-art composite material. This technology is not only light in weight and rigid, it also allows precise execution of design details such as especially slim tail lamps.

Fully digital and fully glazed: Intuitively operated, focussed Pure Panel Cockpit

Same German precision and balance applies throughout the interior where a leap in time has taken place. Absolute highlight is the next generation of the Pure Panel. This expansive, digital cockpit (fully glazed depending on variant) features two 10-inch displays, integrated – together with the driver’s side air vent – in a horizontal format. Analogue instruments are consigned to history in new Opel Astra. Thanks to a shutter-like layer that prevents upward reflections in the windscreen, design dispenses with a hood over displays, which further enhances high-tech functionality and ambience.

Opel designers and engineers have taken great care to ensure that the driver receives all the necessary information and useful operating options, but is not burdened with superfluous data or functions. With physical controls reduced to minimum in form of finely crafted keys, Pure Panel achieves the optimum balance between digitisation and intuitive operation, detoxed of irritating visual stimuli and without the need for sub-menus. “Visual detox” is the keyword here. In combination with the high-quality and precisely designed AGR-certified ergonomic active seats,  Astra offers a modern feel-good atmosphere – inside and out.

Red Dot Award: Design highlights for over 60 years

Current Opel Astra generation expands the long line of Red Dot Award winners from Rüsselsheim. Numerous other Opel models and communication tools have already received the coveted award. As one of the world's largest design competitions, "Red Dot Award" has been recognising innovative design in the categories "Product Design", "Brands & Communication Design" and "Design Concept" for over 60 years. In 2023, expert jury evaluated products from 60 countries. This award is not conducted as a competition, but rather through an individual product test.

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

[2] “FAMILY CAR of the Year 2022” by AUTO Straßenverkehr, categories “Design” and “Technology” (up to €25,000).

[3] “German Compact Car of the Year” (compact class category, up to €30,000).