All-New Opel Astra with Intelli-Air for optimum interior air quality

• Breathe cleanly: Highly effective system with automatic air exchange
• Anti-allergy: Activated carbon filter provides protection against hay fever
• How to get through the pollen season: Tips for what to do at home and while driving

All- new Opel Astra and all-new Opel Astra Sports Tourer keep the air cleaner. Outside, highly efficient drivetrains enable the lowest emissions possible, while inside, cleaning systems such as the new Intelli-Air ensure that all passengers have healthy air to breathe. Latter is more important than ever at this time of year when the hay fever season has begun again for many people with allergies.

“During the development of the new Opel Astra generation, we made perceived quality a priority and therefore focused on every detail”, said Astra Chief Engineer, Mariella Vogler. “We increase safety for all road users with state-of-the-art technologies and we do same for comfort and health of Astra passengers. A pleasant interior climate makes a decisive contribution to comfort – this where the new Intelli-Air system plays an important role.”

Keeping an eye on interior air quality with Intelli-Air

Intelli-Air combines highly effective air and particulate filters with an air quality monitoring system. It continuously controls the state of the interior air, initiating an automatic exchange when the air becomes stale. Air quality is controlled by the position of the recirculation vent. When the exterior air quality is poor, the car’s Air Quality Sensor (AQS) closes vent so that no pollutants can enter car’s interior. However, if interior air is stale or tainted, e.g. through smoking or dust on clothing, vent opens to supply the passengers with fresher air.

Thanks to Intelli-Air, interior air of new Astra remains as clean as possible. Passengers can even see this for themselves: system informs them of air quality via large colour touchscreen. It displays a car-shaped emoji that is based on the international AQI (Air Quality Index). Colour of the emoji changes according to the standard of the air in the interior. Standard of the air in the passenger compartment is monitored by a PM 2.5 sensor that can detect particulates up to 2.5 micrometre in size.

Active carbon combination filters against gases and odours

Intelli-Air ensures good air quality standards in all-new Astra in combination with Opel original particulate and activated carbon combination filters, that are also available in many other Opel models. These consist of two layers and can therefore not only keep particles out the interior, but also filter out odours and gases such as ozone. Best of all, pollen is almost 100 per cent eliminated.

Quality of the filters meets the highest standards. Filter material is water-repellent, which prevents it from freezing in winter or becoming home to bacteria. Despite the high filter performance, a good air permeability is ensured. Filter should be changed once every 12 months to ensure clean interior air all year round. A filter management system in all-new Opel Astra informs driver when an exchange is necessary.

Ideal behaviour during pollen season

Everyone can play a part in protecting themselves from a hay fever attack while driving. With high pollen concentration, you should only drive a car with the windows closed and let Intelli-Air and the filters take care of the rest. This also benefits road safety – if drivers have to sneeze more often, the risk of accidents increases. In downtown traffic, for example, a car can travel 20 metres in the time it takes to sneeze; at 100 km/h the driver might not have their eyes on the road for more than 50 metres. It is best to get advice beforehand about the current pollen forecast, for example, from the local weather service.

In addition, motorists should refrain from medication, because the so-called antihistamines can cause drowsiness. Clothes should be taken off in bathroom, not in bedroom, and hair washed in the evening so that pollen does not get on the pillow. A rinse with sodium chloride in morning and evening calms an irritated nose and a damp cloth over the eyes soothes itching.

Full of Emotions: Different Development Approach for All-New Opel Astra

• New way: Vehicle development focuses on “perceived quality”
• New management: Half of Chief Engineer Mariella Vogler's team consists of women
• New sounds: Specially composed soundscape for the all-new Opel Astra

Chief Engineer Mariella Vogler

All-new Astra celebrated its world premiere at Opel's headquarters in Rüsselsheim on September 1. With its bold and pure design, Astra, which is also available as an electrified model for the first time, has been generating pure emotion ever since. Customers can order the newcomer before the end of the year, with prices starting at €22,465 (RRP incl. VAT in Germany). All-new sixth generation of the Astra was essentially developed over three years by a 25-strong core team. Remarkably, about half of the team members were women. Quality criteria of the strategic suppliers for the Astra, for example, were steered by Zuzana Majorova. Development of the fully digital cockpit, the Opel Pure Panel, was led by Haiyan Yu. Sesign of the interior colours and materials was largely determined by Ilka Höbermann. And it seems only logical that Mariella Vogler, as chief engineer, was in charge of the overall development and placed great emphasis on “perceived quality”.

“An international team has come together that has realised a goal with great openness and mutual appreciation,” says Mariella Vogler. “You cannot create a car that is capable of arousing positive feelings with an elbow mentality. It is not so much the female factor that has influenced the result, but the diverse skills and talents that have made the cooperation, the interaction and thus the final product better.”

Ultimately, the new Astra was developed differently from any Opel before: more emotional, with a strong focus on “perceived quality”. Whether visual, acoustic or haptic stimuli - the new Astra should trigger satisfaction in the customer across all sensory boundaries. “We wanted to create a likeable vehicle that is perceived as desirable through and through,” explains the chief engineer. In this context, “perceived quality” is not an unknown discipline in the world of vehicle development, but in the new Astra it was consistently included as a fixed specification from the outset for the first time.

Decision for this paradigm shift is closely linked to the brand's realignment, which took place in 2018 in parallel with the start of development of the bestseller. At that time, experts from the areas of design, marketing and engineering were intensively engaged in embodying the Opel values of “German”, “approachable” and “exciting” via design language, technology and vehicle substance. The Opel design philosophy with the attributes “bold” and “pure” was born. So it was the right time to create an Astra with a very special character.

Excellent haptics: A mechanism that triggers togetherness

What makes the new Astra so desirable is not only its clarity, but the sum of strong feelings that can be found in many facets of the car. Lines in the side view have been drawn clearly, but at the same time strongly, so that a feeling of confidence can arise. “As a father or mother, when you put the child in the seat and close the door, you want to know that you and your family are protected,” Mariella Vogler explains. An example of haptic excellence can be found at the rear of the Opel Astra five-door. Team wanted to avoid that unpleasant feeling that everyone knows when you have to reach into an invisible hollow on the tailgate to unlock it. So they integrated the opening mechanism into the Opel logo. The result is a Blitz to touch for a handle that triggers togetherness. All-New Opel Astra also pays tribute to its history with another detail: the “gills” on the C-pillar are reminiscent of the Opel Kadett.

Visual detox: Reduction to essentials increases satisfaction

Leap in time that has taken place in the interior of the new generation Astra is closely linked to the “perceived quality”. When you take a seat behind the steering wheel, you feel welcome. This feeling of well-being is achieved by reducing the interior to the essentials - the development team calls it “Visual Detox”. With the fully digital Pure Panel, analogue displays are a thing of the past. Instead, the new human-machine interface offers an intuitive user experience with a clear appearance. The fact that the team has provided some functions with switches is intended to emphasise the Astra's helpful character. For example, when the driver feels the need for fresh air, the “Max AC” switch immediately provides full power from the air conditioning.

 Some functions can be operated directly by switch, such as ‘Max AC’ for instant maximum power from air conditioning.

New soundscape: String and percussion instruments set the tone

To create a holistically pleasant atmosphere, the team has even given the new Opel Astra its own soundtrack - as far as safety specifications have allowed. Chimes provide a completely new and pleasant acoustic environment – the rhythmic sound of the indicator; the seat belt warning signal. The team felt that canned sounds were too impersonal. So they asked a musician to come to the recording studio and record the sound sequences on his string and percussion instruments that now accompany the driver in harmony.

Hand in hand: “Soft quality” based on “hard quality”

Perceived quality has taken on a new significance in the Astra, but other typical Opel features have not been pushed into the background as a result. “It was clear to us that the new Astra can only arouse desires if we retain proven brand attributes. So in addition to ‘soft’ perceived quality, 'hard quality' also plays an important role”, says Mariella Vogler. After all, Opel has long been known as “the reliable one”. In addition, the new Astra also brings innovations to the compact class that were previously only found in vehicles in higher classes. These include the latest version of the adaptive Intelli-Lux LED Pixel light or the AGR-certified front seats (“Aktion gesunder Rücken e.V”/Campaign for healthy backs) developed in-house. One feeling that prevails in the development team is pride in their achievements: “We want customers to feel the enthusiasm that everyone involved in the development has put into the car,” concludes the chief engineer on behalf of her entire team.

Test Marathon: New Generation Opel Astra Enters Finishing Straight

• Arctic Circle: Testing dynamics and warm-up behaviour at -30° C in Swedish Lapland
• Dudenhofen Test Centre: Chassis development for safety and comfort in Germany
• EMC lab in Rüsselsheim: Resistance to electro-magnetic waves

All-New Opel Astra: Dudenhofen Test Centre

Development of the all-new Opel Astra is fully on target, the premiere of the 11th generation of the brand’s best-selling compact model is now just weeks away. Initially created – like all modern automobiles – with the assistance of computer-aided design, since last winter the new model has been undergoing final testing, fine tuning and validation in real life conditions. Now Opel Astra is entering the finishing straight of a true test marathon.

Opel engineers took prototypes and development vehicles far north to test the new model on the icy roads and in the deep frozen air of Swedish Lapland. Closer to home, they have been pounding around the test tracks at the Dudenhofen Test Centre and most recently, carrying out validation drives on public roads in the Rhine-Main region, accompanied by senior management. At the same time, the all-new Astra was taking its final tests in the Rüsselsheim EMC laboratory (Electro-Magnetic Compatibility) before receiving type approval for commercialisation.

“Demanding test programme of the all-new Opel Astra is going exceptionally well”, says Astra Chief Engineer, Mariella Vogler. “Development team – which, by the way, comprises more female engineers than ever before – has created an uncompromisingly cool new generation of Opel Astra that will thrill our customers.”

With the all-new Astra, Opel is demonstrating German precision in every detail and taking direct aim at the sweet spot of the compact market sector. Pure and bold design, top technologies and exciting powertrain line-up – including plug-in hybrid electric drive – will make it a benchmark in its class.

Winter testing: High comfort and safety under all conditions

Winter 2020/2021 in Sweden. As usual at this time of year, Lapland is a frequent travel destination for Opel engineers. On this occasion, they brought the next generation Astra with them. At temperatures as low as -30° C, chassis experts turned lap after lap on the slippery surfaces of the specially prepared tracks, continuously optimising the electronically controlled systems for stability, traction and anti-lock braking. Objective: the new Astra must always handle safely and consistently, regardless of the surface – be it ice, snow, slush or wet or dry asphalt. Or in other words, it has to behave like an Opel – under all conditions.

All-New Opel Astra: Winter testing

“During development we made sure that the new generation Astra will once again offer drivers and passengers a lot of driving fun and comfort”, says Opel’s head of vehicle dynamics, Andreas Holl. “On the one hand, our sophisticated and dynamic design ensures that occupants will always feel safe, even at high speeds on the motorway. On the other, it offers plenty of comfort – even on poor road surfaces – for a relaxed driving experience.”

All-New Opel Astra: Winter testing

During their stay in Lapland this year, Opel’s chassis specialists were joined by their colleagues from “HVAC” (heating, ventilation and air conditioning). One of HVAC’s goals is to make sure that the passenger compartment warms up quickly. So they monitored the new Astra’s engine heat rejection, coolant flow, heater core performance and blower airflow, as well as the heated steering wheel and the heating of the front and rear seats.

But warm-up testing is not only done so that customers feel warm and comfy on cold winter mornings. Warm-up performance is also precisely defined by regulation and even more stringent in-house safety standards, which state that the frozen windshield and side windows of an Opel must be clear of ice and fog in the shortest time to ensure safe driver visibility.

All-New Opel Astra: interior

Furthermore, as the next generation Astra as plug-in hybrid will play an important role in continuing the electrification of Opel’s product portfolio, the engineers also kept a close watch on the warm-up times of the lithium-ion battery, to make sure that the performance of the cells meets the standards for electric driving experience even in cold weather.

Dudenhofen Test Centre: Torture, on and off the test tracks

Performance of a different kind is evaluated at the Dudenhofen Test Centre in Germany. Engineers from the competence centre for “ADAS” (Automated Driver Assistance Systems) in Rüsselsheim used the proving ground’s high speed oval and long straight to calibrate the new Astra’s advanced technologies – from Adaptive Cruise Control and Emergency Braking, to Forward Collision Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Assist.

Pre-production cars used for these tests also had to meet high standards on Dudenhofen’s long straight. Here, like every Opel, the next generation Astra had to demonstrate it is “Autobahn-proofness”, meaning that it must remain controllable at speeds well above 140 km/h and stable under hard braking. While driving at high speeds on the oval, Opel engineers also took opportunity to evaluate components such as the bonnet and windscreen wipers. Nothing is allowed to flutter, vibrate or cause irritating noises.

All-New Opel Astra: Validation drives

After working up a sweat in the high-speed driving tests, the new Opel Astra cooled down in the drive-through water trough, at various depths of a minimum 25 centimetres. Despite pushing a big wave of water in front of itself, the test car is not allowed to “inhale” or “swallow” any water – the powertrain, the electrical system and every part under the bonnet must stay protected from water.

There was no respite for the all-new Opel Astra even after it left the test tracks. Despite the tortures meted out on the high-speed oval, the handling circuit or in the water trough, the Opel engineers also took the test vehicles into the Dudenhofen climatic chamber. This environmental test facility is for evaluating the operability of vehicles, subsystems and components in extreme conditions. For the next generation Opel Astra, the climatic chamber was set up to test the car’s sealing against dust and sand.

In addition to the climatic chamber, Opel put test cars into a climatic wind tunnel to validate the new Astra’s performance under a variety of operating conditions. For example, the climatic wind tunnel simulated driving in traffic jams, uphill and down, in order to test the cooling of the brakes. The engineers were even able to find out if swirling snow in front of the vehicle could block the air intakes.

On the boss’s agenda: Validation drives around Opel’s hometown

All-New Opel Astra: Validation drives

Climatic conditions conducive to dust, sand or snow were not expected during the current phase of testing. Validation drives take place with prototypes and engineering cars at several stages throughout the development of a new model. They are for verifying systems and subsystems and validating their overall integration in the vehicle. As development approaches the final stages, the cross-functional team of engineers and technicians is joined by members of senior management, including the boss himself – Opel CEO, Michael Lohscheller.

All-New Opel Astra: Validation drives

Most recent validation drives of the still-camouflaged new Opel Astra took place in June on public roads in the Rhine-Main region around Opel’s hometown – and the car’s “homeplant” – of Rüsselsheim. Engineers and managers were occasionally joined by journalists from the press.

All-New Opel Astra: Validation drives

Electro-magnetic immunity: Prerequisite for type approval

While development prototypes and pre-production vehicles are driving in the far north, in Dudenhofen and on public road in and outside Germany, others also undergo intensive testing on test rigs and in laboratories in Rüsselsheim. Electro-magnetic compatibility (EMC), for example, is tested throughout development. Furthermore, no car can be sold in Europe without passing EMC tests during the type approval process. EMC testing ensures that a car’s electronic systems do not suffer from interference.

Opel team tested the new Astra’s immunity to electro-magnetic emissions in the purpose-built EMC lab in Rüsselsheim. While the test car is exposed to emissions radiated across a wide range of frequencies, special absorbers on the walls “soak up” the transmitted emissions so that they do not reflect back into the chamber. Engineers thus obtain clean, reliable data. New model only gets the “green light” – and finally receives type approval – when all its systems have demonstrated their immunity to electro-magnetic emissions.