Opel Astra

The Astra debuted in 1991 as the successor to the long-running Kadett, immediately becoming Opel's best-selling model and its answer to the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus. Over six generations it has been offered as a hatchback, estate, and at times a saloon, prized for spacious interiors and competent, unremarkable-in-a-good-way driving dynamics.

In the UK the same car wears Vauxhall badging and the Astra name unchanged, a rare case where both sister brands share the nameplate rather than using different names. The Astra has also spawned sportier variants over the years, including OPC and GSi performance versions aimed at hot-hatch buyers.

The current generation, launched under Stellantis ownership, introduced a bolder Opel Vizor front-end design and added a plug-in hybrid powertrain alongside conventional petrol and diesel options, positioning the Astra to compete with increasingly electrified rivals.