Vauxhall launches new 195-HP turbodiesel Astra GTC together with refresh - Autoblog
2012-06-15
- Brit-built Astra Hatch and Sports Tourer get new, bold look
- New GTC BiTurbo diesel becomes most powerful non-VXR Astra model
- All Astras now available with range of new options, including Front Camera System
- Underpins Astra success as best-selling British-built car in UK
Luton – These are the first official pictures of the new-look Astra Hatch and Sports Tourer, along with the latest addition to the GTC range, the 195PS BiTurbo diesel model.
Available to order now, with first deliveries in September, the refreshed design of the Astra Hatch and Sports Tourer – both of which are built at Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire – gives the cars a more bold and aggressive appearance. Both body styles get a new front grille, with repositioned logo-bar in the upper section and a re-styled lower section too. New front indicator lamps and a new design of fog lamp (where fitted) complete the front-end revisions.
The rear of both models has also been refreshed, with new rear-panel styling complemented by a chrome lower moulding.
New-look Astra pricing remains unchanged from the previous model.
Also available to order from today is the Astra GTC 2.0 CDTiBiTurbo, which will become the most powerful non-VXR model in the range, producing 195PS and 400Nm of torque. And while the extra power and torque give it a healthy lift in performance with 0-60mph arriving in just 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 139mph, the BiTurbo still achieves a combined 53.3mpg and C02 emissions of 139g/km. All BiTurbos receive Vauxhall's Start/Stop system as standard.
Uniquely in this class, the GTC uses a sequential turbocharging system, with the smaller turbo accelerating quickly at lower speeds to eliminate 'lag', providing 350Nm of torque from just 1500rpm. In the mid-range, both turbochargers work together providing maximum torque of 400Nm between 1750-2500rpm.
The Astra GTC BiTurbo enters the range at £23,925 – a premium of £995 over the GTC 2.0 CDTi 165PS model – but in addition to extra power and torque, receives: bespoke 18-inch alloy wheels, Electronic Climate Control, 6mm lower ride-height, a new body-kit and 'Track' interior trim, with a flat-bottomed leather steering wheel.
Enhancing the appeal of all Astra models still further is the introduction of a raft of options previously unseen in the range. Customers can now order the Driver Assistance Pack, which for £750 includes features like Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition and Following Distance Indicator.
Other new options for the Hatch and Sports Tourer only include a Rear View Camera Pack, Winter Pack (heated steering wheel and seats for £345) and LED daytime running lights (£145). Three new colours – Sculpture Bronze, Phantom Grey and Deep Sky – have also been introduced, while the Astra's standard DAB radio has been upgraded to a DMB (Digital Media Broadcast) system across the range.
As with all Vauxhall passenger cars, Lifetime Warranty is standard, giving first owners the peace of mind of a warranty that literally lasts the car's lifetime, up to a maximum 100,000 miles.
US watchdog hits at ‘risky’ London - Financial Times
Last updated: June 19, 2012 11:16 pm
London 2012 Festival sells half of its 4m tickets - BBC News
Two days before London 2012 Festival begins, organisers have revealed that about half of the event's 4m paid-for tickets have been sold.
Another 2.3m free tickets, out of a total 10m, have been snapped up for the 12-week arts festival.
Speaking on Tuesday, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he didn't think the "penny had yet dropped" with the public regarding the scale of the endeavour.
The festival launches on Thursday with five headline events across the UK.
“Start Quote
End Quote Culture Secretary Jeremy HuntI don't think the penny has yet dropped with the public”
These include an inflatable replica of Stonehenge by artist Jeremy Deller at the National Botanical Gardens in Carmarthen, and a pyrotechnic display in the sky above Windermere.
Other events take place in Stirling, Londonderry and Birmingham.
There are more than 130 events during the opening weekend and more than 25,000 artists from all 204 Olympic nations will take part over the 12-week festival - which is billed as the climax to the four-year Cultural Olympiad.
Tony Hall, the Cultural Olympiad chairman, said the take-up of tickets had got off to a "really strong, positive start".
More than 2m people have already bought tickets for the London 2012 Festival and countdown events such as the David Hockney exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts.
Hall also said that many arts organisations had won new audiences through the Festival programme. Some 80 per cent of the audience at the recent Globe to Globe season at Shakespeare's Globe were new attendees.
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt described the London 2012 Festival as "a huge moment" in the UK's cultural history.
"I don't think the penny has yet dropped with the public," he said.
"I think they are beginning to appreciate the scale and the excitement of the Games, but the scale and the excitement of the biggest cultural festival in our history is still something that people have yet to appreciate."
He added: "Hopefully it will excite culture vultures but also excite lots of people who haven't previously engaged with the riches that we have."
The festival begins on Midsummer's Day, 21 June, and runs until 9 September - the end of the Paralympic Games.
Other highlights in the first week include comedian and musician Tim Minchin performing at The Eden Project near St Austell in Cornwall, and Jay-Z and Rihanna headlining the Radio 1 Hackney Weekend.
Festival director Ruth Mackenzie said she hoped the £55m cost of the festival would prove to be "pretty good value for money".
London Welsh appeal to block Premiership promotion delayed for seven days - Daily Mail
|
London Welsh's appeal against the decision to block their promotion to the Aviva Premiership has been delayed by a week.
The case will now be heard on June 28 - it was originally scheduled for Thursday - under agreement by all parties involved.
The independent panel will compromise of James Dingemans QC (chairman), Ian Mill QC and Tim Ward QC at a venue yet to be confirmed.
Appeal: Welsh are hoping their recent victory isn't in vain
Welsh won this season's Championship after beating Cornish Pirates in both legs of the final.
But the Richmond-based club were told just hours before the first leg kicked off in Cornwall they did not meet minimum standards criteria set down by English rugby's Professional Game Board for entry to the Premiership.
The Exiles played the final's second leg at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford, which is thought to be their preferred venue should they gain top-flight status.
As things stand, Newcastle will remain in the Premiership next term despite finishing bottom by a point behind Wasps this season.
But should London Welsh succeed in overturning an original decision that went against them, then they will go up and the Falcons be relegated.
New money brightens London auction picture - The Independent
0 Responses to "Vauxhall launches new 195-HP turbodiesel Astra GTC together with refresh - Autoblog"
Post a Comment