Opel is finalizing the development of the facelifted Astra for the European continent but it turns out this version of the model will remain on sale for just approximately two years. The German manufacturer has just released a press release shining more light on the production of the next-generation Astra, confirming it will arrive sometime in 2021.
The completely overhauled model will be based on PSA Group's EMP2 platform, which will allow for hybridized powertrains to be launched. Thanks to a new agreement with the works council, Opel is proud to announce the new Astra will be built at the company's Rüsselsheim in Germany, where the flagship Insignia will also continue to be produced.
"This is an important step forward for the Rüsselsheim plant," Opel CEO, Michael Lohscheller, comments. "This investment will allow work in two shifts and secure the sustainable future of the Rüsselsheim plant."
PSA's decision to bring back production of the Astra in Germany was made possible by investments in the Rüsselsheim plant, which should bring significant improvements in terms of efficiency and competitiveness compared to PSA Group's other plants. The Astra is currently assembled in Ellesmere Port (UK) and Gliwice (Poland) and was already produced in Rüsselsheim between 2009 and 2015.
"Increasing competitiveness, efficiency, and quality is part of Groupe PSA's production DNA and the Rüsselsheim plant has made major inroads in all of these areas," Yann Vincent, Executive Vice-President of Manufacturing & Supply Chain at PSA, adds. "I count on Rüsselsheim to contribute to the manufacturing of the next generation Opel Astra."
Whether the model will continue to be assembled in the United Kingdom when the new generation model arrives remains unclear at this moment.
