2016 Opel Astra twin-turbo diesel revealed

DETAILS of the twin-turbo diesel-engined Opel Astra have had their official reveal overnight, showing an oil-burning version of the city hatchback that’s more sugar than Opel’s claim that it’s a decent dose of spice.

Numbers for the Opel Astra 1.6 BiTurbo CDTI – we’re not sure yet if it will wear a Holden badge – show the twin-turbo tech for the 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine will produce 118kW at 4000rpm, but more significantly, a meaty 350Nm from as low as 1500rpm.

It’s enough under-bonnet poke to launch the diesel-engined Astra from 0-100km/h in 8.6 seconds, making it faster-accelerating than a 1.6-litre petrol Ford Focus Sport. The difference is, though, that while the Ford Focus will drink 6.2L/100km of premium unleaded fuel, the Astra will sip around 4.1L/100km.

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Part of that jump in fuel efficiency is the new Astra’s lighter body, which sheds up to 200kg compared with the models it replaces.

The new version of the European-designed hatchback is due on sale later this year, replacing both the locally built Cruze hatchback that will officially end Australian production in October, and later, Holden-badged performance versions of the old-generation hatchback that have kept the Astra name bubbling in buyers’ minds since Holden’s decision to quit Australian manufacturing.

In Australia, the new Astra is expected to offer either a turbocharged petrol 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine producing 74kW/125Nm, or an updated version of the current turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine, tuned to produce 132kW/230Nm.

The twin-spin diesel Astra uses two-stage turbocharging technology to boost low-rev performance. Opel brags about the new car’s rolling acceleration, saying the Astra picks up pace from 80-120km/h in 7.5secs.

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The newest Astra engine is also more powerful – and much faster off the line – than other twin-turbo diesel roll-outs in Australia, including the 100kW/320Nm twin-turbo 1.6-litre unit used in the entry-level Mercedes-Benz C200. It also crushes the 68kW/230Nm twin-spin 1.6 used in the Peugeot 2008 and the Citroen C4 Cactus.

Nissan’s X-Trail also uses a twin-turbo 1.6-litre diesel as one of its powerplant choices, delivering 96kW/320Nm.