Opel Astra

See also Vauxhall Astra and Holden Astra for the usage of the nameplate by other General Motors subsidiaries.

The Opel Astra is a small family car designed and manufactured by Opel, the European subsidiary of General Motors.

It is branded as an Opel in continental Europe, the Republic of Ireland, the Middle East, North Africa, Russia and South Africa, as Vauxhall in the United Kingdom, as Holden in Australasia, as Chevrolet in Latin America and as Saturn in the United States and Canada.

The Astra is now built in Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Brazil, South Africa, Poland and Ukraine, as well as being assembled in complete knock down (CKD) kits in other countries.

Naming convention

As of 2006, there have been three generations of the vehicle. In a fashion typical for Opel models, they are designated with subsequent letters of the Latin alphabet. Opel's official convention is to continue the Opel Kadett lineage, thus referring to the first generation of Opel Astra as the Astra F (the last Opel Kadett was the Kadett E). Another convention used by GM starts with Astra A, adopting the notion that the Astra is a separate model. Models sold as Vauxhall, Holden or Chevrolet have different generation designations reflecting the history of those nameplates in their home markets and their naming conventions.