The Vauxhall Astra is a C-segment passenger car produced by the American automotive giant General Motors (GM). Its predecessor, the Vauxhall Kadett, inspired the name of the new model. The Kadett D and E generations were marketed in the UK as the Vauxhall Astra. In the early 1990s, GM decided to unify its model naming across Europe, leading to the adoption of the Astra name across multiple markets.
The Astra is manufactured in several countries, including Belgium, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine, as well as in Brazil and South Africa. Depending on the market, the model is sold under different brand names: Opel Astra in Poland, Holden in Australia, Chevrolet in Latin America, and Saturn in the United States and Canada.
The first generation, known as the Astra F (or Astra I), debuted at the 1991 Frankfurt Motor Show. It was developed at the Technical Development Centre (TEZ) in Rüsselsheim, with nearly 8,000 people involved in the project. Initially available in sedan and estate versions, a convertible variant was later introduced. In 1994, the Astra earned the prestigious Car of the Year award.
The second generation, Astra G (or Astra II), was unveiled at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show and launched in 1998. A notable addition was the coupé version, designed by the renowned Bertone design studio. The engines featured Twinport technology, which improved fuel efficiency. In 1999, the ECO 4 version was introduced, boasting fuel consumption of just 4.4 litres per 100 km. Although production ended in 2004, the model remained available for several years as the Astra Classic, built in Gliwice, Poland.
Common tyre sizes for the Astra G include 185/65 R15 and 195/60 R15.
The third generation, Astra H, premiered at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. Since 22 August 2007, it has been produced at the Vauxhall plant in Gliwice. Tyre sizes for the Astra H vary depending on the engine and body type, with common options including 195/60 R15, 195/65 R15, 205/55 R16, and occasionally 225/45 R17 for winter use.
The fourth generation, Astra J (also known as Astra IV), was produced from 2009 to 2019. It was available in several trim levels: Essentia, Enjoy, Sport, and Cosmo. Standard safety features included active head restraints, which helped the model achieve a top rating in Euro NCAP crash tests. The high-performance version with a 2.0-litre engine producing 195 hp typically uses 235/50 R18 tyres.
The fifth generation of the Astra, currently in production, was unveiled at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Factory tyre sizes for the Vauxhall Astra include: 165/70 R14, 175/70 R14, 185/60 R14, 185/65 R14, 185/65 R15, 195/60 R15, 195/65 R15, 205/50 R16, 205/55 R16, 215/40 R17, 225/40 R18.
Optional tyre sizes include: 155/80 R13, 175/70 R13, 175/65 R14, 185/70 R14, 195/55 R15, 215/45 R17, 225/45 R17, 235/35 R19.