September 2008


Opel Astra TwinTop: Coupé Among Cabrios

  • Touch of a button: Roof opens and closes in seconds
  • As needed: “Easy Load” helps with loading and unloading the trunk
  • In demand: Highly economical 1.6-liter gasoline engines with 115 hp and 180 hp



Rüsselsheim. Launched in May 2006, the Astra TwinTop was one of the first vehicles in its class to feature an innovative roof system that can be opened or closed in less than 30 seconds at the touch of a button – and at speeds of up to 30 km/h. Thanks to the space-saving design of this roof, the dynamic-elegant coupé among cabrios offers plenty of room for passengers and load area capacity of up to 440 liters. The “Easy Load” system in the luggage compartment is a unique feature in this vehicle segment, and makes loading and unloading baggage easy, even with the roof open. The Astra TwinTop also boasts a wide range of safety elements, including ESPPlus and the active roll-over protection system. The fully-fledged four-seater is available with four gasoline engines (85 kW/115 hp to 147 kW/200 hp) and an especially powerful 1.9 CDTI common-rail turbo-diesel unit (110 kW/150 hp) with diesel particulate filter as standard.

New in model year 2009

The Astra TwinTop Edition, Astra TwinTop Cosmo and the special edition “Endless Summer” continue to enjoy great popularity. Heeding the motto “Never change a winning team”, Opel carefully made some adjustments to the range. Instead of the previously available digital green exterior lacquer, now carbon gray and iceberg blue are offered. Options also include 16 and 17-inch alloy wheels in 7-spoke trapezoidal design and new caps for the design wheel. Innovation packages 1 (stereo CD-radio CD 70 Navi and mobile telephone console with Bluetooth interface) and 3 (IDSPlus chassis, bi-xenon headlamps and curve lighting AFL, 17-inch alloy wheels) are now also available for the Endless Summer special edition.

Design and Packaging

The four-seat Astra TwinTop is almost 4.50 meters long and has a 2.61-meter wheelbase, creating the ideal basis for a spacious interior. The use of an innovative retractable steel roof system enabled designers to realize best-in-class shoulder and knee room for both rear seats. It also allowed them to offer 440 liters of trunk space with the roof up. Even with the Astra TwinTop in cabrio mode, there is still 205 liters of luggage compartment capacity available. The innovative, power operated loading system “Easy Load” makes access to the trunk much easier by lifting the horizontally stacked roof parts by around 25 centimeters – all at the touch of a button. The Astra TwinTop’s interior features carefully crafted, high-quality materials.

Passive safety

The Astra TwinTop features a solid windshield frame and active roll-over protection system as standard. A special sensor in the airbag control system recognizes sudden vehicle turning motions. In the event of an impending roll-over, the control system activates the seat-belt tensioners. Simultaneously, two solid aluminum safety roll bars behind the rear seats deploy upwards and lock tight within 0.2 seconds. The mechanism works with the roof open or closed.

The Astra TwinTop body and underbody were reinforced to meet the particular demands of a cabriolet. This also enabled GM/Opel engineers to increase torsional rigidity, which is important for precise chassis tuning. Compared to a similar cabrio with conventional design, an improvement of 30 percent was achieved.

Additional elements in the Opel SAFETEC system include two-stage front airbags, thorax/pelvis side airbags in front and three-point safety belts for all four seats. Active head restraints in front are standard, as are the automatic hazard light function and door unlocking after the airbags or seat belt pre-tensioners have activated. The Astra TwinTop also features the Pedal Release System (PRS) ex works.

Equipment and extras

The Astra TwinTop is available in two equipment lines and in a luxurious special-edition variant Endless Summer. Highlights include:
Astra TwinTop Edition − Electrically operated steel retractable roof, power-operated loading system “Easy Load”, fog lamps, door-to-door lighting, heat-absorbing glazing, front and rear power windows, heated power exterior mirrors, radio remote control central locking, height-adjustable “Easy Entry” comfort seats with memory function in front, rear seat back with center armrest and load-through hatch, cruise control, MP3-compatible stereo CD-Radio with remote controls on steering wheel and stereo input for external audio equipment, on-board computer, air conditioning, 16-inch design wheels, IDS sport chassis, (1.6 turbo and 2.0 turbo)
Astra TwinTop Cosmo (in addition to Astra TwinTop Edition) − Remote control for roof operation, keyless Open & Start entry system, automatic air conditioning, leather sport steering wheel, fabric/morrocana seat upholstery, rear Park Pilot, illuminated door handle recesses, 17-inch light alloy wheels, polished stainless-steel tailpipe
Astra TwinTop Endless Summer (in addition to Astra TwinTop Cosmo) – Leather trim, wind deflector, IDS sport chassis, 18-inch alloy wheels

The Astra TwinTop is also available with a wide range of options, including up to 18-inch light alloy wheels, AFL bi-xenon curve light (Adaptive Forward Lighting), wind deflector, radio remote control stationary heating, mobile telephone console with Bluetooth interface and a selection of infotainment systems.

Chassis and active safety

The basis for the Astra TwinTop’s top agility and precise handling with high levels of driving safety is its IDS chassis (Interactive Driving System) with McPherson front axle and patented torsion-beam rear axle. Standard features in all variants include ESPPlus (Electronic Stability Program), Traction Control (TCPlus), front and rear disk brakes, ABS, Cornering Brake Control (CBC), brake assist, as well as electro-hydraulic power steering.
A new dimension of balance between driving comfort and safety is provided by the optional adaptive IDSPlus chassis with electronic Continuous Damping Control (CDC). The system ensures optimal road-holding properties in all driving situations. Owners also benefit from IDSPlus when it comes to driving fun: a touch of the SportSwitch activates the sport mode, resulting in more direct suspension, steering and gas pedal response.

Engines and Transmissions

The Astra TwinTop’s dynamic appearance is complemented by superb driving performance. This is provided by its range of four gasoline (115 to 200 hp) engines with displacements between 1.6 and 2.0 liters, and an especially high-torque (320 Nm) 1.9-liter common-rail turbo-diesel unit with diesel particulate filter as standard. The top-of-the-line engine is the 147 kW/200 hp 2.0 turbo, which enables a top speed of 237 km/h. Just as impressive is the 132 kW/180 hp 1.6 turbo engine with overboost function. This unit takes the Astra TwinTop from zero to 100 km/h in 9.2 seconds, and to a top speed of 228 km/h. Its average consumption is just 7.9 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. The state-of-the-art 85 kW/115 hp 1.6-liter four-valve version with continuous variable camshaft phasing (cam-phase) is more economical still, bettering the 180 hp variant by one liter per 100 kilometers.

The turbo engines come coupled with a six-speed manual transmission. The 1.6-liter variant comes with a five-speed manual transmission, as does the most popular 1.8-liter engine with 103 kW/140 hp, which is also available with a four-speed automatic gearbox.

Quality and economic efficiency

The Astra TwinTop boasts comparatively low operating costs thanks to the fuel economy of its ECOTEC engine range, extended service intervals and reduced scope of required maintenance. The attractive ownership costs are also a result of favorable insurance ratings, low maintenance and repair costs, as well as the expected resale value. Opel grants a 12-year anti-perforation warranty on the body of the Astra TwinTop, and as with all its other models, offers a two-year new-car manufacturer's warranty that goes far beyond the mandatory guarantee.

Opel Astra TwinTop: Facts and figures

Timeline:

  • September 2005: World premiere at IAA in Frankfurt
  • February 2006: Start of series production in Antwerp
  • March 2006: Most popular cabrio in the “Internet Auto Awards 2006”, a vote participated in by over 500,000 visitors to the “Auto Scout 24” website
  • May 2006: Market launch in Germany
  • February 2007: Market launch of 1.6 turbo and 1.6-liter gasoline engines with cam-phase technology
  • July 2007: Top special-edition model “Endless Summer”


Highlights

  • One of the first cabrios with the latest three-part steel retractable roof generation
  • First compact cabrio with power-operated loading system “Easy Load”
  • Only compact cabrio with steel retractable roof that can be opened and closed while vehicle is in motion (up to 30 km/h)
  • First compact cabrio with adaptive IDSPlus chassis (Interactive Driving System) including electronic Continuous Damping Control (CDC) and AFL bi-xenon curve light (Adaptive Forward Lighting)
  • Active roll-over protection system as standard
  • 1.9 CDTI with maintenance-free diesel particulate filter as standard
  • Winner of several comparison tests against all competitors
  • Most popular equipment variant in Germany in first half of 2008: Endless Summer
  • Most popular engine in Germany in first half of 2008: 1.8 ECOTEC
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