Opel announced that it put the new 1.6-liter diesel engine it recently revealed under the bonnet of its fourth-gen Astra, with impressive results for economy and emissions. The unit is not completely fresh, having also been featured previously in the Zafira Tourer.

It comes in two power outputs: 110 and 136 PS (109 and 134 hp). The former is naturally the more frugal of the two, and under the bonnet of the Astra hatchback, it promises to deliver 3.7 l/100km (63.5 mpg US/76.4 mpg UK) and CO2 emissions of under 100 g/km. Both units are manually rowed through six-speed gearboxes.

The more powerful of the two uses a bit more fuel, rated at 3.9 l/100km (60.3 mpg US/72.4 mpg UK), but it also comes with impressive torque too: 320 Nm or 236 lb-ft; it’s now the first new diesel of comparable displacement to match Renault’s 1.6 DCi.

The sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) is dispatched in 10.1 seconds in the case of the sedan, which tops out at 205 km/h or 128 mph (the highest speed of all the body styles).

If you want one of these Astras in Germany, you’ll have to know the hatchback variant with the 110 PS engine starts at €22,200, the notchback pushes that up to €22,700 and the estate tops it off with €23,300. The debut is planned for the Geneva motor show after which pricing for other parts of the world will most likely be revealed.

By Andrei Nedelea

PHOTO GALLERY

Opel-Astra-1Opel-Astra-2Opel-Astra-3Opel-Astra-4Opel-Astra-5Opel-Astra-6