Vauxhall Astra L - Winter testing: High comfort and safety under all conditions

Faults and Technical chat for the Vauxhall Astra L
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Rob
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Over the winter months, Vauxhall engineers took the All-New Astra to the freezing landscapes of the Swedish Lapland. With temperatures below -30oC, chassis experts turned lap after lap on the slippery surfaces of the specially prepared tracks, continuously optimising the electronically controlled systems for stability, traction and anti-lock braking. The objective of the All-New Astra is to always handle safely and consistently, regardless of the surface – be it ice, snow, slush or wet or dry asphalt.

“During development we made sure that the new generation Astra will once again offer drivers and passengers a lot of driving fun and comfort”, says Vauxhall’s head of vehicle dynamics, Andreas Holl. “On the one hand, our sophisticated and dynamic design ensures that occupants will always feel safe, even at high speeds on the motorway. On the other, it offers plenty of comfort – even on poor road surfaces – for a relaxed driving experience.”

During their stay in Lapland this year, Vauxhall’s chassis specialists were joined by colleagues from “HVAC” (heating, ventilation and air conditioning). One of HVAC’s goals is to make sure that the passenger compartment warms up quickly with the team monitoring the new Astra’s engine heat rejection, coolant flow, heater core performance and blower airflow, as well as the heated steering wheel and the heating of the front and rear seats.

The testing was also used to ensure the All-New Astra meets Vauxhall’s stringent in-house safety standards, which state that the frozen windows of any Vauxhall model must be clear of ice and fog in the shortest time to ensure safe visibility for drivers.

With the All-New Astra available as an efficient plug-in hybrid, engineers also kept a close watch on the warm-up times of the lithium-ion battery, to make sure that the performance of the cells meets the standards for electric driving experience even in cold weather.

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