PMR - Professional Management Review

With the debut of the Astra TwinTop in South Africa, Opel presents the third distinctive Astra model - following on the five-door sedan and the recently released GTC. The four-seater cabrio-coupé features a newly developed, electro-hydraulic steel roof, with clever kinematics that enables generous luggage compartment space. The innovative roof system not only ensures plenty of space in the trunk, but also a sporty, elegant design. With a length of almost 4.5 meters, the Astra TwinTop reaches dimensions comparable to mid-size segment cabrios.

The progressive design of the Astra TwinTop with its arrow-shaped front section clearly identifies it as a member of the Astra family. Some 70 percent of the TwinTop body parts have been newly developed.

The harmonious proportions (length/width excluding exterior mirrors/height: 4.48/1.76/1.41 meters) of the cabrio-coupé are particularly visible in the side profile, which is highlighted by the wedge-shaped rising shoulder line and arched, flowing roof line. The Astra TwinTop is also well proportioned at the rear. Regardless of whether the roof is open or closed, there is no bulky tail spoiling the car’s look, as is often the case with cabriolets with conventional retractable steel roof concepts.

Technically the elegant cabrio-coupé benefits from the strengths of the third Astra generation. For South Africa, Opel has specified the top-of-the-line 200 hp 2.0-liter ECOTEC turbo engine which can propel the TwinTop to a top speed of over 230 km/h.

Two adults can sit comfortably in the rear, even on longer journeys. The engineers made this possible through the realization of a completely new, three-part roof system: the individual roof sections are smaller than in conventional concepts and therefore can be stowed in the trunk in a space-saving manner, to the advantage of luggage space and seating comfort.

At the touch of a button, or through the use of the optional remote control, the TwinTop roof can be fully automatically opened or closed in less than 30 seconds.

The wide, practical trunk, which also features two side compartments and a storage area tucked away in the trunk floor to store the optional wind deflector, has a cargo capacity with the roof closed of around 440 liters. With the top down, it is still over 200 liters. Suitcases, beverage crates and shopping bags can also be comfortably loaded in and out of the car when the roof is open and folded away in the trunk. This is thanks to the electrically operated “Easy Load” function, which raises the horizontally stacked roof parts in the car trunk by around 25 centimeters at the touch of a button, keeping cargo underneath the protective cover easily accessible.

The Astra TwinTop features the comprehensive Opel SAFETEC system, which combines both active and passive features. Optional roll bars provide additional rollover protection when the top is down. They are concealed directly behind the rear seat head restraints and deploy automatically within a split second in the event of a rollover.