We usually get our fair share of leaks right before a vehicle’s auto show debut, but this one comes significantly earlier than usual. Months ahead of its intended Frankfurt Auto Show unveiling, a leak has prompted Opel to reveal the details of its all new Astra.
Opel, GM’s European subsidiary, is a continuation of the brand’s success in the C-segment which started all the way back with the Opel Kadett in 1936. Based on an all-new architecture, the Astra promises to lighter and thus more agile and efficient. Based on the Monza Concept shown at Frankfurt in 2013, the Astra is now between 265 to 440 pounds lighter than the outgoing car, depending on the model and trim level.
Under the hood, the Astra will have a host of diesel and gasoline engines available, depending on what part of the globe it’s being sent to. Some of the highlights include a new 1.4-liter direct injection turbo that will generate 145 horsepower and will also allegedly be supremely fuel efficient. The all-aluminum block is as least 22 pounds lighter than its steel counterpart, adding to the Astra’s mission to shed the extra bulk.
One of the cooler things about the compact is that it will be the first new Opel to sport Onstar from launch, giving the car the ability to use 4G LTE and act as a wifi hotspot on top of the roadside assistance that a subscription brings. The Astra will also get the IntelliLink infotainment system that will be compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Opel is also bringing features usually reserved for the luxury segment to the Astra, including comfort seating with massage functions and cooling ventilation. LED matrix lighting will be included as well, which automatically reshapes the light beams when oncoming traffic is detected, illuminating the road ahead without dazzling other drivers.
The Astra will officially be on show later this fall when the sheet is pulled off of it at the Frankfurt Auto Show in Mid-September. We expect that pricing and availability info will be announced shortly thereafter as well.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.