- Astra wins ‘Product Design’ category award at annual Red Dot Award 2023
- The Red Dot Award is one of the world’s largest design competitions
- Astra’s Bold and Pure design philosophy impressed panel made up of 43 judges
- Interior featuring the Pure Panel infotainment system also highlighted
- All-New Astra Electric to arrive later this year
The Vauxhall Astra has won the ‘Product Design’ category at the annual Red Dot Award 2023 international design competition.
The design award adds to the growing list of accolades picked up by the Astra and the Astra Sports Tourer estate model, having already won the Golden Steering Wheel 2022. The Astra’s bold and pure design philosophy was praised by the judging panel, consisting of 43 judges this year, with the interior also highlighted.
Mark Adams, Vice-President Design, Vauxhall said: “Our Bold and Pure design philosophy really shines in our latest generation Vauxhall Astra. Like every new Vauxhall, the Astra comes with the expressive Vizor brand face and combines innovative technology with emotional design. We also developed the cockpit according to this principle. The fully digital Pure Panel can be operated intuitively and is focussed on the essentials.”
Bold and Pure design
Available with efficient petrol engines, as well as a Plug-in Hybrid powertrain, and soon as a fully electric Astra Electric, the Astra showcases Vauxhall’s latest Bold and Pure design philosophy.
Adams and his team have followed a ‘Compass’ design to deliver a car that looks great from every angle and is perfectly balanced in its proportions.
At the front, the new Vizor front end follows the Compass, where the vertical and horizontal axes – the sharp crease in the bonnet – a trait seen on Vauxhalls for many years – and the wing-shaped graphic of the daylight running lamps – intersect with the Griffin emblem in the middle. The Vizor also seamlessly integrates technologies such as the optional ultra-slim Intelli-Lux LED® headlamps and the front camera of the Intelli-Vision system.
At the rear, the Compass theme continues – repeated by the centrally mounted Griffin, the vertically-aligned high-mounted brake lamp and the wing-shaped tail lamps. For the first time, the Griffin badge also doubles as the latch for the tailgate, which is made of state-of-the-art composite material to reduce weight. The proud, central mounting of the Astra badging adds to the premium look.
Digital cockpit with Pure Panel
The same precision and balance applies to the interior of the Astra. The high-quality digital environment is centred on the driver-focused Pure Panel digital interface which features a 10-inch driver instrument display and a 10-inch digital touchscreen with satellite navigation as standard.
The Pure Panel is perfectly positioned at the ideal height for the driver’s eyeline and uses new, modern graphics, ensuring all the key information, including satellite navigation directions, is clearly visible. It also means that important functions are easily accessible, although operation of some regularly used features, such as the speaker volume and air-conditioning, is controlled by physical switches under the central touchscreen. A thumb-pad allows for safe and convenient operation whilst driving.
Red Dot Award: Design highlights for more than 60 years
As one of the world’s largest design competitions, the ‘Red Dot Award’ has recognised innovative design across various categories for more than 60 years. In 2023, the expert jury evaluated products from 60 countries.
