Ford is going back to...
Ford is going back to black as it prepares to bid farewell to the current-generation Fiesta.
And unlike the outgoing...
And unlike the outgoing load-lugger, which had very little in the way of styling flair, the newcomer is aimed at a much trendier market. Note the sleek lines, chunky wheelarches and classy full-length chrome roof rails. In profile, the model bears more than a passing resemblance to the Peugeot 307 SW.
The car will also be far bigger than the existing Astra estate. The wheelbase is around 10cm longer than that of the outgoing model - and 10cm up on the new hatchback - while the rear doors are slightly larger, too, giving better access to the back seat.
Vauxhall says the newcomer will have class-leading load capacity, following the example set by the Vectra estate, launched last year. With the seats up or down, it will offer more luggage space than the old-shape Vectra carrier, despite having smaller dimensions. It will also be available with the FlexOrganiser system introduced in the new Vectra, which allows the load bay to be divided up into compartments to prevent smaller items from sliding around.
The luggage compartment will also have easy access - our pictures clearly show how the tailgate cuts deep into the rear bumper, giving a convenient low-loading lip. Inside, the new car has slightly more legroom for rear passengers than the standard Astra, but the dashboard is identical to the hatch"s.
Prices for the estate range are expected to start at around í‚á£11,700, and there will be a choice of four petrol engines. Entry-level cars will be powered by a 1.4-litre 90bhp 16-valve unit, while a 105bhp 1.6, 125bhp 1.8 and 170bhp 2.0-litre turbo will also be on offer.
But it"s the diesel models that are expected to take the lion"s share of sales, most of which will be bought by fleets. Initially, there will be two Euro IV-compliant 1.7-litre powerplants, offering 80bhp and 100bhp respectively. Later, the car will get the new 1.9-litre engine jointly developed between Vauxhall and Fiat, with 120 or 150bhp outputs.
There will be seven trim levels from launch, but the Luton-based manufacturer has ruled out the possibility of a VXR-badged performance version of the estate. Instead, the flagship will be the 170bhp SRi (the vehicle seen in our photographs) while the other models - badged SXi, Elite, Design, Club, Life and Expression - will come with identical levels of standard equipment to the equivalent five-door hatchbacks.
The Astra estate goes on sale in the UK in October, and will be seen for the first time in the metal at the Paris Motor Show in September.