Press Release
Design: Distinctive charm, inside and out
- Friendly: Bold front with large headlamps
- Flowing: Rounded lines create natural charm
- Cheerful: Fresh interior colors
“With its rather cheeky look, the new Agila fits perfectly into the current Opel model portfolio. And its big friendly eyes and smiling radiator grille will win many hearts�. Uwe Müller, Agila Designer
The Agila has always been practical. “But the objective for the second-generation Agila was even greater: we wanted to give our smallest car considerably more charm without compromising its functionality,� says Chief Designer Uwe Müller, describing the new Agila’s concept phase.
Mission accomplished! The new Agila boasts balanced proportions, soft curves and distinctive side graphics. Its passengers still sit high and upright, but the roofline has been dynamically lowered and now blends into a smooth arc toward the rear. This helps create the Agila’s aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.35 – a relatively low figure for a 3.74-meter long vehicle.
The front boasts typical Opel styling. With its round headlamps integrated into almond-shaped lamp units that echo the new Corsa, the Agila sees the world through wide eyes. Another Opel design element is the spoon-shaped trim around the fog lamps and the tapering of the front and rear bumpers. The front bumper is further emphasized by the typical crease in the hood. A round recess proudly displays the large Opel logo, and also serves as an organic fusion between the distinctively chromed, smiling radiator grille and the hood.
The rear also boasts several rounded elements. The positioning of the narrow vertical light units, which are accented by the spherically styled rear lights, allowed designers to create a large, easy load-through tailgate.
The new Agila is also a forerunner for style elements that will play a greater role in Opel designs in the future. These include the dynamic line stretching from the front wheel arch under the beltline toward the rear and the carefully crafted lower edge of the body flanks. The red-tinted instrument illumination made its Opel world premiere in the celebrated Opel GTC Coupé concept car, which was presented in March 2007 at the Geneva Motor Show.
The same is true for the interior: The boring days are over. “A wide selection of fresh colors and modern styles creates an ambience that’s enhanced even more by the spacious headroom,� says Interior Designer Belinda Müller. Grey on grey is out. The center console, instrument panel trim and upholstery in cheerful color accents such as orange or blue create a pleasant atmosphere on board (more about this in the “Life on board� chapter).
The style and tailoring of the materials are also a major step forward. The versatile five-seater’s high seating position ensures good visibility, while the high placed gear stick and height-adjustable steering wheel with radio remote controls ensure easy operation. The rev counter is housed separately on the instrument panel. All other information readouts are given on large, distinctive, round instruments.
Life on board: Best Conditions for the Urban Jungle
- Everything to hand: Many practical compartments
- Everything stowed away: Large and very practical luggage compartment
- Everything on board: Extensive equipment ex works
“It’s charming and looks good. The new baby Opel Agila is also really practical, thanks to its versatile functionality and extensive equipment.� Sara Nicholson, Opel European Marketing Manager
Everything a woman needs to survive in the urban jungle, and often a little bit more, can be found in her handbag. And the bag itself is also a fashion statement. This is not the only similarity with the new Opel Agila – as an urban car it also offers plenty of compartments and boxes.
Storage space for the smaller – and somewhat larger – essentials for everyday car travel can be stored in:
- A large closed compartment on top of the instrument panel with coin holder and space for up to three CDs
- A pocket on the back of the front passenger seat
- The spacious glove compartment
- The front door panel boxes, which can also hold a road atlas or one-liter plastic bottle
- A small compartment beneath the air conditioning control for a wallet, mobile phone, etc.
- A cup and a bottle holder in the center tunnel (can also hold a 1.5-liter plastic bottle)
- An additional compartment (Enjoy) beneath the luggage compartment floor with special sections for a warning triangle, first aid kit, etc.
- A sunglasses holder on the driver’s side
But it’s not just car essentials that the new Agila stows away easily. Despite its compact exterior dimensions, the new Opel urban car boasts a surprisingly large luggage compartment. Its standard capacity up to the luggage compartment cover is 225 liters, large enough for a stroller, for example. One turn of a handle drops the rear bench seat back, increasing the load volume to an impressive 1050 liters – a top value in this segment. Folding the rear bench seat flat (can split 60:40) creates a completely flat load floor.
The entry-level Agila Essentia already has a wide range of standard equipment, including safety features such as ABS, as well as front and side airbags for driver and front passenger. The outer rear seats are fitted with mountings for the ISOFIX child seat system, and thanks to the five doors as standard, small children can be secured into a child seat quickly and safely. Standard comfort features in the entry-level version also include speed-dependent power steering, height-adjustable driver and front passenger seats, rear window washer with interval selection and power tailgate with touchpad.
“All inclusive� is the motto of the Agila Enjoy, which boasts an even greater range of standard features, including:
- Remote control central locking
- Air conditioning
- On-board computer
- Rev counter
- Power heated exterior mirrors
- Power windows in front
- Height-adjustable steering wheel
- Front fog lamps
- Radio with MP3-compatible CD player
- Radio remote control on steering wheel
- 60:40 split, flat-folding rear bench seat and back to form a flat load floor
- 15-inch wheels
