Is it a car? Is it a wagon?! Is it a truck?! No... it's Astravan!!!

Mercedes Sprinter a bit too big? Renault Kangoo a mote... quirky? Well, General Motors of Europe might have just the thing: The Vauxhall ~~Astro Man~~ Astravan. The UK-built panel wagon debuted Tuesday at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, England.

Set to go on sale in September, the two-seat Astravan has been fortified to carry more handyman detritus than previous iterations, and a range of turbodiesel fours make time with a single 1.4-liter gasoline powerplant to ensure thrifty (if deliberate) progress. Saturn Ion commercial wagon, anyone?

(Press release and specs after the jump)

[Sources: Top Gear, Opel]

World premiere at Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, England

New AstraVan: Compact Panel Van with Passenger Car Qualities

Rüsselsheim / Birmingham. Beginning this fall, Opel and Vauxhall offer the all-new AstraVan. Based on the Astra station wagon, the new three-door panel van meets the demands of commercial vehicle users, while retaining the dynamics, style and comfort of the passenger car model. The Astra station wagon provides an ideal basis for the AstraVan’s large load space (cargo volume 1.58 m3). It has a completely flat floor behind the two front seats, and is easily accessible thanks to a wide, high-opening tailgate and low sill. The rear torsion beam has been specially reinforced for greater load-carrying capacity, allowing for an overall payload of up to 650 kg. The large, driver-oriented cockpit boasts an especially ergonomic design.

The new practical AstraVan will be available with a choice of one gasoline and three diesel ECOTEC engines to ensure powerful and efficient performance. The top-of-the-line diesel engine is the 1.9 CDTI with 88 kW/120 hp, followed by the 74 kW/100 hp, 1.7 CDTI and 1.3 CDTI with 66 kW/90 hp. All diesel engines are coupled with a six-speed manual transmission for top driving performance. For customers who prefer a gasoline unit, Opel and Vauxhall offer the 66 kW/90 hp, 1.4-liter engine, with economical fuel consumption thanks to innovative fuel-saving TWINPORT technology.

The AstraVan’s world premiere takes place at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre from April 25 – 27. The ideal venue, as the United Kingdom is the vehicle’s largest sales market and the GM plant in Ellesmere Port its production home.

Opel/Vauxhall AstraVan: Technical Data Overview

^Engines	^{1.4 TWINPORT ECOTEC}	^{1.3 CDTI ECOTEC}	^{1.7 CDTI ECOTEC}	^{1.9 CDTI ECOTEC}
^{Emissions standard compliance}	^{Euro 4}	^{Euro 4}	^{Euro 4}	^{Euro 4}
^Fuel	^{super unleaded}	^diesel	^diesel	^diesel
^{Number of cylinders}	⁴	⁴	⁴	⁴
^{Displacement (cm3)}	¹³⁶⁴	¹²⁴⁸	¹⁶⁸⁶	¹⁹¹⁰
^{Max. output (kW/hp)}	^66/90	^66/90	^74/100	^88/120

^{Dimensions and weights}	^AstraVan
^{Load area length}	^{1796 mm}
^{Max. load area width}	^{1376 mm}
^{Width at wheelarches}	^{1100 mm}
^{Max. load height}	^{911 mm}
^{Max. carrying capacity}	^{650 kg}
^{Load area volume}	^{1.58 m3}