- Recipe for success: Astra’s overall package wins over customers across Europe
- Shining example: System popular on the important Germany market
- Seeing the light: Technology enables permanent high-beam lighting without dazzling
- Next generation: Further development of LED matrix light coming in new Insignia
In Germany, Opel’s important home market, every third Astra is ordered with the highly efficient and high performance lighting system. In neighboring Switzerland around 45% of Astra buyers want IntelliLux LED matrix light and the feature is also winning over customers in Austria with over 40% of vehicles intended for the Alpine republic coming with the innovative and affordable lighting technology. Elsewhere, IntelliLux LED is also extremely popular in Finland and Sweden (each 37%). However, even these impressive figures are dwarfed by the success of the system in Norway where a massive 84% of new Opel Astra cars on the roads are equipped with the lighting technology of the future.
“We are obviously delighted with the success of the IntelliLux LED matrix light. It is further proof that our principle of democratizing technology by providing innovative and affordable solutions is finding its mark with the customers. I must compliment our engineers on this highly effective system that provides outstanding night time performance enhancing safety for the driver and those around them,” said Opel Vice President Sales & Aftersales Peter Christian Küspert.
Matrix system automatically adapts to every traffic situation
Consisting of 16 LED segments – eight on each side of the vehicle – the LED matrix system automatically and constantly adapts the length and distribution of the light beam to every traffic situation. As soon as the vehicle exits urban areas, the high-beam lighting is automatically switched on. Not only Astra drivers benefit from this – while they enjoy excellent light and visibility conditions, they do not dazzle other road users. When the camera detects light sources from oncoming or preceding traffic, individual LEDs in the relevant zone are deactivated, simply “cutting out” the area around the vehicles. The rest of the road and its surroundings remain brightly illuminated. With this degree of precision and adaptation, LED matrix light elevates lighting technology to the next level.
Opel lighting engineers have not only made an intelligent, full-LED system more affordable, they have also taken it to a new level of intelligence. As not all Astra customers opt for an embedded navigation system, the lighting system can recognize if the vehicle is in an urban area or on a highway for instance independently. In addition to the many automatic low and high beam pattern variations, IntelliLux LED also provides a special highway light mode that further increases safety at night. In addition, the system also has a considerably longer running life than headlamps with halogen or xenon lamps.
Added safety and comfort also coming in new Insignia
Given the success of the system in the Opel Astra, it is hardly surprising that the company is optimistic that the next generation of IntelliLux LED lighting, which will be introduced with the all-new Insignia in 2017 will prove to be just as popular with the customers. LED technology has developed rapidly since the introduction of the Astra and the Opel engineers have been able to incorporate 32 individual LED segments on the Insignia. As a result of the smoother transitions between the higher number of LED segments, the light patterns can be more precisely adapted. The adaptive IntelliLux LED matrix headlights of the new Insignia therefore produce a larger amount of even brighter light.
To improve visibility still further while driving through curves on full high beam, the engineers added a new function to the new Insignia’s IntelliLux LED matrix headlights. The light intensity at the inner matrix segments rises according to steering angle in order to increase the illumination of the curve. Each IntelliLux LED headlight also features a high-beam spotlight that provides additional illumination at full high-beam for up to 400 meters, further improving the new Insignia’s long-range visibility.
Higher trim levels proving to be popular
Elsewhere, both the higher trims available for the Astra, ‘Dynamic’ and ‘Innovation’, have also proved to be extremely popular with customers. Since the European “Car of the Year 2016” was launched, over 60 percent of Astra buyers have opted for the higher trim choices, giving them access to a lot more standard equipment and features that they subsequently do not need to order as an option. For example, Opel’s personal connectivity and service assistant Opel OnStar comes as standard in both of the aforementioned trim levels. Furthermore, comfort features such as leather steering wheel, adjustable armrest or fog lamps are also included.