Plenty of Opel know-how also went into the Antara's repair-friendly design. Drivers profit from this in several ways: through low workshop costs, short down times and favorable insurance premiums.

Construction details that help minimize costs for minor front and rear damage include easily replaceable bolted subframe radiator supports, bumper fascias that can be changed quickly, and a special repair feature for headlamp mounting brackets. If a headlamp's plastic holder tears during a minor collision, the headlamp does not necessarily need to be replaced. For such cases, Opel offers a special repair set with a new holder for the Antara, as it does for other models.

Relatively expensive engine components, such as radiator and air conditioning condenser, are well protected behind generously proportioned impact force limiters. The bumpers also boast large impact surfaces, and energy absorption is completed by bolted crash boxes arranged behind them. Should an accident occur, a repair method specially developed for the Antara also keeps costs down and enables partial replacement of the vehicle floor if needed.

In addition, Opel employs preventative measures in other areas, such as full galvanization of all body sections prone to corrosion. And the new Antara will seldom see the inside of a workshop, thanks to inspection intervals of 15,000 kilometers or one year, as well as many completely maintenance-free components. These include a maintenance-free diesel particulate filter in the diesel models, hydraulic valve lifters in the valve operation of the 2.4-liter gasoline engine, as well as the camshaft's chain drive and hydraulic valve clearance adjusters in the 3.2-liter six-cylinder gasoline unit.

The warranty is also generous: in addition to the 24-month new-car warranty including Mobile Service, Opel offers a 12-year anti-perforation warranty for the Antara, as well as a three-year warranty for the Opel starter battery.



New Opel Antara: Glossary of Technology and Innovations

ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
If a wheel or wheels begin to lock up during full braking, the ABS control unit automatically reduces braking pressure on the relevant wheel brake cylinder until wheel slip returns to normal.

Active Four-Wheel Drive System ITCC (Intelligent Torque Controlled Coupling)
Quick and seamless activation of rear wheel drive via electronically controlled differential for optimal traction when needed. Under normal conditions, the Antara is purely a front-wheel drive car. However, if the electronic control unit detects a need for more traction, for instance on a slippery road, up to 50 percent of all propulsion power can be distributed to the rear wheels. Key elements are two couplings - one electromagnetic pilot coupling and one hydraulic wet multidisk coupling. In addition to monitoring wheel slip, the system's electronic central unit also processes a range of other information such as accelerator pedal position, engine rpm, vehicle speed, yaw rate and steering angle.

ActiveSelect Function (Automatic transmission)
Gear lever on the automatic transmission can be moved across to a second gate in which manual shifting is possible by lightly tapping the lever.

ALC (Automatic Lighting Control)
In response to readings received from two sensors in the windshield, ALC automatically activates or deactivates the low beam headlamps. One sensor measures ambient brightness, while the other takes into account lighting conditions on the road ahead of the car, thus recognizing tunnels or bridges. Should both sensors register darkness (e.g. at night), the low beam headlamps are automatically switched on. If darkness is registered ahead of the car and brightness in the surrounding area (e.g. entering a tunnel), the low beams are also activated. If the forward light sensor measures brightness and the ambient area sensor darkness, this indicates a bridge or underpass and the headlamps remain deactivated. When both sensors again detect brightness, the headlamps are switched off following a brief time lag.

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