Opel Selects High-Performance Softell PP for its New Astra Model

A new Softell polypropylene (PP) compound from LyondellBasell is being used to manufacture a variety of large, visible interior applications such as the instrument panel and the door panels of the new Opel Astra model.

“This is the first time that our new Softell grade has been selected to produce visible, highly aesthetic interior parts in a compact and mid-range model,” said Michael Pohl, European automotive business development manager at LyondellBasell. “This achievement represents a breakthrough in the market and reflects our company’s continuous innovation capabilities.”

Interior applications in the compact and mid-size car models have been dominated by other polymers such as ABS (acrynitril butadiene styrene) with soft-touch painting. Due to the unique surface properties offered by Softell resins, manufacturers can produce interior parts with exceptional surface aesthetics and soft-touch qualities without the need for painting. “The Softell PP compounds used in the Astra interiors have established new aesthetic and resource-efficiency benchmarks in compact and mid-size automotive models,” said Pohl.