ROME – Spring, time of sunshine and… allergies. With the arrival of summer, the unpleasant phenomenon that affects the nose and eyes of allergic people worsens, causing many problems while driving and beyond. At Opel, however, they found a way to solve the annoyance thanks to the air purification system inside the passenger compartment called “Intelli-Air” which equips, for example, the new versions of the Astra.
“During the development of the new Astra series, one of our priorities was perceived quality and we focused on every detail – explained Mariella Vogler, chief engineer of Opel Astra – We increase the safety of all road users by adopting innovative technologies. state of the art and we do the same for the comfort and health of passengers aboard Astra. Having a pleasant interior climate makes a decisive contribution to well-being, and this is where the new Intelli-Air system makes the difference ”. On the other hand, the so-called hay fever is also a danger to road safety, and Opel specialists point out that if the driver has to sneeze more frequently, the risk of accidents increases. In urban traffic, just to give an example, a car can travel 20 meters in the time of a sneeze, while proceeding at 100 km / h, the driver may have to look away from the road for over 50 meters.
In detail, the Intelli-Air device is composed of highly effective air and particulate filters combined with a real-time air quality monitoring system that starts automatic replacement when it detects that it is defective. The air quality is controlled through the position of the recirculation vent: when the quality of the external air is bad, the sensor closes the opening so that pollutants do not enter the passenger compartment.
If, on the other hand, it is the air in the passenger compartment that is stale (due to smoke or dust), the vent opens to ensure the intake of fresh air. The system manages to maintain optimal air conditions thanks to the presence of activated carbon and particulate filters (also available on other Opel models). These devices limit the entry of particles into the passenger compartment and in addition to filtering bad odors and gases such as ozone, they completely eliminate pollen. Obviously, in periods in which the concentration of pollen is particularly high, it is good to drive with the windows closed, to leave the task of keeping the situation under control to the Intelli-Air system and filters.
Finally, it should be noted that the filter must be changed every 12 months to be sure of always having clean air in the passenger compartment and it will be the filter management system on the new Astra that will notify the user when it is time to replace it. (maurilio rigo)