A chain driven dual overhead camshaft, employing weight-saving hollow sections and lobes, operates four valves per cylinder with low-friction, hydraulic roller finger followers.

The pistons are made from aluminum for reduced reciprocating mass, feature a concave, shallow-bowl profile to facilitate efficient combustion, and are cooled by under-skirt oil spraying.

Low fuel consumption and Euro 6-standard emissions (effective from September 2015) are also made possible by the use of Opel's "BlueInjection" Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system, which injects AdBlue, a urea-and-water solution, into the exhaust stream.

The rattle has been known to start as early as 50 000 miles, but this is similar to the issue with the 1.3 LSF engine used in previous Astras.

If the oil and filter is changed regularly, the replacement window becomes significantly larger – as much as 100 000 miles.

Some customers reported that the rattle sound appear briefly during startup and at the range between 1 500 and 2 500 rpm.