Love affair is back on with Opel Astra
The latest version of the Opel Astra follows a long line of compact family cars since the first Opel car to carry the Kadett name was presented to the public in December 1936. Through the years and the many versions of the Kadett, and later the Astra, Irish car buyers have had an on-off love affair with the brand and cars in this segment in particular.
Some pundits have been declaring that the Astra in previous form did not quite come up to the driving standards of the likes of the Volkswagen Golf and the Ford Focus. However, those of us with longer memories will remember the first front-wheel drive Kadett the Kadett D. Here was a car that was way before its time in terms of handling – if not in looks – and was only matched at the time by the Alfa Sud in terms of grip and road holding.
Now the latest Astra is back at the top of the pile from a driving view point and most certainly in the looks department too. Overall its sleek body is a little smaller in outside dimensions than the previous model but it offers more room on the inside. It is a clever trick by the Opel designers giving more knee room and more elbow room too. They also manage to give you a healthy boot with 370 litres with therear seats upright and 1,210 litre with the rear seats folded.
Speaking of the inside, they have also upgraded it substantially with quality materials, a stylish layout and a noticeably improved build quality. To be fair the last version wasn’t too slack in this department either but this one is a step above that model and a leap above the opposition too.
My test car was the Astra SC 1.6 diesel with 136hp and a price tag of €23,245 with a number of extras added. CO2 emissions of 99g/km puts it into Tax Band A2 with giving an annual road tax of €180. The base price of the new Astra range starts at €19,995.Fuel consumption comes in a 5.2L/100km after almost 1,000 kilometres of mixed driving.
Standard features include cruise control with speed limiter; multi-function trip computer; electrically operated front and rear windows; and steering wheel mounted audio and cruise control. It is also fitted with Opels R4.0 IntelliLink system wihich gives you IntelliLink smartphone projection, 7-inch colour touch-screen, AM/FM/DAB digital radio, Bluetooth audio streaming and mobile phone portal, USB and aux-in audio connection.
Added Optional Extra’s in the test car will cost you €150 for a full spare wheel, €1,350 for the Opel IntelliLux Matrix LED Headlights and €250 for Front & Rear Parking Sensors.
Out on the road is where Opel have made the major changes to this car. The engine is one of their new ‘Whisper Diesels’ that is a quiet as a mouse especially when it is heated up. They have also upgraded the noise protection in the car and that adds to the quietness on the road.
Cornering, handling and the overall ride quality is now right up there with the best cars in the segment and surpasses almost all of them. While the steering is fairly light, it never lacks for confidence on the twistiest roads, it is extremely stable on the motorway and easy to operate in urban conditions too.