OPEL Astra Review

If you'll ever have the chance to visit the autoevolution headquarters, you'll most likely agree that the most comfortable place in the whole building is the bean bag we use to sit on every time we decide to test our skills on either Nintento Wii on Playstation 3. With this thought in our minds, it's pretty easy to decide which are and which are not the comfortable cars we have to drive, as we already set the superior standard in this respect.

And Opel Astra is pretty impressive. Although some consider the seats a little bit too firm, they are especially configured for a sportier feeling. Hence a lower driving position that makes you feel just like you'd be driving a much more powerful car that has wings and weapons ready to shoot the incoming enemies. OK, maybe not that great, but still, Astra's seats seem to follow the same sporty attitude expressed by the exterior design.

Not to mention that the Sport trim level can be ordered with sport seats, as well as with a sport multifunctional steering wheel wrapped in leather.

But if you're ready for some marketing “yeah right” statements, it's probably worth mentioning that Opel says its Ergonomic Sport Seat, with a 6-way adjustable range, is the only one in the class that received the seal of approval from Aktion Gesunder Rücken e.V. (Action for Healthy Backs, known as AGR), an independent group of ergonomics experts and doctors in Germany.

But when not in full configuration, the Astra might lose a point or two. The Enjoy flavor we tested was equipped with cruise control, multifunctional steering wheel, interior electrochromic mirror, rain and light sensors, while features such as front armrest, dual-zone air conditioning or leather wrapped seats could only be found on higher trim levels.

If you're living in a small block apartment or you don't have enough space to keep your things because your girlfriend/wife is a real shoe collector, you can always consider Opel's hatchback a viable solution. The vehicle offers a total of 19 storage compartments with a total capacity of 25 liters. We couldn't find all 25 places but, if Opel claims so, they probably exist.

Last but not least, comfort is also enhanced with the implementation of a mix of a compound crank with a Watt's link in the rear axle, which has a significant role in both stability and comfort.
After General Motors stopped negotiations over Opel's potential sale to Magna International or any other interested party rumored to be looking into ways to buy the German carmaker, Opel followed the same path as its US-based parent company. Many of the existing engines were either replaced or tuned to provide greater power with enhanced fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.

And ever since the launch of the Insignia, Opel emphasized that it pretty much managed to do this, although figures are not too impressive, not even on official papers.

The Germans claim that Astra's powertrains, when equipped with manual transmissions, cut emissions by up to 12 percent versus the previous generations. The average fuel consumption of the diesel lineup is 4.6 l/100km (51.1 mpg), while gasolines achieve an overall 6.1 l/100km (31.5 mpg). And Opel's achievements do not stop here. The entry-level configuration of the gasoline engines release only 129 grams of CO2 in the atmosphere which, according to Opel, is the best figure for a gasoline unit in the compact class.

The 1.6-liter Turbo engine we tested generates a maximum power of 180 hp at 5500 rpm and 230 Nm of torque between 2200 and 5400 rpm. In other words, it has the ability to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 8.5 seconds, while topping at 221 km/h (137.3 mph).

But leaving the engine aside, Opel has always talked about the new Astra as a vehicle that's full of innovations. Beside the FlexFloor system we told you about earlier, the car is also offered with FlexFix, a special technology implemented into the rear bumper that allows the transportation of bicycles at the rear of the car.

Last but not least, the powertrain is based on what Opel calls FlexRide, a newly-developed system that provides three driving modes, Normal, Sport and Tour, each with its very own settings. In Sport mode for example, the instrument panel is turned into red, while the throttle and the steering are adjusted for faster responses.
In the last couple of years, the word “gadgets” has become a lot more important for carmakers around the world, as customers are usually very attracted by any new toy that could make their lives easier. Of course, new technologies are developed as we speak and, naturally, buying a more expensive car obviously brings you more gadgets.

Paying around EUR20,000 for the 1.6-liter turbo Opel Astra brings you rain and light sensors, interior electrochromic mirror, cruise control, power front windows and power mirrors.

The audio system comes with MP3 support and 7 speakers, but functionality is pretty limited. There's no USB port, so we weren't able to give it a try. Of course, many more features are available on the options list and we must include here the dual-zone air conditioning system, sport steering wheel, an on-board computer (yes, this could be considered a gadget too, given the fact that our test car only came with a “trip” computer), sport seats, electronic parking brake and some others.

If you feel the need to take a look in Volkswagen's yard, don't be too harsh. A similar configuration would go in the same price area and, although some carmakers claim they're offering much more features for this price, they're not. Many trim levels are actually pre-configured and each option is either included in a package or offered as stand-alone at a special price.

Our Astra for example also featured the so-called Premium Package that added adaptive bi-xenon headlights with washing system, as well as daytime running lights, which not only improve safety but also look damn good on the road.

That being said, if you're planning to buy an Astra and you consider yourself a techie, be sure to take a look on the options list. If you drop the 1.6-liter turbo engine and choose a more affordable one, you could configure a better-equipped Astra with many more features at the same price as our model.
The new Opel Astra scored a five-star rating in the latest crash tests conducted by Euro NCAP and that pretty much says it all. It is a safe hatchback and the ratings it achieved during the tests confirm it: 95 percent protection for adult occupants, 84 percent for child occupants, 46 percent for pedestrian protection and 71 percent for safety assist.

And because we're talking about safety assist, it's absolutely mandatory to mention that Euro NCAP has awarded both the Astra and the Insignia with a special recognition for the so-called Opel Eye technology.

What it does is warn the driver every time the car is about to leave the lane, just like any other lane departure warning system. In addition, it uses a front-mounted camera to recognize the traffic signs and inform the driver every time the car is approaching one. Opel Eye only works at speeds above 60 km/h (37.2 mph) and Euro NCAP says this is more than enough, especially because most accidents occur between 60 km/h and 80 km/h (49.7 mph) than at higher speeds.

Our tester was equipped with Adaptive Forward Lighting, active headrests, ABS, ESP, CBC, EBD, frontal and lateral airbags, daytime running lights, front and rear curtain airbags and seatbelt warnings.
General Motors decided in 2009 to keep Opel despite the fact that all the guys surrounding the company screamed like hell that the German manufacturer must be sold as soon as possible. And although it negotiated with interested bidders for several months and German officials even stepped in and expressed their support for a possible transaction, GM said a definite “no” to Magna International, choosing to restructure the German brand with its very own financial resources.

The first two models supposed to bring Opel back on the floating line were Insignia and Astra, both of which bring a new design language that's likely to be followed by many other concepts that could enter production in the upcoming years. Ampera is just one of them, as Opel makes the final touches to its green product lineup plan.

The good thing about the Astra is that it has what it takes to become a serious contender in the compact class: a powerful engine, a pretty nice exterior design and new interior lines that bring it closer to the Insignia.

The bad is that you won't get too many features unless you're ready to pay some extra cash for them. Many of the systems most of us find mandatory are only available on the options list and, just like the other vehicles in the class, could become a lot more expensive as you add more equipment.

There's no ugly in the new Astra and probably the way Opel came to this point is by paying more attention to details. New materials here and there, sportier lines and more modern shapes turn the Astra into a handsome hatchback.