Opel Astra Reviews

Two long-time Australian favourites, Astra and Corsa - think Barina - are back for business as Opel sets up shop down under. There are actually three models in the Opel start-up crew for September 1, but it's the Astra that is doing the heavy lifting with the baby Corsa as the price leader and the larger Insignia aimed at families.All three feel Germanically strong and solid, based on a 'speed dating' introduction drive today in rural NSW, but it's the price and value that will be crucial as Opel positions itself against Volkswagen in Australia. "The countdown is over. Our arrival in Australia will be something special," says Bill Mott, managing director for Opel Australia.He admits that Opel is getting a head start with the Astra, which was a long-term winner as a Holden, but says the car's following could also cause problems."This Astra is both a real help to us but, as a new brand, an issue that we've got to address. We have to tell the truth and tell the truth well. The truth is that Astra was here and it was always an Opel," he says.We cannot reveal the pricing details yet, but the early impression is pretty good. Especially since Opel picked some truly awful roads that are never going to flatter any car.The Corsa is chunky and solid - although the cabin quality is more like a superseded Korean baby - with the driving feel that will impress people who might shop it against a VW Polo. The seats are a bit bench-like and the dash is dated, but it's still a car that is nice enough to drive.The Insignia is roomy, comfortable and nice to drive. It's also well equipped, but goes up against a huge range of mid-sized rivals from the VW Passat to the Ford Mondeo and the Skoda Superb, a long-term Carsguide favourite.Which brings us to the Astra, which comes as a five-door hatch, five-door wagon and great looking GTC coupe. They will turn heads and also drive well, although we can quibble about details like the overly-firm suspension in a wagon running 18-inch wheels.The headliner is the GTC 1.6 turbo, complete with magnetically-adjustable suspension similar to the system used by HSV, and it will be a solid rival to the Golf GTi. it's not nearly as brisk, but it has a good chassis and nice touches including an adult-sized rear seat.So the first signs are promising, although there is a long way to go and a lot that is still to be discovered. 

The Astra is back. But don't go looking at your Holden dealer for the long-time small-car favourite. This time around, everything but the name has changed as the Astra spearheads a downunder drive by Opel of Germany.Opel always did the Astra, but now it's reclaimed its prize child and is using an impressive new GTC coupe - and a reasonable $23,990 starting price for a five-door hatch - to headline for a three-model lineup that is intended to grow rapidly in a planned challenge to Volkswagen for European bragging rights in Australia.The Astra is joined by the baby Corsa - once the Holden Barina - and the family-sized Insignia, previewed already by Carsguide and available as both a sedan and a wagon called the Sports Tourer.So this is not a just a showroom launch for the Astra, even though it's the key, but a brand launch for Opel. To put the new Opels into focus, they are not pitched back against Holden but up against Volkswagen and Peugeot and some of the upscale Japanese brands. At least, that's the thinking by the Opel planners who have set up 17 dealers around Australia for the start of sales on September 1.The key message from Opel is that the brand is German, led by design, and has similar strengths to Volkswagen. How buyers will react, especially as there are more than 50 different brands in Australia in 2012, is a very big question, but Opel Australia's boss, Bill Mott, is - as you'd expect - confident."The countdown is over. "Customer choices are changing. We believe we have a product and a brand suited to this changing market," says Mott. He promises a growing range and an expanding dealer network, but says Astra is the key. "We're entering in segments which are ... headed for further growth. I think it would be considerably tougher without Astra," he says."This Astra is both a real help to us but, as a new brand, an issue that we've got to address. We have to tell the truth and tell the truth well. The truth is that Astra was here and it was always an Opel."Holden dumped the Astra because it could get cheaper baby cars from Daewoo in Korea, but Opel is doing all it can to build good value into its cars. "I'm confident we have done our homework," says Mott. It's been helped massively by the strength of the Australia dollar, which means the bottom line for an Astra is reasonable but not outstanding.So it runs from $23,990 for the five-door 1.4-litre petrol turbo. That's not great when you can get a similarly-sized Toyota Corolla for less than $20,000, but it's right in the heartland for European small cars and looks good enough against the cheapest Golf at $21,990 with less power and - Opel says - less standard equipment. The mainstream bodies are the five-door hatch and Sports Tourer wagon, while the run up the range goes to the 2-litre turbo diesel from $27,990 and the 1.6-litre turbo petrol from $28,990.An automatic gearbox is a predictable $2000 extra and there are a variety of trim levels and option packs. But the headliner is the GTC coupe, priced from $28,990 with a 1.4 turbo or $34,90 with the punchier GTC. "We really believe the Astra GTC is a unique animal. It's an attainable dream car."Opel has always done great engineering work, getting the basics right on the chassis and moving up from there. There is nothing revolutionary about the Astra package, but the various engines make solid power and torque, there are six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes - auto only in the Sports Tourer - Watts-link rear suspension and things like bi-Xenon lamps, alloys wheels and even an electric boot release and a system that flips the back seat flat in the wagon.Extra equipment includes a premium centre console and even special ergonomic sports seats, as well as an adaptive lighting system with cornering lights and auto dipping. And the GTC?The chassis is tweaked with the usual sports settings, but there is also a HiPerStrut front suspension for better grip and feedback, optional magnetically-controlled Flexride dampers - similar to those used on some HSV Commodores - and 18-inch alloys, electric power steering and more. All Astras come with Bluetooth connectivity.This is a key for Opel, which wants its cars to stand out in traffic. Australian-born Nils Loeb, who heads exterior design at Opel, is special guest at the press preview of the cars and talks passionately about the company's philosophy. "We are the emotional German brand," he says. The cars definitely look good, and the GTC really stands out even against good lookers like the Renault Megane, but it's the attention to detail that is most impressive.The dashboards are more than just flat plastic panels, the switches look and feel good, and Loeb admits Opel chooses bigger wheels for its cars "Because they look good".Six airbags in all models. All cars have five-star EuroNCAP scores. Enough said.Good, but not great. That's the bottom line. Starting at the bottom, the basic Astra hatch feels rock-solid and responsive. The 1.4-litre engine is nothing special but the 1.6 has more than enough go for the job and promises fuel economy better than 8 litres/100km.Looking around, both the hatch and Sports Tourer have impressive design and finishing - way better than the Corsa, which is like an old-generation Korean in the cabin - from the dash layout to the seat comfort. Thankfully, Opel is staying old-school with push-button switches, not a fancy iDrive-style controller, and everything you need is included from solid aircon to the Bluetooth connectivity.The wagon is slightly more impressive than the hatch, thanks to good space in both the back seat and luggage area, and gives nothing away for driving enjoyment. But ... there is wind noise, the tyres rumble a lot on nasty surfaces in regional NSW, and the general feel of the car is not as plush or refined as a Golf. It's nice, for sure, but not any sort of a breakthrough.Which brings us to the GTC. The headliner coupe is seriously cool, and a real looker, yet somehow there seems to have more space in the back seat than in the hatch. The basic car gets along reasonably, not that it will matter to fashion-conscious buyers, but it's the 1.6 with FlexRide suspension that's the one to love.The switchable FlexRide also adjusts the steering and throttle response, taking the car from OK to keen and sharp in milliseconds. It has great grip and can easily cope with more power - as we'll eventually confirm once Opel Australia gets a go-ahead for the hotrod OPC model. The first impression of the Astra is much as expected, particularly after so many years on the books at Holden.The major change is more flair in the design, and a promise that fixed-price servicing will give buyers the confidence they need to commit to the cars.So good, and good enough, but we'll know more once we line the Astra up against the Golf and our current small-car favourite, the Toyota Corolla.

IF strength and durability were the marks of a good small car, then history states that one of the best was the Holden Astra. We bought thousands of them, in fact, in 2005 alone, 34,000 Astras found homes in Australia. It was Holden’s mainstay for years and even if it did start out as a rebadged Nissan Pulsar, it quickly revealed its own identity when Holden invited it into Australia from its European maker, Opel. Holden and Opel are both part of the General Motors conglomerate.The problem was that everyone knew Astra. No-one in Australia knew Opel. Get ready to learn all about Opel because the Astra returns along with sister models the Corsa, which you may remember as the Holden Barina, and the Vectra predecessor, the Insignia.Opel wants a slice of the Australian market to expand its business. Holden wants a European line-up that adds cache to its dominant Korean-made range.The process sounds simple. But Opel has a problem with its identity and Australians may not be willing to pay a premium for another German import, the first being Volkswagen.Opel says pricing, which won’t be known until closer to the mid-2012 launch date, will be "very similar" to the Volkswagen Polo (for the Opel Corsa), Volkswagen Golf (Opel Astra) and Volkswagen Passat (Opel Insignia).Without knowing the price or final specifications, this is a hard call. Buyers in this segment, however, will be wise to wait and see what Opel will dish up — there could be some surprises here and the Astra may come out as a bargain. Quality and performance is on par with the Volkswagen Golf, but Opel doesn’t get overly innovative with technology as Volkswagen. The cars are very well made, comfortable, safe and in German spec as tested, handle extremely well.There has been a more recent upgrade to the Astra’s look since it finished its tour of duty in Australia in 2009. The five-door hatch, which will become the main flagbearer for the Opel name here, is boldly styled with pronounced hips and a strong waistline. It is far more distinctive than the, by comparison, conservative style of the Golf and this facet alone will garner a lot of buyer interest.The cabin is equally as alluring, keeping the onlooker busy with an array of dials and switches and a comprehensive list of standard features. The seats, incidentally, are Europe’s best in any small car and are approved by Germany’s fussy orthopedic association.Astra will come as 1.6 and 2.0-litres diesels and 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0-litre petrols with and without turbochargers. The transmissions are six-speed units in manual and automatic that drive the front wheels. There is electric assistance to the steering and suspension is pretty conservative, with a torsion beam rear end tempered by a Watts link, a system regarded as being somewhat inferior to a multi-link suspension but one that Opel defends by reasons of space efficiency and low-cost manufacture. Opel says, and Holden agrees, that there will be no tweaking of the chassis for Australian conditions. Basically the cars are quite simple and that indicates durability.Like the Golf, the Astra wins with a five-star crash rating. It gets six airbags and all te electronic aids. Final specifications for Australia will be announced closer to the launch date.Overwhelmingly, the Astra feels very solid on the road. The steering weight is just about perfect, earlier Astras were heavy, but actual road feel is on par with rivals. The seats are impressive, form fitting with a soft centre yet firm bolsters and with extendable thigh cushions to give support on long trips. There is an optional FlexRide suspension with three modes. This will come to Australia and a good thing, too, because it really tailors the car to varying roads and driving styles.The engines tested were a 1.7 turbo-diesel with an automatic gearbox and a 1.4 turbo-petrol with a six-speed manual. The diesel is surprisingly quiet and though it seems a bit disinterested in accelerating hard, picks up the pace when the tacho hits 2000rpm. Autobahn touring is so easy in this, cruising at 130km/h in sections with the ability for occupants to talk in whispers.The 1.4 is more responsive, capable of revving faster and giving the illusion that its quicker. It is, but only by one second to 100km/h with a 9.9 second time. The 1.4 was driven through the autumn-painted hills near Frankfurt, so its journey centred on handling. The optional FlexRide allowed the choice of a firmer "Sport’’ ride or "Tour’’, which is the comfort setting, to suit the roads. Handling is very good, yes, on par with Golf, though the Astra felt slightly less inclined to show its understeer.Opel says it is committed to Australia but is yet to reveal details of its new-car warranty or its spread of dealers, so we have to wait for some answers. But the Astra is certainly a classy car. It’s impressive for its quality and ride comfort, cabin room is very good and even the two-level cargo floor, adjustable centre console and alternative storage for personal items shows someone is thinking about the buyer’s needs. It’s definitely worth considering.