Opel Zafira Reviews

Which is why a squat Astra coupe in part-camo cover spotted on a curvy backroad near Frankfurt in September rang big bells - and here's the reason why. Opel has today unveiled that car as the hottest Astra ever to find traction on public roads with a 206kW/400Nm turbocharged, direct-injection 2.0-litre four under the bonnet. The Astra gets the OPC (Opel Performance Centre) badge that signifies it's spicier than diced cayenne peppers and makes it a sister of the equally hot 239kW Insignia all-wheel drive turbo V6. The hatchback is based on the Opel Astra GTC that turned heads at this year's Frankfurt motor show. OPC is equivalent to BMW's ``M'' division, Audi's ``quattro' and Mercedes' ``AMG''. The best news - Opel's OPC models are headed for Australia. Timing is everything and new Opel Australia managing director Bill Mott  indicates that the company's more volume-oriented models will come first. Given that timing that puts the Corsa, Astra and Insignia in showrooms in the second half of next year, the OPC range probably won't get here until early 2103. ``We're serious about OPC for Australia,'' he says. ``Astra is a key volume pillar for Opel's introduction to Australia and adding the OPC version will give the model a boost. But t's early days and we still have to work on pricing. ``At the moment, we have to work on launching with volume models.'' Mott says Opel is now at ``full speed'' in Australia and is signing up dealers. OPC adds go with whoa and wow factors that in the Astra's case, adds a body kit with bulging fenders, new nose and tail and a cabin with sports seats, a leather-bound steering wheel and a new instrument design. How do they get all that torque to the ground through the front wheels? On top of the suspension from the Astra GTC - HiPerStrut front suspension with adjustable dampers and the two-mode adjustable FlexRide that controls steering and throttle feel - it adds a limited-slip differential. Opel claims this gives the OPC better stability and handling. The package under the Astra was tested on the Nurburgring track under the supervision of the Opel brand ambassador Joachim Winkelhock. C Current OPC models are the 141kW Corsa (or 154 kW Corsa Nurburgring Edition) and the 239kW Insignia OPC, available as a sedan or wagon.

The Astra GTC OPC is Opel's hot hatch hero and would be guaranteed to give the European brand street cred when it sets up shop in Australia next year. The car is so good HSV even put its badge on it a few years back as the VXR. Carparazzi snapped the next-gen model testing. It is running a 225kW turbocharged 2.0-litre engine with dual exhausts exiting on either side of the bumper.Why the fuss: We could get itWhen's it here: Not before 2013How much:  Around $45,000 (estimate)

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.

... but would you buy an Opel RAK-e concept? Opel says big changes are coming to the way we drive in the near future - and it’s not alone.The Frankfurt motor show revealed an unprecedented three working concepts for personal city traffic - vehicles built within a 1m width and capable of two occupants seated in tandem.“We expect radical changes in the design of city car,’’ says Opel’s vice president of design, Mark Adams.“I’m sure this is a new trend.’’Adams says the RAK-e represents a whole new classification of car segments.He says he picked up on the concept after Opel engineering sent him the brief of a working, electric-powered tandem vehicle.The car satisfies Opel’s seemingly impossible dream of creating a one-Euro car - that is, a car that will ravel 100km/h for the cost of Euro 1.Opel says it more specifically is a one-plus-one seater; is affordable (though no price is even hinted at); will cost Euro 1 in electricity to travel 100km; have a 10km range; be able to travel on the autobahn (in the slower lane);; and fulfil the needs of both individual youth buyers and inner-city dwellers.“The more we can expect sustainability in our lives, the more we will turn to electrification of our transport,’’ Adams says.“If cleaning up cities becomes environmentally and politically important, then these vehicles will come to market,’‘ he says. Quizzed about how close the RAK-e could be to production, he says “soon’’.“This is the same dilemma as what the electric car went through - everyone wants to have it but few are ready to make one,’‘ he says. “But it has to happen - the personal city car has to come. e may just be the first to dip our toe in the water. If we have to take the risk, we’ll do it.’ We just can’t wait.’’The RAK-e was brought to the Frankfurt motor show without Opel being aware that Volkswagen and Audi had a similar concept.It joined the Renault Twizy - an upright, tandem two-seat electric vehicle that comes in two electric power outputs  - the smaller of which is designed for teenagers.Renault will launch the Twizy in Europe in December, priced at about $8000 - which competes with some of the larger scooters.The RAK was the name for the first of two rocket-powered Opel racers dating from the late 1920s.

The car will go head-to-head with small vehicles from its General Motors stablemate brand, Holden.And it comes armed with the Astra nameplate that Holden has helped cement in Australia. The pretty Astra coupe will arrive here by mid-2012 and also aims to give the Volkswagen Golf GTI a kick in the small performance stakes. The GTC will come in with either a 1.4-litre (also used on the Cruze) or 1.6-litre turbocharged engine. These engines deliver respectively 5.9 and 7.0 litres/100km. Opel is yet to confirm exact specifications for Australia, though the range is expected to be the Astra GTC, Insignia and Corsa.

...not just part of the Holden line-up — Opel could easily bring a new price fighter Down Under. It’s currently codenamed Junior and intended to slot in under the Astra and Corsa, with the same sort of appeal as the Mini. ‘‘It’s a chic and stylish minicar that fits with today’s hip, urban spirit,’’ says Opel boss Nick Reilly. It’s still under wraps in this Carparazzi shot but likely to break cover at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.

... when the European brand sets up shop outside the GM Holden umbrella for the first time.The baby Corsa is on the wish list for local sales and that means we could also get the baby SUV being developed as part of the Corsa family.

When Opel opens in Australia next year, on its own and not as part of the GM Holden family, it will need some impact cars to draw customers.The Astra is a long-term favourite and there will be several models, most likely including the CC shown here in Carparazzi scoop pictures.The new Cabrio is undergoing its first tests in Germany and is set for summer 2012 in Europe, so could easily be coming to Australia sometime late next year or early in 2013.

The German arm of General Motors today says it plans to expand its model range with a crossover SUV that will be launched in about four years. It will be joined by a small electric hatchback based on the Barina-sized Corsa and expect to play a major role in affirming Opel's position on the Australian market. Opel is expected to enter the Australian market in a co-share arrangement with Holden in early 2012. Models are expected to include the Camry-size Insignia, Astra - possibly including the GTC - and Corsa. The Corsa range could include the 151kW/280Nm OPC hot hatch. Opel vice-president for business and product planning, Frank Weber, says all models in the range are under consideration for Australia. Opel CEO Karl-Friedrich Stracke is on record as saying he wants to expand Opel's range and global territory outside of its traditional European base. "I believe that we can achieve a level of about 150,000 vehicles that we can sell annually outside Europe in three years time," he says, adding that parent GM is comfortable with that expansion as long as it is profitable and complements GM's other brands - in this case, Holden. Opel begins deliveries to Argentina and Chile late this year and to China and Australia next year. The move to a small electric car - to complement Opel's existing Volt-based Ampera electric sedan - coincides with the German Government announcing an additional $1.4 billion for research and development aid for electric vehicles. That doubles the government's investment in the technology. The funds include tax rebates, dedicated parking spots and measures aimed at promoting government use of electric cars. Germany aims to have one million electric vehicles on its streets by 2020.

…but the baby Zafira people mover looks like a certain starter in 2012. Carparazzi caught the all-new model under test in Scandinavia, highlighting the lower-line shape of a car expected to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.