Astra La Vista Baby!
The Opel Astra is Back. Sublime styling meets sweet handling.
Somehow I cannot help comparing this car to some Alfa Romeos that I have driven in the past. Engine response is spot-on with a wide torque band, maximum torque of 170Nm begins at 1,800rpms, and stretches all the way to 4,300rpms. Power is rated at 103bhp, allowing the car to do the century sprint in 12.7 seconds. The automated manual, similar to Alfa’s famous/infamous Selespeed transmission in the past, works like a charm. Although you would need to get used to how it behaves.
Driving this car in Manual mode is best. Lifting your foot off the throttle between changes, and punching it into the next gear, you would be rewarded with the pull from the 1.0 turbocharged powerplant. Gear changes though, could be a little quicker. The engine will become vocal once you cross 4,500 rpms. Noise and vibration is minimal, thanks to the excellent cabin insulation and counterbalancing shafts included in the small 3-cylinder engine.
In Auto mode, you will find that the car will have a bit of a pause when changing between first and second. Releasing the throttle in between first and second smoothens gear transition, some people may not like this characteristic. Perhaps Opel could have more half-clutching programmed into the transition between first and second to smoothen gear changes.
The Astra performs well in start stop traffic, with the turbo ever willing to keep the boost going, and performs even better when you put the car through its paces. You must keep your eye on the rev-counter though, as the noise insulation makes it difficult for the driver to know how hard the engine is revving, especially when dropping gears. Making my way up Kent Ridge Park to find some Pokemon, I found that the engine didn’t even struggle with the steep incline. Very often, when pushing the car round the bends, I find myself reaching behind the wheel for the non-existent paddle shifters. This car could use them.
Safety features include Lane Departure Warning, which nudges the car back into the lane if it senses that you are leaving it; and Collision Warning, which you can adjust to its sensitivity in relation to the vehicle in-front of you.
Shock absorption comes in the form of McPherson struts in front, and a load-bearing compound link rear that’s shared with the Sports Tourer variant. Though the car is set for comfort, cornering is sharp and precise with just a bit of bounce and wobble when the road is uneven. Communication from the road to the steering is good, and turning is accurate.
The Opel Astra wasn’t awarded Car of the Year 2016 for nothing. They have created a drivers’ car with adequate space for the family. All this packaged with head-turning style. At just a shade below $110k (accurate as at 11 August 2016), this might just be THE compact hatch you’d want to do the sums for…
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