Punching Above Its Weight

The Opel Astra is a long-standing member of the Opel family and its roots date all the way back to the 1930s, where it was known as the Kadett. It later went to become the Astra and the rest, as they say, is history.

Claiming top honours in 21 separate comparative tests and walking away with the European Car Of The Year Award is an astonishing feat in anyone's books, yet the new Opel Astra has managed to do just that.

At a glance

In short, the new Opel Astra is crammed with high-end technology and convenience in a package that is smaller in overall size, but bigger inside. The new range of engines further extends the appeal of the new Astra while maintaining efficiency and safety.

Design

While not as radical a departure from the previous, 10th generation Astra, in its overall shape, the devil is in the details. The entire body is new and while similar, hosts a multitude of design characteristics that make the new Astra immediately distinguishable from the exiting model.

The new body is 49mm shorter and 25mm lower than the previous model but this has not encroached on the interior space. The cabin offers 35mm more legroom and 22mm more headroom than before. Visibility is also improved as are driver ergonomics with the revised seats that offer more support and comfort. Over our 200+km drive, at no point did fatigue take hold of us.

The newly designed interior is pleasant with a lovely touch and feel to the surfaces. IN higher spec models, the piano black plastics may attract finger prints, but it looks good when clean and tidy. The switchgear is no longer a GM parts bin raid, although some steering controls on lower spec models are familiar.

Clever use of sculpted design cues give the impression that the new Astra is in fact wider and lower than before, thanks to the striking new twin-bar chrome grille insert and the contoured headlights with LED DRLs (Daytime Running Lights). The lower section of the front bumper features two “wings” that extend off to either side, giving the visage a racy look.

The rear of the Astra sees the culmination of the blacked out C-pillars creating the “floating roof” design that is currently quite popular. The angled inserts in the rear taillights do remind us of a BMW, but that's not a bad thing, as you will soon see.

The 1.6T Sport model is the only one to feature chrome exhaust tips – this may appeal to certain individuals, but without them, the rear end is wonderfully balanced and rounded off, while retaining a certain level of masculinity.

The new Astra is now between 120kg and 200kg lighter than before, but 13% stiffer, improving handling and economy.

Engines

Three new engines are available in the new Astra range, starting with a 77kW / 170Nm three-cylinder 1.0 turbocharged motor. The most frugal and economical in the range, the 1.0T is said to return figures of 4.4l/100km on the combined cycle. At launch, it will only be available in Essentia trim with a manual gearbox.

The second in the lineup, and the one that will no doubted become the most popular with the average consumer is the 1.4-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged option. Producing 110kW and 230Nm torque when paired with a manual gearbox, this engine offers a balance of performance and efficiency – or so it is claimed. Claims come in at 5.1l/100km but our drive yielded numbers slightly higher.

The odd anomaly here is that the 1.4T with a 6-speed manual is only quoted to have 230Nm while the 1.4T with the automatic gearbox comes in 15Nm higher at 245Nm. This difference can be felt and with the adapted final drive ratio, the automatic feels more sprightly. Perhaps Opel has over compensated for the automatic transmission, but it certainly feels more peppy.

The final engine offering is the 147kW and 280Nm 1.6T inline four cylinder. This mill has a wonderful amount of midrange torque that comes alive at the prod of the throttle, without necessitating a cog swap or three.

While a little more thirsty at 6.1l/100km on the combined cycle (and figures closer to 10 in our drive), the drive is considerably more rewarding, thanks to the inclusion of the driving aids that come as standard on these top-of-the-range models. The 1.6T Sport Manual will do the 0-100km/h sprint in 7-seconds and run onto a top speed of 235km/h.

Technology

The new Astra is crammed with a host of driving aids that could necessitate and article on their own – might I suggest a visit to their website for more information?

Top tier models are equipped with the latest generation Opel Eye, a system that provides services such as monitoring the IntelliLux LED Matrix System, Traffic Sign Assist (TSA); Lane Departure Warning (LDW) with Lane Keep Assist (LKA); Following Distance Indication (FDI); Forward Collision Alert (FCA) and Low Speed Collision Mitigation Braking (LSCMB).

These systems improve the overall experience and safety of the vehicle by constantly monitoring the road and its surroundings. They compliment the host of safety systems that are not linked to the Opel Eye, such as Side Blind Spot Alert and Park Distance Control. A reverse camera is an optional extra and forms part of one of the optional packages.

The IntelliLux LED Matrix headlight system is an adaptive LED headlight consisting of 8 LED light sections which can be individually activated to provide high beam and low beam without the threat of dazzling oncoming traffic. This system is an option on the 1.6T Sport models and is controlled by the Opel Eye.

The MyLink infotainment system is a fantastic system that allows smartphone integration through Apple CarPlay and the associated Android systems on selected handsets. This allows for seamless pairing and connection to all your vitals, including maps, messages, navigation, entertainment and a host of other supported applications.

Final thoughts

As a whole, the new Astra is extremely well specced for the price as standard, with only a few creature comforts available in the options packs. This makes the Astra a well-rounded package when compared up against the direct competition, such as the Volkswagen Golf, Mazda3, Renault Megane and Ford Focus.

So impressive is it's build quality and spec level that one could say that it starts to rival the entry level BMW 1 Series and the Audi A3.

Pricing and models

1.0T Essentia	R 254 000
1.0T Enjoy	R 284 300
1.4T Enjoy MT	R 328 000
1.4T Enjoy AT	R 338 000
1.4T Sport MT	R 354 000
1.4T Sport AT	R 374 000
1.6T Sport MT	R 387 000
1.6T Sport PLUS MT	R 407 000

             
 

Option Packs:
1. Astra Hatch Enjoy Driver Assist Pack (Opel Eye Front Camera System)	R6 300
2. Astra Hatch Essentia R 4.0 IntelliLink	R4 000
3. Astra Hatch Sport Navi 900 IntelliLink	R10 700

  
 All models are sold with a 5 Year / 120 000km warranty and 5 Year / 90 000km service plan.