TEST

Opel’s new Astra shoots to top of class

There are tentative suggestions that the exponential increase in the price of petrol and diesel fuels is starting to encourage people away from their high-riding, un-aerodynamic and fuel thirsty crossovers and SUVs into smaller more efficient vehicles.

If that’s the case, then the traditional family hatchback - or C-Segment car in traditional fleet car parlance - may be in for a revival.

Which is no bad thing - for starters, unlike the rather identikit looking crossover breed where it’s a challenge to distinguish offerings from one brand from another, today’s C-Segment offerings are a rather distinctive bunch.

The current Volkswagen Golf is, as ever, immediately recognisable as a Golf. Ford’s Focus is a few years on the go now, but is still distinctively well proportioned, Peugeot’s new 308 is quite the headturner, while a personal favourite is the Mazda3 with its gimlet eye front styling.

Arguably though, there’s a new leader in the looks department in the shape of the new Opel Astra. Certainly it’s a far cry from the rather staid model it replaces. From the front, the Vizor styling first seen on the Mokka as well as the now face-lifted Grandland gives the car a low down but purposeful stance. Narrow LED lighting at the rear and a forward facing C-Pillar also give the car a dynamic appearance.

Inside there is a rather futuristic wrap-around digital cockpit display that integrates two 10-inch screens for driving information and infotainment. Pleasingly Opel hasn’t gone down the route of total button elimination that many of its rivals seem intent on doing, with physical buttons for the heating controls and for quick access to the main car and infotainment settings. The interface system is pretty intuitive to use without have to dive into too many sub-menus to find the control needed. The only gripe found with the system is that when the Apple Carplay screen is active, the digital time display disappears.

Opel is covering the full gamut of ICE and electric engine options, though for now only petrol and diesel variants are available. Plug-in hybrid versions with 180hp and 225hp outputs are due towards the end of the year while a full electric version is coming next year. A Sports Tourer estate version is also scheduled to arrive next year.

The good news with the rising cost of fuel is that both petrol and diesel variants are exceptionally frugal. Having driven both over extended distances, I returned 4.8l/100km (49mpg) with the 130hp version of the 1.2 petrol engine (there’s also a 110hp version), while the 130hp 1.5 diesel example averaged a very impressive 4.3l/100km (54.7mpg). Those figures will give you over 1,000 km range on a tank of petrol and 1,200 km with diesel. As a comparison the same petrol engine in the Opel Grandland SUV driven over similar distances only averaged 6.2l/100km (37.9mpg) - food for thought perhaps if running costs are a concern…

Both engines are quiet and refined with more than enough power, while the six-speed manual gearbox is slick to use. Interestingly while Opel also offers an 8-speed automatic with the 130hp petrol engine, sister Stellantis brand Peugeot has dropped the manual option in its closely related 308.

The Astra is also rather good to drive, in fact it is right up there with the best in class when it comes to ride and handling. It’s the first Opel to be built on the third generation of Stellantis’ EMP2 platform and dynamically it’s a big advancement on the car it replaces. The steering offers

good feedback and allows you to place the car exactly where you want, while the ride quality is just about the right balance between firmness and comfort.

Offered in three trim levels of SC, SRI and Elite, prices range from €27,995 to €37,995.

CONClUSION

The new Astra marks a significant step forward for Opel and takes it to a place the German brand hasn’t been for some time - the top of the C-Segment class. It’s arguably the best looking car from Opel in a generation, but more than that it’s thoroughly modern, cheap to run, is a proper driver’s car, comes well equipped even in basic trim, and, eventually, can be had in petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric versions. A lot of boxes ticked indeed!