DieselDrive - Opel Astra EcoFlex

Opel launches Astra EcoFLEX Just when you thought that you had learnt all the fancy names that car makers had dubbed their chosen clutch of fuel-efficiency technologies, Opel has come to the party with their contribution in the form of “ecoFLEX”.

Considering how ubiquitous the various technologies are and the fact that they chose to omit grammar spacing and make the whole word “flex” in upper case like the big boys tend to, should mean Opel is getting well down to eco-business.

Opels which bear the ecoFLEX label, like VW’s BlueMotion or Mercedes Benz’s BlueTEC, represent a model which has had a healthy dose of fuel efficiency wizardry thrown into their mix; in this case, the latest is start/stop capability alongside high pressure diesel injectors, a variable geometry turbocharger and various aerodynamic treatments to cut down wind resistance. A “gear upshift” indicator is also nestled into the instrument cluster to let drivers know when they go from saving tree frogs to chopping down the Amazon rainforests. It also receives a new E59 control unit and its improved exhaust gas recirculation module is now water-cooled to help reducing emissions Aimed at the mid-level executive market, the Astra EcoFLEX carries a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating, with all the necessary safety and creature comfort features and options one would expect from a 20 000-Euro German midsize family car.

A bit more about the engine then: this ecoFLEX uses a 1.3-litre, common rail turbo diesel mill mated to a 5-speed gearbox, generating 70kW and 190Nm of torque. Quoted figures are 3.9-litres/100km, equating to a carbon rating of 104g/km – right in the thick of, but not leading, its competitive products like the VW BlueMotion offerings in terms of performance and consumption. However, the same ecoFLEX engine is also available in their Corsa model and, in this guise, will produce only 94g/km, while another option could be their ecoFLEX 2.0-litre derivative at 129g/km.

While the ecoFLEX engine range has been around for a while, the inclusion of Start/Stop as part of the package is new, having first appeared on their overseas Corsas and their most frugal model, the 69kw Agila 1.2 ecoFLEX. Interestingly, Opel have stated that Start/Stop will be included in all their model line ups from the end of 2011, which is a noble commitment towards making a real difference to gas emissions not just from their smaller, ecofocussed models, but rather their full range.

Opel have also recognised the importance of what they call “engine right-sizing�, where larger engines are replaced with smaller, turbo-charged ones. For instance, a modern 1.4-litre turbo engine (88 kW/175Nm) recently replaced the Meriva 1.6-litre, which actually had a lesser 80kW on tap and emitted 10% more carbon.

Unbeknownst to many, Opel has a bit of a fondness for ecological developments and many forget that they were the very first German automaker (circa 1985) to include a vehicle with a catalytic converter in each model line, four years later becoming the first manufacturer in Europe to offer all petrol models with a three-way catalytic converter as standard. They are also currently underway with a full-scale green drive, which should see the production of a small, battery powered EV for short distance and urban traffic runs, an extended-range EV (the first ER-EV in Europe, the Opel Ampera, is scheduled to go on sale in Germany during 2011) and even piloting a zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell powered electric vehicle.

Opel also has a reputation for packaging and pricing its car range in a way that makes them extremely competitive in their markets, so it should come to pass that, whether or not any of them end up claiming the title of most-ecofriendly-car-available, they should sell in high volumes. That fact, summed up into kilometres travelled, fuel consumed and carbon emitted, means that Opel will make a conscious and, more importantly, notable improvement to their drivers’ carbon footprints.

- Kevin Willemse