The fact that the Opel Astra is the “eternal number 2” in the compact segment has no longer bothered the Rüsselsheim carmaker. You can not change it. The Wolfsburg-based company sells almost five times as much Golf as Opel from the Astra in Germany. Nevertheless, the competitor from Lower Saxony was again a role model and incentive. But the Opel developers also looked to Cologne. "Our goal was to be better than the Golf in terms of driving dynamics and better than the focus in terms of comfort," emphasizes chief engineer Marc Schmidt. From 17.260 Euro you can check whether the new Astra meets this requirement.
The fifth generation of Astra (if you count the Kadett ancestors, there are even eleven Opel compact generations) is a completely new design: new chassis, new body, new engines, new chassis, new electronics. The Astra (K) became 5 centimeters shorter, now measures 4,37 meters. Praiseworthy, because automakers often let their models grow a little with each generation. This makes many models heavier and more bulky. Depending on the engine, the Astra, which in the current generation is now also speckled, became lighter by up to 200 kilograms. In the basic model, it is 140 kilograms. A big step down. And one up when it comes to agility. You can feel it on the first few kilometers. Opels Kompakt turns in precisely, pulls through the curves in the right direction, bounces gently, rolls off quietly and still feels firm and solid. The Astra also reacts confidently to abruptly provoked lane changes, no rocking, no uncertainty on the steering wheel. An Astra never drove better. The Rüsselsheim-based company did without an adaptive chassis, as some competitors offer. We didn't miss it on the first exit.
Among other things, we were able to drive the new 1,4 liter four-cylinder with 110 kW / 150 PS, which is also available with 92 kW / 125 PS. The turbo gasoline engine runs extremely quietly and starts up at low revs. Only one should not take the elasticity of a diesel engine as a yardstick here. The gasoline engine then lacks the torque. The top speed of the 1.4 Ecotec is Opel with 215 km / h and the standard consumption with 4,9 liters. 7,1 liters appeared on the display of the on-board computer after the test drive.
The gearboxes give no cause for criticism. Both the five and six-speed versions can be shifted precisely and easily. Some other manufacturers can cut off a slice of it. On the other hand, Opel does not offer a dual clutch transmission. "We think that our automatic is superior in terms of durability," argues Marc Schmidt. The chief engineer also has to pass when it comes to four-wheel drive. "We did not design the new platform for this, light weight was more important to us."
The small three-cylinder turbo gasoline is a surprise. The light metal engine, which is only 1,0 liters in size and 77 kW / 105 PS, turns out to be a lively piece of cream and chases all concerns through the exhaust; it could be overwhelmed with the compact model. On the contrary: it hangs on the gas, sounds robust and sometimes even feels better in the city than its bigger 1,4 liter brother. Added to this is consumption. According to the EU standard, it should be 4,3 l / 100 km, in real terms the 1.0 Ecotec can be moved with around 6 liters.
Despite its smaller exterior dimensions, the new Astra offers more space inside than its predecessor. Adults also sit comfortably in the rear and do not have to press their knees into the front seat back. Behind them there is room for 370 liters of luggage. If the backrests fall forward, a flat surface is created that offers up to 1.210 liters of loading volume.
In terms of materials and workmanship, Opel has significantly refined the quality. The cockpit now also appears tidier and clearly structured, the operation is almost intuitive. For some, a flaw may be the small typeface on the instruments. They are really hard to read. Opel, on the other hand, has a big cinema when it comes to connectivity. OnStar is standard on all Astra models. On the one hand, this allows the Internet to be brought into the car - passengers can surf via the WiFi hotspot - and on the other hand, outside help at the push of a button. In addition, Apple and Android phones can be connected so that their apps can be found on the display in the dashboard.
Rüsselsheim is also proud of the large number of assistance systems. Some of it can only be found elsewhere in higher classes. Example: Opel is the only volume manufacturer currently offering a matrix LED light for an additional charge. It illuminates the road perfectly at night without dazzling oncoming traffic or the vehicle in front. If you want, you can also equip the Astra with a lane assistant including steering correction, reversing camera, parking assistant, collision warning and more.
With the new Astra, Opel has succeeded in an all-round good car. Remarkable are the agile handling, the pleasant comfort and last but not least the rather bold design on the rear flank. An “interrupted” C-pillar would certainly not be dared in this class in Wolfsburg.