Opel Astra | Video Review | CarsIreland.ie

Published on 28 March, 2017

The Opel Astra has long been a firm favourite on Irish roads and like the Golf and the Focus is one of those cars that has become a brand in its own right

Overview

Overview

The Opel Astra has long been a firm favourite on Irish roads and like the Golf and the Focus is one of those cars that has become a brand in its own right. In fact it seems as if everyone has owned an Astra at some point in their lives or if not then knows someone who has – because it's just one of those great all-rounders that suits lots of different lifestyles - stylish and trendy enough to be a great first time car, but practical and reliable enough to carry the family around in too.

So it goes without saying that this latest generation has quite a lot to live up to and Opel really have pulled out the big guns on this one, offering a range of high-tech safety, infotainment and onboard assistance features that haven't been seen in this class, or segment before now. That's on top of a fresh new look, which while still unmistakably Astra, has gotten sportier and edgier than before, that dramatic breakthrough C-Pillar a particular striking feature.

Opel have gone against the grain a little bit compared to the market in terms of size, because while most new cars are getting bigger, the dimensions of the new Astra are actually smaller than the previous one, and as as well as shedding a huge 200kg in weight, it's now shorter and lower than before. But yet by some kind of sorcery there's actually more room inside the cabin this time round, with a noticeable increase in rear knee room and enough headroom to keep even taller passengers comfortable.

Storage throughout the rest of the cabin is not bad either with a large glovebox, doorbins wide enough to fit a 1 litre bottle of water and storage pockets on the back of the front seats. The boot is larger than the previous model at 370 litres. It's slightly smaller than the Golf (380l), but quite a bit bigger than the Focus (316l) and although it seems slightly shallow when you open it first (bearing in mind the model tested comes with an optional full size spare wheel) it's more than capable of what it's realistically going to be used for which is the weekly shop, a couple of suitcases on occasion, and then the rear seats fold nice and flat if you ever need it to carry anything more than that.

There are four trim levels to choose from with the base model S starting at €19,995 and offering quite a decent amount of standard kit for that price including air conditioning, automatic lighting control, Bluetooth and hill start assist. For a €1500 premium, the SC model adds cruise control, steering wheel mounted controls, a trip computer and a 7 inch version of the Intellilink touchscreen infotainment system. I'm a big fan of the Intellilink system, I find it very easy to use, it's really easy to set up and pair with your phone. When its connected it's fast and responsive and you don't need to put a whole lot of thought into what you're doing which means it does its job very well.

The SRI model adds sportier exterior styling, automatic wipers, a sports mode button for a more dynamic drive, a leather steering wheel and a larger 8 inch touchscreen complete with SatNav. Also standard onthe SRI are some cutting edge safety features such as lane departure warning, road sign recognition, and emergency braking – and most notably the addition of OnStar, Opel's personal onboard personal assistant. All models achieved a five star score on the NCAP safety test.

You can really feel the 200kg weight loss on the road – the car itself feels light, and the steering is pretty light too but it still feels really composed and solid.  It can be a bit of fun too especially on a windy stretch as it stays nicely planted around twists and turns and again that lightness combined with a spot-on suspension set-up means you glide over any rough surfaces without being shaken around.

The test model had the 1.0 turbo charged petrol, the same as the one seen in the Corsa and the Adam and despite having a bit more car to lug about in this one, feels more than capable while doing so, the 105 PS offering enough power for most driving situations, including confident overtaking. In terms of running costs, the official claimed fuel economy for this model is 64 miles to the gallon but as we all know it can be quite difficult to reach claimed figures with normal everyday driving. I took it from Dublin to Sligo and back, which thanks to diversions because of flooding and a bit of driving around down there worked out at about 500km in total and that used ¾ tank of fuel, which if you do the maths, is not 64 miles to the gallon, and in fact is actually closer to 40.

The rest of the engine line up consists of two turbo charged 1.4l petrols with either 100 or 150 PS, and two 1.6 litre diesels with either 110 or 136 PS. There will also eventually be a high performance OPC model, although full details haven't been announced yet.

Thanks to an options list that you would probably associate with a premium saloon, this generation of Astra might just hold its value better than previous models. It's offering this kind of luxury and technology and making it available in a car that starts at less than €20,000. That being said a Golf will always be the benchmark for residuals in Ireland.

All new Opels come with a three year/100,000km warranty, the first two years have unlimted milage warranty with a cap of 100,000km for the third year, this is slightly better than both the warranty offered on a new Golf or Focus. When you combine that with the improvements across the board in practicality, safety and appearance, as well as a name that people already know and trust – there's no denying that the new Opel Astra will be posing a seriously tough challenge to its rivals.

Facts & Figures

Sinead McCann

Sinéad is our resident car tester who has the unenviable (-ok, slightly enviable) task of reviewing all the latest new cars to hit the market. You can follow her on Twitter @smcani and on Instagram @whatshedrives