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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

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Star Essentials: 2016 Opel Astra 1.0T Essentia

Not much missing

Posted: 8 July 2016

The numbers
Base price: R254 000
Engine: 999 cc, 12-valve, three-cylinder, turbopetrol
Power: 77 kW between 4500 and 6000 rpm
Torque: 170 Nm between 1800 and 4300 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 11.2 seconds
Maximum speed: 200 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 6.0 litres / 100 km
Tank: 48 litres
Luggage: 370 – 1210 litres
Warranty: 5 years / 120 000 km; with roadside assistance
Service plan: 5 years / 90 000 km; at annual or 15 000 km intervals

Sometimes the bare essentials are enough but, if you must be spoiled, money can almost always make things nicer.

Opel’s J-series Astra is offered here in 14 models; eight hatchbacks and six saloons. Prices range from R254 000 for the entry-level, one-litre Hatch in Essentia trim (our test car) to the two-litre, OPC Sedan that will raise your accountant’s eyebrows to the tune of R582 600.

Engine choices include a slightly detuned (compared with the version in Corsa and ADAM) 999 cc turbo three, two iterations of the force-fed 1400, a plain and a blown 1.6 and the almost frightening, 1998 cc, wild child mentioned above.

Do your homework and choose wisely. If you want more powerful versions of the 1.4 or 1.6 engines, only hatchback can do it. If an economy-leading one-litre is your thing then, again, buy a Hatch. There is a choice; Essentia or Enjoy. Don’t let “slightly detuned” put you off.

Despite putting out only 77 kilowatts rather than 85, it gets the job done very competently. Opel describes it as a good balance between performance and economy because its maximum torque output is the same, at 170 Nm, as the one in ADAM or Corsa. That means it hauls its loads, maintains speed up hills and accelerates cleanly from 120 km/h in top whenever you need to. The five-speed manual gearbox shifts quickly and smoothly and its ratios are well spaced.

Aside from efficient engines, this new line of Astras has undergone the now-obligatory routine of reshaping – Cd reduced from 0.32 to 0.285 – and a weight loss programme – shedding between 120- and 200 kilograms depending on model. That goes with stronger and more rigid body shells to make the cars quieter and help them handle better.

As for what constitutes bare essentials, it probably depends on whether you remember how to drive. That includes being able to reverse and park, and looking where you’re going, without relying on electronic gadgets to think for you. It also means doing without a couple of toys; like auto-folding mirrors, electrically adjustable seats, powered back windows, or a self-dipping interior rearview.

Having dealt with what you don’t get, let’s look at some of what you do: Halogen headlamps with LED daytime running lights; LED indicators in front; heated, powered wing mirrors; front power windows; remote door locking; speed-sensitive power steering; ESP with ABS, EBD, traction control, brake-fade assist and hill start assist.

There’s also tyre pressure monitoring; six airbags; two sets of ISOFix anchors; Pedal Release; seat belt pre-tensioners in front; smart belt reminders all around; manual air conditioning with particle- and odour filters; illuminated mirrors on both sun visors; height-adjustable seat for driver; 60:40-split rear seatback; cruise control with speed limiter; a four-speaker radio and CD unit with Bluetooth, auxiliary inputs and steering wheel buttons, and 16-inch “Structure” wheels with 205 / 55 R 16 tyres. That’s Opel’s cute way of saying steel-with-plastic-caps, but they’re almost as good looking as real alloys. You don’t get a full fuel computer, but the last-reset trip does show average consumption.

The car shed five centimetres in length and 25 millimetres of height during the makeover, but Opel made up for it by repackaging the interior so people can fit in more comfortably. The relevant numbers are 35 mm greater rear legroom and 22 mm more headspace in front. The proof lies in that our tall backseat passenger had more than sufficient space for head and knees, although his feet were squeezed when the driver’s chair was racked down.

The boot lid opens down to 68 cm above ground level and its sill is 11 centimetres deep, so loading and removal of luggage shouldn’t be difficult. A light, four lashing rings and a pair of bag hooks make life more comfortable. South Africa is one of the lucky countries that gets a spacesaver spare wheel, so while one might lose a bit of luggage volume, folded seat backs won’t cause an awkward step in the extended load floor.

Interior styling is tasteful and uncluttered, meaning that you can find what you need without struggling, but a couple of common items aren’t available – an armrest with cup holders for the back seat, magazine pockets behind the front chairs (but does anyone actually use them?) and a central armrest with storage in the console.

The rear door bins are also a bit small although those in front are bigger and the cubby is quite generous. The driver has a personal drop-down box, in front of the right knee, for small items.

Summing up, the new Astra is sleek, spacious, good looking and efficient. And, if you simply cannot live without maximum connectivity, a six-speaker IntelliLink setup with seven-inch touch screen is yours for only R4000 more. Sometimes, a little extra just makes things nicer…

Test car from GMSA press fleet



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What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.

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