How does a car get noticed in a bunch of overachievers like the VW Golf, Renault Megane, Ford Focus and Peugeot 308?
The new Astra has done it by ditching some mass in its midriff and gaining some in its cranium. The 11th generation of Opel’s mid-sized hatch went on a major diet and has shed between 120kg and 200kg compared to the old Astra, depending on derivative.
With modern cars being stuffed with ever-more gadgets and safety features, which add weight, shedding mass is as big a deal in the car world as it is in the human one.
At the same time the car’s become a lot smarter, with some driver-assistance technologies that have until now been the preserve of more expensive luxury cars. All of this helped the Astra hatch win the coveted 2016 European Car of the Year award, shortly before its recent arrival in South Africa.
There’s no word on when a sedan version of the new Astra will go on sale, so for now the old-generation four-door shares showroom space alongside the new five-door.
Smaller... yet bigger
With a noticeably swept-back shape the new Astra hatch is a decidedly more slippery customer than the car it replaces, and the improved aerodynamics make the car slice through the airstream with less noise.
Under that swish new shape is a car that has shrunk slightly in size but has more cabin space. Clever packaging makes for a roomier interior with improved rear legroom and front headroom. Curiously Opel doesn’t quote boot space figures but the luggage bay seems a decent size – partly thanks to there being a biscuit spare tyre under the floor – and the back seats flip down to accommodate more exotic shopping expeditions.
Feels more premium inside
A new, more premium-feeling interior employs minimalist switches and controls. The infotainment is all bundled into a touchscreen interface and it’s fairly simple to use once you get the hang of it, thanks partly to a large 7-inch screen that doesn’t discriminate against big fingers. An even larger 8-inch screen, with navigation included, is optionally available for extra money.
Conveniently, the ventilation still has its own separate switches on the fascia, unlike some cars where you have to muddle through an electronic menu to adjust the aircon temperature.
The radio reception in our test vehicle was for some reason pretty poor, but there are no complaints about the connectivity and you can pipe your favourite music through the speakers via Bluetooth, aux-in or USB ports, and also make hands-free calls using Bluetooth.
Wide array of gadgets
There’s a very decent level of spec in the new Astra and all derivatives except for the baseline 1-litre models come standard with a range of electronic guardians to protect bad drivers from themselves. These include an Opel Eye front camera which gives the car the ability to recognise traffic signs and display them in the car’s instrument display. It also warns when following distance is too close, and has a lane-assist system that gently guides the vehicle back into the lane when it wanders over a painted line.
There are proximity sensors to help you park but these are over-sensitive and start beeping loudly long before you’re really near an object. There’s also a feature that identifies suitable parking spaces and automatically steers the vehicle into the bay.
Additional spec that’s not usual in this market segment includes heated front seats (which automatically switch on during cold mornings) and a heated steering wheel. The front seats are also electrically adjustable.
As part of a safety arsenal that includes ABS brakes, stability control and six airbags, the Astra also brakes automatically when it detects the driver’s not going to stop in time to avoid a collision.
Standard on all Astras is a 5-year/120 000km warranty and 5-year/90 000km service plan.
An IntelliLux LED Matrix System, optional on the 1.6T Sport derivative on test here, consists of 8 LED light sections per headlight which can be individually activated to provide maximum road illumination without dazzling other road users.
Willing little firecracker
For now, until an OPC eventually arrives, a 1.6T Sport selling for R387 000 is the top of the range Astra hatch and it’s a willing little firecracker. With outputs of 147kW and 280Nm (300Nm on overboost), the 1.6-litre turbopetrol just bubbles beneath true hot-hatch status and has the claimed ability to sprint from 0-100km/h in seven seconds and a top speed of 235km/h. For that I would have thought it deserved at least a GSi badge.
Drift Pull Compensation (DPC) automatically corrects any pull or drift tendency to keep the vehicle steering straight ahead, but when you really hammer those starts you can feel a little torque steer
In real-world driving (ie. the 99% of the time when you’re not dicing at the robots) this car feels quick enough for you to question whether you need to spend upwards of 450 grand for the extra power of a car like the Focus ST or Golf GTI. The Astra 1.6T Sport has a very accessible power delivery that starts early in the rev range and delivers a spirited burst of pace when called upon.
Economy-wise our test car averaged 8 litres per 100km which is reasonable, if much higher than Opel’s quoted 6.1 figure.
Refined ride
It cruises silently too, and Opel’s engineers have done a great job on refinement. This extends to the car’s very solid feel, which hasn’t been affected by the diet it underwent. In fact torsional stiffness in the body’s improved 13 percent due to the use of low weight but high-strength steel.
Equally refined is the Astra’s ride quality, and the hatch soaks up bumps very effectively when scampering over rough roads.
The car’s also adept at direction changes, with safe and neutral handling. When pushed hard, smart features like cornering torque control and brake vectoring reduce the tendency to understeer.
VERDICT
It’s not easy to stand out in a market segment full of overachievers but the Astra’s been reborn as a leaner, smarter car that ticks all the right boxes in terms of safety and refinement, while the lively 1.6T Sport adds real driver appeal to the equation.
It’s a class act that puts it straight into 2017 South African Car of the Year contention.
ASTRA VS THE OPPOSITION
Opel Astra hatch 1.6T Sport - 147kW and 300Nm - R387 000
Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.4 TBi Distinctive - 125kW and 250Nm - R377 990
Audi A3 1.8T Sportback SE - 132kW/250Nm - R413 000
BMW 120i - 130kW and 250Nm - R391 324
Ford Focus 1.5T Trend - 132kW and 240Nm - R299 900
Mazda3 hatch 2.0 Astina - 121kW and 210Nm - R357 600
Mini Cooper S Clubman - 141kW and 300Nm - R430 692
Renault Megane 2.0T GT - 162kW and 340Nm - R382 900
Peugeot 308 1.6T GT - 151kW and 285Nm - R399 900