Do the new Opel Astra live up to it’s name as Car of the Year 2016?

When I first saw the new Opel Astra in the flesh, I was pleasantly surprised with its good looks especially the Power Red test car I was assigned:

Compared with its most direct Wolfsburg competitor, the Astra cuts a smarter and sleeker silhouette without looking too over-the-top.

Despite being an entry level variant, it is equipped with the now ubiquitous DRLs, though the main headlights are halogen lamps. The light sabre styled rear tail lights resembles that of the LCI BMW 1 series which is not a bad thing if you ask me.

It is no wonder it won Car of the Year 2016 as well as other awards like SAFETYBEST 2015 and the 2015 Golden Steering Wheel:

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The C pillar also has a nice “floating” design element in the rear door chrome trim.

Stepping into the interior, the first impression made upon me was how heftly the door felt. This sign of quality continues into the cabin. The dashboard is clean and clutter free with all controls being intuitive and falling nicely in place.

I only took a bit of time finding the right seating position with the manual seat adjustments. Instruments are clear and the steering wheel comes with controls for the audio and cruise control.

I find the charcoal black interior to be of the right shade with the splashes of chrome managing to strike a balance between looking modern and business like at the same time.

Rear accommodation is generous especially with a 1.68m tall driver in front. The rear bench would fit 3 average sized adults at the back with ease. Boot space is deep and well shaped providing generous loading capacity and the rear seats also fold flat to increase cargo capacity if required.

The car is powered by a 1.0 turbocharged engine developing 77kw but more importantly 170Nm from just 1800rpm. This means it has more torque than a corolla altis and feels sprightly off the line if driven properly. Cruising on our local highways is also a breeze with just a little more effort required for overtaking maneuvers. At times you almost forget you are driving just a 1 litre 3 cylinder vehicle.

For a car without sporting dispositions, handling is tidy and the ride quality is good with damping well tuned for a family hatchback. I did not get into any oversteer or understeer situations but it is safe to say that under normal driving conditions, the limits of this car will not be breached easily. Fuel economy is mightily impressive, the fuel gauge did not even move on the first day after making multiple island wide trips. Although not measured in detail, I am pretty sure it comes close to the 4.3l/100km claimed figures.

Now we come to the unusual part, the easytronic gearbox. Easytronic is one of those clutchless manual gearboxes where you have to treat like a manual, meaning lifting off the accelerator slightly to initiate a gear change. However, I found this difficult to modulate at low speeds resulting in jerky full “on” or “off” acceleration. Cruising on the highway however poses no problems at all.

Having spent only 2 days with the car, I am sure things would get smoother as one gets more used to the quirky gearbox. This is the only fly in the ointment marring an otherwise very competent car.

Opel has a come a far way from its less prestigious roots than Volkswagen starting with the Insignia giving the Passat a good run for its money. Likewise the Astra has improved by leaps and bounds over its predecessor. I especially like it’s exterior styling and will go so far as saying it’s the best looking continental hatch on sale right now.

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Luckily we have also have a choice of the Astra in the form of the 1.4 variant with its 6 speed automatic gearbox. If budget permits, the extra dough is a worthy investment for the better driveability it offers. This would get you a package with all the merits of the Astra without its hiccups.

For more information about the new Opel Astra, visit the official website.