Opel Astra 2012 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $25,990
Options fitted (not included in above price): Lux Pack $2750; Metallic Paint $695
Crash rating: Five-star (ANCAP)
Fuel: 95 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 6.7
CO2 emissions (g/km): 156
Also consider: Ford Focus (from $20,290 - $38,290); Holden Cruze (from $21,490 - $31,790); Volkswagen Golf (from $21,990 - $52,490)

Opel's TV advertising campaign seems to have struck a chord – with the reviewer's progeny at least. The 10-year old greeted the arrival of the Astra with: "Guten Tag, we are Opel", delivered in a mock German accent. His mother drives a (Holden-badged) TS Astra, so perhaps the return of Opel to the Australian market has left more of an impression on our family than most.

The Astra on test was the entry-level hatch with 1.4-litre turbo engine, but specified with the optional six-speed automatic transmission. Also fitted was the Lux Pack, which bundles up 17-inch alloy wheels, chrome window surrounds, front fog lights, leather-wrapped steering wheel, front and rear parking sensors, electrochromatic mirror, auto headlights and rain-sensing wipers.

As with the smaller Corsa driven earlier, the new Astra is battling it out in highly competitive territory. Opel's small hatch – which is not so small these days – is going head-to-head with two obvious rivals, Volkswagen's Golf and Holden's Cruze. The latter shares its drivetrain components and platform with the Astra, so cross-shopping the two will be pretty easy.

First impressions of the Astra were positive. The car looks smart for what is the base model, albeit with optional wheels, added chrome and premium paint. No one would know you're driving the 'bogger' unless you told them. Inside the car is reasonably appealing also, although overall fit and finish in the cabin was decent rather than spectacular.

Materials were generally of a reasonable quality, but no more so than in the Holden Cruze. The Opel's wiper and indicator stalks felt a bit clunky and cheap to use, something we didn't experience in the locally-manufactured competitor. And there was the frequent buzz of light metal or plastic at speeds of around 60km/h and above when cornering – a symptom of some fitting in the cabin making contact as something else buckled under lateral load.

While the dashboard looked fancy for the price and the Astra came with a fair amount of kit, the seat trim was dull and monochromatic. Like the Corsa, LED graphics in the infotainment system looked dated. The same chunky resolution and red backlit style has been seen already in the Corsa-based Holden Tigra sold here some years ago. And the boss at motoring.com.au was less than pleased with the air conditioning system, pointing out the lack of an auto switch to push for 'near enough' instant cooling on hot days.

The front seats felt flat and not especially inviting, which was really noticeable after stepping out of the Astra and back into our long-term Honda Accord Euro. But we'll say this for Opel, they can certainly set you up with an ideal driving position. There was plenty of adjustment for legroom, base height, wheel rake and reach – providing the driver with a very good relationship to pedals, instruments and controls.

Rear seat knee room was adequate for adults and there was plenty of wriggle room for toes under the front seat, but no more than average-for-a-small-car in terms of room to stretch. As with the smaller Corsa tested the week before, headroom in the rear was good for adults of average height. Still on the subject of packaging, the deep boot was all the deeper for the space-saver spare tyre in the well underneath.

The 1.4-litre turbocharged engine is shared with the Cruze and drives – in the case of the test vehicle – through a six-speed automatic. As a relatively small engine – albeit one that benefits from forced induction – the four-cylinder was up to the task of keeping up with traffic. It exhibited little in the way of turbo lag and has been clearly developed with accessible torque and driveability in mind. In fact, it was more a slogger than a screamer, and once beyond 5000rpm it was ready for another (higher) gear. The four-cylinder would spin out to 6500rpm without any cause for alarm, but if you're changing gear manually you might as well not wring it out for the last 1500 revs before redline.

In respect of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), the powerplant was "gruff" to use the boss's term for it. For a turbocharged engine to transmit as much induction noise to the cabin is unusual, but its raspy sound was enjoyable for those of us who don't like engines to be sanitised of all character. It has to be said, however, that at higher revs the engine was less charming, and that's another reason to change up earlier. At freeway speeds it was the primary source of noise in the cabin, although wind also provided a constant rustle.

Fuel consumed for the week was 9.1L/100km, according to the trip computer. That's a reasonable figure, since the Corsa posted 8.9L/100km in the same sort of driving conditions. The Astra – heavier, equipped with an automatic and delivering more power more often thanks to the turbocharger – has the potential to be fairly frugal if driven sensibly.

Thanks to close intermediate ratios the smooth-shifting automatic transmission combined well with the engine in the mid range to deliver decent acceleration. Pushing the lever across to the left accessed a sequential-shift detente for press-on motoring. The transmission proved itself to be a clever little thing in other ways too, knowing when to shift down of its own volition on steep hills, providing engine braking to complement the braking system. Conversely, it maintained speed uphill by kicking down two or more gears when the cruise control was set. And on that point, Opel equips the Astra with a handy speed limiter, to ensure the car will not exceed the speed set by the driver – which is particularly useful for driving in Victoria.

Out in the country, the Astra rode in a well controlled way – better than the Cruze, in fact. It wasn't as softly sprung as the Corsa either, and seemed better damped. Over lumpy bitumen it remained poised and wouldn't be thrown off-line, but nor did it wallow or float. Road holding was acceptably good by the standards of the class, although torque steer was apparent once the turbo was on boost. The Astra handled well for a front-driver – taking a tight line through a bend and not spearing off as soon as power was applied.

Turn-in was significantly better than the Corsa's, but there wasn't a lot of feedback through the wheel – and the feel present was inconsistent and artificial, the weight through the wheel changing as speeds rose and fell through the corners or bends. At higher speeds the level of steering assistance remained quite high and the heft (such as it was) felt altogether too light. When cruising there was so little feel that the Astra could wander out of its lane if the driver dropped his or her guard for a moment.

The Astra tested came with ultrasonic parking sensors – front and rear – and acoustic guidance, as part of the Lux Pack option. The Opel system would tell you by different tones whether the vehicle was approaching an obstacle at the front or the rear, but the system didn't guide by stereo location, as it does in more sophisticated (read: dearer) cars. But at least you can get front parking sensors for the Opel. Not many of the Astra's rivals in the market segment provide that option.

In fact, if it's not actually cheaper to buy than its individual rivals, the Astra occasionally outguns them for equipment: alloy wheels rather than steel, for instance, or rear map lights and voice recognition.

The Astra in this level of trim is certainly a competitive car in its segment then, we're just not convinced it stands head and shoulders above the rest the way its illustrious forebear from 1998 once did.

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