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Most motoring journalists resemble a walking automotive encyclopaedia, flavoured with a tad of opinion. The one thing we can’t comment on is the longevity of new vehicles, which is why I always look forward to testing a car for more than a week – in this case, Opel’s new Astra sedan in 1.6T Cosmo trim.
Some people argue that purchasing an MPV or minivan signals the end of your life’s excitement. Gone are the all-nighters and crazy adventures because chances are good that you’re carting around a little family. I say there’s nothing wrong with that, quite the opposite – it can be just as adventurous.
Despite what you may read in the media, don’t believe a word about performance cars disappearing soon. I always cite BMW’s 1M and Ford’s Focus RS which arrived in South Africa already sold out. The hot hatch segment’s never been bigger and just welcomed another contender: Opel’s Astra OPC.
As great as it is to screech around a race track in AMG’s or chase identical Audis up a mountain pass, I find it wonderfully refreshing to test an ordinary car from time to time. By “ordinary” I mean normal, sensible and something most people (including the author) could afford – like the Chevrolet Cruze.
Die nuwe Opel Meriva is seker een van die motors wat mense twee keer laat kyk as die agterste sydeure oopgemaak word; dit is of ‘n mens verplaas word na die 1940’s toe motordeure vorentoe oopgemaak het. Dit was eers in die na-oorlogse jare vanaf 1949 wat die Amerikaners die nuwe en moderne rigting ingeslaan het om motordeure se skarniere aan die voorste pilare te anker en die deure na agter oopgemaak het.
Last week saw the introduction of the Hyundai i30, a compact hatchback competing in the C-segment against favourites like the VW Golf, Opel Astra and Ford Focus. The Korean is all-new and armed with a few goodies to create some European headaches.
It’s been a long time coming and I was honestly getting concerned that halfway through the year I hadn’t found any pleasant surprises yet. Sure, thundering AMG’s and seven-figure Jags may apply but it wasn’t until last week that I stumbled across a hidden gem: the Opel Astra GTC.
Anyone who enjoys spacious, quiet, comfortable and elegant vehicles may want to page over and skip this week’s review because it’s time for another yobbo special. If you’re into noisy, hard, cramped and nippy hatchbacks, Opel might just have the answer for you with their Corsa OPC.