After landing in Antalya, we headed not to the sea, but to the parking lot, where a whole column of cars awaited us under the hot sun. And, interestingly, the Astra Sedan looks quite decent — it has a rather sleek silhouette, and the rear doesn't resemble that hump often attached to sedans. Why is this surprising? Remember cheap sedans in the class below — they are former hatchbacks with an oversized trunk glued on. They can only be considered beautiful if placed next to something truly ugly.
Europeans don't particularly favor sedans, so in Western Europe, the four-door Astra isn't planned for sale. That's why it's produced closer to target markets — at the Polish plant in Gliwice.
The Astra Sedan was created using a simple scheme — it's based on the station wagon, which is 9 centimeters longer than the hatchback. This, besides a pleasant appearance, promises rear passengers almost royal comfort. But more on that later; first, let's get to the driver's seat. Inside, everything is familiar: the cabin is a one-to-one replica of other Astra versions. The only difference is a small trunk release button on the center console. Let's go!
The Opel Astra sedan is noticeably longer than the hatchback and almost caught up with the older Vectra. It fell short by just 2.4 centimeters.
First, I got a version in almost maximum trim: a 140-horsepower 1.8 engine, electric sunroof, bi-xenon, and climate control. This engine paired with a manual gearbox is quite sufficient for the Astra. Of course, I'm far from Manuel Reuter, who sets records at the Nordschleife in tuned Opels, but on the Turkish highway, I easily accelerated to 180 km/h. I could have gone faster, but the organizers warned about the strictness of local police.
Although the Astra Sedan is primarily aimed at Eastern Europe, the car was deliberately not cheapened. Trim and equipment are the same as other Astras.
The Turks, by the way, showed lively interest in the car — they looked at it at intersections, and some even approached asking to look inside. And that's not surprising: the Astra Sedan was first shown at the Istanbul auto show, and Turkey is a country of sedans. There are plenty of Renault Symbol and Megane locally assembled, and the previous-generation Astra is most often found with this body style.
On the highway, the Astra holds up excellently: neither tire noise nor aerodynamic sounds bother you. The suspension, which is softer than the three-door GTC's, gently smooths out bumps for passengers. But if your internal organs are safe, your ears should be protected — after 140 km/h, the engine starts singing its song too loudly. After all, the gearbox has only five gears! A sixth gear is available only with the 1.3-liter turbodiesel, which isn't yet brought to Russia for the sedan.
Later, our convoy turned into the mountains. There, a real treat awaited us — magnificent winding roads, sometimes turning into serpentines. Fears that the extended wheelbase and soft suspension would make the car sluggish quickly dissipated: the sedan wasn't lazy at all and confidently took corners. And it's not just about successful tuning and a fairly lively character (for a family car, of course), but also the 17-inch wheels with Continental Sport Contact 2 tires.
Interestingly, the Astra Sedan is priced exactly in the middle: 15 thousand more expensive than the hatchback and the same amount cheaper than the station wagon.
In the mountains, another nuance emerged: when actively working with the gear lever, my hand constantly hit the armrest, and quick shifts could almost end in injury. It can, of course, be folded back, but then what's the point of it? However, there's an alternative: besides the manual, the sedan offers a four-speed automatic (with the 1.8 engine) or the Easytronic robot (only with the 1.6).
After lunch, I decided to switch to a car with the 1.6 engine producing 115 horsepower. And I was already prepared to be an outsider on the serpentine. But that wasn't the case! With this engine, the Astra goes not much slower than its powerful sister. Thanks to the changed gear ratios in the gearbox, and the sensations are different: the 1.6 sounds more cheerful, though far from the rough roar of the OPC. But on the highway, the difference of 200 cubic centimeters and 25 horsepower is felt much more strongly.
According to sales results of new foreign cars in Russia for the first 9 months of 2007, the Opel Astra took 15th place. And this isn't the limit — now the sedan comes to help.
In any case, the driver behind the wheel of the Astra will be satisfied: the instruments and controls are executed at a high level. Comfortable seats, a pleasant steering wheel, a fairly precise gear lever. And visibility is in order, unlike three-door versions where it was sacrificed for design. But perhaps it's time to remember the rear passengers with their luggage — otherwise, why carry extra doors and a trunk?
In terms of material quality and cabin trim, the Astra Sedan is among the class leaders. But the downsides are the same as the hatchbacks: controlling climate and music requires getting used to. However, the non-latching steering column switches are already almost not annoying. Either I've gotten used to them, or they've really been recalibrated.
And here it turns out that sitting in the back is no worse than in the front. In this regard, the Astra Sedan can easily compete with classmates like the Renault Megane and Honda Civic. The Opel's wheelbase is even larger than these recognized leaders in space! And if you remove the middle passenger, you can fold down the armrest, stretch your legs, and enjoy the road. Which is what I did when a local driver got behind the wheel and took us to the airport.
Sitting in the back is very comfortable, and getting in and out is also without complaints. But the folding rear seatback isn't as useful as it seems: the opening is quite narrow. Another point: the trunk lid lacks an interior handle. In clean and warm Turkey, this wasn't a problem. But what about here?
With the trunk, things aren't so simple. Yes, its volume of 490 liters is quite sufficient for an average family. In the "underground" lies a full-size spare tire, not a space-saver. There's even a hatch for transporting long items. But the claimed 870 liters with the rear seat folded down is hard to use. Why? Because when folding the seatbacks, only a narrow opening remains. So you'll have to forget about transporting a wardrobe, sofa, or an elephant in the fridge.
Although, you'll agree, folding the seats isn't needed that often. Many owners of golf-class sedans don't even know how to do it. So the Sedan will be an excellent addition to the four existing Astra versions. Moreover, it's quite possible that this "fifth element" will become the most popular in the family and steal the laurels from the hatchbacks. After all, it holds the strongest trump card — people's love.
Specifications
| Characteristics | Opel Astra Sedan | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Body | |||
| Number of doors/seats | 4/5 | ||
| Length, mm | 4587 | ||
| Width, mm | 1753 | ||
| Height, mm | 1488 | ||
| Wheelbase, mm | 2703 | ||
| Curb weight, kg | 1314 | ||
| Gross weight, kg | 1740 | ||
| Trunk volume, l | 490/870 | ||
| Engine | 1.6 | 1.8 | |
| Type | Petrol, with distributed injection | Petrol, with distributed injection | |
| Location | Front, transverse | ||
| Number and arrangement of cylinders | 4, in-line | ||
| Number of valves | 16 | ||
| Displacement, cm3 | 1598 | 1796 | |
| Max. power, hp/rpm | 115/6000 | 140/6300 | |
| Max. torque, Nm/rpm | 155/4000 | 175/3800 | |
| Transmission | |||
| Gearbox | Manual, five-speed (robotic Easytronic) | Manual, five-speed (automatic four-speed) | |
| Drive | Front | ||
| Performance | |||
| Maximum speed, km/h | 191 (192) | 207 (188) | |
| Acceleration time 0-100 km/h, s | 11.7 (12.7) | 10.2 (11.4) | |
| Fuel consumption, l/100 km | |||
| Urban cycle | 8.8–9.0 (8.6–8.6) | 10.0–10.2 (10.5–10.7) | |
| Extra-urban cycle | 5.3–5.5 (5.1–5.3) | 5.9–6.1 (6.2–6.4) | |
| Combined cycle | 6.6–6.8 (6.4–6.6) | 7.4–7.6 (7.8–8.0) | |
| Emission standard | Euro-4 | ||
| Fuel tank capacity, l | 52 | ||
| Fuel | AI-95 | ||
- Power steering
- ABS
- Audio preparation (antenna, 2 speakers)
- 15-inch steel wheels
- Immobilizer
- Three-line information display
- Full-size spare wheel
- Air conditioning
- Steering column with height and reach adjustment
- Front and side airbags (4 pcs.)
- Driver's seat height adjustment
- Central locking with remote control
- Front electric windows
- Rear seat folding in 60/40 ratio
- CD/MP3 audio system with steering wheel controls
- 16-inch steel wheels
- Graphic information display
- Electrically adjustable and heated mirrors
- Climate control
- Alarm
- Heated front seats
- Mirror housings, side moldings and door handles in body color
- Sun visors with illuminated mirrors
- Driver's seat with adjustable lumbar support
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Fog lights
- 16-inch alloy wheels
- Glasses holder
| Engine | Gearbox | Essentia | Enjoy | Cosmo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 115 hp | Manual-5 | 497,000 ($20,134) | 528,000 ($21,390) | 552,000 ($22,362) |
| Robotic-5 Easytronic | - | 548,000 ($22,200) | 572,000 ($23,172) | |
| 1.8 140 hp | Manual-5 | - | 558,000 ($22,605) | 582,000 ($23,577) |
| Automatic-4 | - | 598,000 ($24,226) | 622,000 ($25,198) |
The first generation Opel Astra appeared in 1991, replacing the popular Kadett. But when the model was replaced by a new generation in 1998, its history did not end. The sedan continued to be produced under the name Astra Classic, sold in Eastern Europe and Turkey until 2002.
Opel Astra G debuted in 1998. The sedan, of course, remained in the lineup. After the generation change, the outdated four-door continued to be assembled in Poland, and production lasted until 2006, when it was finally replaced by the new Astra Sedan. By the way, Astra G moved to a factory in Serbia, where it will live at least until 2012.
Think this is an Opel Astra Sedan? But no! This car has been produced in Brazil for two years under the name Chevrolet Vectra. It's unclear why it took so long to bring it to Eastern Europe…
Opel Astra hatchbacks are quite popular on the Russian market. Now the sedan should consolidate their success.
If you want some fresh air, you can get the Opel Astra TwinTop convertible.
There is also a sixth Astra variant that Russians don't know — this van is sold in Europe, where such vehicles are traditionally in demand.
