Opel is back in UAE after a hiatus of over 10 years. This is a new European competitor which was also the 3rd most popular brand in Europe last year. Intrigued with the stylish line up of new models, I decided to test the new competitor of Volkswagen Golf 1.4L, the Opel Astra GTC.
Drive
This model was touted as a "1.4L Turbo Ecotec" which in English sounds a bit like "Sporty" or "High Powered". In reality, this car is as sporty as a game of chess. Don't get me wrong. This is one hell of a stylish car. I mean, look at the pictures! This is one of the most stylish hatchbacks in the market. The sleek lines create a very sporty character and makes you want to get in the car. Once you do, however, you come crashing back to reality. There is nothing "sporty" about the actual drive. The specifications tell us it's got 140 horsepower with 6 speed gearbox. It sure doesn't feel like it. It's got decent handling, thanks to HiPerStrut suspension. It's got 20 inch wheels which makes for good eye candy. Once you're done drooling, remind yourself this is not a sporty car. It drives well, takes you from point A to point B. But even a Yaris can do that. What we expected from a GTC was some GTC type drive, which it doesn't have! It has a regular hatchback drive. It does cruise ok on the highway and yes it also has cruise-control. But it's not a "sporty" drive. It's a passenger drive, just so we're clear.
Interior
We drove the full option model which boasts leather perforated steering, leather gear knob, partial leather seats with a sporty design. There are three cupholders, decent space in the dash, some soft touch material too. Again the interior is designed to give a sporty touch to the car. The front headroom is quite limited, which means if you're 5,6 ft or above, you might want to stick your head out and drive. There is no panoramic glass roof so you won't be able to do that either.
The stylish exterior design reveals some issues for the interior. First, the rear visibility is quite less due to a smaller rear glass area at the boot. Second, the rear legroom leaves much room for improvement, as there isn't any rear legroom. This is supposedly a five seater but it can only be a 5 seater if the three folks at the back don't have legs. So practically speaking this is a two seater.
The boot space is deep and fairly wide. At 380 liters (rear seats up) it's slightly bigger than Volkswagen Golf.
Verdict
The Astra GTC is priced at 90,000 AED which is roughly 10-15% cheaper than Volkswagen Golf. It is more stylish too. Consider the GTC if you want an eye catching German engineered hatch that can seat two adults. Just leave your racing boots at home.
Check Out
- Opel Astra GTC vs Volkswagen Golf
- Opel Astra GTC Prices and Specs
