Endurance test start for Astra Electric: What can Opel’s blue lightning do?

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Electromobility makes the automobile world monotonous. At least that’s what’s expected. As the principle of modularity has become established among many manufacturers, similarly positioned models from different brands are becoming more and more similar. This is especially noticeable in the Stellantis Group.

It also keeps Opel under its wing with its 14 brands, and the German brand is among its French and Italian siblings. All these Stellantis electric vehicles, including the Fiat 600e, Jeep Avenger, Peugeot E-308, Citroën ë-C4 and possibly the upcoming Alfa Romeo Milano: Opel’s Astra Electric, have the same driving platform. A 156 hp (115 kW) electric motor operates on the front axle, and there is a battery with a net capacity of 50.8 kilowatt hours under the body. Difference? Body Hat.

Where is Opel by the way?

Does it really get boring and interchangeable behind the wheel? Are models losing their image and character? We want to clarify this with a long-term test of the Opel Astra Electric in the next six months. What does the brand with the lightning bolt represent among all its sister brands? Or does the common technical base ensure that there is sufficient development budget for independence in design, interior or networking?

The Astra Electric test car entered our garage in its dark blue launch colour. A blue flash, electric sparks of the same color. The five-door is one of the few classic compact cars with an electric drive, and you won’t even see it without the “E” for Electric on the trunk lid. Typical Opel: Black front mask, behind which the adaptive cruise control radar and emergency brake assist are hidden.

Clarity in operation

Adults also sit comfortably in the back, with between 352 and 1268 liters of luggage in the boot; This is less than the class bestseller VW Golf, which is not currently available with electric drive. At first glance, we like the rather simple black cockpit with two screens for the instruments and infotainment system; The process here is clear. Especially since the air conditioning and radio audio are still operated by buttons and controls. Disadvantage of black areas: Quickly covered with fingerprints. The travel direction selection switch also reacts with a delay, as in many Stellantis models.

The meter currently shows approximately 3,000 kilometers; No long-distance travel has been done so far, except for a trip to the Geneva Motor Show. The Astra can only handle a maximum of 100 kilowatts (kW) of charging power with a DC fast charger. Is it enough for a holiday trip? We will try. So far, the Astra has particularly scored points for driving behaviour; We sit inside the car rather than feeling like we’re in the car, as in some electric SUVs.

Full power is only available in sport mode; In Eco or Normal modes, horsepower is limited to 100 or 136, which is enough for a quick swim around town. The sporty spirit seems important for Opel: the Astra can reach a top speed of 170 km/h on the German highway; That’s ten kilometers per hour more than the vast majority of VW and Co.’s Stromer rivals. it’s pretty tightly tuned – the first contrast with its corporate siblings: Peugeot’s 308 looks balanced, Citroën’s C4 is too soft.

smart extras

In terms of consumption, the Astra is currently on the right track: due to heavy use of motorways we are currently slightly above the brochure value at 16.7 kWh/100 km. It predicts a range of up to 424 kilometers on a full charge on hot days, and a range of up to 380 kilometers on cold days. But since no Astra owner will do this, we will never drive empty until it is finished.

Our version starts at 44,500 francs with the very complete “Swiss Plus” equipment. Still, we’re happy with the 6,210-franc extras such as the winter trick of a heated windshield, a head-up display and an orthopedically valuable driver’s seat. We will appreciate this even more when we go on a long journey.

Source: Blick