| Vauxhall
Astra GTE: The Great GTI Chase by Jeff Daniels
from Car and
Driver, October 1983 |
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One of the most popular games played by the European auto manufacturers these days is called Trying to Outdo the VW GTI. Just about every major carmaker has attempted this trick: Renault with the 5 Gordini, Fiat with Ritmo Abarth, MG with the Metro Turno, Ford with the Escort XR3i, and even Volvo with the 360GLT. One notable absentee from the frasy so far has been GM of Europe. The General has had the indgredients for some time in the Opel Kadett and its British clone, the Astra-- along with a smooth but potent 1.8-liter fuel-injected four-cylinder--but it has only recently taken the plunge. The result is the closest thing to a GTI beater that we have seen. What most European planners seem to lose sight of when developing their GTI alternatives is that the VW succeeds not by performance alone but also by refinement. Thus it was with more than usual interest that we cranked up an Astra GTE to find that its cold idle is rock steady, that its shifter greases into first, and that the car drives with a gentleness that would not disturb your maiden aunt on her way to the weekly bridge game. It's only when you press the GTE hard that it shows its ofther face. Stand on the gas and stri up the gears and you can flog it up about 115 mph. GM claims zero-to-sixty times in the 9.5-second area, so a GTI will smoke the Astra in a drag race-- primarily because of the Astra's 250-pound weight penalty. On the other hand, the Astra is a markedly bigger car than the VW-- five incles longer in the wheelbase--and this is reflected in its superior cabin space. However, it's the manner in which the GTE delivers its performance that begs the comparison: smooth, quiet, and willing. And the GTE offers a bonus in the assured way it puts its power down. Accelerate hard out of a side road, and there is non of the wheel-spinning scrabble that is so often the mark of a high -performance front-driver. On the difficult roads, the GET's grip and balance are excellent, taking full advantage of the fat 185/60-14 tires, which are standard. Even the GTE's ride is somewhat remiscent of the GTI's-- soft on smooth roads and progressively tauter as the going gets rougher. For the most part, the GM engineers confined the GTE suspension changers to detail tuning, including gas-filled shocks at the rear, but the revisions clearly get the job done. Your feeling of well-being is heightened by the standard Recaro front buckets, which justify thier reputation and price. The instruments are well laid out, putting across their information tidily, and all the controls work smoothly. And although the Recaros tkae a bite out of the rear legroom, the rear seating is still comfortable for average-sized passengers, even with the front seats all the way back. What all this ammounts to is that the GTE is a challenging car with a few weak points. Oh, it could do with a larger fuel tank than its present eleven-gallon unit, but that's about all. It's compact, quite economical, and reasonably priced00 coming in at a tax-paid $9900 in England. Will the General use it to
battle the American cersion of the GTI on your side of the ditch? No
suck luck, as there are no plans to export the Kadett line. That's too
bad, because a car that plays the GTI game this well is too good to keep
at home. |
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| Manufacturer:
Vauxhall Motors, Ltd., Luton, England Vehicle type:
front-engine, front-wheel drive, Displacement: 110 cu in, 1796cc Power: 115-bhp@5800 rpm Transmission: 5-speed Wheelbase: 99.2 in Length: 157.4 in Curb weight: 2160 lbs
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