Test drive Ford Focus, Opel Astra, Renault Megane, VW Golf: an elegant candidate

The new generation Astra certainly looks elegant and dynamic, but that doesn't exhaust the model's ambitions - the goal, as always, is first place in the contested compact class.

To accomplish this task, Rüsselsheim's model as an established player will have to contend with serious competition. The Ford Focus, a fresh addition to the Renault Megane and the inevitable Golf that continues to serve as a benchmark in this vehicle category. The first race in versions with gasoline engines from 122 to 145 hp.

Great expectations

In hindsight, the names of many of the "key models", "original innovations" and "new hopes" that Opel has introduced in the past few years can be a bit confusing. Zafira, Meriva, Astra H, Insignia... Now it's Astra's turn again, this time with a different letter index J - that is, the ninth generation of the compact model, which in the good old days in the markets of continental Europe was called Kadett. Naturally, from the very beginning, the novelty was declared “fatal” by its creators and loaded to the brim with expectations and bright hopes.

The load also shows in his own weight of 1462 kilograms, which is 10% more than that of the lightest participant in the test. Of course, the objective merit in this is the increased dimensions of the new model - Astra J is 17 centimeters longer, 6,1 centimeters wider and 5 centimeters higher than its predecessor, and the wheelbase has increased by 7,1 centimeters. , XNUMX centimeter. All this inspires serious hopes for an extremely spacious interior, which, unfortunately, remain futile.

Where are these 17 centimeters?

At first glance, it is not at all clear where all this abundance of centimeters has disappeared, but upon closer examination, the long front is impressive, which is why the interior of the car is sharply shifted back. The sloping roofline and bulky instrument panel also push the front row of seats back, limiting the feeling of space for the driver and front passenger. In addition, however, Astra takes care of the comfort of the front seats, placing them on (standard for the Sport version) low-lying seats with excellent lateral stability and back support. The only reason for their criticism is too rough adjustment of the inclination of the backrests.

The back row provides significantly more points of reference for negative ratings. The space is so limited that it raises serious doubts about the car's belonging to the compact class. From a complete and modern copy of this category, one should expect decent living and at least decent travel comfort in terms of comfort. With the Astra, this can be a problem, knees pushing into the back and restless legs looking for a place under the front seat mechanism. The feeling of a small class car is enhanced by a narrow glass area and massive rear pillars, and in general, passengers taller than 1,70 meters are not recommended to sit in the back. Moreover, the head restraints cannot be adjusted beyond this height...

The trunk also does not give rise to enthusiastic cries. Its standard volume corresponds to that of the class, and a flat surface can only be formed with the help of a double floor, leveling the high internal threshold due to the height of the luggage compartment. In terms of flexibility, the Astra offer is identical to that of the Golf and is limited to asymmetrically divided and folding rear seat backrests. In the Focus and Megane, the seats can also be folded down – a practical addition that is, however, not technically possible today.

140 "horses, and what ...

Since the increase in the size of the Astra did not lead to a qualitative leap, can we expect it from the reduction in the size of the engine? Like its competitors from VW and Renault, Opel engineers opted for a combination of a small 1,4-liter four-cylinder engine and a turbocharged supercharging system. A pressure of 1,1 bar brings the power of the slightly protected engine to 140 hp, but for unknown reasons it fails to transform its superiority over the Golf and Megane engines into better dynamics and temperament in reactions. ...

Minimal lag in sprint disciplines is almost imperceptible, but the same cannot be said for elasticity - a too long sixth gear of a precise transmission costs too much power on the Astra, and on the track you may have to go down to fourth. This, in turn, makes an undesirable contribution to an already well-defined appetite for a new engine, which in this respect remains well below expectations and, most importantly, well below the capabilities of the Astra chassis.

Classic scheme

Unlike the Focus and Golf, the rear axle of the compact Opel eschews the use of a fully independent circuit and seeks to improve the torsion bar by adding a Watt block that improves the axle's side load behavior. The setting impresses with a high level of comfort and emphasized dynamics, and both aspects of behavior can be further emphasized in the appropriate mode of the adaptive Flex-Ride system (for an additional fee). In addition to damper characteristics, the choice of Sport or Tour actively influences the response of the accelerator pedal, as well as the support that the power steering provides for precise and direct steering. Regardless of the selected mode, the Astra suspension guarantees high stability on the road and safe behavior. The only criticism can be directed at the generally mild and carefully responsive ESP system, which on wet roads intervenes too late and too nervously in the fight against a strong tendency to understeer - a result of minus one point in the corresponding section.

Age difference

However, despite all the shortcomings, Astra definitely managed to take away the title of the most actively presented European compact model on the road from the Focus. At the same time, the Ford model definitely does not want to surrender without a fight to its competitor five years younger, not only in the battle in this discipline. Active road handling with straight, slightly firm steering is combined with acceptable driving comfort, satisfactory interior materials and workmanship, which are clearly not among the Focus's main strengths. On the other hand, the Cologne stands out for its height in terms of luggage space and drive quality.

In this comparison, Ford is the only one that relies on a naturally aspirated engine. And for good reason - their XNUMX-litre engine responds significantly faster than competing turbocharged engines and loves life at high speeds, which clearly pleases the precise-shifting five-speed gearbox with its short gears. In the end, this seemingly simple combination looks much more convincing than the Astra's not-so-balanced transmission behavior. True, the noise level is slightly higher, but elasticity is better, fuel consumption is also better. In the end, however, Opel manages to slightly overtake Ford in the rankings. This is supported by more comfortable seats and an additionally excellent adaptive bi-xenon headlight system with cornering, highway and road driving functions, for which the Astra receives the maximum number of points.

Armed to the teeth

Megane peaks in the equipment section. The superbly appointed Luxe version shines with standard luxuries such as leather upholstery and a navigation system that competitors can only blush modestly against. Cabin space goes far beyond the notion of opulence - and in the Megane it's only really wide in the front two seats, while rear passengers have to put up with the same similarities as in the Astra. Despite the stiff suspension and the too short horizontal part of the seats, however, Megane can be called quite suitable for long trips, and the merit in this primarily belongs to the well-coordinated work of the transmission.

Renault's 1,4-liter turbocharged engine produces 130 hp. and 190 Nm, it works quietly, calmly and shows excellent elasticity. The six-speed gearbox is definitely not the epitome of shift precision, but its gear placement can be an example of competition. Here, however, the philosophy of downsizing appears as still immature and ambiguous in its qualities - with a limited driving style, savings are possible, but in ordinary everyday life, the ambitiously claimed benefits of reducing the load are gradually disappearing.

The Frenchman's behavior with a torsion bar at the rear does not benefit from the indirect, pronounced synthetic feel in the steering wheel, but the neutral adjustment of his suspension is a sure guarantee of safe behavior even in critical situations. In practice, Astra was able to overtake it in the final standings only due to slightly worse safety equipment, the lack of a modern adaptive lighting system and longer braking distances on asphalt with a different grip (µ-split).

Class reference

That leaves golf. And he remains in charge. Not only due to the fact that the sixth edition does not allow errors and weaknesses, but also because of the optimal use of all the available potential that the model has. As you know, many find the design of the "six" too meager and boring, but the indisputable fact is that ribbed rectangular volumes are a must for the most spacious cabin in this comparison, although the outer length of the Wolfsburg is the smallest. The Golf offers ample room and comfortable seating for passengers in both rows, and along with the familiar bestselling advantages of impeccable workmanship and high functionality combined with ease and responsiveness, the sixth generation impresses with superior driving comfort. and a lot of road dynamics. As with the Astra, these two aspects of the Golf's behavior can be optimized for an additional cost using the electronic adaptive damper control.

The compact Volkswagen is neutral in corners, the steering is precise and decisive, and the ESP system is activated relatively early and with light intervention helps to suppress the tendency to understeer in the border mode. The fact that the Golf loses out to the Astra in behavior dynamics is successfully compensated by the surprisingly small turning circle. Not to mention, the driver's seat's better visibility makes it much more comfortable to use in urban environments than the undoubtedly more limited Astra.

Size does not matter

For this particular engine, VW engineers put in significantly more technological effort than any other engine tested, demonstrating the right way to take full advantage of the downsizing strategy. The 1,4-liter Wolfsburg engine has not only a turbocharger, but also a direct fuel injection system. There's no denying that the turbocharged engine is not without its typical breed of greed in a dynamic driving style, but overall VW's high-tech development delivers significantly better fuel economy than its competitors.

The 18 horsepower shortfall over the Astra is not a factor in the Golf's lighter weight, and the TSI's better responsiveness and smoother performance is undeniable. The engine runs smoothly even in the highest of the six gears with an easily and accurately shifted gearbox and easily covers the 1500 to 6000 rpm range.

Apart from the advantages in terms of lighting and furniture, Astra has nothing to seriously endanger its brightest competitor - in fact, the distance between the eternal opponents of new generations has not decreased, but increased in favor of the VW representative. Golf VI remains top-notch, while Astra J will have to accept the role of an ambitious player who has set himself too high and difficult to achieve goals.

text: Sebastian Renz

a photo: Hans-Dieter Zeufert

Evaluation

1. VW Golf 1.4 TSI Comfortline - 501 points

The Golf remains number one for its excellent handling, spacious coupe, first-class performance, superior comfort and fuel efficient TSI engine. The disadvantage is the high price.

2. Ople Astra 1.4 Turbo Sport - 465 points

Despite the excellent suspension, the Astra manages to defend only the second place. The reasons for this lie in the bulky engine and the limited size of the cabin.

3. Ford Focus 2.0 16V Titanium - 458 points

Despite being five years old, the Focus is practically on par with the new Astra, showing a spacious interior and reasonable fuel consumption. The main disadvantages are performance and comfort.

4. Renault Megane TCe 130 - 456 points

Megan is a bit behind the competition. Its strengths are excellent equipment and a flexible engine, and its main disadvantages are fuel consumption and space in the cabin.

technical details

1. VW Golf 1.4 TSI Comfortline - 501 points	2. Ople Astra 1.4 Turbo Sport - 465 points	3. Ford Focus 2.0 16V Titanium - 458 points	4. Renault Megane TCe 130 - 456 points
Working volume	-	-	-	-
Power	122 k. From. at 5000 rpm	140 k. From. at 4900 rpm	145 k.s. at 6000 rpm	130 k. From. at 5500 rpm
Maximum torque	-	-	-	-
Acceleration 0-100 km / h	9,8 with	10,2 with	9,6 with	9,8 with
Braking distances at a speed of 100 km / h	39 m	38 m	38 m	39 m
full speed	200 km / h	202 km / h	206 km / h	200 km / h
Average consumption fuel in the test	8,5 l	9,3 l	8,9 l	9,5 l
Base Price	35 466 levov	36 525 levov	35 750 levov	35 300 levov

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