Test drive Opel Astra 1.4 Turbo LPG: To Vienna and back
Remarkably profitable car for long journeys
A family sedan with factory propane-butane drive. There is enough space for the whole family and their luggage. Reasonably priced. It may not be quite like your childhood supercar dream. Probably, this idea will not make the heart of a real passionate motorist beat faster. At least not right away.
The truth is that if you are one of those people who travel long distances, you love to travel, and at the same time, you are not part of that tiny percentage of the population that can afford almost everything they want (if it is sold for money), cars like this, you can't help but love. Just like that, the Opel Astra 1.4 Turbo LPG is one of the few models on the market that offers truly affordable mobility at a very affordable price and without any real compromise in terms of comfort or driving experience.
Practical and profitable
Based on the penultimate generation of the Astra, the sedan has become a very attractive proposition for all markets since its introduction to a market where three-volume bodies are preferred by a clientele (like us). The Opel Astra 1.4 Turbo LPG option, in turn, makes an affordable and functional family model even more interesting from an economic point of view. The factory conversion to petrol was developed in collaboration with one of the most famous names in the industry, Landirenzo, and does not reduce the volume of the spacious and practical luggage compartment. With a fully filled gas tank and a gas bottle, the car can travel up to 1200 kilometers - of course, depending on conditions, vehicle load, driving style, etc. Gasoline mileage is more than 700 kilometers, propane-butane - from 350 to 450 kilometers.
In the 2100 kilometers we drove on the road to and from Vienna, I had the opportunity to become more familiar with all aspects of the Opel Astra 1.4 Turbo LPG presentation and I can briefly summarize my impressions as follows: this car provides a truly impressive opportunity to travel long distances without the slightest compromise in terms of comfort or functionality. The balance of the trip in numbers looks like this: the average LPG consumption is 8,3 liters per hundred kilometers, the average gasoline consumption is 7,2 liters per hundred kilometers. With the predominance of traffic on the highway at the permitted speed, the full load of the car and the air conditioner work almost constantly. The drive's temperament is quite decent - not peaky, but sufficient and with adequate power reserves when needed. Financial balance - transport costs, including fuel and travel, are only about 30% higher than the price of a return bus ticket. For one person…
Affordable mobility without compromise
What's really impressive is that it doesn't always feel like it's making some kind of compromise - be it in terms of comfort, dynamics, road behavior or anything else. The car behaves like a completely ordinary Astra, equipped with a 1,4-liter gasoline turbo engine of the brand - with safe and predictable behavior, precise control, good acoustic comfort and very satisfactory dynamics. The much-lauded front seats make a pleasant impression even after several hundred kilometres.
Things get even more interesting when we learn about the price of the Opel Astra 1.4 Turbo LPG. Equipped with climatronic, navigation system, partial leather upholstery, front and rear parking sensors, 17-inch wheels and much more, the car costs approximately 35 leva. Undoubtedly, this is one of the most pragmatic offers for a profitable family car that are currently available on the domestic market.
CONCLUSION
The alternative drive is an additional strong trump card in favor of the practical, functional and elegant Astra sedan. Without sacrificing comfort or practicality, the factory gas system makes long hauls with the Opel Astra 1.4 Turbo LPG truly profitable.
Text: Bozhan Boshnakov
Photo: Melania Iosifova, Miroslav Nikolov
