It’s been awhile since I drove any proper hot hatch; there were
a couple of lukewarm ones but nothing that really got my heart racing. Not till
the Astra OPC came along. To be honest, I wasn’t really pinning any high
expectations, but what ensued, not only left a huge maniacal grin on my face,
but I have to say, the OPC ranks right up there with my favourite coupe-hatch, the
Scirocco R.
The Astra OPC is
an appealing hot hatch with bold looks, huge pace and an accomplished chassis
Now everyone might be asking why not the Megane RS? True,
it’s the benchmark for nearly every other lightning quick hatchback manufacturer,
but it just lacks something which the Scirocco R brings to the table invisual
presence. And in this aspect, the Astra OPC ticks all the right boxes as a
scorching hot looker.
Compared to the standard issue Astra, the OPC’s bodywork is
pumped up with steroids, with massively flared fenders and panels all round.
Available only with three-doors, the OPC gets a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot
under the hood plus a track-tuned suspension.
But unlike the Megane RS, the OPC has commendable amount of
niceties packed into it, making the ride a lot more comfortable and liveable
compared to the Renault – hence why I would place it alongside the Scirocco R. Both
have decent performance figures minus the hardcore uncomfortable bits.
The cabin has also been spruced up with OPC badging on the
steering wheel and gear stick to differentiate it from the standard Astra. The
interior is primarily draped in black, with red ambient lighting, chrome-effect
highlights and a horde of buttons occupying the centre console.
Dispatching 280
horses and 400Nm of torque, the 2.0-litre turbocharged power plant allows the Astra
OPC to do the century sprint in six seconds, although it felt much quicker in
real time
That aside, everyone’s attention will most likely fall on
the OPC’s 18-way adjustable Nappa leather racing bucket seats, which feature a
composite frame that saves weight and are mounted 17mm lower. The buckets even
allowed you to alter the bolster width, including the backrest and lumbar
support making sure that everyone, regardless of height and girth should be
extremely comfortable.
Jumping into the driver’s seat, you would also realise that
the steering wheel comes off as a pleasant surprise. At 360mm in diameter, the
chunky wheel has a really nice grip and fits really well in each palm.
The panoramic
windscreen that doubles up as a sunroof gives a wide view of the surroundings
as you zoom down the highways
Standard equipment in the OPC is impeccably high as well, you
get dual-zone climate control, satnav, heated front seats, Bluetooth phone
connectivity, cruise control, a speed limiter, a trip computer that features a
G-meter, rear parking camera/sensor, auto-dimming rear view mirror, dusk-sensing
headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, and automatic high beam.
Practicality ranks pretty high in the OPC with the rear
bench being capable of sitting two full size adults without requiring them to
be expert contortionists. The boot alone will swallow in an astounding
380-litre of baggage and 775-litres when the back seats are folded down.
