Opel Astra Electric (2023) test: Volkswagen ID.3 competitor is good without really standing out

rewrite this content and keep HTML tags The Opel Astra Electric will first come onto the market as a hatchback, but the Netherlands is actually eagerly awaiting the station wagon (Sports Tourer). It won’t hit the market until the end of 2023 at the earliest. Both versions are technically the same, so the five-door support program is also interesting. When we look through the range of electric cars on offer, we are always amazed. Exactly the cars that Dutch consumers are eagerly waiting for are not for sale. We are inundated with expensive (Chinese) goods, but we want affordable EVs (under 25,000 euros) or mid-range station wagons. The supply in the latter category is gradually increasing, mainly thanks to the efforts of Stellantis. At the moment, the MG5 Electric is still alone in the C-segment. But the French-Italian-American hodgepodge of brands has our best interests at heart, because in addition to the Opel Astra Sports Tourer, also coming Peugeot with an electric station wagon, the E-308 SW. Action Compare your car insurance Compare your car insurance now and receive a 20% discount on all car insurance through UnitedConsumers! This way you save up to € 175.00 per year. The new generation of the Astra, which has been on the market since 2019, is now at home in all markets and available with a ‘normal’ petrol or diesel engine, as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and now as a fully electric model. Opel’s battle with Volkswagen Opel emphasizes that the Astra Sports Tourer will be the first affordable electric station wagon made in Germany. Which is significant for the once so progressive German brands, which too often follow trends in the electric age. The hatchback version of the Astra Electric already has a competitor from its own country, the Volkswagen ID.3. Looking purely at the specs, they will not panic in Wolfsburg about the electric Astra. It comes with an electric motor that produces 156 hp and 270 Nm, just like the Jeep Avenger, Peugeot e-308 and many other Stellantis models. Fast charging is possible with 100 kW and after a maximum of 418 kilometers of driving, the Astra must be plugged in again to charge the 54 kWh battery pack. Those are not earth-shattering values. Frans comfort On the other hand: when do you really need that fast charger and who pulls the bricks out of the street every day with their electric car? In the busy traffic of the Benelux, a comfortable and silent car is more useful. The Astra Electric is on the same platform as the Peugeot E-308 and thanks to this courtship also shares French comfort. Especially on the highway, when the asphalt is of good quality, it is a nice touring car. Even if you reach the top speed (limited to 170 km/h) on the German highway, a nosy co-driver will hardly notice that you are secretly driving a little faster. It remains quiet, and the wind also has surprisingly little control over the car. At top speed you will overtake all ID.3s, because they can only go 160 km/h. But even if you opt for an economical driving style, the Astra Electric is in theory the better car. Opel promises a consumption of 14.8 kWh/100 km, while the ID.3 does not exceed 15.4 kWh/100 km. Depending on your mood, you can choose the driving programs Eco, Normal and Sport. In Eco you do not have the full power of 156 hp, but you get ‘only’ 110 hp. In Normal you get 26 hp, but only if you choose Sport will all the power be at your disposal. In fact, your sporting ambitions will be even more rewarded with fairly direct and communicative steering. Smaller luggage space in electric Astra Opel talks highly about its flat and light battery pack in the floor, which, according to the Germans, means that you are not sitting on a stand, but are integrated into the car. But the association with riding boots and whips does not disappear completely; the sitting position is too high. The fact that the standard Active Sport driver’s seat received a stamp from the German Aktion Gesunder Rücken (which monitors the well-being of your back) is a bonus. Just as rear passengers can step into the Astra with confidence, because it is quite spacious. There is more than enough room, especially for your legs, and if you are a maximum of 1.85 meters tall, you can also live with the headroom. Logically, you lose some luggage space in the Opel Astra Electric because of the battery pack. Just like in the PHEV, you lose 70 liters compared to the regular Astra and can now store 352 to 1268 liters in the back. If you want more, you have to wait for the Sports Tourer, with a luggage compartment of 553 to 1516 liters. Opel Astra Electric price The price of the Opel Astra Electric is 39,999 euros. That is noticeably much cheaper than the Peugeot e-308, which will cost 45,585 euros. This means that the Opel (if the pot is not yet empty) is eligible for the SEPP subsidy of 2,950 euros. For comparison: a Renault Megane E-Tech is available from 36,370 euros, a new Volkswagen ID.3 costs 42,690 euros. Opel shows its generous side and lavishly provides practical and luxurious features for which you do not have to pay extra. A heat pump, seat and steering wheel heating, adaptive cruise control, a digital dashboard and ergonomic front seats are standard. The station wagon will follow at the end of 2023, the price is not yet known. Conclusion Like the gentleman in the old drink commercial, you can give a lot of OK stamps to the Opel Astra Electric. Seats, comfort, equipment, range, consumption of 14.8 kWh/100 km: it is all very luxurious. If a large luggage compartment is not at the top of your wish list, then you don’t have to wait for the Sports Tourer. New standards in the field of fast charging and driving range are simply not being set.