Pure electric cars with decent range are falling in price and naturally quite brisk, meaning a battery electric vehicle (BEV) is fast becoming a viable option for many who want a family five-door with a bit of fizz.
But for others who want to plug into the electric revolution for commuting, but aren’t ready to give up the explosions and gearchanges of internal combustion, or indeed the no-hassle long-range ability of petrol power, there are plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
Meet the Opel Astra GSe. We tested the Astra SRi a while back, which has a tiny three-cylinder petrol engine that makes for very thrifty motoring at 5.1l/100km - with no electric help at all.
The Astra GSe has a larger petrol engine and a plug-in battery pack, with a lot more overall power than the SRi – and an official fuel consumption figure of just 1.0l/100km, once you factor in that 61km EV range.
It’s a lot faster, too, despite being a lot heavier: the benchmark 0-100km/h sprint takes 7.5sec, which is more than 2sec quicker than the SRi. Still not exactly hot-hatch stuff, but interestingly quick.
GSe stood for Grand Sport einspritzung (injection) on Opels back in the 1980s.
The “GSe” badge stands for Grand Sport electric says Opel, but it’s really a nice tip of the hat to the days when fuel injection was new (that’s the 1980s, kids!): GSe stood for Grand Sport einspritzung on Opels back then.
So this is a family five-door PHEV with a little extra verve, rather than a rip-snorting hot hatch; the powertrain is essentially the same as the Peugeot 308 GT PHEV we reviewed earlier this year.
Although Opel has gone to some trouble to make the Astra GSe look snazzier on the outside, with special front and rear bumpers (subtle, but they are indeed different), some very excellent 18-inch “Commodore two-tone diamond cut” wheels and actually a more aggressive stance generally, because it rides on lower sports suspension with Koni shocks that have bypass valves to balance ride comfort with roadholding.
It’s an efficient commuter as an EV, with pleasing steering and (not always the case with hybrids) communicative brakes.
There’s faster steering, too. You don’t get any of that on the Peugeot.
Inside it’s fully loaded (as is the SRi), but there’s more GSe-specific trim such as “performance black” upholstery and GSe-branded sports versions of the impressive ergonomic AGR front seats found in other Opels. Colour head-up display, too.
The GSe defaults to EV operation if there’s enough charge, but you can also prompt it with the drive-mode switch. We got a pretty reliable 50km from each charge in a blend of urban and motorway running, which is what you get in Auckland generally. But stick to 50km/h streets and you might eek out that 61km after all.
The upgraded steering and fancy suspension are money well spent if you like sporty driving.
It’s an efficient commuter as an EV, with pleasing steering and (not always the case with hybrids) decently communicative brakes. But in Hybrid mode, the transition between electric and petrol is often inelegant: there’s a pause when you want power quickly and the odd thump or shudder under light throttle as the powertrain sorts itself out. It doesn’t like throttle-surprises.
It’s better when you’re pressing on in Sport mode, probably because the whole thing is wound up and ready for action, rather than desperately trying to save fuel at every opportunity. The soundtrack isn’t exactly stellar, but rolling acceleration is impressive and the 8-speed transmission keeps things on the boil.
The upgraded steering and fancy suspension are money well spent if you like sporty driving. There’s real substance to the former and the GSe feels really well sorted in tricky corners, in a Germanically engineered kind of way. But it achieves responsive handling and good body control without any great detriment to ride comfort, thanks to those tricky dampers. They’re German, too.
So the GSe’s pseudo-sporting credentials don’t come at the expense of day-to-day driveability and practicality. We don’t need to deep-dive into the cabin or packaging as we talked about that in our review of the Astra SRi: click here if you want to read that.
But just to recap, we love the combination of digital dashboard and a decent allocation of physical buttons for the cabin controls, we’re impressed by the high-tech equipment – and still a teeny bit puzzled why you only get adaptive cruise information on the big, colour head-up display. Not a deal-breaker, but a bit tricky if you’re wearing polarised sunglasses because the display tends to disappear.
The biggest downside with the GSe is that you lose 70l of bootsapce to the PHEV hardware. So it’s more supermini-sized at 352l, but still a good shape.
The Astra GSe is a likeable car with quite a bit of visual and dynamic character. An expensive one too, although less so right now as Opel NZ continues its “Final Countdown” sale: it’ll add a $7k factory bonus (whatever that is) to the $4025 Clean Car Discount the GSe is eligible for to achieve a real-world price of $60,965. Still $10k more than the SRi ICE, but a lot easier to justify. That’s temporary, though, with the Discount set to go by the end of 2023.
ENGINE: 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four with plug-in 12.4kWh battery and electric motor POWER: 165kW/360Nm GEARBOX: 8-speed automatic, FWD 0-100KM/H: 7.5sec CONSUMPTION: 1.0l/100km (3P-WLTP), EV range 61km PRICE: $71,990 (less $4025 Clean Car Discount)
How much is the Opel Astra GSe?
Full retail is $71,990, but if you get in before the end of the Clean Car Discount (which the Government aims to scrap by the end of 2023) you’ll get $4025 back. And if you buy before the end of the year, Opel NZ will discount another $7000. Real-world price for now: $60,965.
What are the key statistics for the Opel Astra GSe powertrain?
The combination of a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine and electric motor (with plug-in battery) makes a total of 81k1kW/320Nm. It gets to 100km/h in 7.5sec, which is brisk – but still a bit off hot hatch pace.
Is the Opel Astra GSe efficient?
As with any PHEV, depends how you use it. Keep it charged overnight and if your commute is less than 50km return you could run it as an EV during the week and keep the petrol for longer trips. But if run it as a hybrid, you won’t get anywhere near the 1.2-litre petrol Astra’s 5.1l/100km.
Is the Opel Astra GSe good to drive?
It’s a great combination of genuinely well-sorted steering and handling with everyday ride comfort, thanks to some fancy suspension that’s exclusive to the GSe in the Opel range.
Is the Opel Astra GSe practical for a family hatchback?
Just as practical as the standard Astra, which is very good indeed. However, the PHEV hardware does take up a bit of space under the car, which means the boot is 70l smaller than the standard Astra.
What do we like about the Opel Astra GSe?
It looks really cool, with low ride height and some pretty awesome wheels. The PHEV powertrain gives you the choice of how to combine EV commuting with long-distance driving, its handles really well and it’s loaded with comfort and convenience technology.
What don’t we like about the Opel Astra GSe?
That slight reduction in ride height makes it even more challenging to get in and out of if you’re used to SUVs. The EV range is pretty modest compared with some other plug-in hybrids. It’ll be an expensive hatch once all those discounts end in 2024, and the boot is smaller than the standard Astra.
What kind of person would the Opel Astra GSe suit?
Somebody who wants to embrace electric technology but isn’t quite ready to give up combustion engines and/or easy long-range driving. An enthusiast who still needs a family car but doesn’t want an SUV and gets a kick out of interesting tech like the PHEV powertrain and trick suspension.