Every month, WANT editor Sebastiën Hoek tests a different electric car. This month it is the turn of the 2024 Opel Astra Sports Tourer GSe Electric.
The name kind of gives it away the Opel Astra Sport Tourer GSe Electric is an ideal car for touring. And that is exactly what I did with it. Together with my girlfriend we visited several provinces and the trips there were just as enjoyable as the outings themselves. With a driving range of 413 kilometers, you can go a long way in the Netherlands.
Of course, nothing drives as familiar as your own car, but the electric variant of the Opel Astra Sports Tourer gets used pretty quickly. It is not a racing monster, but rather a decent family car with a little more oomph. That it has many gadgets to enhance the driving experience is also nice.
The Opel Astra Sports Tourer is sporty and businesslike at the same time
Before picking up the Sports Tourer I understood that it would be bright red. Beforehand, I was a little afraid that this would stand out on the road and that you would feel as if you were driving the car of clown Bassie. But nothing was – fortunately – less true. Opel shows that beautiful red does not have to be ugly. I think the Peperoncino Red, as Opel calls the color, even looks chic. It has something sporty, but also something business-like.
Inside, the interior has a quiet and modern look. The sport seats with alcantara upholstery offer you support in several areas of your back and there is plenty of room in the front. I myself am 1.96 meters so a good seat and enough legroom is really a must for me. Fortunately, I didn’t have to sit in the back because you have almost no legroom there. My seat is always further back because of my height, but in other cars you can always seat fellow passengers. In the Opel Astra Sports Tourer this is almost impossible and you don’t expect that from such a spacious car.
A projection on the road
The Opel Astra Sports Tourer GSe has a total power output of 115 KiloWatts or 156 HP. When fully charged it has a range of 413 kilometers. This is not as much as, for example, the Lucid Air Grand Touring, but for average use you will get quite far in the Netherlands. Depending on the type of charger, it can charge from 20 to 80 percent in 30 minutes.
This Astra features a 10-inch screen called the PurePanel and works easily with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. You don’t have to worry about running out of battery for your smartphone either, as you can charge as many as three devices simultaneously. Both wirelessly and via cable. Still handy when the kids’ iPad runs out of battery during that vacation to the south of France.
What I also find a handy feature is the Intelli-HUD head up display. Unlike a physical screen, this is a projection on the window. Handy, as it shows how fast I’m driving and how fast I’m allowed to drive somewhere. You can also see your navigation and alerts on it. The advantage of the projection is that the information you get does not distract you from traffic.
With an additional annual subscription, it should also be possible to get an in-car derivative of ChatGPT. The Opel Astra Sports Tourer uses Sounhound’s Chat AI platform, which in turn works with ChatGPT. This voice assistant will be rolled out in several types of Opel in the near future. Should you want it, be sure to check in advance if it is available on the car model.
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Tested: The Opel Astra Sports Tourer Electric. A comfortable family car for touring. #opel #astra #opelastra #sportstourer #electric #car #test #ev #review #carsoftiktok
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How does the Opel Astra Sports Tourer drive?
Of course, the most important thing about a car is how it drives. It is a very solid electric car that is solid on the road. It steers quite smoothly and when you drive over bumps, you don’t get thrown in all directions. All the technical gadgets also really add value in my opinion, without being too much of a distraction. Above all, the Opel Astra Sports Tourer feels like a safe car.
My partner and I intentionally took city trips in several provinces this month. And although you can get pretty far with a range of 413 kilometers. You can’t escape charging in between trips to Limburg or Friesland. When you first drive an electric car, this takes some getting used to, but it also gets used pretty quickly. The interim stops on the way to our trips were also a bit reminiscent of the car vacations with your parents from the past.
The Opel Astra Sports Tourer has several driving modes, which you turn on with a physical switch. Personally, I mainly drove in Eco mode, because that’s how the battery lasted the longest. Although it is also fun to turn on the Sport mode, because it changes the whole driving experience. It’s not like being in a race car, but it does give the Sports Tourer a lot more punch and that’s nice when you want to ‘gas up’. Ideal for bringing out your inner Max Verstappen.
The Opel Astra Sport Tourer is available in different types of configurations and can be purchased starting at 43,250 euros. The version I tested was fully equipped, including a comprehensive technology and infotainment package. Should you want the same equipment as my test car, it will cost you 46,847 euros.
Final Verdict
If you do a lot of highway driving then I can definitely recommend the Opel Astra Sports Tourer GSE. It is robust and solid car that feels especially safe in traffic. By this I am not saying that it cannot function as a city car, but since it is the size of an estate this may not always be practical.
The technical “gadgets” like the Intelli-HUD head up display, the PurePanel, the ChatGPT voice assistant and the ability to charge multiple devices make the Sports Tourer a car of its time. Granted, this is also on cars from other brands, but how Opel puts it all together is very nice and user-friendly for when you are on the road.
Overall, I really like the Opel Astra Sports Tourer GSE Electric, but there was one thing that disappointed me a bit for such a large car. That was the legroom in the back. In every car I’ve driven, regardless of my height, there was always room for passengers in the back, but that seems almost impossible in this car. The front seats take up a lot of space, and when they’re reclined, at most a child can lose his still legs. In contrast, in the front you sit like a god in France.
For between 40,000 and 50,000 euros you get value for money in my opinion. The look of the car is good, you are provided with all conveniences and as driver and co-driver you are quite comfortable during the longer trips. If Opel fixes the rear legroom in the next version of the Sports Tourer, I won’t rule out this becoming my future family car.
Sports Tourer GSE Electric
Opel
8
Score
Plus points
Intelli-HUD head up display Multiple charging points for your devices. The look of the car
Minuses
Legroom in the back
The Opel Astra Sports Tourer Electric GSe. Is as the name suggests a great car for touring. Hi is fully equipped, sits firmly on the road and has plenty of cargo space. What disappointed me a little bit was the legroom in the back. I am quite tall and therefore my seat is always far back. Unfortunately, this leaves almost no room for a passenger on the back seat.