The
Astra GTC has a button on the end of the indicator-stalk that seems to serve no
function.
I
assume it has a purpose in one of the higher spec variants of the car, but in
the example I have been driving, it seems to be redundant. Whenever you see a plain plastic panel where
there obviously should be a button or control of some kind, you are reminded
that you are driving something at the lower end of the model's range. Which makes it all the more amazing that I
should find this lower spec GTC such a fantastic car. Things can only get better as you move up
through the options and, with the top-of-the-range VXR model going into
production, the Astra GTC range now reaches from “Good” to “Spectacular.”
Now
that my time with the Astra GTC has come to an end, I can only look back with
fondness and admiration. Returning to
Peter Vardy Vauxhall, in Perth, I took it on one last fling among the back
roads of Central Scotland, cutting up through Torrance, and Kirkintilloch,
taking the Kilsyth road to Haggs, before cruising up the M9 to Perth. Handing
over the keys and walking away was a difficult moment. If I was in a position
to buy it there and then, I would not have hesitated.
Vauxhall
have done remarkable things with the GTC.
In fact, they have done pretty well with the Astra in general. I was happy to hear, last week, that the
Ellesmere Port plant has been given a huge boost by GM to keep production of
the Astra going well into the future.
But
the Astra isn't the only important model in Vauxhall's future. Earlier this week, I paid a visit to the
Peter Vardy Dealership in Edinburgh, where I was introduced to the amazing
new Ampera. I had seen this car, briefly,
when I was down at the factory, but the good people at Peter Vardy were kind
enough to let me take their demonstrator for a test drive.
Before
I even mention the game-changing technology involved in this model, I have to
say it's a very well finished, nicely designed car. It feels substantial and
safe, and the EuroNCAP tests confirm that it is one of the safest cars on the
road. The leather seats are the most comfortable I have ever sat in, and I've
sat in many a comfy chair! The steering wheel is very similar to the one in my
Astra GTC but, shaped in soft leather, it's far more comfortable. If this
ergonomic steering wheel is available as an option in the GTC, I would definitely
recommend it.
I was
surprised that the Ampera was only a four-seater. The centre console reaches
right through the cabin, similar to an option found in a Bentley or
Rolls-Royce, providing two rear passengers with
cup-holders, extra storage, and a power socket at a convenient height.
The
reason for this centre console is that the Ampera is driven by an Electric
Motor which is powered by a huge battery pack, positioned through the middle of
the car for the perfect centre of gravity. There are fleeting moments when you
can sense the additional weight of the batteries but I found the car to be very
well balanced, and when tackling some of my favourite roads it handled the
twisty stuff fantastically. It's little wonder it has been named
Car Of The Year 2012.
You
may have heard people talk about “Range-Anxiety” when it comes to Electric
Cars. This is something I experienced when I tried a small, “city” electric
car, recently. I spent the entire time worrying about the state of charge,
unable to enjoy the drive. The Vauxhall, on the other hand, has the ideal
solution for this. They've engineered a small “back-up” generator into the
system, fuelled by standard unleaded petrol, which can keep the electric motor
powered for hundreds of additional miles if you let the battery charge go down.
In
most cases, you can drive back and forth to work and go all the places you
normally go in a car, running only on the electricity you put in at home. In
theory, one tank of petrol could last for months or even years, as opposed to
the couple of weeks any other petrol car lasts between £60 fill-ups. Even when
I ran down the charge and used up all the fuel, as I did on my 100+ mile test
drive, the Sat Nav
automatically offered me the choice of the nearest filling stations. I
thoroughly enjoyed the drive, with absolutely no concern about the possible
range.
Driving
the Ampera feels much like driving any other premium automatic car, but a
little mind-set tweaking is required. It's only once you've driven an electric
car, that you realise how much information you normally get from the sound of
an engine. In the Ampera, the only noise is the wind and road noise, which
above a certain speed is much the same as you'd experience in any other car.
But at low speeds the car is exceptionally quiet.
"Almost too quiet."
The
people at Vauxhall have recognised the concern that pedestrians may step onto
the road, not realising the stealthy saloon is approaching. While most cars
already have a device fitted to alert other road users of their presence (the
Horn) Vauxhall have come up with a secondary alert which is far less
aggressive, or alarming. The Ampera can give a discrete, but noticeable “Chirrup” sound to catch the attention of anyone who is clearly about to step
out into your path.
How
do you make this sound?
There's
a button on the end of the indicator-stalk for that.
