Focus, Astra and Golf.

Normally when you read car reviews, you assume that the writer has actually driven the cars. Unless it’s in a newspaper then you can safely assume that they’ve just copied and pasted the PR write-up of the car into a column to pad out their automotive section, in some vain hope that their journalistic efforts will amount to more than an automotive magazine. I’ll be writing most of my reviews in this similar vein. Instead of rewriting press releases, I’ll be taking my own bent angle.

In the past 18 months, there have been three new significant cars released onto the local market. The Volkswagen Golf, Holden Astra and the just released Ford Focus. All are significant cars for their respective manufacturers in Europe, but the Astra is the odd one out in our market, it being the only one not produced in, relatively local, South Africa.

All three cars have taken influences from each other’s previous models for styling and engineering. The Focus has grown up. Ford noticed (with envy) the cult following Volkswagen got from the middle class as the desirable, no nonsense and conservative hatch to own. It didn’t depreciate quickly, was relatively inexpensive to own, and didn’t break down like a Peugeot. In Australia though, if you drove a Golf you were a yuppie prat, with bad choice in cars. It was an uninspiring drive; Sport and GTi were only trim spec levels. You could do better with a Peugeot 307, if it didn’t break down all the time.

So Ford focused grouped the Focus to what we have today. Still a fantastic drive, with the independent rear suspension that gifted the car with a planted feeling, but the styling has gone all Volkswageny, conservative. It looks like a car should be. It has a front and a back, with 4 wheels. It should sell well then.

The Astra has always been a little bit different. Opel/Vauxhall (or Whatever) wanted to provide the world with something a little bit different. They achieved their goal. The problem is, in all their exuberance, they designed a fridge. To my recollection I don’t think there has ever been a car that has had a designer sit down at his kitchen table, think of what glorious curves and awe inspiring lines to grace the new Astra, looked at his fridge, and said, with honesty, “hey good looking!” Conservative is the wrong word here. Uninspiring. Tepid. More words beginning with un.

The latest Astra has gone ten steps forward from the previous generation. The styling is more updated and has taken inspiration from the fresh faced Focus. It looks fantastic with playboy wheels but shame about the interior fit and finish; it’s a mix of expensive and cheap plastics. Looks alright though, just whatever you do, don’t touch it. Or do, if your test driving it.

Volkswagen, rather sensibly ignored all the frippery that went on with the other two manufacturers, and went about updating its design. The result is a car that looks exactly like the previous generation Golf has suddenly found itself in the middle of a wild drug and sex charged party. Startling, yes. Unfortunately, the interior doesn’t reflect this, exactly the sort of place a frowning mother in law would approve of.

So there we have it. A startled German, a hatch that a 4 year old would tear to bits in 15 seconds, and an insomnia cure. Which one would I pick? Alfa Romeo 147 GTA. Sure the Alfa would break down, but at least I’d look good doing so. And in this market, that’s one thing that is lacking. Style.

Tristram.