Vauxhall Astra TwinTop Range
Im not sure whether youve seen the film March of the Penguins but theres a scene where a whole bunch of penguins stand on the edge of the pack ice waiting for the first one to jump in. There could be leopard seals or killer whales in there but its inevitable that one of the penguins has to be the first to go. Once one plops in, the rest surge in behind. Im reminded of this scene whenever a press release trumpeting the launch of another coupe convertible lands on my desk.
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The history of these cars is actually a lot longer than many realise, most dating it to the launch of the Mercedes SLK in 1996. Whilst the Mercedes was the first folding tin top of the modern era, cars like the Peugeot 401 and 601 Eclipse had the trick sorted back in the Thirties, although it took the Ford Skyliner of the Fifties to really see volume sales. The popularity of such technically complex roof systems died out by the end of the Seventies, as the oil crisis bit and cars became smaller and more efficient. It wasnt until 1996 that Mercedes revived the genre with the SLK, a car which offered packaging so clever that a bandwagon was instantly formed.
Soon after the SLK was launched came the bigger SL and the Lexus SC430 but it wasnt until as recently as 2000 that the technology was democratised for less moneyed buyers. The Peugeot 206CC has sold more units than any other folding hard top car and it was this model which really generated an explosion in popularity. Now we have cars like the Nissan Micra C+C, the Daihatsu Copen, the Peugeot 307CC, the Renault Megane CC, the Volkswagen Eos and the Vauxhall Tigra all offering affordable price tags and metal roofs that concertina into the boot the moment the sun emerges from behind the old nimbostratus. To this list we can add the Astra TwinTop.
"The Astra TwinTop may not score highly for originality but it does offer one of the best resolved coupe-cabriolet shapes that sensible money can buy"
Its got some great genetics to back it up. The old Astra Convertible may have relied on a relatively low tech fabric roof, but a combination of sleek Bertone styling, a range of surprisingly punchy engines and some very attractive pricing ensured that it was a big seller. It may not have been the sharpest drive but it was blatantly populist and curiously endearing. Whats more, it was a pivotal model for Vauxhall because it exploited a glaring hole in the range of Ford, Vauxhalls key rival.
That hole is still there, Fords Streetka not really patching it up before a convertible Focus model appears. The Astra TwinTop moves the game on by offering a folding roof thats composed of three main sections instead of the usual two piece affair. This means that you dont need to fold two huge pieces of metal into the cars rear end, avoiding the strangely mis-shapen looks of some coupe-cabriolets. At the press of a dash-mounted button, the two overhead sections of the roof stack on top of the glass rear window and hinge backwards into the boot, offering the usual benefits of added security and safety of a hard topped car with the wind in the hair feel of a convertible.
Whats more, the Astra TwinTop isnt merely an Astra hatch thats had an angle grinder taken to it. The body was designed from the ground up as a convertible and Vauxhall reckon the two cars share at most 30 per cent of body parts. With excellent chassis rigidity when the roof is in place, driving dynamics should approach those of the lauded Astra hatch. Designed at GM Design Europe in Germany, the Astra TwinTop goes into battle against the likes of the Peugeot 307 CC and Renault Megane CC although at almost 4500mm in length, its usefully bigger than both of these French rivals.
The styling is also better resolved thanks in no small part to that clever folding roof arrangement. The rear end carries over the petal-shaped lights of the Tigra and luggage space is better than you might expect, even with the roof stowed. Utility is enhanced by 'Easy Load', a feature raising the horizontally stacked parts of a folded roof at the push of a button, making cargo easily accessible. Great when youve got an armful of shopping in other words. Three engines are available at prices starting from £17,195. Entry level customers will get the 105bhp 1.
6-litre Twinport unit but it may well be worth saving a little harder for the usefully quicker 140bhp 1.8-litre model - the only engine thats available with an automatic gearbox. Those who really want to feel a hurricane in their hair should plump for the 197bhp 2.0-litre Turbo model which uses the same engine as the popular Astra 2.
0T SRi. Vauxhall may stand charged with a marked lack of originality when it comes to the Astra TwinTop but if youre going to be a follower, at least be a good one. Thats where the Astra looks set to score. Its good looking, offers a name that UK buyers trust and comes with a range of decent engines.
Overall then. the omens look very good indeed. After all, evolution has shown there to be certain benefits in waiting until the coast is clear.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Vauxhall Astra TwinTop range
PRICES: £17,195 - £21,325 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-16
CO2 EMISSIONS: 165185g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.8] Max Speed 130mph / 0-60mph 10.7s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.8] (average) 36.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/width/heightmm 4488/2055/1415mm [est]
