Techzle celebrates its 30th anniversary and that is why we look back every week on this week’s edition in 1990. From today, Techzle 35 will be in the shops with a double test between the Peugeot -2008 and Hyundai Kona Electric and for the first time we will send with the plug- in hybrid BMW X1, but what exactly was 30 years ago in Techzle 35?
News
At the end of August 1990 there was big and small news. For example, the Peugeot 205 got some optical changes. The orange lenses in front of the indicators were replaced by white ones and the two reversing lights were replaced by one. We were also introduced to Saturn, which was a relatively new American brand at the time. As part of parent company General Motors, it would give the Japanese a taste of their own medicine. The brand was finally there until 2010, when GM pulled the plug on Saturn. Speaking of Japan, the Mazda MX-3 was first spotted in the wild in the summer of 1990 during several test kilometers in the desert. A red prototype to be precise. That set the tone, as most MX-3s would eventually also appear on the road in red. In addition, the Toyota Sera was also ready for production. As with the prototype, the unique folding doors on the coupé based on the Starlet remained cool!
Tests
According to an advertisement, see below, Opel opened a new era with the Calibra. That ‘new era’ was proven in the 1990 double test against the Volvo 480 Turbo. At Opel we picked up the 2.0i: the entry-level version. In terms of sportiness, he made the Volvo, which turned out to be a bit more comfortable. Thirty years later, they are still fine apparitions operating in a market segment that is now extinct.
In the poster story, the eye-catching Lotus Elan was treated, which could go through the corners very hard and in a second double test a fresh Japanese competed against a thoroughly experienced German: the Toyota Starlet against a Volkswagen Polo. With a price difference of 500 guilders, they were formidable competitors. However, as soon as the Polo got a comparable power of 75 hp, it cost 5,000 guilders more. In addition, the Starlet looked a lot newer with its round shapes. This is also due to the tested Polo, because it was already on its last legs in 1990. That same year, Volkswagen presented the strongly renewed version of the compact German.
As the successor to one of the most successful cars in the Netherlands, a heavy burden rested on the shoulders of the new Ford Escort. Could Ford therefore continue the success? A first test showed the new Escort to have excellent road holding with a good gearbox and a clear dashboard. On the other hand, the Ford produced a lot of engine noise, the interior was also a bit boring and the Escort was not economical with its fuel. The success of the 80s was no longer achieved, although the Escort was still a popular model. The new generation was sold a lot, especially in 1991 (19,995 times), but with that it still lagged behind the peak year of its predecessor (1984: 30,459 times).
Reports
A big test of car radios took up many pages in number 35! The possibilities of car audio were said to be limitless: we should know then. Furthermore, the ‘new’ Mercedes-Benz SL met its forefather, which was produced 35 years earlier, and the Opel Kadett was featured in an extensive used car purchase recommendation.
Advertisement
Opel headed big with: “Opel Calibra makes the heart beat faster”. There is something in it, because it was an appearance. History teaches, however, that the Dutch people are too down to earth and after a peak in sales year 1991 (1,404) sales fell sharply, after which the Calibra was taken off the market in 1995. Sin!
