Test: Opel Astra GSe – strongest plug-in as basis for sportiest Astra

GSe, didn’t Opel have that name before?

Completely correct, only GSE (written with a capital E) stood for Grand Sport Einspritzung. The German word for injection, because in the seventies (Commodore GS/E) and eighties (Monza GSE) that was still special on a petrol engine. We will only see petrol engines in the new GSe’s in combination with one or two electric motors. The Astra GSe has a 180 hp 1.6 four-cylinder turbo and a 110 hp electric motor next to it, good for a system power of 225 hp and a torque of 360 Nm. The Grandland GSe has the same petrol engine and electric motor in the front, but the SUV also has a 113 hp electric motor at the rear wheels. We also drove the 300 hp Grandland GSe, but that test will follow later. The Astra GSe is also available as a station wagon, the Astra Sports Tourer.

Isn’t the Astra GSe just the more powerful brother of the Astra 1.6 Turbo 180 Hybrid?

Yes and no. Of course the powertrain is the same, although the petrol engine of the 225 hp version of the plug-in hybrid has more power. And the adjustments are mainly in the chassis and in the steering. By the way, they turn out very well. The steering is more direct, heavier and also more communicative. In the Sport driving mode even quite heavy. Nice, by the way, because we chase the Astra GSe over the beautiful mountain roads of Andalusia. Beautiful in terms of location, but also quite pockmarked here and there, which offers an excellent opportunity to experience the special Koni dampers for the GSe. The base does not shrink, it is firm but not too hard. The combination of a 1.6 four-cylinder turbo and an electric motor make the GSe heavy in the nose, but it is still impressive how much grip they have managed to get there. The Astra bites tighter in corners than you expect. The choice of rubber is striking: Michelin Primacy rubber and, for example, no Pilot Sport tires from the same brand. The chassis has to work hard for the enormous weight of the car, but the chassis feels refined, the 1,700 kilos never disappear for your feeling, but the setup certainly commands respect.

A plug-in hybrid powertrain in a sporty hatchback, is that what?

With 225 hp and a torque of 360 Nm, it delivers too little power and power to turn the Astra GSe into a fast car. Complaining car journalist? Well, an acceleration time from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.5 seconds is just not fast by today’s standards. The plug-in hybrid versions with the most fanatical tuning of the Volkswagen Golf and the Cupra Leon deliver 20 hp more and they do the trick in less than 7 seconds. The Astra GSe weighs no less than 1,703 kilograms. In addition, a combined powertrain always suffers from moments of reflection. There is never such a direct response as when there is only a nice fanatical petrol block on the gas, or when only an electric motor comes into action. That means that you have to be careful on the cutting edge for a fast acceleration corner. Although the cooperation of the 180 hp petrol engine and the 110 hp electric motor for this genre is exemplary and especially in sport mode you can properly estimate what the powertrain will do and the connection between right foot and accelerator pedal is quite good. For a PHEV.

So the Opel Astra GSe can also drive electrically?

Certainly, the 12.4 kWh battery pack should provide an electric range of 64 kilometers under ideal conditions. In this first test in Spain, we were not able to measure that properly, and we mainly focused on the sporty capabilities of the version with the new sports label.

In the video we take a closer look at the Opel Astra GSe, tell you what it costs and show you what is different compared to the normal Astra. Earlier we also made this video in a studio. Soon also a video of the Opel Grandland GSe.