Agila

The Opel Agila A was replaced by the Agila B in 2009. There aren't that many of the early model in Norway. The small, frugal model is a sister model of the Suzuki Wagon R, and received surprisingly good results in TÜV reports over several years. In fact, Opel's results were significantly better than Suzuki's. We do not know if it is due to German patriotism, or because the Agila got engines from Opel instead of Suzuki. Opel's good reliability also agrees well with our own observations. The new Agila B did not get as good a score as its predecessor in the early years - but is today well above average. It was offered with 1,0 liter 65 HP or 1,2 99 HP. Both have a timing chain - not a belt.

What is happening with Opel?

Posted 03/08/2013 by Terje Bjørnstad

Like many, I have owned several new Opels. The last one was acquired just over twenty years ago. I had the opportunity to acquire several new cars in recent years, but never considered buying an Opel. I think I know why.

Opel's market share in Norway has steadily declined and is still falling. What has happened to Opel since the good seventies, eighties and early nineties? The reason for the decline is that I - and others with me - no longer choose Opel when we buy a new car and would hardly consider Opel if we were to buy a new car today. But the big question is of course: Why don't we choose Opel?

I am looking through a product overview for 2013 made by Opel Norge AS. I scroll without reading. The eyes do not rest on anything. I realize I might as well have read an office supplies brochure.

It's not that I don't like the car brand. On the contrary. I recently drove a brand new Astra 1.4 Turbo, 140HP, 5-door, with the latest facelift. It drives very well - both on the motorway and in the city. It has good legroom. It is comfortable. In station wagon version, it is a full-fledged family car. The turbo petrol engine delivers power in the same way as a modern turbo diesel and the sixth gear works well on the road. I think: It will be difficult to find a larger or better equipped, motorized and smooth-driving car for three hundred thousand.

When I have parked the car on the street, right behind a new Skoda Octavia, I sense what Opel's problem is. Even with nice 17-inch light-alloy wheels and a great dark gray mother-of-pearl colour, the Astra becomes anonymous behind the Skoda. It can almost look as if someone has tried to design away the brand identity. You also get the feeling of a lack of brand identity when you sit behind the wheel of the Astra.

What should be a wake-up call for Opel's international management is that the anonymous design only affects you when you are going to buy a car, not in everyday use. Anyone interested in cars knows that Opel is a good car. In the brochure, however, - and on the street, parked behind the Skoda, no one notices the Astra.

Opel has lost its grip on almost all of its old, loyal customers. The car models appear to be without identity. The question is whether Opel should not just as well create a completely new car brand, send the management of the design department and the marketing department on a very long vacation – or early retirement. Then it is a matter of getting hold of designers and marketing people who have understood what the slogan “Wir leben Autos” really means. Then I am sure that the new brand can compete with any car brand in the world.

Maybe one day Opel can change its slogan to:

Opel – The one you notice!

Opel.no

Should I buy a mini car?

Posted 03/08/2013 by Terje Bjørnstad

I promise that you will be pleasantly surprised at how much space it is actually possible to get out of a car of about 3,5 metres! You will find all modern safety equipment such as ABS, ESP and airbags where they should be. You get a brand new car for the same price as a 3-year-old Golf!

The smallest car class offers a number of obvious advantages such as: – low price, – low loss of value, – low fuel consumption, – low maintenance costs, – easy to park, – can choose parking spaces where larger cars have to search further, – provides more space in the garage, – easy to drive, – practical. Nevertheless, there are a number of critical factors linked to small cars. You should study these factors carefully before you possibly decide on a class A car.

Place

For many, the space becomes the most eye-catching point for whether you can use a car in this class. Do you need to bring a lot of luggage? In that case, you have to count on folding down one of the back seats. Then there will not be room for more than 3 people.

Weight

Four adults weigh 300-400 kilos together. In this car class, the car's total weight is then approached. In addition to affecting the driving characteristics, you risk high wear and tear on the suspension and chassis parts if you drive a lot with a full car.

Wheelbase and track width

On the road, most people will prefer a car with a long wheelbase and wide track to get the best possible stability. Cars with a short wheelbase are more sensitive to external influences such as gusts, longitudinal tracks and unevenness in the road surface. This may require you to exercise extra caution in such conditions. In this class, a difference in wheelbase of a couple of centimeters means a lot. The wheels must be placed as far out as possible.

Performance and engine choice

Don't be blinded by the number of horsepower. It is the number of horsepower per tonnes that apply. You can find this number under Dimensions/Weight in the car congurator here.

One of the advantages of cars in this class is that they actually work well with a small engine due to their low weight. If you choose to go up a step in engine, the Norwegian tax system ensures that the final sum can be almost as high as a car in the class above. Then you might as well choose a bigger car.

Safety

It is a recognized claim that small cars have poor safety. In traffic, it is true that heavy, large cars bring a natural sense of safety. But there are more factors than weight and the number of meters of steel that apply in the event of a collision. New cars have more safety equipment than a few years ago. If you hit a stationary object, the European NCAP measurements show that small cars can be as safe as larger cars.

Respect in traffic

Certain road users behave more aggressively towards small cars than larger cars. This is easy to notice if you have the opportunity to drive several different cars. When you drive a small car, you will more often experience that drivers overtaking drive with too little distance. You will more often find that other drivers do not comply with the right of way for a small car, and you may actually be harassed at times.

The interior

The first sign of a solid interior is the steering wheel. Does the steering wheel feel good to hold? Do all the controls seem solid? There is no reason to create a fussy interior even if the car is small! The seat backs of small cars are often made thin to give a couple of extra centimeters to rear seat passengers. However, you should never feel that the seat backs are yielding.

Equipment

It is important that all safety equipment is in place. This includes ABS, ESP (anti-skid), at least 6 airbags and Isofix mounts for child seats. On some of the most affordable models, you may find the necessary safety equipment on the list of optional equipment. One advantage of a minicar is its low price. In that case, you should not be too generous with your choice of optional equipment. The equipment that you must have in a minicar is a partially folding rear seat . Due to limited luggage capacity, you will need to fold down the rear seat more often, and then it is important that you do not have to fold down the entire rear seat.

A little tip!

When you test drive the car, you should be careful to park next to a well-known car model such as the Volkswagen Golf. Get out of the car and study the size ratio between "your" car and the scale. This is often not easy to see in car dealerships where the cars are placed to look as large as possible.

See

2013 Opel Agila

Posted 12/06/2013 by Terje Bjørnstad

The Opel Agila is a high-built minicar. Although not as boxy as its predecessor, it offers legroom and luggage space like few cars in this class.

The Opel Agila is produced together with the sister model Suzuki Splash at GM's factory in Hungary. Only Agila is imported to Norway. I think Opel has done a good job of giving the model character. The powertrains are identical to those we find in Opel's small car program with the Corsa and the all-new Adam.

Agila is delivered with either a 3-cylinder 1.0 liter engine with 68 horses or a 4-cylinder 1.2 liter engine with 94 horses. The last engine option can also be delivered with an automatic transmission. The engine is vigorous enough to provide plenty of driving pleasure, but because it is a traditional automatic transmission solution, the CO2 values skyrocket - and so does the one-off tax.

All manual-geared Agilas give a lot of car for the money. If you like the Agila's tall and spacious shape, but want to save a few kroner on purchases, you should know that the Agila has a little sister: the Chevrolet Spark. The cheapest Spark is actually one of the cheapest cars you can buy in Norway. You get a new base model of the Spark for the same price as a 3-4 year old, well-equipped Agila - but the Spark is thus slightly smaller than the Agila.

Of course, more well-equipped versions of the Spark are also sold. They have a more affordable purchase price than the Agila, but you should be aware that the Chevrolet is likely to have a higher depreciation than the Opel.

I've chosen to show the cheapest version of the Spark because I think it looks better - more European - than the more expensive models. Then it will be an unfussy, simple and spacious minicar. You get a reliable, new car with all relevant safety equipment, as well as a 4-cylinder 1.0 liter engine with 68 horsepower (so not the same engine as the Agila). In the most affordable version, you have to manage without heated seats and air conditioning. Check the price in the configurator below!

The Chevrolet Spark is designed as a world car. It is included in Chevrolet's passenger car program in both Europe and North America.

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