Sharp-looking Antara joins the handsome Opel family

(Published March 2008. I took the picture myself)
Opel have a range of sharp-looking cars at present, from the recently launched Corsa to the gorgeous Astra GTC to the new range-topping Antara 4x4.
The Opel Antara is the latest addition to the range and sees Opel’s long-awaited return to the family-oriented SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) market segment, which it vacated when the Frontera was discontinued in 2003.
In reality the Antara is much, much more sophisticated car than the Frontera and is part of a new wave of 4x4s which are aimed at families looking for a practical vehicle with the prestige of an off-roader.
It certainly looks thoroughly modern. The black colour scheme of the test car was accentuated by the large chrome bar in the grille and the silver roof rails. The off-road look is achieved by the rugged looking grey bodykit with a silver sump guard at the front. The side steps of this car were an option that will surely appeal to many owners.
The Antara tested here packs a 150bhp punch courtesy of the 2.0 CDTi engine, an efficient common-rail engine which is new to Opel.
The engine propels a car which is pretty hefty at 1800kg, but which, as a result, feels solid and planted on the road.
The first impression when you step on board is all good. The impressive dash has a layout which is intuitive and everything your hand touches, from the CD controls to the indicator/wiper stalks to the electric window buttons radiate a feeling of solidity and quality.
The damping of the major controls matches this sense of prestige. The steering wheel is wrapped in soft leather and has striking silver spars on the lower section. Its bluff front matches the car’s sharp lines and it feels as good to the touch as it looks.
The steering itself is a little heavier than your average family hatchback, but it is reassuringly solid if a little short of feedback. If pushed too fast into a bend the front wheels will understeer, but you won’t be told about it through the steering wheel.
A five speed manual or automatic gearbox are both available for the Antara, but the manual will be the most popular and for those who prefer to shift gears themselves, it is a pleasure to operate.
The gearknob is a good shape for holding and it moves through the box with a firm action which inspires confidence, especially when on the move. The engine has a narrow powerband, as most turbodiesels do, and a positive gear action makes all the difference.
The clutch is light and the accelerator easy to modulate, but the brake pedal takes a firm press to engage, although the stopping power of the Antara is not in doubt at all.
Given its relatively modest dimensions, the Antara does provide plenty of shoulder space and headroom both front and back. The boot is well shaped and big enough for most people. The high load floor is also a boon when taking shopping in and out, because you don’t have to bend down to do so.
The specification of even the entry-level Elegance is impressive, with goodies like air conditioning, electric windows, fog lights, Mp3 CD players and alloy wheels all standard.
The Design specification tested here adds extras like electronic climate control, heated front seats, multi-function trip computer, cruise control, a cooled glovebox, automatic lighting crontrol, rain-sensitive windscreen wipers and larger alloys.
That is a lot of equipment for a car in this segment and it puts the Antara at a distinct advantage when appealing to buyers.
However, all the buttons have to find a place and the heating controls lose out by being mounted low on the centre console, partially obscured by the gearstick.
That said, the separate readout at the top of the centre stack is perfectly placed for a quick glance from to driver and is easy to read even in direct sunlight.
Safety has been a major factor in the Antara’s design from the outset. From an active point of view the car comes with switchable electronic stability programme (ESP) and anti-lock brakes as standard. Elite models also get a tyre-pressure monitor.
The intelligent four wheel drive system switches between front and four-wheel drive as conditions demand. For those who do try the Antara off road, there is also a hill-descent control feature which acts like a low-ratio gearbox in a more traditional 4x4.
Passive safety features include front, side and curtain airbags as standard, seatbelt warning and ISOFIX child seat systems in the rear.
On the road, the Antara is an easy car to drive at pace. The car itself is shorter and narrower than the Vectra saloon and can be threaded through busy towns or narrow back roads with confidence.
The Design model sits on 18 inch alloy wheels, but because of a wide tyre-wall it rides with considerable sophistication. Broken surfaces (and Lord knows we have enough of those in the North West) pose no problems, the car dealing with potholes and uneven roads in a cosseting manner.
Bigger potholes and speed bumps are also smoothed out and the car settles down quickly after negotiating these obstructions. The ride enables you to travel faster than you would in a stiffly-sprung vehicle and there is none of the instinctive ‘tensing up’ which you would do in cars that thud and crash over potholes.
In corners the car does not roll excessively, despite being a tall vehicle, but you will notice the high centre of gravity under heavy braking and hard acceleration, where the car tends to lean forward or heave backward.
Despite being a tall car, the Antara is composed in crosswinds too and the high driving position comes into its own on narrow roads, affording a view over hedgerows and over the roofs of more conventional cars.
This advantage continues with the massive side mirrors which are a great boon when manoeuvring the car in towns or joining the dual carriageway.
Parking is made easier by the optional parking distance sensors fitted front and rear to this model (they are standard on the top-spec Elite) which chirp in different tones depending on which end of the car is in proximity to an object.
The Opel Antara is available with two engines, a 2.4 litre petrol and this 2 litre turbodiesel. The petrol engine, with around 140 horsepower, is only available in the entry-level Elegance specification, for E38,350 (On The Road). The diesel Elegance model is E42,350.
The Design model tested here, with five speed manual, is E45,645 (without optional extras) while the Elite model starts at E51,645. Automatic transmission costs an extra E2,000 on all trim levels.