Test drive Opel Omega Sedan 1999 - 2003 sedan

OMEGA option

An economical business class from Opel
Having refused at the beginning of the last decade, claims in the representative class (the last model in the F segment was Senator), Opel nevertheless continues the struggle in the segment E, where the interests of the main European daughter of GM are the current flagship of Omega. The second generation of this model, which debuted in the European market in 1994 and dispersed in the world with a circulation of over 600 thousand copies, was subjected to serious modernization last year: more than a third of components and assemblies were replaced. In addition, the 2001 model received new, more powerful and economical engines. However, even deep restyling is no longer able to support the purchasing interest in the aging OMEGA sale model from year to year. For example, since 1997, they have almost doubled: from 100.7 thousand to 52.2 thousand cars (the catalog data behind the wheel and GM). Opel flagship and Russian clients of the company do not complain. Official sales of Omega are calculated by dozens of cars a year. Meanwhile, having got acquainted with the updated car during the editorial test drive, we came to the conclusion that in the commercial failures of the omega you can blame anyone and anything, but by no means the car itself.
Looking at the squat silhouette of an updated omega with developed overhangs, emphasized by massive bumpers in the color of the body, I still could not get rid of the obsessive deja-vu and suddenly caught myself thinking that American features clearly appear in the appearance of a German car. Well, yes, large American sedans like Chevrolet Caprice Classic or Ford Crown Victoria had the same impressive overhangs. By the way, running ahead, I’ll say that associations with the products of the overseas auto industry visited me during the test more than once. However, it is hardly worth focusing on appearance: after all, Omega was born in the first half of the 90s, when the canons of automobile fashion were slightly different. And in general, the design is thin, and the assessments here are largely subjective. In addition, during the recent cosmetic operation, Opel stylists did everything possible to give the appearance of the aging flagship modern features. The shape of the hood, bumpers, trunk covers have changed, new mirrors appeared. Lighting equipment was completely younger: the front headlights received not only transparent disperseders, but also prestigious bixenon, the rear lights became red-white in the last fashion, and new fog lights were integrated into the front bumper. The interior of the omega is also not striking in the brightness of stylistic solutions, but everything breathes in it with German thoroughness and functionality. The large four -spitz steering wheel is regulated, unfortunately, only in height (by the way, instead of the usual fixing bracket on European machines, I found an American handle on the steering column). However, the lack of the ability to move the steering wheel to themselves fully compensate for the electric drives of the driver's seat: its position can be changed in eight planes. The seats themselves, however, could have more developed side support. On the massive central console, a full-sized radio, uniting a tuner, a cassette and a CD player with an integrated four discs, framed by an air conditioner with a separate climate control buttons of auxiliary equipment. By the way, the sound pouring from eight speakers suddenly turned out to be worthy of all praise, and you could choose the desired volume right from the steering wheel, not being distracted from the road. The rear sofa of the flagship is the embodiment of comfort: there is more than enough space for large and tall passengers. In addition, at their disposal there is such a very useful option in Russia as heating the seats. By the way, the back of the sofa spreads in parts, opening a huge hatch in impressive sizes of the trunk. This additional curtsy in the direction of practicality simply touches. Try to shove ski or, say, fishing rods into the luxury business class. In the best case, your disposal will be a small hatch behind the folding armrest. And the democratic Opel can be turned almost into a station wagon: with folded back seats folded, the luggage compartment volume increases to 830 liters. However, in the presence of passengers, the trunk of omega (530 l) remains perhaps the most spacious in the classroom. In general, by the level of equipment of Opel Omega performed by Elegance, not only is not inferior to prestigious fellow countrymen, but even in some ways surpasses them. It remains to understand what Ryusselshaim flagship in motion. At idle revolutions about the operation of a 2.2-liter engine, which replaced under the hood of omega the former two-liter engine sitting in the cabin only informs the arrow of the tachometer. There is practically no noise from the motor compartment and with smooth acceleration. However, in Kik-Down mode, the four-speed automatic gearbox makes the driver regret that under the hood of his car there is not a combat 310-horsepower American V8, but just a peaceful Opelian four-cylinder Ecotec: for energetic overclocking, 144 horsepower is clearly not enough. By the way, the producer’s persistent desire to impose on the consumer, frankly, not quite a successful automatic machine (all the powerful modifications of the omega are offered only with automatic transmission) looks at least strange. With mechanics and a 2.6-liter version, it would be possible to use its 180 forces much more effectively ... Nevertheless, it is not worth dramatizing the situation: in the end, if a thoughtful box does not want to adapt to your driving style, you can always go towards it and to achieve from the obstinate mechanism of the desired, clearly dosing the force on the gas pedal. Having mastered the art of communicating with an automatic transmission, you will at once get rid of the heartbreaking warfare, published by the engine at high speeds, and, by the way, extend the life of the engine itself (with intense acceleration in the SPORT mode, the box throws the tachometer arrow almost into the red zone). Leaving the unfortunate automatic machine, let's move on and try to evaluate the suspension. She is almost impeccable. The smoothness of Omega can argue with other representatives of the upper class. The car is remarkably coping with road irregularities, practically without bothering passengers even when tram -paved with tram tracks. However, a cotton long -flowing suspension, by the way, again inspired memories of the Americans, has its disadvantages. For example, rocking on asphalt waves and rather deep rolls in corners not only do not add comfort, but can be dangerous. However, even when driving on the edge of the foul, vigilant electronics will not give up in the skid omega. The anti -circus system optimally distributes the traction force between the wheels and prevents the skidduting when braking on surfaces with various friction coefficients, for example, when the left wheels are on dry asphalt, and right on ice. The work of disc brake mechanisms is insured by a four -channel ABS, reinforced by the Quick Power system, which sharply increases pressure in the system during emergency slowing down. The action of this electronic assistant, not wanting that, experienced on the last day of the test. As luck would have it, the driver of the Rover, the Rover, suddenly hit the brakes at the moment when, carried away by the search for my beloved radio wave, I lost control of the road for a second. The speed, however, was not too high, but the distances of almost no generally, Bruthing ABS seemed to me paradise music, and the appearance of a fragment of a jeep, which was half a meter from the omega bumper, filled with a sense of sincere gratitude to people who create cars with reliable brakes. However, even if in a similar situation the driver will react for a second later, the fatal consequences will help to avoid numerous passive safety products, including four inflatable pillows, a traumatic -guided pedal suspension, active head restraints that protect the neck from the so -called lactic blow. So, upon closer examination, the Opel flagship turned out to be almost the focus of the advantages: a spacious comfortable salon, which is quite decent for a car of its class, not too high appetite (even with a fairly aggressive driving, the average fuel consumption ranges from about 10 l/100 km). Finally, ceteris paribus, Omega will give a head start at a price of almost any competitor. Well, who else will offer you a car in such a rich equipment (see table) for that kind of money. For example, our car costs $ 28.2 thousand, and the spread of prices for the Opel flagship is $ 25.2 thousand. $ 32.2 thousand at the same time. At the same time, the operational costs also do not look disadvantageous: the cost of a norm-hour on an authorized service ranges from $ 25,33; Spare parts, due to the widespread use of OPELS in the secondary market, are not in short supply. Thus, Omega is seen by us almost perfect in terms of balance of prices and quality by a car equally suitable both for use as Fleet Car (service machine) in a corporate auto farm and in the role of family transport. Now, based on the above, let's try to answer the sacramental why?. By the way, trying to find the unraveling of Omega’s market failures, I even conducted a small sociological survey in which potential customers, ordinary motorists took part, and finally expressed the official point of view of the Moscow office of GM. As it turned out, a persistent neglect of Opel cars is most often showed by people who have never driven them: acquaintances, they say, said that they were bad cars. In addition, the image of a German company, it turns out, pretty much spoiled the long -standing connections with the GM: overseas cars, as they say, to an amateur, and Americanism in the appearance and habits of the omega of our motorists is alarming. True, in the GM representative office we swore an oath assured that the flagship of Opel from the first to the last screw was developed by German specialists. And the company's employees prefer to explain low sales in the Russian market with a late entry (GM began to import cars on its own only in 1999). However, Opel competitors, many of whom still trust the import of cars to their dealers, for some reason does not interfere with the increase in sales.
Andrey Tsybulsky
 

Source: Wheel (company)