Test drive Opel Tigra 1994 - 2000 hatchback
Evil Tigra ...
... or Opel in a sports style.
She growled naturally when, after the next turn, I smashed a low gear and the tachometer arrow jumped over 5000 revolutions. And I did not want to calm her down on this deserted winding path near Hamburg. These were rare minutes when you catch yourself that everything is wonderful - a good car, magnificent asphalt, an affectionate morning sun above your head and a refreshing breeze walking along a cabin without a roof. And not devoid of pleasant colleague on the right: and this baby is inherent in sports anger! This is about Tigra Twintop 1.8, with which I absolutely agree. There are cars that have at first sight. I just saw, and somehow it immediately becomes clear - you will like to deal with him. Opel Tigra of them. This two-seater Cabiolet compartment has a special charm. Describing its qualities only with the help of dry numbers - power, torque, acceleration dynamics - the same as getting to know the Jaconde of black and white photography. Emotions, direct sensations from drive are important here.
Tigra starts with half a turn. Small, twin, invariably attracting attention, she rushes forward with such ardor that it seems that you do not control it, but quite the opposite. I don't want to find fault with her. Here, let's say, I would like a little more acute steering wheel. But after all, I already know for sure - at what corner you should turn the steering wheel before this steep turn. And the Tigra passes a turn, with truly cat tenaches, holding on the asphalt with soft rubber on 17-inch discs (option). In such situations, you give tribute to the hardness of the body even with a folded steel roof. Well - yes, somewhere in the middle of the arc, the rear wheels barely noticeably begin to shift out of turn, but the car makes it possible to feel this moment well. Unless the movement of the steering wheel for straightening the trajectory is not as short as I like. But, I can assure the reader that all these are real trifles against the backdrop of the pleasure of driving. In addition, Opel promises in the spring of next year to supply Tigra with a special sports suspension, and I think that engineers will not cost without additional steering settings. It is pleasant that the Roger holds well at high speeds - the steering wheel is poured with weight, the car does not scour, but it goes quite confidently. Unless the breeze becomes more and more significantly (in the variant a convertible, of course) - in the back, along with graceful arcs of safety, I put a curtain. However, without it it is quite tolerant, the aerodynamics are thought out perfectly. In general, Tigra gives the impression of a tightly knocked and fast car.
Form and content
It's funny that, strictly speaking - without having left the road, Opel Tigra Twintop won the 2004 convertible title. This happened at the Geneva Motor Show in the spring. Personally, I have no reason to doubt the competence of the jury, especially after a test drive. The car looks extremely harmonious. And even a coquettishly raised ass does not violate this impression thanks to the successful shape of the lanterns and an elegant lining of matte chromium on the bumper. The same lining is decorated with a predatory front end with a trapezoidal grille of the radiator, large air intakes and voluminous combined headlights. The sports theme continues in the interior, Gley was also not without chrome (numerous linings, dial rollers on the dashboard) and metal (pedal). The seats have good side support and a good range of adjustments, despite the limited space. But - this is what is important - even with a raised roof in the cabin there is no feeling of tightness. And you can get a job with maximum convenience.
The roof of Tigra Twintop deserves a separate story. Equipped with an electro -hydraulic drive, it is a sample of advanced technical thought. Because, firstly, turn the compartment into a convertible, or - conversely, you can with a simple click on the button. True, for this it is necessary to stop, raise the handle of the parking brake and wait 18 seconds. Moreover, in the version of the coupe, body gaps are simply perfect. Secondly, the folding roof did not deprive the car of practicality - the volume of the luggage compartment is with a raised top of 500 liters, and 320 with the lowered! No other classmate can boast of such a liter. This has been achieved at the expense of two sections: the first is the trunk itself, the second (70 l.) - a niche behind the seats.
In general, Tigra, even in the basic version, is equipped very well: electric drives of glasses and mirrors, two front and lateral airbags, ESP, ABS systems, disc brake mechanisms on all wheels, and emergency braking system. The list of additional equipment is also extensive: air conditioning, heated seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, multimedia interface developed for the new Astra, and much more. You can even order individual trunk trim. As for the engines, there are two of them, both gasoline. And with a 1.4-liter engine, the Tigra shows a living character, but, in my opinion, it is still more suitable for a more powerful (125 hp) power unit with a volume of 1.8 liters. But only a 90-horsepower version can be equipped with not a standard 5-speed mechanics, but an automated EasyTronic KP, well known, for example, by the Corsa model.
Again past?
According to journalists from Europe who participated in a test drive, Tigra Twintop in the Old World has the prospects of the prospects. Yes, and Karl-Piter Forster, the head of Adam Opel AG, said it for a reason that in the near future this model will be able to occupy 20% of the European Coupe-Cabiolet market. As for Russia, Tigra will pass by again. In any case, General Motors CIS does not yet plan to supply this model to our market. So it was, by the way, always: Tigra was not officially imported, and it is difficult not to notice it on our roads. What is there: my neighbor in a garage cooperative drives in this particular car, and intends to order Twintop as soon as the car appears with German dealers. I reassured him with the message that wide sales would begin in September, and the price range from 14,950 to 17,770 euros, depending on the engine and the configuration. By the way, the prices were more likely to be happy than upset.
In conclusion, I will allow myself to express the opinion that models such as Tigra still make sense to display to the Russian market. They, no doubt, strengthen the new image of the brand. Not to mention the fact that they are able to compete with a similar coupe-Cabiolets from Peugeot, which are more and more in Moscow. In addition, exploiting such an all -weather front -wheel drive in Russia is no less convenient than in Europe. My neighbor, for example, has never complained yet ... Oleg Osipov
