With the "Innovation" version, a lot of nice extras are available. The test car had all common features plus hill descent control, rear camera, navigation with DAB+ radio,AUX and USB connections, start/stop system to save fuel, and a lot more. The engine was a 1.4 turbo ecoFlex 4x4 petrol with 140 HP(103 kW).
With 0-60mph (0-100km/h) in under 10 seconds, it felt fast enough for this small compact SUV. It really was strong on the gas pedal. In lower gear you really felt acceleration a bit. Nice. The offical 6.3 l/100km was not even near the real consumption. Even mainly on highways, it was about 8 l/100km.
To make one thing clear. Even with 4x4 and descent control, and the off-road look of this car, it's not meant for real off-roading. You instantly will know what I mean if you see the ground clearance of the front. While the car itself is okay from the height, on the front Opel made a weird decision to descent the height from the car and put a lid on the downside. Now you have only the ground clearance at the front of a normal car, not a typical SUV. I hope the Chevrolet Trax, which is almost the same car with a new look, will not have this problem. Basically you could just use new springs and it will raise up to 20mm and have a straight line from back to front.
Now the driving was a bath of mixed feelings. Like I already said, it felt sporty when accelerating. But not when you turn corners fast. The ESP was good, and there was never a real situation where I really lost control. But you have the feeling that any moment the car will flip over. The steering was harsh, and the gas needs to pressed gently. Gear range was more that of a typical SUV. Together with the acceleration you end up shift very, very quickly.And there we come to another point. It all felt hectic. Shifting like crazy, nervous gas, sensitive steering, and even more sensitive brakes. It gives you a lot to do at all times. That could turn out to be not very comfortable for long-distance drives, but won't matter too much in everyday driving.
The good was, that you have a small snow-capable, semi-offroader with a fast attitude. The 4,29m long and about 2m wide car has everything you need for small, fun drives. Despite the relatively small trunk, you have the ability to transport your bikes with an integrated(!) holder at the back of the car. Roof rails are available to put more stuff on the 1,66m high top.
All in all, for me, it doesn't have the best driving experience. Hopes for a small SUV now lies in the Chevrolet Trax, which will be sold early 2013.
