Opel Astra at Kyalami Raceway.

Nearly 6 months ago I sang the praises of the Opel Astra and while it was certainly one of the best of 2016, Opel South Africa thought it wise to remind us just how good the Astra really is. With COTY adjudication just around the corner, we were hosted at the world-class Kyalami Circuit for a morning of reminders. Firstly, we were reminded of how rich our motorsport heritage is in South Africa and just what an important part Kyalami played in this, and secondly, Why the Astra holds a 20% stake in its segment.

While this isn’t the praised Superboss of Mike Briggs fame and it’s unlikely that many Astra K’s will ever find their way onto a racetrack, it was comforting knowing that even when thrashed around this historic circuit, lap after lap, the Astra was able to entertain us with its polite handling and punchy motors. This just stands as testament to the impressive build quality and durability of this product. Great spec, an engine for everyone and spot on looks are the reasons the Astra, already a World Car of the Year winner, is a SA COTY 2017 Finalist.