Opel Kadett E driving report: 40 years after launch

In the mid-1980s, cars were mostly angular. Think of the VW Golf 2 or Ford Escort MK4, the main competitors of the Opel Kadett E driven here. And now, take another look at the Opel Kadett D. It was not for nothing that the car magazine "Mot" ran the following headline in January 1984 with the first pictures of the successor: "Opel gets bold."

The visual leap from the Opel Kadett D to the successor model E was daring at the time. But the goal seemed clear: consistent lightweight construction and a streamlined body shape. Development of the last Kadett began as early as 1979, immediately after the market launch of the first Opel front-wheel drive car. We have now driven a late 1989 pre-facelift model to mark the anniversary.

Gallery: Opel Kadett E (1984-1989) test

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Source: Motor1.com

Opel spent a whole 1.5 billion Deutschmarks on the development. Gert Hildebrand was responsible for the design. In addition to the Opel Kadett E, his signature can also be seen on the VW Golf 3, VW Sharan facelift, and the reinterpretation of the Mini.

"The car should not become obsolete. These are standards by which I like to be measured," said the designer at the end of the 2000s. Mr Hildebrand can now confidently pat himself on the back, as his design was not only built in a slightly modified form as the Daewoo Nexia until 1997, but the second generation remained in production in Uzbekistan until 2016.

The streamlined teardrop shape of the Opel Kadett E not only earned it the nickname "wind egg", it was also quite successful in the wind tunnel with a drag coefficient of 0.32. In addition to the consistent design, smoothed windscreen planes and flexible joint seals ensured a top value. Even the then wind tunnel king, the Ford Sierra, "only" achieved a Cd value of 0.33. In 1985, the Opel Kadett E was named "Car of the Year" in Europe. Well ahead of the Renault 25 and Lancia Thema, by the way.

Photo: Motor1.com

The new Kadett is built on the GM-T platform of the old Kadett D in several variants. These included not only the familiar hatchback as a three- and five-door model but also an estate (also three- and five-door), a notchback saloon (euphemistically called the "Formheck"), a convertible, and a delivery van called the Combo. The platform itself even survived until the Astra G and Zafira A.

The range of petrol engines extends from a 1.2-litre engine with 40 kW (54 bhp) to a 2.0-litre and an output of 115 kW (156 bhp) in the GSi 16V. The diesel engines range from 1.5 to 1.7 litres and produce between 40 kW (54 bhp) and 60 kW (82 bhp). The model we drove is a red three-door Opel Kadett 1.3 LS from 1989, one of the last with a carburettor engine and 60 bhp before it was discontinued with the facelift in spring 1989.

Lots of space in a small footprint

Thanks to the teardrop shape, Opel has created a great sense of space with a length of just under four metres and a height of 1.63 metres. From the outside, it's hard to imagine that our family of five went on holiday in the Bochum-produced Kadett with the dogs on their laps and bicycles on the roof. But once you're inside, it feels quite comfortable and well-organised, at least in the front.

Photo: Motor1.com

Opel Kadett E (1984-1989) in test mode

Photo: Motor1.com

Opel Kadett E (1984-1989) in test mode

Photo: Motor1.com

Opel Kadett E (1984-1989) in test mode

There were settings for the lights and heating, and the radio was optional back then. A small analogue clock sits inconspicuously where today's infotainment systems demand your attention. The instrument cluster shows speed, fuel level, temperature, and a few indicator lights - that's it. The rest of the dashboard and door panels take up just as much space as necessary. Reduced and tidy.

You sit on soft black and white chequered upholstery. The boot packs 390 litres. These days, it's better not to do this for load-securing reasons: Take out the parcel shelf and fill it up to the roof with toys. We didn't know any better back then.

Kadett D platform takes away agility

When cold, the choke ensures that the carburettor feeds a sufficiently rich mixture of petrol and air to the OHC engine. Once warmed up, the starting aid can be pushed in. The four-cylinder engine then rattles and hums happily.

The available displacement, the 60 bhp, and a weight of around 830 kilos ensure sufficient driving values that can easily keep up with those of small cars such as the Kia Picanto or Toyota Aygo X these days. However, with only four gears, it becomes increasingly noisy above 50 mph. 

The chassis, on the other hand, is less able to keep up these days and is in no way inferior to the upholstery in terms of design. Things are soft in the Opel Kadett E. It rocks, bobs, and, when cornering too vigorously, allows itself to hit the ground with its twist-beam rear axle. A Golf 2 was more agile back then. The tiny 13-inch rims with 155 tyres then push hard over the front axle with independent suspension.

Photo: Motor1.com

Opel Kadett E (1984-1989) in test mode

Photo: Motor1.com

Opel Kadett E (1984-1989) in test mode

Photo: Motor1.com

Opel Kadett E (1984-1989) in test mode

The steering is not designed for such driving manoeuvres anyway. It works rather coarsely, but is surprisingly smooth without power assistance - even when manoeuvring. However, by the time it really reaches the limits, the humpbacked little car has already signalled ten times through reluctant rocking that it would be better to leave these driving skills behind - in other words, it is transparent and good-natured.

Those travelling leisurely in the Kadett benefit from the generous suspension travel in poor road conditions. There is hardly ever any bottoming out here. In general road traffic, it is an unagitated companion.

In 1989, the Opel Kadett E received a slight facelift, which is recognizable above all by the narrower radiator grille. In the autumn of 1991, the Opel Astra F took over the compact class in Rüsselsheim. The Kadett Cabriolet, built by Bertone, was even produced until 1993.

Old Opels:

Opel 4/12 PS (1924-1931): The Tree frog turns 100

Opel-Vauxhall Frontera (1991-2004): A look back

Over 3.7 million E-Kadetts rolled off the Bochum plant's production line in total. In 1987 alone, 625,000 new cars (!) were registered throughout Europe. VW and Ford did not produce such a modern and bold design for their compact class until the early 1990s.

Leaking engines, cylinder head gasket damage and, above all, rust on the striking rear wheel arches, sills and underbody decimated the Kadett-E stock - most of the tinkered examples have long since been scrapped. If you want to call a satisfactorily maintained wind tunnel pioneer your own, you can currently find small engines for 2,500 euros. A good GSi is more likely to be in the five-figure range if you can find one at all.