Opel does not build many cars like the Opel Sintra: a 4-door MPV with Petrol engine, built from 1996 to 1999 when airbags, anti-lock brakes and Japanese build quality became the world standard.
Where it came from
The Opel Sintra is an automobile produced under the German marque Opel for the market in Europe between 1996 and 1999. It was sold in the United Kingdom as the Vauxhall Sintra.
The Sintra was one of the second generation U-body (known internally as GMX110s) large multi-purpose vehicles (MPV). Contrary to popular belief, the name was not inspired by the historic Portuguese town of Sintra, rather, it was chosen by a computer from a list of short, easy to pronounce words which ended in the letter "a", to tie in to Opel's naming scheme at the time. It was imported to Europe from the United States of America, where General Motors produced identical models under the Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac brands.
Under the skin
Under the skin sits Petrol engine; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. Kerb weight is 1695 kg. The gearbox is a 5-speed manual / 4-speed automatic. The layout matters: the engine drives the front wheels, the packaging choice that gives a small car a big cabin. The wheelbase is 2845 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
Where it sits in Opel's history is not in doubt: the Opel Zafira Tourer / Chevrolet Uplander (except United Kingdom) followed it; it was built at Doraville, Georgia (Doraville Assembly), United States. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Porsche Boxster, the Škoda Auto Škoda Octavia, the Lotus Elise. Nearby in the Opel catalogue sit the Opel K-180 and the Opel Combo.
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