Opel Sintra Overview: Generations, Specs and Which to Buy
Overview of the Opel Sintra minivan (1996–1999): its single generation, 116–201 hp engine range, and which versions stand out based on the data.
The Opel Sintra is a minivan produced from 1996 to 1999, offered in a single generation with front-wheel drive and engine outputs ranging from 116 to 201 hp. It suits buyers who need a spacious family vehicle from the late 1990s with a choice of manual or automatic transmission and a broad spread of engine power for its class.
Opel Sintra generations
1 generation (1996–1999)
The 1 generation Opel Sintra was built from 1996 to 1999 exclusively as a minivan with front-wheel drive. Power outputs span from 116 hp to 201 hp across 3 modifications, and buyers could choose between automatic and manual gearboxes. Among the notable versions, the Opel Sintra 2.2 MT (141 hp) pairs a 2198 cc engine with a manual transmission and accelerates in 12.7 seconds, making it the mass-market choice of the lineup. At the top sits the Opel Sintra 3.0 AT with a 2962 cc engine, 201 hp, an automatic gearbox and acceleration in 10.9 seconds — the most powerful configuration offered.
Which Opel Sintra to buy
- 2.2 MT (141 hp) (1 generation): the mass-market version of the range, with 141 hp from a 2198 cc engine and 0–100 acceleration in 12.7 seconds — a middle point in the 116–201 hp spread.
- 3.0 AT (1 generation): the most powerful Sintra, delivering 201 hp from a 2962 cc engine with acceleration in 10.9 seconds, 1.8 seconds quicker than the 2.2 MT (141 hp), and paired with an automatic gearbox.
Since every Opel Sintra on the used market dates from the same short 1996–1999 production run, there is no newer generation to hunt for — the choice comes down to the specific modification and transmission. The single-generation, FWD-only lineup also keeps the search simple: all 3 modifications share the same body style and drivetrain layout, so comparing candidates is mostly a matter of engine and gearbox preference.
Which Opel Sintra to avoid
No version in the data is strictly dominated: the base 116 hp variant is the least powerful, but the dataset provides no acceleration or consumption figures for it that would show it losing on every measurable axis, so no version can honestly be ruled out on numbers alone.