Astra ups the ante!
VAUXHALL is aiming high with its improved eighthgeneration Astra (Latin for star) hatchback which i’ve just been driving on UK roads. parent conglomerate stellantis has sharpened up Vauxhall’s range with contemporary style inside and out. the car is a bold, eye-catching, low-slung hatchback with a distinctive new elongated V-shaped front grille and headlight combination showcasing a newly designed Vauxhall badge. there are three powertrain options: a plug-in hybrid petrol, pure petrol and a turbodiesel.
i was driving the frugal, but nippy, plug-in hybrid-e, or pHeV version, of the new Astra in a bold electric yellow paint in the top-range Ultimate trim level. the other two trims are entrylevel Design and mid-range Gs Line, expected to be the biggest seller at almost two-thirds of sales.
Lower, sleeker, wider, and with a longer wheelbase than its predecessor, it exudes modern sportiness. packed with kit as standard, its £35,815 base price was boosted to £39,115, thanks to extras such as nappa leather seats including ventilation and massage in front, and heated seats in the rear (£2,100); premium metallic paint (£700); and a 7 kW onboard charger (£500).
plug-in hybrid models, available from the mid-level Gs Line trim, cost from £32,700, while the full Astra range starts at £24,315 for the 1.2 litre 110 horsepower six-speed manual in entry-level Design trim.
the plug-in hybrid combines a 150hp 1.6 litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine with an 81 kW electric motor and a 12.4 kWh lithium-ion battery which propel it from rest to 60mph in a sprightly 7.7 seconds up to a top speed of 144 mph. it’ll cover 43 miles in electric-only mode up to a top speed on battery power of 88 mph.
Vauxhall has retained pressbuttons on the sweeping dashboard which seamlessly links a 10in digital touchscreen with a 10 in driver display.
But there is voice recognition control if you preface your command with: ‘Hey Vauxhall’.