Analogue book shut
The Vauxhall Astra Ultimate 1.6 180PS Hybrid 8 Speed Auto catapults everyone’s favourite 1980s runaround into the digital world and the dawning electrical era, writes Steve Teale.
HANDS up if you learned to drive in an Astra? There’s a good chance you did. And even if you didn’t, you quite likely owned one later in life. It’s an everyman car. Or everyperson, even. Astra and the Escort were the benchmarks of motoring in the 1980s and beyond as the Vauxhall-Ford double act combined to dominate the market.
And 40 years on, while those two big brands have to fend off stronger and ever smarter competition, Astra remains competitive.
It’s quite amazing that we find an old-stager like this at the cutting edge. Other brands have ditched traditional models and replaced them with a fleet of fresh names but Vauxhall has kept with Corsa, Astra and others for the dawning electric era.
Prices start from £26,310 so this test version may sound pricey at £40,900. However, it is a superbly equipped hybrid which delivers a scarcely believable 256.3mpg.
OK, so forty grand is a heck of an outlay even with the benefits of largely petrol-free driving, but then no-one ever pays up up front for cars these days. The more relevant figure is £366.70 a month, which sounds a lot more appealing, especially when you consider 2023’s Astra is a world apart from the 1980s version.
Looks are a question of taste, I grant you, but
I still insist new Astra is prettier than its predecessors. And it is a world apart in terms of ride, handling and equipment.
It’s hard to believe we are on eighth-generation Astra. Vauxhall offers the model in two performance levels as a plug-in hybrid. In addition, there are versions with highly efficient petrol and diesel engines in combination with six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmissions.
New Astra is also a design statement for the brand. Vauxhall says with some justification that it is “dynamic as never before, with sheer, taut surfaces, detoxed of superfluous elements and with the new brand face – the Vauxhall Vizor”. Safe to say, it’s a distinctive, premiumlooking model. And premium isn’t a word associated with its predecessors.
So, how does Astra measure up? It launched as a sporty five-door with a low-slung look and yet more space than its predecessor. With a length of 4,374mm and width of 1,860mm, it is said to hit the sweet-spot of the compact sector.
Thanks to the especially short front overhang, the new Astra is only a smidgin (4mm) longer than the previous model, despite the considerably increased wheelbase of 2,675mm (plus 13mm). Yet its practical boot with adjustable floor still offers the driver and four passengers 422 litres of luggage volume.
Like its predecessor launched in 2015, the newcomer brings innovations to the compact class that customers previously only knew from more expensive vehicles. For example, it can turn night into day: the latest evolution of the adaptive Intelli-Lux LED pixel light comes straight from Vauxhall's flagship Insignia and, with 168 LED elements, leads the way in the compact and midsize markets.
A leap in time has taken place in the interior of the new generation Astra. With the digital Pure Panel dashboard, analogue instruments are consigned to history. Instead, the new human-machine-interface (HMI) offers customers a more intuitive experience.
Passengers can operate the new Astra intuitively via extra-wide touchscreens. Vauxhall designers and engineers have taken great care to ensure that the driver receives all the necessary information and useful operating options, but is not burdened with superfluous data. In addition, key settings such as climate control can still be operated via physical switches and buttons. There’s nothing like old-school in some situations.
The driver is supported by state-of-the-art assistance systems ranging from the head-up display to the semi-automated assistance system and the 360-degree camera.
After Mokka, Crossland and Grandland SUVs, the new Astra is Vauxhall’s first hatchback to interpret the brand’s new design. The
'It launched as a sporty fivedoor with a low-slung look and yet more space than its predecessor.'
Vauxhall Vizor (the new face of the brand first seen on the Mokka) follows the Vauxhall Compass, where the vertical and horizontal axes – the sharp crease in the hood and the wingshaped graphic of the daylight running lamps – intersect with the Vauxhall Griffin emblem in the middle. You have to see it to appreciate it.
Equipment wise, Astra is a world apart from previous generation models. This model – the Ultimate – lives up to its name. It has an electronic brake (not to my taste but it is easy to operate) and plenty of hi-tech features such as traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning, parking sensors and automatic emergency braking.
It has a wonderful adaptive cruising control, a 10in colour touchscreen and plenty of USB connections. Other features include dual-zone air conditioning, a heated leather steering wheel and puddle lights, which combine to create a sophisticated, premium package.
It seems to be doing well for Vauxhall. The brand was named Fleet Manufacturer of the Year at the Great British Fleet Awards recently. Corsa was also awarded the Best Fleet Supermini, Astra the Best Lower Medium Fleet Car, and Vivaro took Medium Van of the Year title.
And far from being traditional stick in the muds, by 2028, Vauxhall’s entire car and van range will be fully electric – seven years ahead of the Government deadline.
Vauxhall Astra Ultimate 1.6 180PS Hybrid 8 Speed Auto: £40,900. Range starts at £26,360; a hybrid with a 1.6-litre petrol engine and electric motor generating 178bhp via eight-speed automatic gearbox; top speed 139mph and 0 to 60mph in 7.7 seconds; it manages 256.3mpg and up to 25 miles in electric only mode; insurance group 28; emissions 24g/km; three years warranty, 60,000 miles.