Vauxhall Astra
Sharply styled hatch with its conventional petrol engine is the cheapest of this trio to buy, but it’s also the least powerful
WE’RE testing the Astra in middle-spec GS Line trim, which with an automatic gearbox comes to a very competitive £27, 210 (the six-speed manual ’box shown here is £2,100 cheaper). That makes it comfortably the cheapest car in this test, but does it feel that way from behind the wheel?
Design & engineering
ANOTHER long-standing nameplate, the Astra has been part of the furniture on UK roads since 1980. Big changes have happened to the C-segment hatchback in that time, the most notable in recent years taking place in this eighth-gen model – the first Astra to be developed with technology from the Stellantis group.
Beneath the sharply styled body sits the same EMP2 architecture used by the likes of the Peugeot 308, Citroen C5 Aircross and the brilliant new DS 4. The powertrains are shared with those French cars, too; under the bonnet, there’s a choice of petrol and diesel engines. While these both lack the hybrid assistance you get in the Toyota and the Honda, the Astra sets itself apart with the option of a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The PHEV model combines a 1.6-litre turbo engine with a 12.4kWh battery.
We’re driving the 1. 2-litre three-cylinder petrol here, though. It’s a little down on power compared with the mix of 2.0-litre petrol and electric motors that the Japanese contenders use, but 128bhp and 170Nm is still adequate shove for most families. The Vauxhall’s engine sends its drive to the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Much like with the new Civic, the Astra’s cabin is a vast improvement over the model that came before it. Most obvious are the strides forward in both tech and quality; this really feels like a product that’s creeping closer to premium alternatives than ever before. The cabin materials are well finished, but we reckon that the acres of piano black-style plastic aren’t likely to stand up to family life very well.
Ergonomically, it’s not quite a match for the competition here either. The dashboard line is very high, which means that even if you choose to jack up your seat higher than you might normally choose to, the view ahead still isn’t as clear. You’ll probably need to raise the seat for another reason too – several testers found that the steering
wheel doesn’t adjust low enough. twoȑ
Driving
OUR nit-picking with the steering continues out on the road. Beside rivals with slick, precise responses, the
Astra feels just a bit lazy. It’s even worse if you put it in Sport mode, when the rack becomes heavier without adding any useful feedback. Turn in to a corner, and it’s clear that the Astra has been set up to feel secure rather than fun; in this company, it feels a little unresponsive. It is, however, fine for all but keener drivers and the Vauxhall feels very stable on the motorway.
Another area where the Astra is a little slow-witted is its transmission. The eight-speed auto gearbox just can’t compete with the keen responses of either of the two hybrids here. It doesn’t feel as smooth at any point, either, but that’s particularly true at low
speeds, where the interaction between brakes, gearbox and engine stop-start system is clunky.
In terms of outright performance, the Astra lags behind the other two on paper and out on the road. However, this is easier to excuse because of the Astra’s lower price point. What’s more important is that the engine is very quiet; the three-cylinder motor emits a subtle vibration, but even under hard acceleration it’s never as vocal as the other two – partly explained by its more conventional auto ’box.
In terms of ride quality, the Astra falls between the most comfortable Toyota and the busier Honda, which is a respectable result. Road and wind noise is well contained on the whole.
Practicality
AT 422 litres, the Astra has the largest boot of this trio. While it only just pips the Civic for overall volume, the space is flatter and better shaped, so it’s easier to load plenty of items on board. Fold the seats and the overall space expands to 1,339 litres, which helps the Vauxhall pull even further clear of the Honda.
However, the Astra can’t compete with the Civic’s rear-seat accommodation. Although the centre seat is quite comfortable, the Isofix points are the least accessible of these three; they’re behind zipped covers and you have to fight through the internal seat foam to get at them properly.
The front seats are treated to the largest and best thought-out cubby spaces, though. There’s a neat sunglasses holder beneath the central air vent, and the central storage bin and the glovebox are huge, while the main bin, which holds a wireless charging pad, has space for a second smartphone in the same area – impressive.
Ownership
VAUXHALL put in a poor showing in our most recent Driver Power satisfaction survey, with the brand finishing 19th out of 29 brands overall. Toyota is usually a strong finisher, so its 10th-place finish was a slight dip in form, while Honda took a strong fifth.
Running costs
WHILE hybrid powertrains emit fewer emissions than conventional combustion engines – and therefore sit in lower company-car tax brackets, those savings are offset by the Astra’s lower P11D value. So despite its 29 per cent Benefit in Kind banding, the Astra is the cheapest; standard-rate income tax payers will face deductions of £1,564 per year, compared with £1,639 for the Civic, even though it is rated two percentage bands lower. The Corolla sits in the 28 per cent band, but its P11D value – the highest here – means that its deductions come to £1,898.