Car: Vauxhall Astra range
Prices: £13,995-£23,085 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 3-12
Emissions: 109-164g/km
Performance: [1.6T] 0-60mph 7.9s/ top speed 138mph
Fuel Consumption: [1.6T] (urban) 32.1mpg / (extra urban) 50.4mpg / (combined) 41.5mpg
Safety: Twin front side and curtain airbags, ABS.
Dimensions: length/width/heightmm [5dr] 4419/1814/1510
VAUXHALL GOES ASTRA-NOMICAL
Our Rating: 7.6 / 10
Vauxhall expects big things from the latest Astra. Steve Walker reports.
The Ford Focus has had things its own way for far too long and as for that Volkswagen Golf? Well, it’s about time that somebody knocked it off its perch. These aren’t the views of the nation’s family hatchback buyers who, if the customer satisfaction surveys are to be believed, are quite content with their Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus models. This is a rough approximation of the thinking behind the scenes at Vauxhall, a manufacturer with its crosshairs trained on nothing less than the very top of this money-spinning market sector. The car it hopes will hit the target is the latest Astra.
Versions of the Astra, Focus and Golf have been locking horns over the affections of family hatch buyers for years. With models like the Renault Megane, Peugeot 308, Toyota Auris, Honda Civic, Fiat Bravo and Citroen C4 also wrestling for attention, things can get confusing. In the UK, the Astra brand carries plenty of weight with the public and Vauxhall will be looking for the latest version to hammer that advantage home. To achieve this, it has worked on enhancing quality, increasing space and taking the driving experience to the next level. Will that be enough?
The best that the Vauxhall engine range has to offer will get an outing in the Astra but it’s the suspension set-up that will be of more interest to those who’ve been following recent family hatchback developments. The Focus and Golf both use fully independent suspension systems and it’s no coincidence that these cars are widely regarded as the sharpest handlers in the sector. Like most of the also-rans, the previous generation Astra had independent front suspension and a less sophisticated torsion beam at the rear. Today’s car, while still not fully independent in its set-up, uses a more advanced Watt’s linkage rear suspension that helps distribute cornering forces more effectively than a conventional torsion beam, while retaining its cost and space saving advantages.
Put the Astra through its paces on the road and it’s hard not to come away impressed. The ride and body control are assured and tight respectively as the car flows over the surface feeling well planted through bends. The steering is something of a let down by comparison and could be more precise but a slick gearshift and well-judged pedal weights go in the plus column. Generally, the Astra is a highly polished drive.
Vauxhall promises a quieter and more compliant ride in the latest Astra, combined with sharper driving dynamics. The car is available with the standard suspension or Vauxhall’s FlexRide variable damping system that allows the driver to choose from normal, Tour or Sport settings. The 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine powers the livelier models in the range and is strong on both power and torque. There’s 180PS being produced at 5,500rpm and the 230Nm maximum torque is available between 2,200 and 5,500rpm. The 0-60mph sprint is covered in under 8.0s and a 140mph top speed will be more than enough for most. A 140PS 1.4 Turbo is another option, plus there are the usual 1.4 or 1.6-litre normally aspirated entry-level petrol units, plus 110 or 125PS 1.7-litre CDTi diesels. Possibly most desirable of all is the 160PS 2.0 CDTi diesel flagship.
Vauxhall’s design team will have marked the Insignia down as a success and it’s no surprise to see the Astra borrowing heavily from the pool of styling devices employed by its bigger brother. The L-shape cut into the car’s flanks is a reverse of the Insignia’s but the lights, grille and bonnet bear marked similarities. Inside, it’s a similar story, with the steering wheel, gear lever and centre console design lifted directly from the larger car. The dash itself curves around the front seat occupants integrating cleanly with the doors and while the centre console does host a plethora of buttons, they’re clearly marked and experience with the Insignia has proved them easy enough to use.
This Astra is significantly bi
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