New Vauxhall Astra 2015

 

All-new, British built Vauxhall Astra scores with strong refinement, excellent quality, lots of tech on board and competitive pricing.

 

The new Vauxhall Astra is right up there with the very best in the small family hatchback class, competing strongly against the VW Golf and SEAT Leon, and being a much better bet than the Ford Focus. It was developed in the UK and it shows - it drives really nicely on our roads. It also looks great, inside and out, while there’s more space inside than in the old car, even though the new model is smaller on the outside. Efficient engines, the very latest technology and prices lower than its predecessor all add to the new Astra’s appeal. 

Now in its seventh generation, the Vauxhall Astra has been a mainstay of the British car market for generations. Its rivalry with the likes of the Ford Focus and VW Golf is legendary, while in spite of the SUV boom these small family hatchbacks still sit comfortably at the top of the sales charts each month.

This new Astra has a broad range of engine options, but currently only one bodystyle – an all-new Astra estate arrives at the turn of the year, with similarly sharp styling and strong kit levels. We expect a coupe version to arrive eventually, which should also result in a hot VXR model. A GSI version of the five door is also expected, but for now the hottest version would be an SRi model with the 198bhp 1.6-litre turbo engine.

You can also get an Astra with the fabulous new three-cylinder 1.0-litre engine with 104bhp, or two turbo versions of a new 1.4 with 124 or 149bhp. The entry level Astra features a 99bhp 1.4-litre engine with no turbo power.

Diesels are mostly versions of the excellent ‘whisper’ diesel engine – although not entirely silent, they all offer strong refinement, performance and economy. The 1.6 can be had with 109 or 135bhp, while there’s also a 159bhp Bi-Turbo version, too.

Vauxhall seems to be able to bring new models out at lower prices than the old cars and the Astra is no different. It’s strong value when you look at the kit levels, too, which includes on some models Apple CarPlay connectivity and the Award-winning On-Star safety and navigation concierge system. Astra trim levels go from Design through Tech-Line, Energy, SRi and Elite, with the top two also available as Nav versions with standard satellite navigation.

Automatic gearboxes are available with the 1.0 and 1.4 149bhp petrol engines and the 135bhp 1.6-litre diesel engine that’s also likely to be the most common engine choice.

Strong diesel engines and punchy petrols combine well with the Astra's composed chassis for a fun and comfortable drive.

Unlike many of its rivals, the Vauxhall Astra is not only built in the UK, it has had its chassis tuned in the UK. In fact, Auto Express was invited on an early chassis development drive to give initial feedback.

Our thoughts back then mirror what we think now – the new Astra sits nicely somewhere between the sportiness of the Ford Focus and the comfort of the VW Golf.

The new Astra’s weight loss of up to 200kg has helped engineers deliver a car that rides on the firm side of comfortable over nasty British roads, yet won’t leave you wincing over the worst pot holes. Nor is the car as rigid in its sportier settings – SRi models and above sit on the shame chassis settings as other cars, with only wheel and tyre combinations making a slight difference to the ride and handling balance. For the record, we’d be very happy with an SRi model.

Vauxhall has chosen a novel torsion beam rear axle with a Watt’s linkeage rather than the independent multi-link system used in a Golf. It means there’s less weight and bulk, although it’s a bit bouncier at the back over lumps and bumps than the Golf.

The engines are a real highlight of the way the Astra drives, though. The ‘Whisper’ diesels may not be whisper quiet, but they’re not as clattery as rivals’ engines, while performance is impressive. The 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine is punchier than you might imagine, too, while the 1.6 petrol turbo is also excitingly swift.

The steering is linear enough, if not super-quick to react, while the brakes on a couple of our test cars have been a little bit grabby and take a bit of getting used to.

We’ve yet to try an auto Astra, but the manual box is easy enough to use, if not quite as slick as a Ford Focus’ shift.

New Astra comes with a broad range of engines: five petrol engines and three diesels. We’d expect the diesels to be the most popular and all come from the Whisper Diesel family. Although not exactly whisper quiet, they are more refined (and more powerful) than rivals – the 109bhp engine offers the best mpg and lowest emissions, while the 134bhp version is likely to be the best seller.

The star of the petrol range is the 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo, although it’s likely to be the 1.4 124bhp turbo petrol that’s the biggest selling petrol model – this engine impresses with its smoothness and performance.

All Vauxhall Astra models are impressively eco-friendly, with excellent figures from the 109bhp 1.6 CDTi diesel.

With many Astras still selling to fleets, having a sub-100g/km CO2 emissions figure is vital. The Astra 1.6CDTi 109bhp model smashes that with a claimed emissions figure of 82g/km – which equates to a claimed mpg average of an astonishing 91.2mpg. Of course, real-world figures are likely to be very different, but unless you go for a Toyota Auris Hybrid with its 79g/km figure only a Peugeot 308 manages to match the Astra’s figures.

The more powerful 134bhp 1.6 CDTi diesel will also dip under the magic 100g/km figure for free road tax and lower company car tax figures when it’s on smaller 16-inch wheels, but the 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol turbo model will also dip under that figure in certain specs and will save you 3% on your company car tax benefit-in-kind.

As with most rivals, it’s expected that Vauxhall will offer service packs on the new Astra to retail customers, which will cap service costs for a period of time.

Astra has a premium looking and feeling interior with a dashboard dominated by a seven- or eight-inch touchscreen.

Vauxhall interior design has been impressive of late, with a stylish, easy to use dash and good quality materials used, too. The Astra takes that a step further with strong tech on board – all operated through an intuitive seven- or eight-inch touchscreen.

That screen sits neatly in a classy piano black surround that stretches across the width of the dashboard and is underlined by a stylish piece of chrome effect trim.

The main instruments also have an information screen between them and the graphics are nice and clear – although strangely there are no obvious markings for 30mph and 70mph on the speedo.

There’s Apple’s excellent CarPlay connectivity system or Android Auto depending on the type of smartphone you use, while the award-winning OnStar navigation and concierge system can be found on higher-spec cars – this uses a call centre to help you find a destination and will automatically send it to the navigation system in your car. It’ll also call the emergency services automatically in a crash, while a 4G wifi hotspot is created to allow passengers to use internet services on their own devices.

Vauxhall prefers to offer its navigation system as part of a trim level, hence the SRi Nav and Elite Nav models that are available. Vauxhall has clearly given much thought to what makes a good nav system and the Astra’s is one of the best with a combination of clear graphics and a simple menu system that’s easy to follow.

Of course, you don’t have to press any buttons at all – one call to an OnStar operator (working 24/7) and you can have directions downloaded directly to your car. It’s a very useful system, especially if you’d otherwise be hunting through the points of interest options on the screen. OnStar is so good it won the 2015 Auto Express Technology Award.

New Astra gets impressive safety kit and we’d expect reliability to be okay, although Vauxhall’s Driver Power ranking is poor.

New Astra gets impressive safety kit and we’d expect reliability to be okay, although Vauxhall’s Driver Power ranking is poor.

The new Vauxhall Astra comes with a full roster of advanced electronic safety aids and can be specified with even more. Opt for the Driving Assistance Pack and you’ll get a forward-facing camera that brings with it all sorts of benefits. There’s autonomous emergency braking to help prevent you bumping into the car in front at low speeds, while the car will even tell you if you’re travelling a safe distance from the car in front. There’s Lane Departure Warning to let you know if you’re wandering out of your lane on the motorway, while Lane Keep Assist will gently turn the steering wheel to help keep you in lane.

The Astra will also read and display road sign speed limit information and warn you if there’s someone in your blind spot. And as with rivals, there are self-parking systems available, too.

As far as airbags are concerned, there are front and side ‘bags for driver and passenger and full-length curtain airbags to protect all occupants.  The seats will also play their part in keeping you healthy as they’re certified by the Campaign for Healthier Backs.