Vauxhall Astra Review (2022) | Engines & Style
The all new Vauxhall Astra has been unveiled. The Astra has been around for almost forty years now, and has been one of the go to family hatchbacks for practicality, reliability and space.
The Astra was never the most attractive looking car though, but Vauxhall have recognised this and the new Astra now has a fresh, sharp and futuristic new design, as well as some cutting edge features.
But is this car worth buying and is it better than its rival, the Volkswagen Golf? Let’s take a look.
Exterior
There’s no denying the new Vauxhall Astra is more modern and distinctive compared to what it used to look like.
You get a new Vizor front grille in black, which runs the entire width of the car and blends into the headlights. Every trim except for the entry level Astra gets what's known as the ‘Black Pack’, which gives you black badges, and makes the design a lot more cohesive.
You get large wheel arches at the front, to give the car more of a muscular and sporty look, and the wheels start from 16 inches, increasing to 18 inches.
Vauxhall have added super thin rear lights and a rear brake light similar to what you get on a formula one car, and the Griffin badge doubles up as the handle to open the boot.
Boot Space
The boot space isn’t the largest as some other family hatchbacks on the market. The plug-In hybrid version has 548L of storage space with the seats up, and 1,250L with the seats folded down. There’s little underfloor storage due to the battery being stored under there too.
However, the petrol version has a little more available space, so if this is important to you, opt for the petrol model.
Interior
In the rear, there isn’t a lot of head or leg room for taller passengers, despite the wheelbase being 13mm longer than before. Although you do get an armrest with cup holders and USB charging ports, as well as optional heated seats in higher specifications.
You’ll find a lot of high quality materials inside, the design of the steering wheel resembles the front Vizor grille of the car, with piano black stretching horizontally across. There’s also a ‘Pure Panel’ infotainment system built in, with two displays. One is for your driver information such as your speed, and the second for your infotainment. Even with these screens, you still get physical buttons too, which rivals such as Volkswagen no longer offer. You also get a wireless charging port, in addition to voice control.
What’s it like to drive?
It’s very comfortable on the road thanks to the supportive seats with lumbar support. It could be argued that the drive is even better than what you’ll experience in a Volkswagen Golf too, so if you value a soft quality ride, the Astra is for you.
Engines
You get a choice of two petrol engines, a diesel and a plug-in hybrid.
Out of the two 1.2L petrol engines, you get one with 110bhp and one with 130bhp. The 130bhp petrol is also available with either a 6 speed manual or 8 speed automatic gearbox.
There’s also a 1.5L diesel on offer, with 129bhp as well as a 1.6L turbocharged plug-in hybrid version, giving a combined horsepower of 180. The plug-in hybrid has a lot of torque, doing 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds, can deliver up to 256mpg and has an electric only range of 37 miles.
The only downside of the plug-in hybrid version is that charging takes approximately 3.5 hours, and you will likely have to charge the battery daily to achieve good economy.
Summary
Overall, the new 2022 Vauxhall Astra has an enjoyable and smooth ride, the technology and equipment levels are great and it’s a very refined car. If you’re looking for a family hatchback with all these features on your list, and more, then the Vauxhall Astra should definitely be one you take for a test drive.
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