We drive the new Vauxhall Astra for the first time to see if the latest version of the staple hatchback is good enough to face the best rivals in this competitive car class…
On sale May 2022 | Price from £23,805
We all like the feeling of getting value for money when it comes to buying a car, and the Vauxhall Astra has long provided that in the family hatchback class. Indeed, this well-established contender is now in its eighth generation, and has been on sale for more than four decades.
Rivals for the Astra include the well-established Ford Focus, Mazda 3, Seat Leon and Volkswagen Golf, and the closely-related Peugeot 308 will be hot on its heels too, with UK deliveries imminent.
The range will kick off with a selection of petrol and diesel engines, ranging from 108bhp to 178bhp for the plug-in hybrid petrol, but it won’t stop there. A 222bhp plug-in hybrid is due to arrive later in the year, and the all-electric Astra-e will be here in 2023 if you want to avoid going to the petrol pumps.
A ‘hot’ performance version has not been confirmed, but if you do want a bigger boot, the next-generation Astra Sport Tourer estate is due to arrive in the summer.
In a bid to simplify the range, Vauxhall is offering just three trim levels, badged Design, GS Line and Ultimate, and the Astra continues to be keenly priced to entice buyers with value on their agenda.
Previous models offered a generous amount of kit and a wide range of engines, but the Astra didn’t really shine in any one area. So does this new 2022 model – with its sharper looks, electrified engine and up-to-date tech – have what it takes to mix it with the very best family cars?
What’s it like to drive?
At launch, we had the opportunity to test the plug-in hybrid-e version of the Astra in top-spec Ultimate trim.
It combines a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor to deliver 178bhp and a 0-62mph time of 7.6sec. An eight-speed automatic is the only option, but if you switch into Sport drive mode, it sharpens up the responses of the accelerator pedal and the gearbox to help the Astra pick up speed with minimal hesitation. Not only is this eagerness a little more entertaining down a fun twisty road, but it also helps when nipping into small gaps in traffic. Performance is brisk enough for most.
The official (WLTP) 37-mile electric-only range is competitive with the Seat Leon e-Hybrid, and while the Astra is not as sharp or quick when driving purely on battery power, there’s still enough grunt to make effortless progress at low speeds. You wouldn’t need much more punch in town or city traffic.
The petrol engine remains quiet even when worked hard, and the electric motor doesn’t produce any low-speed whine. When both work together in Hybrid mode, you hardly notice the two motors working in tandem, which is ideal for maintaining smooth progress.
Wind and road noise on the roads of Lisbon (where we tested the Astra) was very well contained, although we did notice the front windows of our press car were double-glazed – we suspect this won’t be fitted to all Astras.
The ride is soft enough to cosset you over speed bumps and the ride is settled at motorway speeds, but on battered urban roads it does occasionally thump over sharper imperfections. We’d stop short of calling the ride uncomfortable, but we suspect lower trim levels with their smaller wheels will feel a little plusher.
What’s it like inside?
Climb inside the Astra and it doesn’t take long to notice how dark the interior is. There are plenty of soft-touch plastics within easy reach and a lot of them are finished in a variety of textures, too. It’s just a shame they’re almost hidden in various shades of black. You do get some coloured trim finishers on the door and dash (they’re red on GS Line and silver on Ultimate), but they do very little to lift what’s a rather sombre place to sit.
At least it’s easy to get into a comfortable seating position, although some drivers may find the top of the steering wheel obstructs the top of the instrument panel if it’s set too low – a problem that also afflicts the closely related Peugeot 308.
Otherwise, those who prefer using physical buttons will be pleased to find a bank of them for the climate control system that are angled to be in easy view while driving. Plus, the Drive Mode toggle switch on the centre console means you won’t have to dig through a touchscreen menu to find them, as you do in the Seat Leon.
There’s plenty of storage space on the centre console, with two cupholders and a large cubby that has a tray big enough for your phone as well as a wireless phone-charging tray (on Ultimate models) ahead of it. If you press a button on the centre air vent, a neatly hidden sunglasses holder hinges down from below it.
When it comes to tech, all versions of this latest Astra come with two 10in displays on the dashboard as standard. One is for the driver’s instrument panel and the other for the centre infotainment touchscreen.
Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring comes as standard in all trims, as well as a voice control programme designed to recognise everyday phrases. We tried ‘Hey Vauxhall, it’s too warm in here’ and the system promptly responded by turning down the climate control temperature by one degree celsius.
The graphics on the screens are sharp and the font is clear enough to read at a glance. In the plug-in hybrid, the text of the speedometer readout turns blue when you are running on electric power. It’s a very simple visual indicator that saves you looking at a separate dial or specific dash light to find out.
Safety equipment includes automatic emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring and traffic-sign recognition.
The front pillars are quite thick and the angle of them can obstruct the view of traffic when peering out of junctions, but visibility is otherwise very good. All models also come with front and rear parking sensors as standard to help you in those tight spots.
Space in the rear isn’t as generous as some rivals, with less legroom and space for feet than the Leon and Focus.
Keyword: 2022 Vauxhall Astra review: price, specs and release date