The new Vauxhall Astra Electric offers a range of up to 258 miles and will be available as a hatchback or estate car. Here’s everything else you need to know...
On sale Now Price from £39,995
As indie rock band Yo La Tengo sang, ‘You can have it all’ – and with the launch of the new Vauxhall Astra Electric, the same is true with the Astra. That’s because it will be available as a petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or as a fully electric car.
The Astra Electric also gives you a choice between a hatchback or estate car version (called the Sports Tourer, and due later). Whichever you choose, it will be powered by a 153bhp electric motor paired with a 54kWh battery for an official range of up to 258 miles and a 0-62mph acceleration time of 9.2 seconds.
That gives it a slightly longer range than the Peugeot e-308 and entry-level versions of the MG4 but less than entry-level versions of the Cupra Born – which managed up to 219 miles in our range test. What’s more, the Astra Electric can be charged at rates of up to 100kW. That means a 10-80% charge should be possible in 30 minutes if you use a powerful enough charging point.
Visually, there’s not a lot to differentiate the Astra Electric from the petrol, diesel, and PHEV versions, but small touches include dedicated 18in alloy wheels. Vauxhall says it plans to have a fully electric line-up by 2024.
Two trim levels will be available – GS and Ultimate – and the interior will feature a 10in digital instrument panel next to a 10in central touchscreen display. Top-spec Ultimate cars will have a head-up display that projects the most important driving information on to the windscreen, in the driver’s line of sight.
We’ve tested the Astra infotainment set-up in other versions of the car and our experience of it has been good. There are more buttons than in some new models, which we welcome because it makes the system easier to use on the move.
A range of safety features such as drowsiness detection, lane-keeping assist and automatic emergency braking (AEB) are also included as standard.
Elsewhere, LED headlights that automatically adjust their beams depending on the driving conditions should make driving at night easier.
Prices for the Astra Electric start at £39,995 in GS trim and £43,110 in Ultimate trim. That’s more than entry-level versions of the Born and the e-308, and quite a lot more expensive than the MG4.
Keyword: 2023 Vauxhall Astra Electric prices revealed