New Vauxhall Astra Electric 2023 review

The Vauxhall Astra Electric hatch has a 54kWh battery, and promises 258 miles of range

Verdict

The Vauxhall Astra Electric is a well judged product for a car that’s clearly designed to appeal to drivers of combustion-engined cars who don’t necessarily want their vehicle to scream ‘electric!’. Nicely tuned, intuitive to operate and easy to drive for its class, the Electric sticks close to the Astra recipe. It’s not cheap, but it does offer a seamless transition to EV motoring, allowing buyers to just enjoy the electric drive and impressive levels of refinement.

Many electric cars seem like spaceships when compared with conventional combustion-engined vehicles, with radically different approaches to styling and packaging, plus complex controls that require a bit of adaptation. This isn’t an accusation that can be levelled at the new Vauxhall Astra Electric, though, which keeps its wheels firmly on the ground. Here, from the outset, is a car that runs on electricity but doesn’t need any other bells or whistles.

The Astra Electric is based on a combustion-engined platform (the third version of Stellantis’s EMP2 architecture). This helps to reduce production costs, because the Electric comes off the line at the same plant in Rüsselsheim, Germany, as the regular combustion editions.

On the other hand, it does bring compromises in packaging, because squeezing a battery into the floor cuts the boot space of the Astra from 422/1,339 litres (seats up/down) to 351/1,268 litres in the Electric. Those are still just about reasonable numbers, and they’re no worse than you’d find in the plug-in hybrid version of the same car, but it’s worth bearing in mind if you’re going to throw a lot of family life at it.

At least the Astra Electric doesn’t require a great deal of adjustment when you climb aboard. Everything feels pretty familiar, in fact, with the usual dual-screen display dominating the fascia, and (thankfully) physical climate-control buttons mounted in the centre console. The cabin is just about practical enough for a C-segment hatchback, although we’d still like to see a little more legroom for rear-seat passengers.

Electric-car veterans will almost certainly flick the car into its ‘B’ drive mode, which increases the aggression of brake energy recuperation and so allows you to drive mainly with just the right-hand pedal. We’ve actually felt even stronger retardation in rivals’ vehicles, but it seems that Vauxhall doesn’t want to push this latest Astra anywhere near the extremes.

As a result, everything is quite balanced and harmonious. At just under 1.7 tonnes, the Astra Electric weighs about 100kg less than a comparable Volkswagen ID.3, which may not sound spectacular, but it is immediately noticeable in handling.

Indeed, the Astra feels light on its feet when compared with many other electric cars. The steering is nicely balanced, allowing the Astra Electric to react quickly to inputs, and the springs and dampers aren’t stressed too much. Only the sharpest bumps make it through to the cabin, and apart from a bit of road and wind noise, this is the only thing that’s likely to disturb you, because the Electric is nicely damped and impressively quiet, even at motorway speeds.

Vauxhall claims a WLTP range of 258 miles for the Astra Electric, although as is often the case, you can probably cut around 20 per cent from that figure for a good, achievable everyday value. The 54kWh battery can be charged from 20 to 80 per cent in less than half an hour at a DC charger, while three-phase 11kW charging comes as standard, in case you have a faster AC hook-up at work or home. If you don’t (like most UK buyers), you’ll need around eight hours for a full charge from a 7kW home wallbox.

The front-mounted motor, with 152bhp and 270Nm of torque, doesn’t exactly push you into the back-friendly seats in the same way as some acceleration-focused EVs – but this isn’t really necessary in this class. Instead, the Astra Electric feeds its power in smoothly, and the performance is quite sufficient. This, in turn, makes it easier to drive than quite a few other front-wheel-drive EVs, which have a tendency to light up their tyres or torque steer under hard acceleration.

The price is a bit more punchy, mind you; the five-door GS edition, which includes LED headlights, twin 10-inch displays for instruments and infotainment, front and rear parking sensors, and keyless entry and start, costs from £39,995. Ultimate trim adds matrix-LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof, a head-up display and Alcantara upholstery, and is priced from £43,100.

These numbers look a little high for an EV that’s trying hard to be normal, we reckon; a slightly more basic, and cheaper, version might prove a sensible addition to the line-up, in time.

Keyword: New Vauxhall Astra Electric 2023 review