This was the first time that I have driven the updated new Vauxhall Astra.  Many of you must be wondering …where has most of the updating taken place?  To be fair Vauxhall have subtly updated its looks and have made further improvements to its airflow around the car….but it’s under the skin where the major improvements have taken place.  There is now a choice of new efficient 1.2, or 1.4 litre petrol and 1.5 litre diesel engines with reduced CO2 emissions.

The car I had a little spin in was the SRI VX-Line NAV 1.4 litre turbo petrol Stepless Auto.

The Astra’s interior looks fresh – with a good feel of quality to the plastics and switch gear.  I am glad to report that the seats are still really comfortable.  

For me …the engine is where the major improvement is. The 1.4 litre 3 cylinder engine is really responsive. As soon as I applied pressure on the accelerator the Astra was off with a “growl!”  The car actually feels quicker than its official 0 to 60 mph time of 9 seconds.  When I drove it normally, the engine sound wasn’t intrusive into the cabin.  The Astra and I felt quite happy negotiating the traffic in town and we were just as happy out on a dual carriageway.                

At speed when on open windy roads the Astra felt very agile and responsive to all my steering inputs and it rode over the different road surfaces well.

It is really a car that gets you to your destination with minimal fuss.

We Blog Any Car stats:

  • 1.4 Turbo engine
  • 145 Ps power
  • 236 Nm of torque
  • seven-speed continuously variable transmission (CVT)
  • 9.0 seconds 0 to 60 mph
  • 130 mph top speed
  • 112 CO2 emissions
  • £25,635 starting price on the road
  • £28,230 total price of the car tested with all its optional extras included