With a large, versatile load area and great styling, this new mid-size estate takes the fight to fashionable SUV rivals

There’s a spring in their step at Vauxhall. You can see it at the company’s press presentations where, for years, its engineers, designers and marketing folk alike have had to smile and say nice things about cars that were distinctly average. 

Cars that, thanks to diktats from the company’s former US master General Motors, did the job, but nothing more. Cars with ordinariness built in, to satisfy conservative American buyers, given they also had to be sold cheaply in America with Saturn or Buick badges.

Now, though, things are different. As a part of Stellantis, you get the sense Vauxhall has been allowed to spread its wings a little, both in design and in engineering terms. And consequently, its people are no longer trying to put a brave face on mediocrity – there’s a sense that they’re genuinely excited about what they have to offer.

Competent, rather than fun, to drive

Take this new Astra estate (or Sports Tourer, in Vauxhall parlance). Karim Giordimaina, the company’s design director, kicked things off at the launch with lots of talk of unleashing while running his hands expressively over the car’s crisp edges and smart detailing; Thomas Overhaus, the Astra’s program director, reeled off load space dimensions and boasted about the floor whose height can be adjusted, the storage for the parcel shelf beneath it, the shopping bag hooks, the power outlet and the levers to flip down the 40/20/40 split back seats. 

“We want to be the benchmark for boot space,” he said – a lofty aim, given the Astra goes up against the Skoda Octavia Estate, whose 640-litre boot currently knocks anything else in the class into a cocked hat. With 597 litres to its name, the Astra can’t quite match that hyperbole, but it isn’t far behind; more importantly, it’s right up there with its other big rivals, the Volkswagen Golf and Seat Leon in terms of outright boot volume and beats the Ford Focus. 

Of course, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that the Astra is closely related to Stellantis’s other medium-sized family estate, the Peugeot 308 SW. And that means it has the same range of engines: a 1.2-litre petrol in 108 and 128bhp forms, the latter of which is tested here, and a 1.5-litre diesel, also with 128bhp. 

There’s also a plug-in hybrid, based around a 1.6-litre petrol turbo and with a combined total output of 178bhp, but beware: Vauxhall gives its range in the brochure as up to 42 miles, but this is an equivalent range based on the car’s ability to use some electric power in hybrid mode. The actual distance the plug-in Astra will travel before the petrol motor cuts in is rated at 37 miles, but will probably be closer to 30 in the real world. 

There are no stripped-out, bargain-basement options like the Life or Exclusiv models of old, so the range kicks off with the Design version. Even this is pretty well specified: you get LED lights, cruise control, climate control, keyless start, and two 10-inch screens inside – one serving as a touchscreen, the other as a set of virtual gauges. 

Upgrade to the GS Line and you get an even more generous kit list: sportier looks, a 360-degree parking camera, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and ambient lighting are all standard.

When the top-spec Ultimate arrives later this year it will add a head-up display, a panoramic sunroof, faux-suede interior trim, wireless charging for your phone and adaptive headlights. 

Our test car isn’t any of these; in fact, it’s an Elegance, broadly equivalent to the GS Line but tilted more towards luxury. We won’t get this version in the UK, which seems a shame given its good balance of cost and equipment, though it’s understandable given our penchant for sportier-looking offerings over here means it’d be outsold vastly by the GS Line. 

This is immediately a classier and more thoughtful design than its predecessor; looks are, of course, subjective, but there are smart little touches like the vertical third brake light, the way the headlights blend into the front panel and the crease that runs down the bonnet into a blip in the bumper beneath the badge. 

It’s all very different to the “that’ll do” feel of the old Astra, and that sense continues inside. Gone are the cheap, creaky plastics and fiddly switchgear, replaced with eye-catching styling, smart materials (for the most part – the scratchy plastic around the door handles is a bum note), and the de rigeur swathe of black glass that hides those two screens until they light up when you start the car. 

The dashboard is a triumph, wrapping around you in a swathe of glossy black glass and smart, tactile materials, with slivers of chrome that really lift it, even on the base model.

This on its own would be enough to challenge the latest Golf, but the Astra’s biggest trump card is its usability. Firstly, beneath the big touchscreen sit a row of two lovely piano key-style switches, which move with sort of the well-oiled slickness we’d hoped to find in the latest Golf. 

The lower row of these gives you full control over the heating and ventilation with minimal distraction, and without the need to fiddle about with the touchscreen menus. On the steering wheel sit – praise be – physical buttons, while lighting is controlled by a rotary collar on the end of the indicator stalk, rather than yet another touchpad. 

It’s all very intelligently thought out, and a stark contrast to Volkswagen’s current infatuation with touch-sensitive controls, and here’s the kicker: together with the handsome styling and upmarket materials, it’s enough to mean the Astra not only beats the Golf in this area, but its interior is up there with the Skoda Octavia as one of the best in the class.. 

What’s more, as Vauxhall is so keen to point out, the boot is both sizeable and intelligently designed. It warrants mention, too, that the flexible floor and all those other clever features are standard even on the entry-level model, in contrast with some other manufacturers who’ll make you pay more for such niceties.

It is worth noting, however, that the plug-in hybrid’s boot is diminished by the battery beneath its floor, to the tune of a fairly whopping 81 litres. That’s to be expected with any plug-in, but a bigger problem is that all that boot space comes at the expense of rear-seat space. 

Adult passengers will find their knees brushing the backs of the front seats, which makes the rear of the Astra feel very claustrophobic. The problem is compounded by the fact the bulkhead in the passenger-side footwell is set much further back than the driver’s. 

The result of this is that legroom is restricted if you’re unfortunate to sit behind a tall front-seat passenger who’s set their seat back to get comfortable. 

From the driver’s seat, things are much better; there’s a neat little sunglasses holder built into the dash and plenty of other well-judged spaces for your odds and ends. 

The three-cylinder engine springs to life with a throaty hum. As we’ve found when we’ve tried this power unit elsewhere, it isn’t the most refined; there’s quite a bit of vibration through the steering wheel, and even at low engine speeds you can hear the telltale three-cylinder whirr above the sound of the stereo. 

As we’ve also found, however, it is punchy. There’s a swell of torque to the 1.2-litre turbo that makes it feel faster than its power figures suggest, making it responsive and eager when pulling away. At higher speeds, there’s enough urge to ensure you can keep up with traffic, although the sound of the engine singing away in the background is ever-present.

Less impressive is the manual gearbox. In fact, that’s something of an understatement – it’s horrid, with a long throw and a baulky, rubbery action that makes it feel like you’re trying to close a kitchen drawer with a plastic spatula caught in it. Oddly, it’s noisy, too, clattering its way through the cogs as you stir the lever. 

The automatic is a much better bet, though even this is not entirely free of fault: at low speeds it nudges you forward after you’ve lifted off the brakes, as all autos do, but then an extra bit of creep comes in thereafter. So if you’re lining up in a parking bay or pulling up at the lights, you find yourself having to brake smartly to avoid being shunted into the car in front.

On the road, the auto makes the Astra a much more pleasant companion; it shifts smoothly, and rapidly finds just the right gear whenever you need it, which is crucial given this engine has a relatively narrow power band. 

On the flat, relatively straight roads of our test route around the Rüsselsheim factory in Germany, where the Astra is built, it was hard to find opportunities to really test its handling, so we’ll have to reserve full judgement until we can drive the car in the UK. 

What we did discover was that if you hurl the Astra into a sharp bend and mash the accelerator pedal unceremoniously, it won’t tuck in neatly and make the turn as will a Ford Focus; instead, it’ll break traction quite early and push its nose wide. It’s safe, then, but not exactly game for a laugh.

However, on wider, more sweeping bends, and with more judicious use of the accelerator, the Astra found a reassuring amount of grip and the body remained pretty stable; yet while the steering was direct, its lack of feedback meant fun was still off the menu. 

Then again, fun isn’t really what Vauxhall has shot for here, and that’s OK because its target was comfort instead – and by and large, its aim was true. Granted, the Astra isn’t quite as blissfully wafty as the Octavia, but it smears along a motorway beautifully, maintaining excellent control of its body over larger undulations. 

Around town, meanwhile, it only really transmits bumps through to the interior when the road surface really goes to pieces. This is true even on the larger 18-inch wheels fitted to the Ultimate; on the 17-inch wheels of the GS Line, it’s even better. 

Finally, Vauxhall has turned out an Astra that’s more than an also-ran. Its beautifully judged interior is one of the best in the business and in estate form its large, practical boot gives it the sort of versatility to challenge buyers who might otherwise be thinking about buying a crossover SUV. What’s more, it’s comfortable, decent to drive and it’s smooth and easy to live with (as long as you go for the automatic gearbox when choosing the petrol engine). 

So it isn’t the most exciting car of its type, but that’s easy to forgive when you remember its remit: affordable, comfortable family motoring. Less forgivable is the lack of rear seat space although there’s still just about enough for the Astra to house a pair of small children without much trouble. 

It’s not quite good enough to knock the Octavia off its perch at the top of its class, then – but this is still a solid all-rounder that, all things considered, I’d probably choose in preference to the latest Golf Estate. Vauxhall’s people, it would seem, have good reason to be chipper. 

On test: Vauxhall Astra 1.2 Turbo 130 Elegance Sports Tourer auto

Body style: five-door estate (also available as a five-door hatchback)

How much? £29,910 on the road (price for GS Line equivalent; range from £25,515)

How fast? 130mph, 0-62mph in 9.9sec

How economical? 49.5mpg (WLTP Combined)

Engine & gearbox: 1,199cc three-cylinder petrol engine with 128bhp, eight-speed automatic gearbox, front-wheel drive

Maximum power/torque: 128bhp/169lb ft

CO2 emissions: 128g/km (WLTP Combined)

Spare wheel as standard: No (optional extra)

128bhp, 50.4mpg, £31,035 on the road

Despite its mild hybrid engine, this equivalent Golf can barely boast an extra mile per gallon, a saving that’ll be written off by its extra cost. Of course, the Golf should hold its value much better, but the Astra is smarter and more usable inside. Its intelligently designed boot gives it the edge on practicality, too. 

123bhp, 53.3mpg, £28,630 on the road

Ford’s mild hybrid effort is more successful than Volkswagen’s; together with its lower price that means the Focus is cheaper both to buy and to run than the Astra. It’s also much more engaging to drive, and while its boot isn’t quite as big, its well-designed folding boot floor adds some versatility. It isn’t quite as well equipped for the money as the Astra – and you’ll have to live with a cheaper, poorer-quality interior. 

148bhp, 52.1mpg, £30,545 on the road

Granted, the Octavia is a little more pricey than the Astra, but you get what you pay for: more space, more power, more comfort, better fuel efficiency and an interior that’s every bit as classy (although, thanks to that VW-mandated infotainment system, not quite as usable). It’s still the best medium-sized estate – but the latest Astra runs it surprisingly close.  

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