New Car detail

Vauxhall’s Astra has come in for a few tweaks to keep it honest. Andy Enright reports

If ever ailing motor manufacturers needed a case study in how to turn a model around, they could do a lot worse than look at how General Motors developed the Astra. This model was once the very acme of mediocrity, its dullness thrown into sharp relief by the brilliance of the Ford Focus. It became fashionable to laugh at Vauxhall’s parochial, homespun efforts. That seems a long time ago now. These days, the Astra is right on the money and the current model range brings with it a host of improvements to put rivals on the back foot.

The biggest changes come under the bonnets with two rather special 1.6-litre petrol engines, one tepid, the other distinctly spicy. At the lower reaches of the Astra line-up comes the 1.6-litre TWINPORT engine. Those stricken with a cloying sense of déjà vu are right in thinking that just such an engine already existed in the Vauxhall price lists. This time round though, the engine gets a series of detail improvements that lift its peak power from 104bhp to 114bhp. That would be enough to satisfy most buyers but at the same time, this unit (which finds its way into Sport Hatch, five door, TwinTop and estate variants of the Astra) also cleans up its act a little. Carbon dioxide emissions go down from 158g/km to 156g/km on Sport Hatches and five doors and from 166g/km to 158g/km on estates. Whilst it doesn’t sound much, it’s enough to save around £109 per year on company car benefit in kind taxation. That’s worth putting in your back pocket. As expected, this engine is quicker too, getting to 60mph in 10.9 seconds and hitting a top speed of 119mph (compared to 11.5 seconds and 115mph for its predecessor). What’s perhaps a little more of a surprise is that it’s also more economical, managing a combined fuel consumption of 43.5mpg, fully four per cent better than before. While this seems an impressive engine, imagine what it would be like with a turbocharger fitted. That’s the premise behind the 178bhp 1.6 turbo unit, a powerplant that replaces the 170bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine.

"The tale of the tape shows the Astra is one of the biggest cars in its class"

Offered in Sport Hatch, five door and estate models, this unit cranks out fully 230Nm of torque and will punt a five-door hatch to 60mph in just 7.8 seconds with a top speed of 137mph. That’s not hanging around. In a recurrent theme, it’s also cleaner and more economical, dropping CO2 emissions from 216 to 185g/km and bettering the 2.0-litre’s fuel economy, managing 36.7mpg (a 16 per cent improvement). As well as introducing these two engines, Vauxhall has tweaked the Astra’s cosmetics a little, with sharper-looking front and rear lights, a revised front bumper, more chrome splashed about the grille and the choice of piano black or matt chrome interior finishing. Sport Hatch models also get a honeycomb front grille. Two key criteria were identified early on in the Astra design process. Firstly, the car had to pass what General Motors executives refer to as the shop window test. That is, owners had to be so enamoured of the Astra’s lines that they couldn’t help but sneak a look at its reflection in a plate glass window. As good as its predecessor was, only the coupe and convertible models would ever have scored a pass there. The other examination the Astra was tasked with was the ‘100 yard’ test. A large percentage of the buying decision comes about in the first 100 yards of any given test drive and the Astra had to make the driver feel instantly at home and comfortable with the controls, impressing through sheer ease of use. Take note, BMW. One thing that Vauxhall trust will be immediately apparent is the Astra’s ride quality courtesy of an advanced suspension system. It’s the first car in its class to feature Continuous Damping Control (CDC), electronically controlled shock absorbers that continuously adapt to the road surface and the driver’s style. It’s all part of what Vauxhall dub the Astra’s ‘Interactive Driving System’ (IDS) that can integrate all of the electronic functions in a way that’s a good deal cleverer that you might think. For example, the ESP stability control system now beefs up the damper forces first before applying the brakes to the front wheels during extreme cornering manoeuvres making for a more sensitive and less intrusive intervention. Upspec models also feature a ‘Sport’ button so that the suspension settings, accelerator and steering response can easily be adapted to the mood of a driver. It’s something we’ve become used to on premium sports cars but not on a family hatchback. Despite all of these high tech touches, the Astra still uses a relatively simple beam axle at the back instead of the sophisticated multi-link layouts used by Volkswagen and Ford. GM executives contend that this system provides good handling while transmitting less noise into the cabin and its compact design helps maximise interior space. The total engine line up consists of the usual wide selection of powerplants. It kicks off with an 85bhp 1.4-litre petrol unit, alongside that punchy 114bhp 1.6-litre and the familiar 125bhp 1.8-litre engine. The 178bhp 1.6 turbo is also offered for sportier versions and there’s a 240bhp unit that powers the mighty VXR. Like the latest 1.6, the entry-level 1.4-litre engines uses the same TWINPORT technology in which one of the two exhaust outlets is closed down at low revs to boost torque and improve fuel economy. Four diesel engines are available, a 90bhp 1.3, a 1.7-litre unit with 100bhp and 120bhp or beefy 150bhp versions of a 1.9-litre powerplant that was developed by Fiat. Future developments are rumoured to include a version of the dual-clutch DSG gearbox and even a continuously variable transmission option to supplement the available five and six speed manual boxes, the four speed auto and the Easytronic clutchless manual system. A five door hatch and an estate are on offer alongside a three door Sport Hatch version and the TwinTop coupe-cabriolet variant. The Astra has come a long way. If it was marketed as well as it’s built, it would probably sit at the top of the sales charts. As with any recovering franchise, there is some lag between the product and the public perception.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Vauxhall Astra range PRICES: £11,560-£19,185 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-14 CO2 EMISSIONS: 132–218g/km PERFORMANCE: [120bhp CDTi ECOTEC] Max Speed 118mph / 0-60mph 9.8s FUEL CONSUMPTION: [120bhp CDTi ECOTEC 5-door hatch] (combined) 48mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags / ABS WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [5-door hatch] Length/width/heightmm 4249/2030/1460mm