The Vauxhall Astra has long been a go-to choice for families wanting value-for-money motoring, and that's made it a big seller over the four decades it's been around.
In the hope of continuing that success, Vauxhall has given this new eighth-generation Astra sharper looks, electrified engine options and up-to-date tech to help it compete with rivals. By "electrified engine options", we don't just mean the Vauxhall Astra Electric (which we've reviewed separately) – there are also two plug-in hybrids and a mild-hybrid.
Previous generations of Astra have offered lots of kit for a competitive price, but the model never really shone in any one area. So does the latest version – which is closely related to the latest Peugeot 308 – have what it takes to mix it with the best family cars?
Read on to find out how we rate the Vauxhall Astra against rivals including the great-to-drive Ford Focus and Seat Leon and the smartly kitted out Mazda 3 and VW Golf.
RRP £29,865
Vauxhall Astra 1.2 Turbo 130 GS 5dr review What Car? Target Price Save at least £4,318There are five engine options for the Vauxhall Astra: two petrols, a mild-hybrid petrol and two petrol plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).
When it comes to the regular petrols, we’d avoid the entry-level 1.2-litre 110 and go straight for the 130, which has plenty of grunt from low revs for town driving. That said, it runs out of steam a bit during overtaking, and when we timed one at our private test track, the 0-60mph sprint took an underwhelming 9.5 seconds (more than a second slower than a Seat Leon 1.5 TSI Evo).
We’ve yet to drive the 134bhp 1.2-litre with mild-hybrid tech but we suspect it will feel noticeably punchier than the non-hybrid engines.
The Astra Plug-in Hybrid-e 180 combines a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor to deliver 178bhp and a 0-62mph time of 7.7 seconds. Its performance is more than brisk enough for most, and makes the "sporty" 222bhp GSe – which shaves just 0.2 seconds off the 0-62mph time – look a bit unnecessary.
The two PHEV Astras have an official electric-only range of around 42 miles, which is competitive with the Seat Leon e-Hybrid's.
If you value comfort more than fun on a country road, the Astra is a good fit. It rides well over most road surfaces and the suspension soaking up bumps well. It’s forgiving enough at low speeds to cushion you over speed bumps, yet there’s enough body control to prevent it wallowing about on undulating roads.
