The Vauxhall Astra has been given a mid-life refresh, with a raft of new engines, minor styling tweaks and eco-focused changes.
Having been around since 2015, the Astra is very much due for an update. It currently holds an Expert Rating of 74% in The Car Expert’s unique New Car Ratings aggregator, which compiles reviews from across the top UK motoring media sources. this is about average for the class, but falls well behind the class leaders like the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus.
Vauxhall will also be hoping that the updated Astra hatchback and estate can grab the attention of car buyers, as sales have been sliding for a while now, and the Astra has fallen out of the Top Ten best-seller list this year.
Many of the changes transition the popular hatchback away from old GM parts. The French firm hasn’t been able to swap its own engines directly into the Astra, so it gets its own bespoke range of petrol and diesel powerplants.
A 1.2-litre petrol engine is available with 110, 130 or 145hp, each with a six-speed manual gearbox and expected to achieve between 51.4 and 54.3mpg. A 145hp 1.4-litre with a CVT automatic is also offered, promising 47.9 to 49.6mpg.
A 1.5-litre diesel is also available in 105 and 120hp outputs. Both get a six-speed manual, while the more powerful version also gets a nine-speed automatic option. The manual is said to return 60.1 to 64.2mpg, while the automatic is able to achieve 53.3 to 57.6mpg.
The new engines have combined with extensive work to reduce the amount of drag created by the Astra to see fuel consumption and CO2 emissions reduced by 19% compared with the outgoing model.
On-board technology has also been upgraded with a higher resolution front and rear camera, a new infotainment system and a connected navigation system that can update with real-time traffic information.
The updated Vauxhall Astra goes on sale next month, with the first customers due to receive their cars in November. Prices haven’t been revealed but expect a small increase over the current car’s £18,905 starting price.
