Vauxhall Astra Review 2024

The Vauxhall Astra is bored of living in the shadows of rival family hatchbacks like the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf. The last model was actually a very good car, but its bland looks and uninspiring interior meant it failed to grab the attention of anyone other than bargain hunters and rental fleets.

The new Vauxhall Astra is very, very different to its predecessor. It's the first Astra developed under the watch of Vauxhall's new owners Stellantis, which means it's based on the same architecture as the Peugeot 308, DS 4 and Citroen C5 Aircross.

In order to differentiate the Vauxhall from its French siblings, the new Astra takes a more value-led approach. It's priced competitively, with list prices starting from around £23,000, and there are just three trim levels to choose from.

Even the entry-level Vauxhall Astra Design is pretty well kitted out. Some will think it's a bit underwheeled on 16-inch alloys (we'll come onto the ride comfort advantage below), but there's very little missing from the interior. A 10-inch navigation system and 10-inch digital instrument cluster are standard, as well as front/rear parking sensors and cruise control.

Most buyers are expected to opt for a Vauxhall Astra GS Line. This mid-spec model adds 17-inch alloy wheels, a 360-degree camera and heated seats, not to mention a heated steering wheel and adaptive cruise control. Topping the range is the Vauxhall Astra Ultimate, which looks flashy with its 18-inch diamond-cut alloys and adaptive LED pixel headlights, while it also features a panoramic sunroof, Alcantara seats and numerous driver-assist features.

The interior isn't as plush as it could be, but even the latest Volkswagen Golf is a bit disappointing in that regard. It's functional, though, and the twin displays running across the dashboard mean it feels very 2022. You can even yell 'Hey Vauxhall' commands at it, but we reckon most buyers will be better just using the standard-fit Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

It's sufficiently practical for a family car of this size, but you might want to wait for the Vauxhall Astra Touring Sports estate if you regularly carry a lot of luggage. The hatchback's 367-litre boot will be enough for the weekly shop, but it's not going to swallow up as much as you'd get in a Skoda Octavia.

Another USP of the Vauxhall Astra is its extensive engine line-up. The majority will be powered by a punchy little 1.2-litre petrol, while a 1.5-litre diesel is expected to sell in tiny numbers. There's even a plug-in hybrid – two, in fact, combining 1.6-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and 12.4kWh battery pack. The Astra e-Hybrid, as it's badged, is capable of covering up to 43 miles on electric power alone.

The Vauxhall Astra goes around corners, comes to a stop and does all the things you'd expect a white goods car like this to do with little in the way of effort. The fact that it doesn't feel quite as agile as a Ford Focus is pretty irrelevant, really – the steering's light and there's plenty of driver-assistance tech to make your life easier (including a 360-degree camera on GS Line and Ultimate models).

The smooth Portuguese roads we've sampled the Astra on so far aren't quite a match for the UK's broken tarmac, but it seems to ride very well indeed. That's almost a given, since its chassis is the same as you'll find underneath uber comfortable cars like the Citroen C5 Aircross. The Astra e-Hybrid is the firmest of the bunch, but it has got a heavy battery back to lug around.

The big seller in the Astra line-up will be the 1.2-litre petrol. This is available with 110PS in entry-level form but we'd recommend looking for one with the 130PS unit. It's a likeable little three-cylinder engine, much like the ones you'd find in a SEAT Leon or Kia Ceed. Despite its diminutive size, it's perfectly up to the job of accelerating up a motorway slip road, only becoming vocal during the upper echelons of the rev range.

Vauxhall offers this petrol unit with a six-speed manual or eight speed automatic gearbox; we'd go for the latter unless you really must change gears yourself. The manual gearchange isn't as sweet as you'd get in a Mazda 3 or Ford Focus, while we found the gear stick slightly awkwardly positioned in our left-hand-drive test car. Maybe we're just out of practice.

If you're a company car driver looking to save money in tax, or maybe a private buyer who wants to go green but isn't ready to switch to a pure-EV, Vauxhall is offering two plug-in hybrid versions of the new Astra. Both combine a 1.6-litre petrol with an electric motor to provide a zero-emissions range of up to 43 miles.

There's also a 1.5-litre diesel. While diesel used to be the mainstay of the Vauxhall Astra range, now it's a niche offering that we suspect will be quietly removed from price lists sooner or later. If you cover a lot of miles and rarely use your car for short journeys, get one while you can.

The new Vauxhall Astra is yet to be crashed into a brick wall by the experts at Euro NCAP, but we'd be surprised if it was awarded anything less than five stars. All models come with a multifunction camera on the widescreen, powering things like the autonomous emergency braking system, active lane positioning and adaptive cruise control.

The more you spend on a new Astra, the more technology it gets. The mid-level Astra GS-Line comes with a forward-collision alert system which works at all speeds (the same feature on entry-level cars is limited to urban speeds), while the top-spec Astra Ultimate comes with a rear cross traffic alert feature as well as lane change assist and blind spot alert.

If you like big boots and you cannot lie, the Vauxhall Astra probably isn't the car for you. Its 367-litre luggage capacity is perfectly competitive, but you'd be much better looking at an SUV like the Vauxhall Grandland if you're looking for a new family car.

It's worth noting that luggage space drops to 305 litres on hybrid models (the batteries have to go somewhere). You can always drop the seats if you need more room, though, and there's an estate model (badged the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer) on its way.

Space for rear-seat passengers is only just acceptable, too. Adults will feel a little cramped in there, and don't even attempt to squeeze three people side-by-side unless you really have to.

At least there's loads of room in the front, while visibility is pretty good. There's the usual storage areas, too, including a useful cubby within the central armrest and two generously large cupholders in the centre console.

While the Vauxhall Astra's cabin looks a bit more interesting than it used to, it certainly couldn't be described as plush. Some of the buttons feel a bit flimsy, while the door cards are pretty firm to touch. It's not offensively plasticky in there, and it'll probably stand the test of time, but look elsewhere if you want soft-touch materials and premium finishes.

All Vauxhall Astra models come with a twin-screen setup comprising of a 10-inch digital instrument cluster and 10-inch navigation system. Neither of them have the sharpest graphics, but the infotainment is easy to navigate and you can wirelessly connect your phone to use Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

If voice-activated personal assistants are your thing, the new Astra comes with a voice control system that's triggered by saying 'hey Vauxhall'. As well as controlling the infotainment, you can use this to perform tasks like turning the heated seats on or the heated steering wheel. We think it's a bit gimmicky, like every other voice-activated personal assistant used in cars.

What isn't gimmicky is the conventional buttons for operating the climate control. They're much better than having to navigate the infotainment to adjust the temperature of the climate control, and there's even a useful ledge for resting your fingers on. It's a small thing but one that makes a difference day-to-day.

From launch, prices start from £23,275 for a new Vauxhall Astra Design. The Vauxhall Astra GS Line is priced from £26,170, while the top-spec Astra Ultimate starts at £29,285.

That's pretty much in-line with the competition, but no one pays list price for a Vauxhall Astra. Already, we're seeing some tempting pre-reg deals emerge (something that's unheard of in the current used car market), with as-new examples advertised with solid four-figure discounts.

If you buy a plug-in hybrid Vauxhall Astra Hybrid-e, it'll travel up to 43 miles on electric power alone before the petrol engine grumbles into life (not that it grumbles much). If you can charge it at home, you'll pay around £2 for a full top up of electricity, meaning you could save a surprising amount in fuel costs on short journeys. Once the battery's flat, it'll be rather less efficient, so bear this in mind if you're planning to use the e-Hybrid for regular long journeys.

The diesel is a better choice if you cover a lot of miles, officially capable of up to 64.2mpg according to WLTP tests. Don't buy a diesel Astra if you cover a lot of short journeys, though – it won't be at its most efficient driven in this way.

The 1.2-litre petrol isn't going to break the bank and will suit a lot of buyers. It officially returns up to 51.3mpg, dropping to 50.4mpg with the auto gearbox.

Fuel costs aside, running costs for the new Vauxhall Astra should be low. It'll be £155/year in tax, or £145/year for the hybrid. If you want free VED, wait for the electric Vauxhall Astra-e.

Standard equipment on the Vauxhall Astra Design includes 16-inch alloy wheels, a 10-inch navigation system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), a 10-inch digital instrument cluster and a whole host of safety kit. This includes lane departure warning with lane keep assist, speed sign recognition, driver drowsiness alert, forward collision alert (low speed), automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and cruise control with intelligent speed adaption. Front and rear parking sensors are standard too, as well as keyless start, an electronic parking brake and LED headlights/tail lights.

The Vauxhall Astra GS Line adds 17-inch black alloy wheels, black exterior highlights, forward collision alert (all speeds) and a 360-degree parking camera. It also gets adaptive cruise control, keyless entry/start, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats and dual-zone electronic climate control.

Topping the range, the Vauxhall Astra Ultimate comes with 18-inch grey diamond-cut alloy wheels, adaptive LED pixel headlights, a head-up display and a wireless phone charger. There's lane change assist, blind spot alert, lane positioning assist and rear cross traffic alert. Finally, the Vauxhall Astra Ultimate comes with Alcantara interior seat trim.