The new Vauxhall Astra
The new Vauxhall Astra
It’s been a year of impressive new car releases – with showrooms flinging open their doors to usher in a steady convoy of box-fresh contenders for their best-selling spots. We’ve seen more than a few exciting launches from Vauxhall – with their all-new Viva and an invigorating refresh of the Corsa we’ve all been waiting for. But perhaps most anticipated evolution (not revolution) of all is the perennially popular Vauxhall Astra.
So what are its defining features, and how will it fit with your lifestyle?
Best known as the petite but practical bestseller that’s been ferrying families around since 1979, this stalwart hatchback has always been more about sensible credentials than racking up kudos for kerb appeal... until now. The exquisite new Astra made its runway debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, flaunting a lean, keen new profile, dazzling LED matrix headlamps and assertive design flourishes like a floating roof effect. Critics couldn’t be blamed for swooning. Perfect for: Anyone who likes to look sharp as they slide into the driver’s seat will revel in this car’s gracious good looks.
Finding the right engine is easy when you have such an extensive menu of potential powertrains to choose from. If economy is your concern, try the 1.6CDTi ecoFLEX variant – which promises a combined 88mpg with just 85g/km of CO2 emissions. There’s also a choice of manual or automatic transmissions in both petrol and diesel for those who are a little clutch-shy. Perfect for: A fully-customisable driving experience.
No one likes to feel constricted in their home-from-home, so modern family car manufacturers are eking out every last iota of space they can from their designs. The Astra is no different. Even though in size the vehicle is smaller than its predecessors, Vauxhall has wielded the full heft of its design faculties in order to increase both interior legroom and boot space. The result? A stretch-inducing interior with a lavish 370-litre boot space. Perfect for: The school run, carting about buggies and shopping bags, long legs and longer journeys.
Vauxhall has fully embraced the latest and greatest in safety technology available – as well as developing some of its own. Accordingly, you’ll find the on-board kit to be impressively future-focused. The Astra’s OnStar road assistance is a reassuring new system that will contact emergency services if a collision is detected and the driver is unresponsive with exact location details. A number of debut features designed to protect occupants also includes lane keep assist, forward collision alert and traffic sign assist. There’s plenty of fun stuff, too, with exceptional connectivity including a 4G mobile hotspot and Intellilink system that’s compatible with both Android and iOS devices. Perfect for: Peace of mind journeys, keeping the kids and passengers occupied, nifty navigation.
The all-new Vauxhall Astra is poised to launch this November. Let us know in the comments area if you have any questions we can answer about the Vauxhall range at Arnold Clark.
