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Vauxhall Astra - WATCH VIDEO
 | | Vauxhall Astra |
IF you only had one word to describe the all-new Vauxhall Astra, it would have to be "stylish".
Its teardrop profile, delicate curves and silky lines ooze class and bestow a genuine premium feel on this car. It might have the kind of fluid lines which wouldn't disgrace master Italian car stylist Pininfarina but this is a rare car - made in Britain and damn good looking.
The transformation from rather angular mark five model to the catwalk looks of the latest car echo the visual leap made by Vauxhall in the early 1980s - when the first generation Astra was replaced by the wind-tunnel sculpted lines of the second hatchback to wear the badge.
The new Astra owes it good looks to 600 hours in the wind tunnel at the early design stage, which Vauxhall says has also boosted performance, economy and refinement.
At 4.42 metres in length the Astra is a 17 centimetres longer than its predecessor, which pays dividends when it comes to interior space. So despite its sloping roofline the Astra's back seat is a pleasant place to be - with good legroom, headroom and reasonable room for three adults.
The Astra now challenges the Volkswagen Golf thanks to high quality plastics and a well-designed dashboard which keeps all buttons within an eye's glance of the driver - an area where previous generation Vauxhalls were often found wanting. The flowing dashboard's lines continue across onto the front doors and the interior arm rests - and looks sublime.
There's plenty of storage spaces too but the 370-litre boot falls short of main rival the Ford Focus. It does however come with a Vauxhall's patented FlexFloor which allows the owner to adjust the boot floor - either having more underfloor storage, a bigger boot or a mixture of the two.
Vauxhall model ranges are traditionally vast - with a wide range of engine and trim options. The new Astra is no different - but from launch it's only available as a five-door hatchback, so estate, coupe and convertible fans will have to wait to see if their desires are satisfied.
The firm is downsizing many of its engines while keeping power levels the same - the 1.8 litre petrol engine used in the previous generation has been dropped in favour of a new turbocharged 1.4 powerplant which produces the same 138bhp but significantly lower emissions.
Diesels are, of course, present and correct and the test car's 1.7 CDTi, available in 108bhp or 123bhp versions and linked to a six-speed gearbox, delivers a torquey, refined drive while potentially returning over 60mpg if driven steadily.
Offered as an option on most models in the range is Vauxhall's FlexRide system which allows the driver to alter the car's suspension settings to suit road conditions or the driver's mood. Sport stiffens the dampers and sharpens the steering and throttle response; Tour relaxes the dampers for a more relaxing ride; while the Standard setting adapts automatically to differing road conditions.
But this is where the new Astra disappoints. Despite being specifically for British roads and drivers and boasting bespoke UK steering settings, the new Astra feels uninspiring from behind the wheel.
OK, it soaks up the bumps well enough and comes to a halt quickly, but even in Sport mode the steering lacks feel and the Astra will sorely disappoint keener drivers.
The "Watt's link" used to prevent lateral movement in the rear suspension - an invention by James Watt, would you believe, in the late 1700s - has certainly improved the Astra's dynamics but the car simply feels competent never exciting, never thrilling and never the sort of hatchback you take for a drive just for the sake of it.
And worryingly for Vauxhall is that the same can't be said of the VW or Ford.
Prices start at £15,675 for the well equipped 1.4-litre, 85bhp Exclusive model and rise to £23,695 for the 2.0CDTi 157bhp Elite automatic.
So if great looks and excellent build quality and a real leap up in class are enough for you then the new Astra is a hatchback well worth considering.
As a driver's car though it falls a little short of the mark - and that's a crying shame for such a damn pretty car. - Neil Greenfield
Vauxhall Astra 1.7 CDTi Design - from £19,900
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