ASTRA MAX (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Vauxhall's eighth generation Astra Sports Tourer estate is now a cooler, more fashionable family choice. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 76

Vauxhall is hoping to increase its presence in the compact estate sector with this eighth generation Astra Sports Tourer. SUVs and MPVs might offer more interesting options for family buyers but the solid, practical virtues of a good estate are not to be under-estimated. This one's cleaner, more frugal, more practical, higher-tech and sharper to look at than before. It's a better package all-round, aided by French- derived underpinnings which also bring the option of electrification.

Backgroundword count: 234

When what you need to fit in your car just won't, you need a bigger car. Family hatchback owners confronted with this nightmare scenario have a number of options at their disposal. They could take the rugged route with a compact SUV, choose the versatility of a compact MPV or step up to a medium range saloon. Alternatively, they could turn to an extended version of the family hatchback they already have. The estate car isn't the trendiest or most exciting option but when you need a little bit more room, it does the job. Vauxhall's Astra Sports Tourer is little more than an extended Astra hatch but it could be all the car you need, especially in latest eighth generation form. Many of the leading lights in the family hatchback sector have an estate version. Focus, Golf, Peugeot 308 - the manufacturers of all these models see the value of tagging another few centimetres onto the rear of the five-door hatches to give customers the option of extra carrying capacity. Vauxhall has a history of following suit with its Astra but like its rivals, sales of Astra estates have traditionally been way down on those of the standard hatchback versions. The compact estate market looks likely to remain a niche one but with flashy Sports Tourer branding, this revitalised eighth generation Astra estate could be destined to take a bigger slice of it.

Driving Experienceword count: 362

It's refreshing to find when you set off down the road in this Vauxhall that this Astra Sports Tourer feels significantly different to the Peugeot 308 SW it's almost entirely based upon. We were hoping it might and had quite high expectations for just how good this eighth generation model might be to drive given that its predecessor was severely under-rated in this regard. True, there's not the rewarding depth of handling prowess that you'd get in this class in a Ford Focus or SEAT Leon Estate, but we reckon this Astra still qualifies as best of the rest if you like your driving, mating the fluid gait you get with its Peugeot cousin with a slightly sharper feel. That's partly down to a bit more steering feedback; and partly down to fractionally firmer damping, though this Vauxhall rumbles a little over poorer surfaces as a result. It doesn't feel as troubled by them as the old model did though, partly because of the 14% improvement in torsional stiffness this time round. As for powertrains, well almost all sales will be of the 1.2-litre petrol unit we tried, available with either 110PS or 130PS. Significantly, both are available with the manual gearbox you can't have in a Peugeot 308 SW. That car restricts you to the 8-speed auto transmission also available here, an option with the 130PS petrol Astra. Otherwise, you've to choose between the various levels of electrification that the switch to the EMP2 Stellantis Group platform has made possible here, all of course auto-only. Your starting point is the Turbo Hybrid e-DCT6 variant, which uses a 48V self-charging Hybrid unit with 136PS. Above that, there are two Plug-in Hybrid options based around a 1.6-litre petrol unit which combines with a 110hp electric motor powered by a 12.4kWh battery that can deliver an EAER-rated EV driving range of up to 42 miles. The standard PHEV system output is 180PS, but Vauxhall also offers a performance-orientated GSe variant which boosts that total to 225PS. Your other option is the full-EV Astra Electric, which has a 154hp motor powered by a 400-volt 54 kWh battery with a driving range of around 250 miles.

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