ASTRA WITH EXTRA SPARK (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

The improved version of Vauxhall's Astra Electric gets a smarter look and a slightly bigger battery. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 93

Though you might still be finding it a little hard to get used to the idea of a fully-electric Vauxhall Astra, this model's gradually gaining traction in the market as Vauxhall prices it more realistically, aided by a government grant. That sales momentum's built upon by this mid-term update, which smartens the styling and delivers a slightly larger battery to enhance range. As before, this EV shares all its engineering with its close cousin the Peugeot E-308 and, like that fellow Stellantis Group model, is available in hatch and Sports Tourer estate form.

Backgroundword count: 156

Originally launched back in 2023, the Astra Electric was Vauxhall's first all-electric family hatchback, so you could perhaps forgive an initially slightly unrealistic approach from the Griffin brand when it came to the early pricing of this EV. The marque Stellantis Group parent conglomerate wants to aim this car at private customers and switch away from the low-margin fleet sales that have sustained this manufacturer for the last few decades. But even they had to accept a more realistic pricing structure for this EV by the time of this updated model's launch in early 2026. By then, the Astra Electric was benefitting from a £1,500 government grant and with a slightly larger 58kWh battery introduced as part of this update, the sales prospects for this EV seem to be looking up. Under the skin, it continues to borrow almost everything from its Peugeot E-308 development stablemate. But shrouds all the engineering in an arguably sharper suit.

Driving Experienceword count: 281

The Astra Electric gets the most significant powertrain update made to this updated version of the eighth generation Astra. A larger 58kWh battery pack replaces the previous 54kWh unit, boosting range by 22 miles to 282 miles, which is closer to the class standard though still some way off matching it. As before, there's a front-mounted 152bhp electric motor putting out a healthy 270Nm of torque. This kind of output ought to be enough for a car of this size, but because of the plump kerb weight, the initially rapid start-off punch tails off pretty rapidly, the 62mph benchmark finally reached in just 9.2 seconds, on the way to a modest top speed of 105mph. Through the corners, you'll feel the extra weight of that big battery, but as usual in an EV, its central low-down positioning minimises the downside by lowering the centre of gravity. As in a combustion Astra, it's refreshing to find when you set off down the road in this Vauxhall that an Astra feels significantly different to the Peugeot 308 it's almost entirely based upon. With slightly more of a focus on handling than comfort. 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. On top of that, the battery installation has apparently boosted torsional rigidity by 31%, though there's more body lean through the bends than that statistic would lead you to expect. And something of a nose-led balance, suggesting that all the electric motor gubbins that have replaced the usual engine beneath the bonnet don't save this car a great deal in terms of weight.

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