Vauxhall Astra review

2022 Vauxhall Astra hatchback

We road test the all-new Vauxhall Astra hatchback – is it as good to drive as it looks?

When the Vauxhall brand was bought in 2017 it was the best thing that could have happened to the UK’s oldest surviving car brand.

Cynics thought it would be left to wither on the vine while PSA focused on Peugeot and Citroen.

Again in 2021, many thought the worst when PSA merged with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), joining yet more brands including Fiat, Jeep and Alfa Romeo.

The reality is that new ownership has led to a renaissance for Vauxhall. Just look at the latest Corsa and Mokka – the first fruits of the merger. The supermini, which is available with petrol, diesel and pure electric powertrains, was the UK’s biggest selling new car of 2021, and is leading the way again in 2022.

2022 Vauxhall Astra hatchback

The eighth-generation Astra hatchback (it will be joined by a handsome Sports Tourer variant later this year) is a step-up from its dull, but worthy predecessor.

Initially offered as a petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid (PHEV), a 100% electric version will join the range in 2023.

If a car could jump straight to the top of the class purely based on looks, then the Astra would be a contender.

With a striking new design, it’s a car transformed. Slighter larger than the outgoing model, it has a sporty stance and Vauxhall’s ‘Vizor’ front end design works especially well.

2022 Vauxhall Astra hatchback

It’s also available in some eye-catching colours, including Electric Yellow and Cobalt Blue.

Competitively priced from £24,315, there are three trim levels – Design, GS Line and Ultimate.

You get 16-inch alloys wheels as standard with Design, plus a 10-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, LED headlights, cruise control and keyless start.

GS Line brings 17-inch black alloys, along with adaptive cruise control, dual-zone climate and heated front seats and steering wheel.

2022 Vauxhall Astra hatchback

Top of the range is Ultimate adds 18-inch grey alloys, Vauxhall’s new ‘IntelliLux’ LED headlights, a head-up display and Alcantara seat trim.

Under the bonnet there’s a choice of two 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol turbo engines (109bhp or 128bhp), the more powerful of which gives you the option of an automatic gearbox. There’s also a 1.5-litre diesel, which produces 128bhp.

The higher output petrol is the fastest with a 0-60mph of 9.7 seconds, while the diesel is the most frugal (up to 62.9mpg) and has the lowest CO2 emissions (as low as 118g/km).

However, if you can afford the range-topping Hybrid-e, it mates a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (148bhp) to an electric motor, giving a combined output 178bhp.

2022 Vauxhall Astra hatchback

A 12.4kWh lithium ion battery supplies an EV range of up to 43 miles and can be charged in less than two hours courtesy of a 7.4kW home charger.

In theory, economy could be as high as 256mpg, while CO2 emissions are a low as 24g/km.

As ever with any PHEV, it works most efficiently if the battery is kept charged up.

The big takeaway is that if your daily commute is around the 25-mile mark (in line with the UK average) and you can charge overnight at home, you’ll save a stack of money on fuel and your visits to the petrol station could be few and far between.

2022 Vauxhall Astra hatchback

It’s no slouch either, with a 0-60mph time of 7.7 seconds and a top speed of 140mph (up to 88mph in electric mode).

We tested the PHEV, plus the 1.2 (128bhp) petrol, which in mid-spec GS Line is expected to be the biggest seller.

The first thing you notice inside is that it’s spacious and uncluttered up front with the slick new infotainment set-up. Thankfully there are still some short-cut buttons below the centre touchscreen, so accessing the heating, for instance, doesn’t involve flicking through a menu.

The interior is well enough put together, but the Astra won’t be troubling premium opposition when it comes to the quality of materials used (there are very few soft-touch surfaces for one), then there’s the amount of road and wind noise that makes its way into the cabin at higher speeds. That said, the seats are surprisingly comfortable and it’s easy to find a good driving position.

2022 Vauxhall Astra hatchback

It’s a little tight for larger passengers in the rear, while the boot (422 litres) is around 40 litres more than the Volkswagen Golf, Seat Leon and Ford Focus. However, the PHEV version has a smaller 352-litre boot because of the battery storage under the floor of the car.

With the split-folding rear seats down, the hatchback offers 1,339 litres of total space, compared to the hybrid’s 1,268 litres.

On the road, the 1.2-litre engine is thrummy if pushed, but punchy enough for everyday use and settles down nicely at motorway speeds. However, more spirited drivers will have to work it fairly hard to make rapid progress.

That said, it rides well, there’s good grip and the steering is light and responsive. Driven sensibly it will reward you with fuel economy as high as 50mpg.

We’d advise sampling both the six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic gearbox. The manual has a long throw and isn’t the slickest.

2022 Vauxhall Astra hatchback

If you can afford it, the PHEV offers more performance, refinement and potentially hugely reduced running costs.

It’s a little heavier than its petrol-only sibling, thanks to the battery pack and electric motor, so the set-up is a little stiffer, but it feels settled and progress is generally smoother.

The switch from petrol to hybrid and vice versa is almost seamless, while body control in more challenging corners is well controlled in both versions.

The Vauxhall Astra is one of the UK’s most popular cars with a success story stretching back to 1979. The Mk8 is a big improvement and the best yet, even if it’s not top of the class for driver engagement.

Its formidable list of rivals includes the Ford Focus, Mazda3, Kia Ceed, Seat Leon, Toyota Corolla, Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Golf. Oh, and not forgetting it’s French cousin, the new Peugeot 308 (both cars share the same platform).

Verdict: The all-new Vauxhall Astra is one of the most stylish and capable hatchbacks on the market. Competitively priced, comfortable and cheap to run, it handles well and is another winner for the reinvigorated Vauxhall brand.

Vauxhall UK

Vauxhall Corsa leading the charge

Gareth Herincx

23 hours ago
Auto News

Vauxhall-Corsa-e

The Vauxhall Corsa was the best-selling car in the UK during May, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

The supermini, which is available with petrol and diesel engines, plus an all-electric powertrain, is also the most popular car this year so far with a total of 17,198 registrations, closely followed by the Ford Puma (15,426).

However, May represented yet another month of decline for new car registrations, falling by 20.6% to 124,394 units, thanks mainly to the shortage of computer chips which is affecting vehicle production globally.

On the plus side, sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs or EVs) rose by 17.7%, representing one in eight new cars joining the road last month.

Top 10 best-selling cars (May 2022)

Vauxhall Corsa – 4,399
Ford Puma – 3,580
Ford Kuga – 3,379
Volkswagen Golf – 2,623
Mini – 2,538
Nissan Qashqai – 2,261
Kia Sportage – 2,260
Kia Niro – 2,258
Volkswagen Polo – 2,118
Hyundai Tucson – 2,094

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Last Vauxhall Astra rolls off line at Ellesmere Port

Gareth Herincx

2 days ago
Auto News

The final British-built Vauxhall Astra has rolled off the production line at Ellesmere Port, ending a run that has seen more than four million models produced since 1981.

From early 2023, the Cheshire plant will produce the Vauxhall Combo-e and its sibling electric vans, the Citroën ë-Berlingo and Peugeot e-Partner – part of Vauxhall’s commitment to switch to selling only EVs from 2028.

The last Vauxhall built was an Astra Sport Tourer SRi Nav in red with manual transmission. The all-new Astra will now be built at Opel’s Rüsselsheim site in Germany.

“Over the last 60 years, Ellesmere Port has become one of the great British car plants, producing some of the most popular cars on the roads across generations,” said Paul Willcox, managing director of Vauxhall and senior vice-president at Stellantis.

“With one era closing, we’re now looking forward to an all-new electric era at Ellesmere, with the site becoming the first Stellantis plant to produce solely electric vehicles.

“Vauxhall is fast moving towards an electric future and I’m pleased to see the next-generation of Vauxhall electric vehicles made in Britain.”

Ellesmere Port opened in 1962 and over the years has built small/medium Vauxhall/Opel vehicles, beginning with the Vauxhall Viva. In all, some 5.2 million vehicles have rolled off the production line.

Vauxhall’s parent company, Stellantis, has invested £100 million into the site to support its transformation into the first of the firm’s plants to only produce EVs.

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Vauxhall Grandland review

Vauxhall Grandland review

Launched in 2018, the Vauxhall Grandland X was never the most scintillating SUV on the market, but it sold well. More than 70,000 found homes in the UK, along with some 300,000 in Europe.

So-called C-SUVs are the biggest single sector in the UK, accounting for one-in-six of all new vehicles sold. Popular rivals include the Kia Sportage, Ford Kuga, Nissan Qashqai and Peugeot 3008.

For 2022, Vauxhall has treated the Grandland X to a facelift. For starters, the “heavily revised” model loses it ‘X’ and is now just a “Grandland”.

More importantly, Vauxhall has managed to transform a plain crossover into something with genuine kerb appeal thanks to design cues taken from its smaller sibling, the Mokka.

Vauxhall Grandland review

Most notably, the introduction of the brand’s bold new face – the distinctive ‘Vizor’ front end, already seen in the Mokka and also an essential styling element of the upcoming all-new Astra.

Featuring a single smooth panel that runs between the smart new adaptive IntelliLux LED Pixel Light headlights, it houses the new Griffin logo, sensors and radar for the driver assistance technologies and gives the car a cleaner, more modern image.

The rear LED lights feature a ‘double wing’ design inside a smoke-coloured rear lamp cluster. Other changes include black door mirror caps and a roof spoiler, while some models get a black roof and high gloss roof rails.

The interior has also been extensively reworked too, with a dashboard built around Vauxhall’s twin-screen Pure Panel, which includes a driver’s digital instrument display and an infotainment screen. It’s not flash, but it’s attractive, while the cabin is generally well put together and boasts soft touch surfaces high up.

Vauxhall Grandland review

Depending on which of the three trims you choose (Design, GS Line and Ultimate), the digital instrument cluster is available with either 7.0-inch or 12-inch displays, while the central touchscreen comes in 7.0-inch or 10-inch sizes.

Elsewhere, there are comfortable new seats up front, and the extensive suite of safety and driver assistance features available include new ‘Night Vision’ technology, which uses infra-red cameras to highlight pedestrians and animals in the digital instrument display, and is available in a Vauxhall for the first time.

There’s also Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), cruise control, speed sign recognition, active lane keeping, driver drowsiness alert and Advanced Park Assist with a 360-degree panoramic camera.

Priced from £25,810 to £37,375, the new Grandland is available with conventional petrol and diesel engines, plus a plug-in hybrid (Hybrid-e) with an electric-only range of up to 39 miles, making it capable of tackling a typical day’s driving for most UK motorists.

Vauxhall Grandland review

The 1.2-litre petrol develops 128bhp with CO2 emissions as low as 139g/km. Emissions for the 1.5-litre diesel (also 128bhp) are 133g/km, while the PHEV (a 177bhp 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine and 109bhp electric motor combining to produce 223bhp) emits just 31 g/km of CO2.

In theory the Hybrid-e is capable of up to 192mpg (depending on whether it’s kept fully charged and the length of journey), while the diesel can manage up to 54.3mpg and the petrol 45.6mpg.

The PHEV is the fastest of the trio (0-60mph in 8.9 seconds), with the petrol at 10.3s and diesel, 12.3s.

We tested the petrol and plug-in hybrid versions of the new Grandland, the former powered by the efficient three-cylinder 1.2-litre unit also used widely across the Peugeot and Citroen ranges.

Interestingly, because Vauxhall is part of the same group as the French brands (Stellantis) , the Grandland shares the same underpinnings as the Peugeot 3008 and Citroen C5 Aircross SUVs.

Anyway, the petrol engine is punchy and smooth, delivering more power than its small capacity might suggest, and the official fuel economy is realistic in everyday driving.

From initial orders, it looks like the PHEV variant will account for around 25% of Grandland sales.

The overall driving experience for both versions is comfortable and surprisingly refined. It feels substantial and composed on the road, and manages to stay admirably flat in faster, more challenging corners. If anything, the petrol version is slightly more nimble.

Vauxhall Grandland review

There’s a high driving position and visibility is good, while the light steering means its suited to city driving too. The PHEV is even better because it can run silently with zero emissions.

Obviously there’s more power on tap in the Hybrid-e, though it does feel slightly heavier thanks to the addition of its 13.2kWh lithium-ion battery and electric motor.

The eight-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly and there are three drive modes on offer: Hybrid, Sport and Electric.

Hybrid is the default mode and is the best of both worlds, optimising fuel efficiency and driving performance, and the switch between petrol and electric power is almost seamless. Sport delivers maximum power from the petrol and electric motors, while Electric switches to near-silent EV mode.

Vauxhall Grandland review

Naturally, there’s also brake regeneration – a system that recharges the battery by harvesting power otherwise wasted during deceleration, though the effect is subtle.

Like all PHEVs, it operates most efficiently if charged at home overnight. For the record, 0-100% charge times range from 5h 45m from a domestic 3-pin to 1hr 45m from a 7.4 kW home/public chargepoint.

The revised infotainment system is a definite improvement over the outgoing Grandland X. It’s functional and logically laid out, though the centre touchscreen could be bigger and the display is not the clearest or brighter on the market. On the plus side, it does feature short-cut buttons below the screen.

There’s plenty of space for adults front and back, while the luggage capacity ranges between 514 and 1,642 litres on the petrol and diesel versions, and 390 litres/1,528 litres for the plug-in.

Vauxhall Grandland review

So, the Grandland is much improved, and while it isn’t best-in-class, it offers great value for money, with prices starting lower than the outgoing Grandland X range.

The entry-level petrol and diesel powered cars deliver decent fuel economy, but it’s the plug-in hybrid that could offer the most savings, not just for low mileage private owners, but on the fleet side too.

The Grandland Hybrid-e falls into the 11% Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) band during the 2021-22 financial year (rising to 12% in 2022-23), representing a significant saving for business users.

Verdict: Vauxhall has worked wonders with the Grandland, transforming it from a worthy crossover into a distinctive, comfortable and practical no-nonsense family SUV that delivers great value for money.

Vauxhall Motors

Vauxhall Mokka-e review

Vauxhall Mokka-e review

What are your key considerations when choosing a new car – practicality, running costs, connectivity or safety?

The reality is that looks tend to trump all of the above, which is why kerb appeal is so crucial.

Now, they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I’d argue that the all-new Mokka is the coolest looking Vauxhall ever.

Vauxhall Mokka-e review

Putting aside the argument that Vauxhall’s DNA isn’t what is, because it’s now owned by the giant Stellantis group which was formed from the merger of France’s Groupe PSA (Peugeot, Citroen) and FCA (Fiat, Jeep etc), the Mokka urban crossover is a stand-out vehicle.

Battling it out against the likes of the big-selling Nissan Juke and Renault Captur, the good news for the Mokka is that it has an ace up its sleeve – it’s available with a choice of petrol and diesel engines, plus a 100% electric variant.

Our focus is on the latter – the Vauxhall Mokka-e – which is competitively priced from £30,540 (after the £2,500 PiCG, or plug-in car grant) and boasts a decent 201-mile electric range.

Vauxhall Mokka-e review

Sharing the same underpinnings as the Citroen e-C4, Peugeot e-2008 and DS 3 Crossback E-Tense (which is no bad thing), it looks like no other car on the road.

In a nutshell, the second-generation Mokka is radical compared to its dumpy predecessor. Slightly shorter, it has smaller front and rear overhangs and a more athletic stance.

It also features the bold new brand ‘face’ of Vauxhall (known as Vizor) which “organically integrates the grille, headlights and badge into one dramatic sweeping module”.

Vauxhall Mokka-e review

Call me old fashioned, but being able to view that long, horizontal bonnet with the strong centre crease as you drive along is such a unique pleasure these days.

Inside, the cockpit is futuristic and minimalist. Dominated by a large central infotainment screen (7″ or 10″) and digital driver’s display (10″ or 12″), there’s a real step-up in build quality throughout the cabin.

The pure electric Mokka-e has a 50kWh battery and a 134bhp electric motor that powers the front wheels and delivers 260Nm of instant torque.

Vauxhall Mokka-e review

It can be charged overnight if you have a home wallbox, while 80% of charge can be reached in as little as 30 minutes using a rapid 100kW public chargepoint. A more common 50kW fast charger will deliver around 100 miles in less than half an hour.

In real-world terms, we reckon the battery range is closer to 175 miles in everyday driving, while Vauxhall calculates the Mokka-e’s running costs are from 3p a mile.

The cabin is comfortable with plenty of space up front, even offering a lower, sporty driving position if you prefer. It’s a little tighter in the back for adults, while the boot has a useful 310-litre luggage capacity, expanding to 1,060 litres with the rear seats folded.

Vauxhall Mokka-e review
Vauxhall Mokka-e review

The Mokka-e is simple to drive and silent (none of the faint whine or audio enhancement you get with many EVs), and while it’s swift, it’s not stupidly fast. For the record, it can complete the 0-62mph sprint in 8.5 seconds.

If you want a bit of fun, then switch the drive mode from Normal or Eco to Sport, but apart from the odd blast, you’re more likely to want to squeeze out as many miles as possible.

Vauxhall Mokka-e review

The benefit of a smaller battery pack is that it’s easier to see instant results from regenerative braking (which returns most of the energy from braking and coasting back into the battery while you’re driving) and the Mokka-e’s system is particularly satisfying.

With light steering and good visibility, it’s a doddle to drive and surprisingly nimble. However, because it’s more comfort than performance focused, it loses its composure when pushed on more challenging roads.

Vauxhall Mokka-e review

Broadly speaking, electric vehicles’ brakes tend to be disappointing and the Mokka-e is par for the course. Our test car’s system didn’t seem to be terribly progressive, but did the job.

Ultimately, even if the Mokka-e looks sportier than it actually is, it’s still a refreshing sight on our roads – especially in Mamba Green. Rivals include the MINI Electric, Honda e, Fiat 500 and Mazda MX-30.

Verdict: The Vauxhall Mokka-e is a funky, all-electric urban crossover that dares to be different. Affordable, well-equipped, safe and fun to drive, it has a unique charm.

Vauxhall