Vauxhall Astra Electric review

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Vauxhall's Astra Electric delivers a fourth powertrain option to this eighth generation family hatch. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

Vauxhall aims to be an EV-only manufacturer by 2028, so it needs to get on with delivering us more full-battery models. Like this one, the Astra Electric. It shares all its engineering with a Peugeot e-308 and, like that Stellantis Group cousin, is available in hatch and Sports Tourer estate form with very class-competitive range and charging stats.

Background

Vauxhall finds itself in a dilemma. With the latest range of Griffin-badged models, marque owner the Stellantis Group has instructed the brand to push up prices, aim at private customers and switch away from the low-margin fleet sales that have sustained this manufacturer for the last few decades. Yet here, it's introducing its first all-electric family hatchback, the Astra Electric, into an EV market 70% of which is dominated by registrations made to fleets and businesses.

How these people will feel about plump pricing which pitches this car in the £40,000 to £45,000 bracket it'll be interesting to see. There's certainly no sign of pricing for electric vehicles getting anywhere near the figures being asked for their combustion-powered counterparts. As with its identically engineered Stellantis Group cousin the Peugeot e-308, the Astra Electric (available in hatch or Sports Tourer estate forms) joins a range with three combustion alternatives, conventional petrol and diesel Astras selling alongside a Plug-in Hybrid version. Why would you pay the extra for this full-EV model? Let's find out.

Driving Experience

No surprises with the drivetrain here. All other Astras share everything with equivalent versions of Peugeot's 308 and so does this Astra Electric. Which means you get a 54kWh battery pack powering 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 it shares much the same 1.6-tonne kerb weight as the Hybrid variants, you can expect the initially rapid start-off punch to tail off pretty rapidly, the 62mph benchmark finally reached in just 9.2 seconds, on the way to a modest top speed of 106mph. Through the corners, you'll feel the extra weight of that big battery, but as usual in an EV, its central lower down positioning minimises the downside by lowering the centre of gravity. There are no steering wheel paddles to alter brake regeneration, but Vauxhall does provide three driving modes - 'Sport', 'Normal and 'Eco' - with the non-'Sport' settings delivering a little less power in order to preserve driving range, which is quoted at 258 miles.

Tech features include Vauxhall's IntelliLux pixel LED headlamps making another appearance with top spec trim, automatically adjusting their beams to road conditions, weather and surrounding traffic. Plusher versions also get the brand's upgraded 'Intelli-Drive 1.0' front camera and radar system that allows an improved level of detection - the 'Forward Collision Alert' system for instance, gains the ability to pick out cyclists. And with 'Intelli-Drive 1.0', three further features are added to the car's repertoire; there's 'Side blind spot alert', which uses ultra-sonic rear bumper sensors to detect a vehicle in your blind spot; 'Lane positioning assist', which helps position you in your lane or follow a vehicle ahead; and 'Rear cross traffic alert', which warns you of approaching vehicles when you're reversing out of a space. So-called 'e-horizon' connectivity enables the system to adapt the car's speed in curves, make speed recommendations to the driver and perform semi-autonomous lane changes.

Design and Build

The Astra Electric comes in either hatch or Sports Tourer estate forms, but you'll struggle to tell either apart from a combustion-engined Astra model, unless you happen to notice the lack of exhaust pipes. The 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels (optionally available in black) that feature only on top-spec versions of other Astras are standard here.

There are no changes inside to distinguish this full-battery model - apart from the expected EV differences on the instrument and infotainment screens. Like all the latest versions of this Astra above base trim, these 10-inch displays feature the brand's more sophisticated-looking 'Pure Panel Pro' arrangement where the screen surrounds are fully glazed.

The back seat is identical to that of any other Astra, which means it's fine for a couple of adults but a fraction more cramped than the class norm. The 54kWh battery doesn't impact it, located in the car's rear structure and carefully packaged so that it takes up no more space than the much smaller 12.4kWh battery that features in the Plug-in Hybrid version of this model. That means luggage space figures of 352-litres with the hatch and 548-litres with the Sports Tourer estate. Fold the back seat in the hatch and there's 1268-litres of capacity available - or 1,574-litres with the Sports Tourer estate.

Market and Model

Asking prices start from around £38,000 for this Astra Electric in hatch form with base 'Design' trim: you'll need around £40,000 for mid-range 'GS' trim; and just over £43,000 for plusher 'Ultimate'-spec. In each case, there's a premium of £1,200 more for the Sports Tourer estate version. In other words, just a bit more than you'd have to pay for the Plug-in Hybrid version. Still, you can expect plenty of equipment for the money, with features like full-LED headlights, digital instrument dials and standard 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring for the centre dash screen. You'll also be able to specify your Astra Electric with an optional 2-tone paint finish.

The front seats, developed in-house, are certified by the AGR (a German organisation who campaign for healthier backs) and claim to be exceedingly comfortable for long journeys. The driver is supported by state-of-the-art assistance systems ranging from the 'Intelli-HuD' head-up display to the semi-automated 'Intelli-Drive' assistance system and the 'Intelli-Vision' 360-degree camera. And the brand expects the intelligent 'Intellilux' headlights to be frequently specified option. These use state-of-the-art LED pixel lights. There's also extended traffic sign recognition, rear cross-traffic alert and active lane positioning, which keeps the car in the middle of the driving lane.

Cost of Ownership

We gave you the 258 mile range figure in our 'Driving' section - interestingly, 10 miles more than is quoted for the mechanically-identical Peugeot e-308. To get near to that official WLTP stat, you'll have to make frequent use of the provided 'Brake' button, which will increase the aggressiveness of the brake regeneration system, so recovering more energy back to the 54kWh battery (51kWh usable). Compared to the 50kWh battery used in the Corsa Electric and Mokka Electric models, this one features a new chemical composition comprising 80% nickel, 10% manganese and 10% cobalt, all of which improves efficiency. As do low friction tyres, aero wheel designs and a subtle aero-style EV makeover. Which allows this Astra Electric to run use just 14.9kWh of electricity to cover 62 miles. The brand claims a recharge rate from 10 to 80% in 30 minutes using a 100kW charger. It's 5 hours 45 minutes using an 11kW public charger; and 8 hours using a 7kW garage wallbox.

Via the 'My Vauxhall' smartphone app or by using the vehicle's touchscreen, owners can schedule a wake-up time for the battery. This means that the cells can be at the optimal temperature for efficiency from the time you start up, plus of course the interior can also be pre-cooled or pre-heated too. Owners can opt to purchase a single service plan to cover all essential maintenance. Service intervals are every year or 20,000 miles. And with the Astra Electric, you'll be given a certificate of battery capacity after each service; the 54kWh battery comes with an eight year / 100,000 warranty for 70% of its capacity.

Summary

The Astra is no longer amongst the highest volume players in the family hatch segment but this full-electric version has the potential to be amongst the leading contenders in the class for full-EV family hatches. Partly of course, that's because this sector is so sparsely populated. Most EVs of this size are Crossovers, like the Volkswagen ID.3 or the Hyundai Kona Electric. The only other true family hatch offered in full-battery form is this EV Astra's Stellantis Group cousin, the Peugeot e-308 - and maybe arguably the Renault Megane E-Tech and the Kia Niro EV.

For sales conquests against those cars, the Astra Electric will depend on sharp dealer finance offers - which might well materialise if sales history with Vauxhall's smaller Corsa Electric and Mokka Electric models is any guide. If that happens, then in this one currently small sub-segment, the Astra could return to being the sales leader it once was.