Say hello to…
…the Vauxhall Astra plug-in hybrid, a five-door hatchback with an official electric range of 43 miles. The new Astra is powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine and an electric motor fed by a 12.4kWh battery. Vauxhall also offers the Astra as a regular diesel or a standard petrol and has recently revealed a fully electric version due to be added to the range in 2023.
Vauxhall is keeping the range simple with three trim levels:
- Design
- GS Line
- Ultimate
Standard equipment on the Design trim level includes 16-inch alloys, LED headlights, LED front fog lights, high-beam assist, front and rear parking sensors, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, speed sign recognition, driver drowsiness alert, cruise control, 10-inch infotainment touchscreen, 10-inch digital instrument cluster, satnav, Bluetooth, wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, 2x USB sockets, connected services, climate control, split-fold rear seats, auto wipers, powered door mirrors and keyless start.
GS Line adds traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, 360-degree parking camera, dual-zone climate control, heated steering wheel, heated front seats, sports seats, front centre arm rest, keyless entry, laminated side windows, 17-inch alloys and sports body kit.
Ultimate specification adds uprated headlights, blind spot alert, rear cross traffic alert, head-up display, wireless charging, heated and soundproofed windscreen, alcantara trim and a panoramic sunroof.
Is The Vauxhall Astra Suitable For My Fleet
Regular hatchbacks may be losing out to SUVs in terms of popularity, but the more aerodynamic shape of a hatchback and lower centre of gravity mean they often drive better and are inherently more efficient. In cool weather, we saw an electric range of just 21 miles, which is a little disappointing against the official 43 mile claim. However, the overall petrol efficiency during our test was more than 76mpg. As with all plug-in hybrids, the mpg can vary hugely depending on use. Lots of short journeys will mean a high mpg while longer motorway hauls will see that figure drop. The only real downside to opting for the PHEV Astra is the smaller boot. Batteries and motors mean the boot is only 352 litres – small for car in the family hatch class. And down on the conventionally powered version’s 422 litres.
However, the 8% benefit-in-kind tax band is the sweetener to this.
Leasing A Vauxhall Astra
With many drivers still not willing or able to go fully electric, plug-in hybrids make a lot of sense and the Vauxhall Astra is competitively priced. The result is a lease rate of £615 per month for the top specification Ultimate model from Intelligent Car Leasing on a 3+36 basis with 20,000 miles a year.
According to Gensen Reports the monthly maintenance cost will be £54 a month and Class 1A NIC at £27 a month for a 40% tax payer.
Driving A Vauxhall Astra
Vauxhall’s design department is currently on form. The new Astra carries the Vauxhall family styling first seen on the Mokka and it works incredibly well.
The interior looks good too with comfortable seats and twin screen dashboard. There’s plenty of storage space around the cabin for phones, cups and odds and ends. There’s also good rear seat leg and head room.
However, if you’re a taller driver and have the seat set further back for a comfortable driving position, the infotainment screen is fractionally too far away to reach without leaning forward.
The infotainment system however is quick to react to inputs and once you’ve spent some time with it, the operating system is fairly easy to navigate. The only real issue is the number of steps (up to six) needed to deactivate the lane keeping assist and return to the screen you were on when you started.
But this negative is about the only low point in the whole driving experience.
While the Ultimate trim level we tested comes with additional sound deadening over other trim levels, overall the Astra is amazingly refined both when running in electric mode or when the engine’s running.
Couple this to precise steering that’s well-weighted and good body control with firm, but not overly so, ride comfort and you’ve got a very relaxing daily driver. It’s a car you can happily cover high mileage in or just use for local journeys.
If you’re being picky the transition from regenerative brakes to conventional isn’t perfect, but few are. And when the electric motor battery is flat the engine can run at what seems fractionally too high revs when you’re stationary. However, these are tiny points.
Overall the new Vauxhall Astra is one of the best cars in the class.
FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On The Vauxhall Astra
In plug-in hybrid form the Vauxhall Astra is one of the best cars in its class.
Vauxhall Astra
- Model: Astra Ultimate PHEV 1.6 180hp auto
- Power: 180hp
- Torque: 360Nm
- Max speed: 140mph
- 0-62mph: 7.7s
- Official mpg: 256mpg
- Test mpg: 76.2mpg
- Official range: 43 miles
- Test range: 21 miles
- CO2 emissions: 26g/km
- BIK tax band 2022/23: 8%
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