First drive: 2021 Vauxhall Astra prototype review

We’re still some weeks away from seeing the new Astra unwrapped, but it is already clear this new model departs quite a lot from its six-year-old predecessor in terms of styling. There are hints of Vauxhall’s latest Vizor design underneath the plastic wrap, most notably at the front where it appears to receive a similar headlight and grille treatment as the second-generation Vauxhall Mokka.

What stands out the most on the prototypes, though, is the change in profile. The bonnet is much flatter and the windscreen less heavily raked. The plunging roofline, a design element long established on the Astra, remains, though the tailgate is more upright than before.

There are new optional Intellilux LED headlights now featuring 84 pixels per unit rather than the eight of the outgoing Astra, while the wheelhouses have been enlarged to accommodate wheels ranging from 16in to 18in in diameter. There are also new badges at the rear with the model name spelled out across the width of the new plastic bootlid.  

At 4374mm in length, 1860mm in width and 1470mm in height, the new Astra is 4mm longer, 5mm wider and 15mm lower than its predecessor. It also rides on a wheelbase that has grown by 13mm to 2675mm.  

They are subtle increases that Vauxhall claims provide greater interior space and increased boot capacity - the latter of which has grown by 52 litres to 422 litres thanks, in part, to a new adjustable floor layout made possible by the adoption of the EMP2 platform. The width of the boot has also increased, if only by 19mm at 1020mm, adding to the overall practicality.

We can’t show you much of the interior, which remains under wraps for now, but we can tell you the new Astra receives a different driving position to the old model. The driver’s seat is mounted 12mm lower than before. It doesn’t sound like much, but you definitely feel more enclosed with the window line set higher in relation to the seat squab than before. The front seats offer greater support, too.

Overall, the cabin hints at a much more premium experience with a far greater emphasis on digital functionality than with the outgoing Astra. The dashboard was fully disguised in the prototypes we drove, but expect a similar set-up to the new Mokka with Vauxhall’s new Pure Panel treatment with two free-standing digital displays – one for instruments and one for the infotainment functions – both of which will be available in a full glass optic. There is also a new thick-grip steering wheel with multi-function controls.

The fascia is not completely devoid of buttons, unlike in some rivals. However, it does adhere to the latest trend of using a slider mechanism for gear selection in automatic models on a wider centre console, which houses three separate oddment bins, including one that acts as a drink holder.

To help it keep up with the competition, both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay will be standard on models sold in the UK. There’s also an optional head-up display unit. The new platform also brings a more advanced electric architecture, and with it updated driver assistance functions, including semi-autonomous adaptive cruise control with lane assist and automatic stop/start functionality in traffic jams, long-range blindspot detection, rear cross-traffic alert and a 360deg camera to assist parking.

Vauxhall plans three different drivetrains from the start of new Astra sales in the UK – all shared with the new Peugeot 308.

Included is a base turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with either 108bhp or 128bhp as well as a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel with 128bhp. Both come mated to either a standard six-speed manual or optional eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Of greater significance, though, is the availability of a plug-in hybrid drivetrain for the first time. As in the Grandland, it comes in two flavours, with either a 148bhp or 178bhp turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine running in combination with a 109bhp gearbox-mounted electric motor for respective outputs of 178bhp and 222bhp. Both feature a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox and 12.4kWh lithium ion battery.

Our time with the Astra was limited to running in a controlled convoy over a variety of roads, including autobahns and a particularly challenging country road used by Vauxhall engineers to provide feedback on various chassis set-ups.  

The 128bhp version of the petrol engine serves up strong flexibility if a somewhat gruff exhaust note in combination with the six-speed manual gearbox. The three-cylinder unit revs freely, giving the new Astra a reasonable turn of in-gear acceleration once you’ve tapped into the mid-range, where it is clearly at its strongest. It doesn’t endow the Astra with scintillating speed, nor does it pretend to, but rather allows you to percolate along with adequate performance in everyday driving conditions thanks to its well-judged gear ratios. Combined cycle fuel consumption that is claimed to better that of the old Astra should also make it quite economical to run, too.

The more powerful of the new plug-in hybrid drivetrains, with a combined 222bhp, is predictably more energetic and refined. In electric mode, it starts silently and can leave the engine to rest for around 31 miles when fully charged. Performance on the electric motor alone is reasonable for city driving, with punchy step-off and acceleration up to typical urban speed limits. It is more convincing in hybrid mode, though, where the added reserves of the petrol engine give it quite spirited performance in combination with smooth operation from the electric motor. The action of the automatic gearbox is impressive, too, with fast and crisp shifts.

Charging time on regular household electricity is put at over seven hours. 3.7kW single-phase charging is supported as standard, allowing the battery to be recharged in under four hours. A 7.4kW on-board charger is set to be available as an option; plugged into a wallbox, recharging takes less than two hours.

It is the bid for maximum economy from the drivelines that also defines the new Astra’s dynamic qualities. The new hatchback has been developed specifically with low rolling resistance tyres. They’re not the last word in adhesion but contribute to vastly improved rolling refinement.

The suspension is a development of that used by the old Astra with a combination of MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam arrangement at the rear on both the petrol and diesel models, with the plug-in hybrid receiving a unique four-link rear set-up. It’s a passive set-up that goes without the option of adaptive damping, as offered by various rivals.

Vauxhall said a lot of work was focused on the front end to give the new model the sort of roll stiffness the Astra has been renowned for in recent generations. The steering has also been made more direct with a 15:1 ratio in place of the 16:1 of today’s Astra. “The goal was to retain the reassuring linearity of the steering we have today with greater response,” says Holl. “We don’t want a go-kart, but we have tuned it to provide a more responsive feel.”