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Astra is class leader
By Alistair Coull, Daily Post
WITH nearly 2m sales in the UK alone since it was first launched in 1980, the Astra has been one of the most influential players in the compact car class.
Always popular with both private and company car buyers, it suffered from a stuffy image that meant it never appealed to Britain's younger movers and shakers.
With both the Zafira and Meriva compact MPVs now taking care of the more practical demands of families, Vauxhall hopes the fifth-generation Astra, with its sharper looks, more stylish cabin and excellent chassis, will finally become more than just a dependable family car fleet workhorse.
Built at Ellesmere Port, in Cheshire (England), as well as Antwerp in Belgium and Bochum in Germany, Vauxhall expect around 48,000 to be sold in Britain this year.
Petrol engines vary from the 90bhp 1.4 entry level through to the popular 105bhp 1.6, the smooth 125bhp 1.8 and onto the turbocharged 170bhp 2.0-litre.
On a driving exercise this week, I managed to sample the 1.6 and 2.0-litre versions.
On some testing routes in the hills above St Tropez, both engines were fast and frugal, offering accessible performance and excellent fuel consumption.
With an increasing number of people favouring diesel, the Astra will eventually offer three oil burning units. Two
1.7-litre choices will be available from launch - one offering 80bhp and the other 100bhp - with a 1.9 turbodiesel following later.
With a 130mph top speed and a 0-60mph time of 8.6 seconds, the 1.9 will outclass all its current rivals while still offering an impressive 50.4mpg figure on the combined cycle.
All three meet the Euro IV guidelines, meaning they dodge the 3pc tax normally applied to company cars. On the petrol engines, Twinport technology reduces day-to-day fuel consumption by up to 10pc in the 1.4 and 1.6 units.
Transmissions have also been improved. The proven 5-speed manual and 4-speed auto remain but new technology has entered the arena. The 1.6-litre offers an improved Easytronic gearbox with steering wheel controls as standard. A six-speed manual box is standard on the 2.0 petrol turbo and 1.9 turbo-diesel.
The new Astra is awash with new technology, some of it like the sport button for sharper throttle and steering response, which is now available in the lower medium sector for the first time.
Full Article Here
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By Alistair Coull, Daily Post
WITH nearly 2m sales in the UK alone since it was first launched in 1980, the Astra has been one of the most influential players in the compact car class.
Always popular with both private and company car buyers, it suffered from a stuffy image that meant it never appealed to Britain's younger movers and shakers.
With both the Zafira and Meriva compact MPVs now taking care of the more practical demands of families, Vauxhall hopes the fifth-generation Astra, with its sharper looks, more stylish cabin and excellent chassis, will finally become more than just a dependable family car fleet workhorse.
Built at Ellesmere Port, in Cheshire (England), as well as Antwerp in Belgium and Bochum in Germany, Vauxhall expect around 48,000 to be sold in Britain this year.
Petrol engines vary from the 90bhp 1.4 entry level through to the popular 105bhp 1.6, the smooth 125bhp 1.8 and onto the turbocharged 170bhp 2.0-litre.
On a driving exercise this week, I managed to sample the 1.6 and 2.0-litre versions.
On some testing routes in the hills above St Tropez, both engines were fast and frugal, offering accessible performance and excellent fuel consumption.
With an increasing number of people favouring diesel, the Astra will eventually offer three oil burning units. Two
1.7-litre choices will be available from launch - one offering 80bhp and the other 100bhp - with a 1.9 turbodiesel following later.
With a 130mph top speed and a 0-60mph time of 8.6 seconds, the 1.9 will outclass all its current rivals while still offering an impressive 50.4mpg figure on the combined cycle.
All three meet the Euro IV guidelines, meaning they dodge the 3pc tax normally applied to company cars. On the petrol engines, Twinport technology reduces day-to-day fuel consumption by up to 10pc in the 1.4 and 1.6 units.
Transmissions have also been improved. The proven 5-speed manual and 4-speed auto remain but new technology has entered the arena. The 1.6-litre offers an improved Easytronic gearbox with steering wheel controls as standard. A six-speed manual box is standard on the 2.0 petrol turbo and 1.9 turbo-diesel.
The new Astra is awash with new technology, some of it like the sport button for sharper throttle and steering response, which is now available in the lower medium sector for the first time.
Full Article Here
