► We drive the all new Vauxhall Astra
► Focus and Golf beware?
► Lighter, more agile, still comfortable
Five centimetres shorter, 2.5cm lower and, impressively, an average 130kg lighter across the range than its predecessor, this all-new Astra is not a bad looking machine, even if it does lack the outright visual verve of its predecessor.
Interesting detailing includes a welcome reduction in grille chrome weight through the bifurcation of the old horizontal bar, the Danese Milano Ameland paper knife-aping lower door creasing and the architectural bow-tie that is the C-pillar.
The interior, however, constitutes a proper, seven league boot-stride forwards. The dash is clean, tidy and functionally intuitive, with a far better integration of the touchscreen than many premium marques can be bothered to execute. The driving position’s first class, the front seats are particularly comfortable and, despite a shorter overall length, there’s now more rear legroom.
On the down side, trim is still somewhat chrome-heavy for my taste, and driver ergonomics are, at a stroke, smashed to matchwood on the rocks of a pointless centre console armrest that jarringly obstructs the elbow with every gear shift. An outstandingly annoying feature, and a real shame.
The key engine in the range is arguably the 134bhp ‘Whisper Diesel’ variant. With 236lb ft of torque on tap and the car’s weight reduction lopping nearly a second off its predecessor’s 0-60mph time, the turbodiesel is lusty enough, and well complimented by a pleasantly smooth, accurate gearchange.
I might take issue with the ‘whisper’ prefix, however; that weight loss also appears to have involved a reduction in insulation, as evinced by the occasional boom from the engine bay, and the predominance of some unwanted and intrusive road noise over all else at everyday cruising speeds.
Interestingly, suspension marrying front MacPherson struts to a rear torsion beam abetted by a Watt’s linkage was honed on some of this magazine’s favourite Welsh roads, and those settings then exported to Opel for pan-European adoption.
And it shows. Displaying a finely wrought balance between ride comfort and handling enthusiasm, the Astra feels engagingly agile and light on its feet. It soaks up bumps, undulations and poor surfaces with admirable aplomb, yet stoically resists understeer.
Extremely easy to hustle along albeit, the only caveat associated with the Astra’s newfound agility and verve is a gentle lack of communication of same through the controls – oh for a whiff more feel from the steering.
Undeniably earning its podium position alongside the Golf and Focus, we’ll find out shortly if the Vauxhall is finally good enough to rearrange a long-establishedpecking order…
The specs: Vauxhall Astra SRi NAV 1.6 CDTi 136PS S/S Manual
Price: £21,480
Engine: 1598cc 16v 4-cylinder turbodiesel, 134bhp @ 3500-4000rpm, 236lb ft @ 2000rpm
Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Performance: 9.0sec 0-60mph, 127mph, 72.4mpg, 103g/km CO2
Weight: 1350kg
On Sale: Now
Love: Fine balance of ride comfort and handling agility
Hate: Interior chrome, obstructive console box
Verdict: Closes the gap on the class leaders
Rating: ****