Vauxhall has revealed further details for its revised Astra hatch and estate, which will be available to order from 1st August, with first deliveries expected in November.
As before, Vauxhall has a somewhat bewildering array of seven trim grades, opening with the SE, followed by the fleet-focused Business Edition Nav. The sporty-looking SRi is also available as an SRi Nav and SRi VX Line Nav. Elite Nav and Ultimate Nav sit at the top of the range.
The Sport Tourer estate is the load-lugging alternative to the five-door hatchback and offers a simplified trim line-up of SE, Business Edition Nav or SRi Nav.
The new Astra is one of the most aerodynamic cars in its class. The hatchback and Sports Tourer estate achieve drag coefficients of 0.26 and 0.25 respectively. Parts of the suspension have been streamlined, in combination with underbody smoothing to reduce turbulence.
At the front, the upper and lower areas of the grille can open and shut independently depending on cooling requirements, to further optimise airflow. Who says active aerodynamics should be the preserve of McLarens and Ferraris?
Inside, the first thing you’ll notice is the eight-inch touchscreen with new Multimedia Navi and Navi Pro systems from the larger Insignia range. The implementation is sleek, although it’s still a bit of a stretch for the driver to reach. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility comes as standard.
The partially digitised instrument cluster doesn’t quite match fully digital setups in rivals for configurability and sophistication, but it’s a worthwhile update nonetheless. Wireless phone charging is available on some higher-end models, as is a heated windscreen with near-invisible heating elements. A seven-speaker Bose sound system should perk things up a bit, too.
The 2019 Astra is available with a new range of petrol and diesel engines. All have three cylinders and feature new CO2-reducing tech and electrically activated turbos. Water-cooled in-head manifolds significantly reduce post-start emissions by speeding up the warm-up process.
There are four petrol engines available. Three come in 1.2-litre format, offering 110, 130 and 145hp. They achieve between 51 and 54mpg on the WLTP fuel cycle, and produce between 120 and 127g/km of CO2.
The 1.4 matches the top-end 1.2 for power, with 145hp, but has 236Nm of torque – versus 224Nm for the 1.2. It does, however, suffer in efficiency terms, delivering between 47 and 49mpg while producing between 132 and 136g/km of CO2. The 1.4 is available exclusively with a CVT auto transmission.
The new 1.5-litre diesels come in 105 and 122hp outputs. The latter is available with the latest nine-speed automatic transmission. They manage a WLTP-rated 61 and 62mpg with the six-speed manual ‘box, and between 53 and 57mpg with the auto. Emissions for the diesel Astras range between 117 and 124g/km of CO2 (manual) and between 130 and 139g/km (auto).
To register your interest in the 2019 Vauxhall Astra hatch or estate, please call our friendly and helpful sales team on 0161 826 9716.
