Wednesday 30th November 2022

Vauxhall debuts first Astra Electric

258 miles of range and both bodystyles confirmed for battery powered Astra

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While there are plenty of folk who like their EV to stand out from the rest, there must be just as many who value the convenience of electric motoring in something more unassuming. The new Vauxhall Astra Electric looks like the car for them.

Because, well, to all intents and purposes it’s just an Astra. The same smartly turned-out hatch and Sports Tourer as the rest of the range, the same boot space as a plug-in hybrid version, just a small ‘e’ on the boot and green on the numberplate to mark it out. The interior is just the interior, too, without token gestures to whatever this week’s industry buzzword is. It’s an Astra, only a battery powered one. An Astra estate, too - there aren’t many electric wagons around. More than 1,550 litres of boot space and electric running might appeal.

The Electric is powered by a 54kWh battery and 156hp/199lb ft motor; there aren’t acceleration stats (so maybe they aren’t so great), but the top speed has been confirmed as 105mph. The WLTP range is 258 miles (an MG 4 is between 218 and 281 miles, for reference), and the Astra can charge at up to 100kW, meaning a best-case scenario of 80 per cent charge in half an hour. At home charging via a wallbox can be handled by a three-phase 11kW AC onboard charger.

And that’s kind of it, really. No crazy colour schemes, wild claims or far-fetched ambition for this new EV. It’s an electric Vauxhall Astra. That said, it does mark another step on Vauxhall’s path to an all-electric line up; it aims to be an electric only manufacturer by 2028, and this Astra is its sixth EV passenger car. Vauxhall’s MD James Taylor (not that one) said of the new car: “The Astra going electric is a big milestone for both our popular family car as well as for the Vauxhall brand… Astra Electric and Astra Sports Tourer Electric will offer everyday practicality, comfort and locally emission-free driving pleasure combined with the innovative technology and bold and pure design language that Vauxhall is known for.” Orders will open early in the new year, with deliveries due from June 2023.

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[NDNDNDND]

Perfect family car.

I hope they get the pricing/leasing right and sell as many as they can possibly make.

[TheOctaneAddict]

I really like the new Astra/Mokka design. I'll be interested to know the price of the EV Astra.

[G321]

Good to see an estate version, so many manufacturers go straight to the blobby SUV type. Hopefully a few other makes will follow suit

[Bannock]

Struggling to believe you'll get anywhere near 258 miles out of 54kwh. The existing Stellantis 50kwh EVs struggle to get 150-200 miles in sub-ideal conditions.

Will wait to see if real world performance bears out the claims, if so it'll be on my list, as I'm an existing EV convert and avid estate car man with an aversion to SUVs/crossovers.

[What The Deuces]

Will sell as many as they can make

[chrisgtx]

I quite like the look of it

[Turbobanana]

Mrs Banana needs a new motor, and gets a car allowance from work - this could be right up her street. I'd push for the estate, which - as someone else has said - is quite a rare thing.

For me the tipping point for EVs is a reliable 200 mile range: any more than that is a bonus.

[ajprice]

Ford and VW: we won't make any more Fiestas, Polos, Focus's etc soon, we will replace them with new cars we aren't showing yet.

Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen: Here are the new Corsa, Astra, 208, 308, C4, you can have them as an EV if you want.

I prefer the Stellantis method.

[JakeT]

ajprice said:

Ford and VW: we won't make any more Fiestas, Polos, Focus's etc soon, we will replace them with new cars we aren't showing yet.

Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen: Here are the new Corsa, Astra, 208, 308, C4, you can have them as an EV if you want.

I prefer the Stellantis method.

Agreed. I like the look of the new Astra. As an EV, it should be even better. Able to do a comfortable 200+ miles is a boon, too. Like they seem to, the estate will probably appeal to the fleet market.

[RazerSauber]

Lovely car. The Vizor design really is chuffing good. Nice to see the estate and hatchback rear lights being the same, too (it's irked me for longer than it should have).

I think there aren't many all electric estates, either. The MG5, I think Volvo/Polestar offer one so this would be what, one of 3? And to have it in a nice package that seems to be well equipped from a British brand (Well, a British variant of a German brand bought by the French and absorbed into a multinational company headed in Amsterdam anyway) is a bonus too.

Interested in the price, definitely. It should sell like hot cakes.

[caratacus]

Like the look of the estate, but according to the Dail Mail the price for the estate will start at £42,000.
Seems a lot for an Astra even if it is an EV.

[Silvanus]

Quite interested in this especially the estates, said I wouldn't get another Vauxhall, but I'm quite liking the look of the new Vauxhall/Opel stuff under Stelantis.

For anyone chatting in the Lancia thread, this car gives a good preview of what the new Delta could be like, platform and drive train at least.

[emperorburger]

I think they could carve out a small niche with the estate, however as a hatch I think it may struggle given the competition.

[Silvanus]

emperorburger said:

I think they could carve out a small niche with the estate, however as a hatch I think it may struggle given the competition.

I can imagine the hatch to sell well to fleets. I use hire cars for work a fair bit, can imagine I'll end up with one of these in the near future.

[VS02]

ajprice said:

Ford and VW: we won't make any more Fiestas, Polos, Focus's etc soon, we will replace them with new cars we aren't showing yet.

Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen: Here are the new Corsa, Astra, 208, 308, C4, you can have them as an EV if you want.

I prefer the Stellantis method.

Used to hate the Stellantis brands, but happy to see them give a right good kicking to the others - who I hope fail miserably and suffer the consequences for keeping well built, affordable EVs out of the public’s reach

I’ve been preaching it on here for ages - Ford and VW will get bked in the future

[S600BSB]

Like the look of the Tourer.

[The spinner of plates]

Like the look of the hatchback.

[magic Monkey Dust]

Electric or not.
Bland design with no ambition and looks like a 1990's Korean fridge with a landfill spot already booked.
The bright new electric future is duller than the ICE past. Poor Vauxhall , very very poor, if even you could claim it interesting enough to evaluate.

[anonymous-user]

A 400hp/400lbs VXR version would be good fun. I wonder if they’ll do a van version for tradesmen.

[Silvanus]

magic Monkey Dust said:

Electric or not.
Bland design with no ambition and looks like a 1990's Korean fridge with a landfill spot already booked.
The bright new electric future is duller than the ICE past. Poor Vauxhall , very very poor, if even you could claim it interesting enough to evaluate.

Compared to what its up against, it looks no worse and will probably be competitively priced with a good dealer network. That will be plenty for many, especially the fleets. Not sure what no ambution means though, can a car have ambition, or is that the owners? Have to remember the vast majority of car buyers are not petrol heads, UK car sales figure prove that point.