Vauxhall unveils eighth-gen Astra

The Astra then: in its time it has been ubiquitous as a family staple with a sideline as everything from Panda police car and GTE hot hatch to Car of the Year champion and title-winning touring car. What will the new one become known for? Alas no sporty versions yet – though a 300PS (221kW) all-wheel-drive VXR model has been speculated on – leaving two things to take the spotlight: design and electrification.

It’s an unassumingly modern and handsome five-door hatch. The looks are clean-cut and the stance and wheel-arch blisters make it appear lower and wider than any Astra of old. The black roof and thrusting body colour C-pillars add a dash of dynamism, especially if the body colour happens to be yellow.

Up front is Vauxhall’s new brand “face” (they call it the “Vizor”) which ties it in with the SUV range. It all looks very crisp with the super-slim LED-pixel headlights, but it’s likely you will have to pay extra for these. Spec and prices will be announced later.

The new Astra is a smidge longer and wider than before but more significant is the half inch (15mm) lopped off the car’s height – its road-hugging appearance is not just an illusion – with the seats lowered by a comparable amount. Another half inch (13mm) is the amount by which the wheelbase has increased, to ensure legroom and boot space, both of which are said to be slightly up on before.

Reimagining the Astra in this way is all as a result of its completely changed underpinnings: this is the EMP2 platform, and as such definitely more PSA than GM. It is lighter and stiffer than the old one and is being shared with the new Peugeot 308, Vauxhall and Peugeot now being brothers-in-arms in the massively wide-ranging enterprise that is the Stellantis group.

The platform is not the only thing the Astra shares with its French cousin: powertrains are set to mirror the 308’s, too. That means petrol and diesel engines (they range from 110-130PS, 81-96kW) with manual (or auto) gearboxes, for Astra traditionalists, and to maintain an entry price point in the market. But it also means an electrified version – an Astra first.

The new top Astra is a hybrid of the plug-in variety, and as with the PHEV Grandland, the combo of 1.6-litre petrol engine and electric motor is likely to be offered in 150PS (112kW) or 180PS (134kW) forms. Either has an ability to run in electric mode for short distances (the Grandland can go around 30 miles on battery power).

Predictably the cabin gets a digital makeover, but most important, and unlike some others, a few physical buttons remain, such as those for the heating and ventilation. Mostly though functions are controlled by scrolling through menus on the twin touchscreens, smartphone style, or by voice control. Vauxhall says the system is intuitive but we shall see. With wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto onboard no wires are needed to connect your phone.

Vauxhall makes a big deal about how comfortable the new seats are, and with optionally available leather or Alcantara plus heating, ventilation and massage functions, they do support the claim that the new Astra benefits from features from a class or three higher. There are plenty of new driver assistance features too, along with a head-up display, if they float your boat.

That’s the new Astra then, a car with a slight French accent and (via Opel) a German slant to the engineering, but with a design executed with British flair (design director Mark Adams is a Brit). It’s a good looking car with the promise of being miles ahead of the outgoing six-year-old car. It’s a shame it won’t be built in Britain, like the current car, but then the recently confirmed transformation of Ellesmere Port into a plant churning out fully electric cars and vans is undoubtedly good news.

The new Astra just might be a bit of all right… but let us hope they don’t forget that VXR version…