Vauxhall claims new Astra is greener

Vauxhall has announced the launch of its 'greener' Astra, dubbed the ecoFLEX, producing emissions of 119 g/km.

The 1.7 turbo-diesel engine also has a fuel consumption of 62.8 mpg on the combined cycle.

The ecoFLEX is available in in hatch, sport hatch and estate iterations, falling into the lower tax band for company car drivers.

Private customers will pay £35 per year in vehicle excise duty (VED) due to it being in band B.

Vauxhall says the ecoFLEX has "not sacrificed driver involvement to go green," producing 110 PS, which is 10 PS more than the existing Astra 1.7 CDTi.

It also produces 260 Nm of torque at 2000 rpm, with a top speed of 117 mph.

Efficiency has been improved with a taller axle ratio, making the engine management system better optimised and reducing the idle speed of the engine.

Hans Demant, General Motors Europe's engineering vice president, commented: "At General Motors Europe, environmental consciousness means offering clever technological innovations at affordable prices, making them accessible to as many customers as possible.

"The Astra ecoFLEX is the newest example of our strategy and directly addresses the needs of buyers in high-volume sectors."