The new Astra launches in UK

By Adam Leveridge

The sixth generation Vauxhall Astra made its UK debut on Sunday at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, which played host to the final rounds of the British Touring Car Championship.

On top of a notably improved design, which goes even further than the previous model to shed Vauxhall’s image problem, the new Astra combines the style and sophistication of the Mondeo-beating Insignia in a smaller package.

Vauxhall are pushing the Astra's green credentialswith this new model and the Luton-based manufacturer claims that this version is 13 per cent greener than the outgoing car.

As Vauxhall’s Group Product Manager Stuart Harris explained, while there has been an improvement in the efficiency of their engines, the Astra's aerodynamics are accountable for its low Co2 emissions.

"One of the big things in this car is its aerodynamics," said Harris.

"With a five-door or three-door hatch it’s notoriously difficult to get any sort of decent aerodynamics on the car.

"With the new Astra, because we’ve had to stretch the nose and then proportion the rest of the car around it, it has given us a decent aero package.

"So, although it’s heavier, with a little bit of extra efficiency in the engine we’ve made an improvement on its Co2 emissions."

The five-door Astra was first revealed at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, which took place in September and everybody was hailing it as a Golf and Focus beater.

Harris said that, like with the Insignia, this Mk6 Astra is new every way.

"For us, the days of the old-car and tinkering with it have gone," said Harris.

"To keep up with the competition, you have to make a jump forward and the new Astra is a big jump from the old car.

"People are saying that, on the outside it’s an improvement, but it’s not a huge leap forward.

"But on the inside and with driver handling, they’re saying that we’ve taken a massive leap forward.

"That’s what we concentrated on."

Sitting inside the new Astra, you notice that the bland slabs and cube shapes have gone and that the new lines and contours make for a more stylish and engaging experience.

"With a five-door hatchback you’re looking at a fairly generic design, but when you put the new Astra up against it’s competitors we believe we have the freshest design," said Harris.

"When you get to the interior, the whole idea of it was to make a miniature Insignia and when you see future cars, you’ll see that they are like Russian dolls."

The curves of the Insignia’s interior have not been transferred onto the new Astra, as designers have tried to make use of the car's smaller dimensions by focusing more on the layout and design of the centre console.

The exterior has been based around the pedestrian safety regulations with the engine set further back in the car underneath a relatively small bonnet.

The whole front-end of the car is a one-piece deformable structure and, while this makes being run-over slightly more comfortable, it also means that this any repairs can be made in a quick and cost-effective manner.

This will have an impact on your insurance premium, as the new Astra will be four or five groups lower than its predecessor, and with a £35 road tax allowance, buying an Astra appears to be a thrifty option; something which is important in these times of economic austerity.

A VXR model is not due until two years time, but Harris confirmed that it will be fitted with a 2.2 litre engine and he assures us that the torque-steer that the current model suffers with will have been eradicated.

Harris also suggested that when the the three-door Astra is released, it will look like a completely different car to the five-door variant, in a Golf-Scirocco kind of way.

For the time being, Vauxhall will run the outgoing three-door, Twintop convertible and Estate models alongside the new five-door Astra, although the new Estate is expected to appear in showrooms this time next year.

For more information on the new Astra, check out Vauxhall’s hub www.torqueastra.com.