Vauxhall Astra PHEV gets huge £3k price cut and a bigger battery for improved EV range
The upgraded Vauxhall Astra plug-in hybrid has been cut in price, despite gaining a bigger battery for up to 52 miles of pure-electric range
The plug-in hybrid variants of the Vauxhall Astra hatchback and Astra Sports Tourer estate have just dropped in price – despite being given larger batteries that result in a sizeable boost in electric range.
Prices for the Vauxhall Astra PHEV now start from £36,145, representing a £3,005 price cut. The Sports Tourer estate version gets under way from £37,365. Those prices are for the entry GS trim, with the Ultimate trim level costing £2,000 more for the hatchback and £1,980 extra for the Sports Tourer.
The sporty GSE has also come down in price. Previously, the Astra GSE started from £43,600, while the Astra Sports Tourer GSE kicked off at £44,950 – now they’re £38,795 and £39,995 respectively. That handily places all plug-in hybrid versions of the Astra under the £40,000 ‘luxury car tax’.
The all-electric range on the Astra PHEVs has also grown from 39 miles to 52 miles. That’s thanks to a larger 17.2kWh pack replacing the old 12.4kWh battery. According to Vauxhall, the increased electric driving range means the entry-level plug-in hybrid Astra GS will now fall into the nine per cent bracket for company car tax, compared with 13 per cent before. More expensive versions will sit in the 16 per cent BiK bracket.
The Astra PHEV doesn’t have the market to itself, however. It has its sister model, the Peugeot 308 plug-in hybrid, and the Volkswagen Golf eHybrid to contend with – both of which are available on the Auto Express Buy a Car service for under £18,000.
Paired with the existing 148bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder, a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission has been added by Vauxhall, with the PHEV set-up's combined power output increased from 178bhp to 192bhp. This has cut the 0-62mph time for the plug-in hatchback and estate down to 7.9 and 8.0 seconds respectively. That’s more than a second quicker than the regular hybrid and pure-electric versions of both models.
There are three modes for the powertrain: Hybrid (which balances efficiency and performance), Electric for silent driving using the car’s e-motor, and Sport for maximum performance.
Hot Vauxhall Astra GSE gets more EV range, but no more power
The more potent Astra GSE and Astra Sports Tourer GSE get the same electric motor, but the petrol unit puts out 178bhp for a total of 222bhp. The GSE models benefit from the bigger battery, which boosts their EV range to 50 miles, and the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
Vauxhall says the Astra GSE can reach 84mph in pure-electric mode, while 0-62mph takes 7.6 seconds (or 7.7 seconds for the Sports Tourer version). Acceleration is accompanied by what the brand calls “a specially tuned GSE engine sound”.
Other GSE upgrades include more aggressive styling, 18-inch wheels, a 10mm lower ride height, tuned suspension using firmer springs and Frequency Selective Damping technology and quicker steering, plus in Sport mode the electronic stability control engages slightly later.
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