Vauxhall Astra review
Smart styling, competitive pricing and a wide variety of engines ensure the Vauxhall Astra remains a fine family hatchback choice
Our opinion on the Vauxhall Astra
The eighth-generation Vauxhall Astra is a smart-looking family hatchback that delivers good practicality, strong infotainment and a decent drive. Efficient petrol engines provide excellent fuel economy, while the plug-in hybrid and all-electric models add a breadth of ability that might persuade business users into the sharp-suited Astra. The option of a Sports Tourer estate is useful, too.
There are a few quibbles: interior quality could be a little better in places, and space in the rear seats is a little tighter than we’d like. But as an overall package and with the exceptionally keen pricing strategy introduced with the facelift, the current Vauxhall Astra is stronger than ever.
About the Vauxhall Astra
The Vauxhall Astra has had a bit of an image problem in recent years, with bland styling, dull engines and little flair to excite buyers looking for a capable family hatchback. However, this household name has been completely reinvigorated.
We first saw Vauxhall's Griffin style approach with the launch of the second-generation Vauxhall Mokka. Its sharp design introduced the distinctive ‘Vizor’ design as the face of all Vauxhall models, and this has since made its way to the Astra. There’s much more impressive on-board technology on-board compared with previous Astras, and the line-up of petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid or electric power means there should be an Astra for every need.
Used - available now
2021 Vauxhall
Astra
42,470 milesManualPetrol1.2L
Cash £10,049
2019 Vauxhall
Astra
68,424 milesManualPetrol1.4L
Cash £7,368
2025 Vauxhall
Astra
24,290 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L
Cash £14,593
2025 Vauxhall
Astra
18,210 milesManualPetrol1.2L
Cash £13,995The facelift in 2026 sharpened the model’s looks even further with a tweaked front-end design, more kit as standard plus larger batteries for the PHEV and EV variants for extra range.
This review focuses on the Astra line-up in general, but we also have dedicated reviews of both the Astra Sports Tourer and the Astra Electric, so you can find more in-depth information about these particular models by following the links provided.
We’ve driven many versions of this generation of Vauxhall Astra, including running pre-facelift versions of the Vauxhall Astra GSe plug-in hybrid and 1.2-litre Turbo Vauxhall Astra as part of our long-term test fleet, and we’ve also pitted a GS trim Vauxhall Astra against the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla as part of a group test.
Performance & driving experience
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The Astra sits on the same platform as the Peugeot 308 and DS 4 hatchbacks from parent firm Stellantis. However, Vauxhall has applied numerous tweaks to ensure that it offers up its own driving character, with adjustments to the steering, suspension, and anti-roll bars for a sportier feel than its French stablemates.
Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed
If you’re prioritising outright pace, it's the plug-in hybrid Astras you'll want to go for. There used to be two PHEVs to choose from, with the more potent 222bhp version offered as a sporty ‘GSe’ model. However, the Astra’s mid-life facelift cut this to just a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine supplemented by an electric motor powered by a 17.2 kWh battery, producing 192bhp (up from 178bhp before), while the torque figure of 360Nm stays the same.
The old 109bhp version of the 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol unit was dropped in 2025, so now it’s only available in 128bhp form with mild-hybrid technology. Every Astra now comes with an automatic gearbox, an eight-speed unit in the case of the 128bhp model.
The Hybrid 145, with its 143bhp turbocharged 1.2-litre, is paired with an automatic six-speed dual-clutch transmission and a 48V motor. It’s the same unit we’ve seen on a number of cars from Vauxhall’s parent company Stellantis and offers a nine-second 0-62mph time in the Astra.
| Model | Power | 0-62mph | Top speed |
| Astra 1.2 Turbo Griffin | 128bhp | 9.7 seconds | 130mph |
| Astra 1.6 Plug-in Hybrid Ultimate | 192bhp | 7.9 seconds | 140mph |
| Astra 1.2 Hybrid GS | 143bhp | 9.0 seconds | 130mph |
Town driving, visibility and parking
The Astra’s 1.2-litre petrol engine is refined around town at low revs, and suspension noise over potholes and speed bumps isn’t intrusive. Of course, for maximum refinement, you’ll want to look towards the Astra Electric, because there’s no engine noise to interrupt the peace.
The eight-speed automatic gearbox is a little slow-witted in the petrol Astra, we find the Hybrid 145’s six-speed automatic is much smoother, along with the dual-clutch seven-speed automatic in the plug-in hybrid, although that can be sluggish to change down at times.
Country road driving and handling
A few years ago a Vauxhall engineer (or more appropriately ‘Opel’ given it was at the firm’s Russelsheim factory in Germany), told us that compared with fellow Stellantis siblings Citroen, DS, and Peugeot, Vauxhall’s identity was the ‘sportiest’.
No matter which Astra you go for, you’ll find a suspension set-up has been tuned for pretty neutral and predictable handling. While firmer than its DS and Peugeot sister cars, the Astra is never overly uncomfortable, though.
Top-spec Ultimate cars (as well as all Astra Electrics) come with 18-inch wheels as standard, the smaller 17-inch alloys of the mid-range petrol GS take the edge off the ride slightly.
Motorway driving and long-distance comfort
The base 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine is capable enough and doesn’t feel overly strained at motorway speeds, although it becomes noisy under hard acceleration
‘Hybrid’ is the Astra PHEV’s default setting to optimise fuel efficiency and performance, although you typically set off on the electric motor’s power, which has more than enough pep to keep up with traffic at speeds up to 84mph. Beyond this, there’s ‘Sport’, which not only tweaks the steering and throttle responses, but also draws on the engine and electric motor for maximum performance. Then ‘Electric’ mode prioritises pure-EV running, improving refinement and initial throttle response as a result.
One thing we particularly like is that every Astra comes with a special noise-reducing windscreen, so all models are reasonably quiet at speed.
“We’ve always felt the Astra plug-in hybrid rode a little on the firm side; the heavier Astra Electric seems to settle better over rougher roads.” – Alastair Crooks, senior news reporter
MPG & running costs
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While the latest Astra will doubtless attract attention for its striking looks and impressive infotainment set-up, its fuel efficiency is also a major selling point. The petrol models can’t quite crack 50mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, but the hybridised options are impressive, and the all-electric model gained 22 miles of extra range as part of the model’s mid-life facelift.
The Astra has proven to be a fairly economical family car during our own testing, too. After covering more than 5,200 miles in our Astra 1.2 Turbo petrol long-term test car, we averaged 49.3mpg. However, hybrid rivals such as the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla are even more frugal, and during some of our group testing, we’ve seen 50.3mpg from the Civic, and an even more impressive 54.2mpg from a 1.8-litre Corolla.
| Model | MPG | CO2 | Insurance group |
| Vauxhall Astra 1.2 Griffin | 48.7mpg | 132g/km | 17 |
| Vauxhall Astra Hybrid 145 Griffin | 58.9mpg | 108g/km | 20 |
Electric range, battery life and charge time
If you fancy a plug but don’t want to give up on an internal-combustion engine, the Astra PHEV claims up to 52 miles of fully electric range. When the engine does kick in, the official stats claim up to 122.8mpg. During our testing of the PHEV, we saw a maximum range of 47 miles with an almost full battery. It’s less than the Volkswagen Golf eHybrid’s claimed 89 miles, but we think owners will be able to run the plug-in hybrid on pure-electric power most of the time.
Charging is less impressive for the PHEV. Unlike other plug-in hybrids which can take DC charging (the Golf eHybrid can charge at 40kW), the Astra only manages 7.4kW. That means a 20 to 80 per cent top-up will take two hours and 53 minutes with the Astra, whereas it’ll only take 26 minutes with the Golf.
| Model | Battery size | Range | Insurance group |
| Vauxhall Astra 1.6 plug-in hybrid Griffin | 17.2kWh | 52 miles | 28 |
Insurance groups
Insurance premiums for the Astra won’t be particularly cheap, because even the entry-level 128bhp Griffin model sits in group 17 out of 50. However, the base Toyota Corolla also resides in the same group. Moving through the Astra line-up, the plug-in hybrid models range from groups 26 to 29.
Tax
There aren’t any major tax breaks for EVs any more, but company-car drivers will at least benefit from low Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax rates if they opt for the Astra Electric, and you can read more about that in our dedicated review. The PHEV also brings a reduced rate compared with the regular petrol and hybrid versions, but the savings will be much smaller than those of the fully electric model.
No version of the petrol or plug-in hybrid Astra breaches the £40,000 luxury car tax threshold, so you’ll only need to pay the standard rate of annual vehicle excise duty (VED).
Depreciation
According to our expert data, the eighth-generation Astra isn’t the strongest performer on the used market. We don’t yet have data on the facelifted Astra, but the pre-facelift model retains around 33-40 per cent of its original list price in petrol form after a typical three-year/36,000-mile ownership period. The PHEV holds on to just 32 to 36 per cent.
For comparison, the Toyota Corolla is a much better performer, retaining almost 50 per cent on average.
To get an accurate valuation on a specific model check out our free car valuation tool...
Interior, design & technology
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With the current Astra, Vauxhall did a great job moving its family hatch more upmarket, because the previous model suffered from a dowdy and anonymous image that left it struggling well behind the class leaders. It’s now a modern, striking hatchback with strong lines that complement the manufacturer’s Vizor front-end design.
Interior and dashboard design
Much like the exterior, there are plenty of angles to be found inside the Astra. These give the cabin a pretty unique feel, but it does come at a slight ergonomic cost. The high dashboard (a consequence of the car’s Peugeot DNA) means seeing the road ahead can be a bit challenging if you don’t raise the driver’s seat. We also found the steering-wheel adjustment to be too restrictive, which doesn’t help matters.
Materials and build quality
The latest Astra’s cabin includes a more generous amount of plush materials than any of its predecessors. This is especially the case with higher-spec cars, which add Alcantara into the mix. There are still some cheaper plastics on the centre console and lower door cards, though, which is disappointing. Switching out the scratchy piano-black plastic on the centre console for a satin-silver finish was a good decision for the facelift, too.
Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo
With the 2026 facelift, the Astra’s infotainment system on the twin 10-inch screens was made clearer and more intuitive, but there are some shortfalls to its design. Namely the integrated sat-nav, which is standard on the Griffin-spec car. It’s very slow to update directions in real-time, the surrounding map looks outdated and offers precious little detail, and the voice assistant is robotic and stern-sounding. It’s a good thing then that wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility is standard, too.
We like the clear definition on the reversing camera and the physical shortcut buttons and climate controls, which are easier to use on the move than touch-sensitive sliders, which have been a real bugbear of the VW Golf.
“There’s very little flare or excitement in the Astra’s cabin: it’s functional and clean, but that’s about it.” – Alastair Crooks, senior news reporter
Boot space & practicality
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It’s important for a family hatchback to be able to take care of the little things that help to make day-to-day life easier and more comfortable on the move. The Vauxhall Astra is good in this area with plenty of storage options in the cabin and lots of useful standard kit.
There’s a big cubby located between the front seats, two trays with sliding covers and a fold-out section below the central air vent that could be used to store a phone or sunglasses.
Dimensions and size
The eighth-generation Astra has increased in length by a few millimetres over the previous model and now measures 4,374mm from front to back, which is 90mm longer than a Volkswagen Golf.
| Dimensions comparison | |||
| Model | Vauxhall Astra | Volkswagen Golf | Toyota Corolla |
| Length | 4,374mm | 4,284mm | 4,380mm |
| Width | 1,860mm | 1,789mm | 1,790mm |
| Height | 1,441mm | 1,491mm | 1,460mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,680mm | 2,630mm | 2,640mm |
| Boot space | 422 - 1,339 litres (352 - 1,268 litres PHEV and Electric) | 381-1,270 litres (273 litres GTE and eHybrid) | 313 to 1,052 litres |
Seats & passenger space
While room up front is good, passengers travelling in the rear seats will find things a little tighter; head room is fine, but more leg room would be welcome. Those likely to put tall teens or adults in the back regularly should look at a Skoda Octavia instead.
There's plenty of room for passengers’ feet under the front seats, though, and the central hump in the floor is much lower in the Vauxhall than in the Golf. If you’re using the Astra as a family car, two Isofix points are provided on the outer rear seats.
Boot space
The Astra hatchback has a 422 litre boot, which easily outshines the load space provided by the Golf. Fold the rear seats, and the hatchback's luggage capacity expands to 1,339 litres. Of course, if you need even more space, the Astra Sports Tourer estate boasts 597 litres of boot space or 1,643 litres with the rear seats folded down.
However, these figures only apply to the petrol versions. The Astra plug-in hybrid models lose 70 litres of space in the hatchback (352 litres), and more than 80 litres in the estate (516 litres).
Towing
The 1.2-litre petrol Astra equipped with the automatic gearbox can haul up to 1,400kg if you get the £605 optional towbar. Plug-in hybrid models have a slightly reduced capacity of 1,380kg.
These are all competitive numbers, but if you need even more capacity, you’ll need a Skoda Octavia in 2.0 TDI 150 DSG auto form, because this can lug up to 1,600kg.
Reliability & safety
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Vauxhall has equipped all Astra models with its PureSense suite of active safety kit, with every model getting lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, speed-sign recognition, a driver-drowsiness alert and automatic emergency braking (AEB). Adaptive cruise control comes with mid-range GS trim, along with a more advanced collision alert system that works at higher speeds. Slightly strange is the reservation of the safety kit for the Ultimate trim under the umbrella of ‘Intelli-Drive 1.0’. This adds blind-spot alert, lane-change assist, lane-positioning assist and rear cross-traffic alert. We imagine that if the Astra were to be tested by Euro NCAP again, this technology would be made standard to ensure a solid safety-assist score.
The Astra stopped short of getting a five-star Euro NCAP score like its rivals, the Honda Civic, Renault Megane E-Tech, and VW Golf. The safety experts awarded the Astra (and the Peugeot 308 upon which the Astra is based) four stars out of five, criticising the lack of a central airbag to protect front seat occupants in a side-on collision, and the emergency braking system for its poor response in recognising pedestrians.
One feature that relates to safety is the facelifted Astra’s new ‘Intelli-Lux’ headlights. These come courtesy of the Astra’s new-look front end with its fresh headlight cluster. Described as ‘glare-free’, the adaptive headlamps can adjust to blank-off areas that trace oncoming traffic. While testing this on the same roads as other Astras, we were dazzled a couple of times and noticed our lights occasionally took too long to shift focus, clearly lighting up other road users with a full beam. Luckily, there’s a way to disable the feature, because it’s not quite as adept as the Matrix LED system found in VW Group cars.
The Astra has dropped down the Driver Power best cars to own rankings compared with previous years, but its 27th place out of 50 cars in the 2026 survey still beats the likes of the VW Golf in 41st position. Astra owners like their car’s user-friendly climate controls and the exterior styling, but weren’t so keen on the ride quality or the car’s overall quality.
There’s better news for the Vauxhall brand, which placed 6th on the list of the 30 best manufacturers. There were average scores for practicality and boot space, but owners liked the road handling and responsiveness of the brakes and steering in their cars. Running costs were also praised, with good fuel economy and low insurance being the standout areas.
| Euro NCAP safety ratings | |
| Euro NCAP safety rating | Four stars (2022) |
| Adult occupant protection | 80% |
| Child occupant protection | 82% |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 67% |
| Safety assist | 66% |
Buying, prices and deals
Best buy: Astra 1.2 Turbo GS
With the 2026 facelift, Vauxhall simplified the Astra’s price strategy massively. The entry-level 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine is priced from £27,495 in Griffin, rising to £28,995 for the GS and £31,495 for the Ultimate.
Beyond this, there’s no difference in cost between the hybrid, plug-in hybrid or pure-electric versions, plus all three have the same price in terms of trim - whether you go for the entry-level £29,995 Griffin, mid-spec £31,495 GS or the £33,995 Ultimate. What's more, the Sports Tourer estate incurs no additional cost over the hatchback no matter which engine or trim combination you go for.
Plug-in and electric power are great for the eco-conscious as well as company-car drivers, but these models come with quite a premium price-wise. For the majority of regular buyers, the petrol-powered Astra will provide enough power, efficiency and value for money. Moving up to GS trim adds a few elements of luxury, too, without causing too much damage to the bank account. Another thing not to overlook is that you can have the more practical Sports Tourer estate for the same price as the hatchback, so unless you are completely wedded to a hatchback, the Sports Tourer estate is the one you ought to go for.
Build your perfect Vauxhall Astra with the Auto Express Buy a Car service, though, and you can save an average of almost £9,000 if you go for the all-electric version of the Astra. We also have a wide selection of new Astras in stock as well as plenty of used Vauxhall Astra deals. We can also help you sell your car.
Vauxhall Astra alternatives
The Vauxhall Astra’s former arch-nemesis was the Ford Focus, but this car is no longer in production. However, there are plenty of other cars for Astra to face in both its hatchback and estate forms. Its own sibling, the Peugeot 308, offers a similar level of powertrain and body shape choices. Elsewhere, the Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Golf and Skoda Octavia are other highly familiar names in the family-car sector.
Key updates of the Vauxhall Astra review
10 July 2026: Review updated with impressions of the facelifted Astra.
Frequently Asked Questions
All Vauxhall cars are covered by a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which matches the coverage you get with a Volkswagen Golf, but lags behind the seven-year warranty offered by Kia, or the ten-year warranty package provided by Toyota. Plug-in hybrid and Astra Electric owners have a separate eight-year or 100,000-mile policy for the battery pack. If the battery’s usable capacity drops below 70% during that time, Vauxhall will replace it for free.
Vauxhall Astra GSe long-term test
Our former products editor Kim Adams lived with a plug-in hybrid Vauxhall Astra GSe as part of our long-term fleet. While it’s far from a full-fat hot hatch, the GSe does boast a decent 222bhp and Kim was impressed with how quick the car felt when driven hard.
However, life with the Astra GSe wasn’t without its disappointments. Keyless entry with a mind of its own and some overly intrusive driver assistance systems were just two of the reasons that this hatchback regularly put Kim’s patience to the test. A number of additional electrical gremlins only managed to rub salt in these wounds, too. You can read the full long-term test here…
Deal on the Vauxhall Astra and alternatives
