Insurance Group: 15
MPG: 62.8
CO2: 119
0-62 Mph: N/A secs
BHP: 123 BHP
Range: 774 miles
PROS: Dashing good looks – inside and out, economical 1.7-litre ecoFLEX diesel, impressive and practical load space, Vauxhall lifetime warranty.
CONS: Not as much fun to drive as the rival Ford Focus estate, engine is not as clean as some of its rivals.
Inside the cabin you’ll be aware of design influences from the Vauxhall Insignia and Astra hatch. The dash is well laid-out and practical to use. Trim material used is softer and of much better quality and definitely looks more upmarket than on previous versions. Finding a good driving position is easy thanks to ample adjustment on both the driver’s seat and steering column.
The Astra Sports Tourer is offered with a mind-boggling option of seven different engines. The 1.7CDTi 4 cylinder 16 valve ecoFLEX diesel unit fitted in this model is quite capable and offers a good blend of performance and economy; with a top speed of 120mph, 0-62mph in 11.0 seconds and an average fuel economy of 62.8mpg. Its maximum power of 123bhp is produced mid-range and its pulling power (206lb-ft) is available low-down in the rev range making it nippy at lower speeds and around the city. It’s not as clean as some of its rivals but CO2 emissions are a decent 119g/km. The six-speed manual gearbox fitted works well and gives smooth changes.
If you need more power, then there’s a 2.0 CDTi version available producing 157bhp, with a top speed of 133mph and 0-62mph in 9.0 seconds, but it only returns an average fuel economy of 55.4mpg.
The Astra Sports Tourer handles well, and is a vast improvement on the previous version. Steering is quick, there’s little body-roll when cornering and there’s plenty of grip which is confidence inspiring, especially on twisty roads. All in all it’s a smooth and comfortable ride.
Road noise and engine noise are well suppressed inside the cabin and you’ll only notice the wind noise when travelling at speed.
Vauxhall have worked hard to revamp and improve the Sports Tourer from its somewhat dull looking predecessor - and it shows. The Astra Sports Tourer now looks great from the outside with its dashing lines and the interior doesn’t disappoint either.
The Exclusiv version of the Astra Sports Tourer comes pretty well equipped with power steering, remote central locking, air-conditioning, electric door mirrors, electric front windows, cruise control, immobiliser, CD+MP3 connectivity as well as chrome-bevelled steering wheel, ambient-lit centre-console and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls.
Vauxhall also offer optional alloy wheels (£360), climate control (£305), metallic paint (£495), rear parking sensors, alarm (£250), Bluetooth (£220) and satellite navigation (£855).
The new Sports Tourer is 28mm longer than the old version, giving even more useful space. Passenger space is ample and long trips present no problem for comfort. The ride quality is excellent and passengers will arrive feeling relaxed and fresh. The boot space of 500-litres is impressive and you can boost it to 1,550 by folding the split rear seats down. There’s also a useful 73-litres of space underneath the cargo floor. The loading bay is flat and includes pull-down grab handles and cargo hooks to secure small loads.
The Astra Sports Tourer was awarded the maximum of five-stars from EuroNCAP when they crash-tested it. It comes fitted with six airbags and ESP as standard and active head-restraints help avoid whiplash injuries.
Vauxhall provide their 100,000 mile, life-time warranty for the Sports Tourer, with regular service intervals every 20,000 miles.
Standard security features include remote-central-locking with deadlocks, immobilizer, visible VIN and unique-fit stereo.
Overall it looks and feels well built and put together and the previous generation was reliable enough on the whole; there’s no reason to expect that things have changed. Vauxhall’s lifetime warranty gives peace of mind, especially for those who are going to hang onto their car for a while.
The Vauxhall Astra Soprts Tourer is well priced in its class. The £20,745 asking price gets you a very competent, practical and easy to live with car. Residual values are nothing impressive though. If buying from a dealer haggle for a discount, and take care when selecting trim levels; the choice is mind-boggling and a few well chosen factory extras simply added to a lower trim version may save you a lot.
Running costs are reasonable for its class and typically what you’d expect for a medium family-sized estate. Insurance is in group 15 and its CO2 emissions of 119g/km put it in VED band C for Road Tax.
All round, it’s not as accomplished as some of its rivals but it does offer an excellent blend of economy, comfort and refinement.
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