VAUXHALL ASTRA

New-era hatch arrives in 1.2 guise before design boss oversees a swap to the PHEV

- STEVE CROPLEY

FIRST REPORT

WHY WE'RE RUNNING IT

To judge how Vauxhall is doing in the big-volume but problematic hatchback market, now this crucial entrant shares key parts with Peugeot, Citroën and DS.

SECOND OPINION

Mark Adams' bold overhaul of Vauxhall's design has been well received round these parts, and no model wears the new look better than the Astra, to my eye. Encouragingly, its premium-flavoured makeover is matched by a cushy ride and a decent tech offering, which means the Golf and Focus really do have something to worry about. FP

Not sure why this is, but I've always had a soft spot for Vauxhall. Perhaps this is connected with the fact that reaching my London roost involves frequent trips across Vauxhall Bridge, close to where the venerable marque had its beginnings in 1903.

Whatever, I've always liked the workaday image of the cars, which have stayed successful and competent all these years without help from premium pricing (which maintains the health of some marques whose cars are no better). In recent years, I've approved of its 'world's only German-British marque' mantra, which has seemed appropriate to the modern range.

Things have changed, of course. Having been long associated with General Motors, Vauxhall and its German associate, Opel, have been acquired by Stellantis, a move that has required their long-time staple product, the Astra, to adopt this mammoth group's EMP2 platform, most prominently shared with the Peugeot 308 but by Citroën and DS models as well. That means the powertrains and running gear are all new, too.