Astra Sports Tourer
Vauxhall. Do we still think of it as a British make? After all, for many years a Vauxhall has been almost exactly the same as a German Opel, with the V-word retained only for the UK market where it has always been a strong player. Very strong; the UK is General Motors’ fourth-biggest market after China, the US and Brazil.
Well, think on this. To say a Vauxhall is a differently badged Opel might be true, but don’t assume that that automatically makes it German. Unlike Ford, Vauxhall makes cars in the UK. Like Ford, it also does research and development here. And the car you see here is that now-unusual artefact, a mainstream-market, British-branded car not only built here but also engineered here.
This is a good-looking, upmarket-feeling estate car. This Astra is also a good advertisement for the power and realism of modern computer-aided design and engineering, because its new body pressings went straight from computer data to production tooling with not a single physical prototype in-between. That’s an act of some faith.
You would buy this car, then, rather than an Insignia ST if you really wanted to carry bulky stuff. And if you bought a high-specification Astra, you could fold the rear-seat backrests down at the touch of a switch, and have a range of load-organising accessories.
Still, an estate car can only be deemed an engineering success if it remains good to drive despite its load-carrying ability. There are myriad engines, petrol and Astra diesel, plus several trim levels and a price range from £16,600 to a heady £23,595, but it’s the 1.4 Turbo petrol in the SRi trim level, costing £20,375, which really gels.
That SRi tag is a hangover from the 1980s, when the “i” signified sporty fuel injection, which every car now has, but it remains a favourite identifier of potentially entertaining Vauxhalls. Running on its standard 17in wheels, the SRi rides beautifully over bumps without the fidget that afflicts Astras running on the softer suspension but cursed with the optional fashion-victim 18in wheels. It also steers more sweetly. Vauxhall’s engineers like this version the best too, but they were obliged to create the others to meet market demands.
And that little turbo engine is a gem, with its hefty 140bhp arriving at just 4,900rpm to ensure a punchy, effortless drive. CO2 is rated at 144g/km, which is a fair result for a car able to reach 62mph from rest in 9.5 seconds.
Verdict? Apart from its annoying electric parking brake it’s a thoroughly likeable, very practical estate car with an unexpected hint of patriotic appeal.