Vauxhall Astra Sports TourerWhen the new Astra was launched at the end of 2009 it clearly indicated the way Vauxhall were heading in terms of their quality. Gone were the functional tired interiors and basic mechanicals of yesteryear, and here was a car that could take on the might of Ford’s Focus, and for many people win the battle. Indeed, here in the UK the Astra in 2010 was the second biggest seller, behind the Fiesta.Sports Tourer is the name given by manufacturers to what they perceive to be a more stylish evocation of the estate car theme. The Astra one is indeed that, and with its rising waistline and interesting rear end it looks good from any angle. However, when talking estate cars, Sports Tourers or whatever else they want to call them, it’s practicality – and specifically luggage capacity – that is likely to be on top of a buyer’s list of requirements.Boot capacity of this Astra is a minimum 500 litres, though it has to be said that the Vauxhall criteria for this are “seats up, with optional tyre repair kit fitted”. So if you’ve got the standard spare wheel in there the volume will be a tad less than that. Max volume (seats down and rear cushions removed) is 1550 litres, which is 55 cubic feet, which is a heck of a lot; actually more than can be fitted into an Insignia! With those seat cushions removed you can achieve a flat floor, which is handy for movements of ‘white goods’. A two-touch luggage compartment cover is standard on all models. This slides upwards and out of the way with a simple tap to load or remove smaller items, but for larger loads the cover retracts completely into a cassette, coming to a soft stop. Best of all, when the cover’s not needed the complete assembly can be removed and stored below the load floor of the cargo space.And still on practicalities, a luggage compartment liner is offered as an optional extra for owners in the habit of carrying the ultimate in muddy boots or wet dogs in their motors. The cargo floor carpeting, the tailgate opening and the rear bumper can be protected by the liner which is rubberised on one side. It’s tailored to cover the rear floor and can be folded both longitudinally and transversely to cover parts of the cargo deck, including the rear seat backs when lowered. I drove the 1.7CDTi engine, which offered loads of torque but a rather coarse voice at low speeds. A huge range of alternative engines is offered, with the diesels offering not only the least powerful, but also the most potent of the range.The driving was certainly easy enough, though parking, as ever with shallow rear side windows, required more than the usual care. Handling and ride, on the variable surfaces of the Bedfordshire test route, were excellent, with a smooth comfortable ride allied to rock-solid handling; all a real pleasure to experience. In fact Vauxhall’s target was to maintain the levels of ride and handling enjoyed by the five-door hatch, and as a consequence its wheelbase and tracks remain the same. Also carried over is the hatch’s rear suspension, which is a fundamental in that successful ride/handling combination, and unique to Vauxhall/Opel. For the Sports Tourer the suspension settings have been revised, as have damper calibrations, to cater for the model’s higher load capabilities. Vauxhall has also carried over the steering settings from the hatch, which are designed to offer drivers a more natural feel thanks to tuning of the car’s electronic power steering system.If all that isn’t enough, then FlexRide, Vauxhall’s adaptive suspension system, is also available as an option on the Sports Tourer. The system continuously adapts to changes in driving style and cornering speed. In Standard mode, it offers the whole bandwidth of settings available and adjusts to suit the driver’s behaviour. In Tour mode, damper settings are relaxed to optimise ride quality, while in Sport mode throttle and steering responses are sharpened, in addition to the adoption of stiffer damper settings.Vauxhall themselves are confident of the new car’s possibilities, and reckon it will take 12% of total Astra sales. That’s probably no wishful thinking, for this is a good looking car with bags of practicality, at reasonable prices that are from £1,130 more than the equivalent hatch.Size: 4.70m x 2.01m (inc mirrors)Engines: Petrol: 1.4 & 1.6 litres – 100-140PS Diesel: 1.3 to 2.0 litres – 95-160PSGearbox: 5/6-speed FWDBest Consumption: 1.3 Diesel – 68.9mpgPrice at Feb ’11: from £16,950Full details of the Astra Sports Tourer are available on the manufacturer’s website: www.vauxhall.co.ukPeter Cracknell – Jan 2011
Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer
When the new Astra was launched at the end of 2009
it clearly indicated the way Vauxhall were heading in
terms of their quality. Gone were the functional tired
interiors and basic mechanicals of yesteryear, and
here was a car that could take on the might of Ford’s
Focus, and for many people win the battle. Indeed,
here in the UK the Astra in 2010 was the second
biggest seller, behind the Fiesta.
Sports Tourer is the name given by manufacturers to
what they perceive to be a more stylish evocation of
the estate car theme. The Astra one is indeed that,
and with its rising waistline and interesting rear end it
looks good from any
angle. However, when
talking estate cars,
Sports Tourers or
whatever else they
want to call them, it’s
practicality – and
specifically luggage
capacity – that is likely
to be on top of a
buyer’s list of
requirements.
Boot capacity of this
Astra is a minimum 500
litres, though it has to
be said that the
Vauxhall criteria for this
are “seats up, with
optional tyre repair kit
fitted”. So if you’ve got the standard spare wheel in
there the volume will be a tad less than that. Max
volume (seats down and rear cushions removed) is
1550 litres, which is 55 cubic feet, which is a heck of a
lot; actually more than can be fitted into an Insignia!
With those seat cushions removed you can achieve a
flat floor, which is handy for movements of ‘white
goods’. A two-touch luggage compartment cover is
standard on all models. This slides upwards and out of
the way with a simple tap to load or remove smaller
items, but for larger loads the cover retracts
completely into a cassette, coming to a soft stop. Best
of all, when the cover’s not needed the complete
assembly can be removed and stored below the load
floor of the cargo space.
And still on practicalities, a luggage compartment liner
is offered as an optional extra for owners in the habit
of carrying the ultimate in muddy boots or wet dogs in
their motors. The cargo floor carpeting, the tailgate
opening and the rear bumper can be protected by the
liner which is rubberised on one side. It’s tailored to
cover the rear floor and can be folded both
longitudinally and transversely to cover parts of the
cargo deck, including the rear seat backs when
lowered.
I drove the 1.7CDTi engine, which offered loads of
torque but a rather coarse voice at low speeds. A huge
range of alternative engines is offered, with the diesels
offering not only the least powerful, but also the most
potent of the range.
The driving was certainly easy enough, though
parking, as ever with shallow rear side windows,
required more than the usual care. Handling and ride, on
the variable surfaces of the Bedfordshire test route, were
excellent, with a smooth comfortable ride allied to rock-
solid handling; all a real pleasure to experience. In fact
Vauxhall’s target was to maintain the levels of ride and
handling enjoyed by the five-door hatch, and as a
consequence its wheelbase and tracks remain the same.
Also carried over is the hatch’s rear suspension, which is
a fundamental in that successful ride/handling
combination, and unique to Vauxhall/Opel. For the
Sports Tourer the suspension settings have been
revised, as have damper calibrations, to cater for the
model’s higher load
capabilities. Vauxhall has
also carried over the
steering settings from the
hatch, which are
designed to offer drivers
a more natural feel
thanks to tuning of the
car’s electronic power
steering system.
If all that isn’t enough,
then FlexRide, Vauxhall’s
adaptive suspension
system, is also available
as an option on the
Sports Tourer. The
system continuously
adapts to changes in
driving style and cornering speed. In Standard mode, it
offers the whole bandwidth of settings available and
adjusts to suit the driver’s behaviour. In Tour mode,
damper settings are relaxed to optimise ride quality,
while in Sport mode throttle and steering responses are
sharpened, in addition to the adoption of stiffer damper
settings.
Vauxhall themselves are confident of the new car’s
possibilities, and reckon it will take 12% of total Astra
sales. That’s probably no wishful thinking, for this is a
good looking car with bags of practicality, at reasonable
prices that are from £1,130 more than the equivalent
hatch.
Size:
4.70m x 2.01m (inc mirrors)
Engines:
Petrol: 1.4 & 1.6 litres – 100-140PS
Diesel: 1.3 to 2.0 litres – 95-160PS
Gearbox:
5/6-speed FWD
Best Consumption: 1.3 Diesel – 68.9mpg
Price at Feb ’11:
from £16,950
Full details of the Astra Sports Tourer are available on the
manufacturer’s website: www.vauxhall.co.uk
Peter Cracknell – Jan 2011
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