Vauxhall Astra Electric

Vauxhall Astra Electric arrives with convincing efficiency if unmemorable dynamics The Vauxhall Astra Electric has arrived in the UK, albeit still only in left-hand-drive form for the time being.Its pricing announcement in May raised a few eyebrows. The battery-powered Astra is available in two specifications and starts at a fiver under £40,000, with the upper-spec Ultimate costing £43,110. At the top level it’s Tesla Model 3 money. Maybe that’s why Vauxhall is keen to note that you can have one from £263 per month on 0% finance for three years, although this includes a £12k deposit and an £18.2k balloon payment. Anyway, as ever the company car tax case is compelling, and the rest of the equation might revolve around what your company pays.The electric Astra is a 4.4m-long small family hatch, just like the petrol and plug-in hybrid versions. The battery is 51kWh (usable), and while the associated gubbins steals a little floor space in the boot (although you still get 350 litres), it adds torsional rigidity to the platform. It is front-wheel drive and has a 153bhp, 199lb ft motor, giving a modest 9.2sec 0-62mph time. Early this year, Vauxhall said it would like to be perceived as sitting at the upper end of non-premium brands. Given that I perceive everyone from Skoda to Hyundai as one of those these days, I don’t know if it manages this.But the exterior is sleek while the interior is bold. The bonnet looks a bit odd, to me, when you look down it from inside. Instead of beefing up the wheel arches to add muscle, its prominent centre line is reminiscent of some curved-hood 1950s Americana.Until recently, Vauxhall/Opel continued that central exterior feature line into the interior, but now the dashboard is broad and boldly accented horizontally, with two clear 10in displays – one instruments, one touchscreen – with soft-touch materials above but hard materials in the lower cabin.The generously sized and firmly comfortable front seats are some of the best around, and the driving position is good. Ergonomically, this being a Stellantis product on a group platform, it’s mixed. Temperature controls are buttons, as they should be, but changing their distribution – notably disabling a centre vent that seems keen to blow air on somebody, anybody, and whose breeze can’t be stopped in isolation – is on the screen, as it shouldn’t be. The button to flit between two lift-off regeneration levels is too small, too, given how often I think one uses it. Wheel paddles would solve that.The Astra EV is a calm if highly unremarkable car to drive. Step-off is relaxed, rather than insisting on giving you a notable nudge in the back, so it eases away pleasantly. But when departing a roundabout onto a dual carriageway, you may want more urge, even in the sportiest drive mode. The steering is pleasantly smooth, though, while the ride goes for a blend of comfort and control and is average at both but convincingly nails neither. At a time when key rivals are successfully starting to install character into EVs, the Astra arrives without a great deal of it.It is, however, extremely efficient. Its modest battery (max charge speed 100kW; up to 11kW on AC) gives a WLTP range of 258 miles. We saw 4.3mpkWh without trying, which equates to an easy 220-mile range, albeit at 20deg C. So if you or, as likely, somebody who works for you decides you ought to have one, it should be an easy if unmemorable EV to live with.