Extended test: 2023 Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer GS PHEV
Is it sporty? Is it good for families? And does it make more sense than a petrol or pure-electric Astra? Tina Milton finds out
Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer GS PHEV specifications
- Model: Astra Sports Tourer GS, Plug In Hybrid 1.6 Turbo (180PS) 8-Speed Auto
- OTR Price: £40,135
- Price as tested (with options): £41,033
- Colour: Cobalt Blue
- Cost options fitted: Tri coat premium metallic paint £700; large dog mat £62.48; dog cage £133.51
- Engine: 1.6-litres, 4-cylinder petrol engine plus 81kW electric motor
- Transmission 8-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
- Battery: 12.4kWh capacity with 3.7kW on-board charger
- Max power : 178bhp @ 1,750rpm (combined)
- Max torque: 265 lb ft @ 6,000 rpm (combined)
- Electric-only range: Up to 42 miles (WLTP)*
- Top speed 140mph
- 0-62mph 7.7sec
- Fuel consumption (WLTP): 256mpg**
- CO2 emissions (WLTP): 23-24g/km
- VED (road tax) £0 for first year; £155 thereafter
- BIK tax payable (2022/23) 8%
- Insurance group 27E
- Gross weight: 2,170kg
- Luggage capacity: 516 litres / 1,553 litres (seats up /down)
* Expect real world electric range to be less, especially in cold weather, on hill routes and when driven at high speeds. Read on for real world results.
** Achieving this official fuel consumption figure is unlikely in the real world, though depends greatly on individual use cases. Keeping the battery charged and using mainly electric power will result in a higher economy figure. It will also mean fewer in-use emissions.
Test details
- Test period January – July 2024
- Starting mileage 284 miles
Test updates
- April 2, 2024 How great is the estate?
- April 30, 2024 Easter hols and a long motorway trip
- June 6, 2024 Feature focus
April 2, 2024: How great is the estate?
Estate cars are a fond part of my childhood. I remember them as huge vehicles that swallowed up the full family loot we used to take on summer holidays. Bags, suitcases, toys, you name it, the sturdy estate swallowed it all. Sometimes, when our extended family travelled with us, I became part of that loot, excited to sit in the boot with a rear-facing view. My Dad would meticulously pack every last centimetre of space with Jenga-like precision.
I was therefore delighted and intrigued to take on the Vauxhall Sports Tourer for an extended test, so I could reacquaint myself with the virtues of an estate car in a world that has become obsessed with SUVs. And as this version is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), there is a lot to explore and discover to see if it’s fit for modern family life.
First impressions are firmly positive and the car that rolled onto my driveway definitely exceeded my expectations of the Vauxhall brand. The Astra, which replaced the Viva in 1980, has been tweaked over many refreshes but its latest visual reboot is striking. The black stripe across the nose gives it a confident edge (although the badge is rather camouflaged), which is echoed by the black roof colouring. This detailing is accentuated by the striking Cobalt Blue metallic paint (a £700 option, I should add), which no doubt will stand out in a car park full of grey and silver crossovers.
Vauxhall has supplied me with the GS spec of the Astra Sports Tourer. This is technically the mid-spec version, and one up from the entry-level Astra Design, but is considered the sporty-looking option. At the top of the range is the appropriately-names Astra Ultimate.
The GS comes with plenty of luxuries, though, including dual-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, adaptive cruise control and an upgraded parking camera. All very welcome features that will no doubt add to the driving experience.
Estates appear to be a sub-group often overlooked by car buyers caught in loops of trading one SUV for another. A few savvy manufacturers have continued to invest in this space, though, realising there is still a market for them due to the practicality and space they afford, as well as the fuel efficiency benefits of not being a high-riding SUV.
The most direct competitors to the Astra Sports Tourer are the Seat Leon e-Hybrid Estate and Skoda Superb Estate (which is due as a PHEV soon). Both boast potential efficiency and value for money.
If you were to punt a little further upmarket, the BMW 3 Series Touring Plug-in Hybrid and Audi A6 Avant TFSI e both emerge as premium competitors. However, the perceived high end badges come with pricetags to match.
Taking the Astra Sports Tourer on this extended test also meant investigating the installation of a EV home chargebox, because unless you keep a PHEV’s battery topped up, you won’t get anywhere near the advertised fuel economy. Vauxhall has plenty of support and advice in this area and pointed me in the direction of Ohme, one of its electric vehicle partners and one of the UK’s fast-growing tech companies.
After navigating the Ohme site to see the choice available and answer some of my initial questions, I selected the Ohme ePod. This is Ohme’s most compact unit, which means it is less obtrusive in appearance on the front of my house. It’s also untethered, meaning the wire can be detached and stored separately, another way to minimise visual impact.
The installation process was relatively straight forward. An online questionnaire provided Ohme with all of the key information needed, such as ease of access to the mains power supply and its proximity to where the car is parked.
Interestingly, Ohme also asked what other high-powered electrical equipment the house might have running, no doubt to ensure the circuit isn’t overloaded when the car is plugged in. I think my husband’s dream of a hot tub might have to go on pause.
The installation took place via the helpful team at Pro EV. Our engineer did a very tidy job including all required drilling, plus he added in some trunking so the cabling was safely and neatly tucked away.
Ohme’s ePod retails from £949 (including install) and is pretty competitively priced from an online search of similar products. I also purchased an Ohme Type 2 to Type 2 (the plug type that has become the standard in Europe) single phase (as opposed to three phase, which can handle faster charges) five metre cable, which is a one-off cost of £169. While most hybrid or electric cars are supplied with cables, I wanted to ensure I have my own quality cable that is designed for use with our wallbox.
So with home charger capability ticked off, I’m all set to give the Astra Sports Tourer a full extended test across a range of typical family activities. We have a few longer trips planned to help give it a thorough workout and I’m curious to see how the PHEV systems works across short, medium and longer driving distances.
- Mileage this month 601 miles
- Miles to date 601 miles
- Average economy 134mpg
For more information on Ohme home chargers, visit ohme-ev.com/our-chargers
Have a question for Tina? Use the comments section below.
April 30, 2024 Easter hols and a long motorway trip
We have settled into life with the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer and have been able to give it a thorough workout across a range of terrains. My usual weekly drives are short and frequent, but the recent school holidays meant we escaped for a week to a family favourite spot in Devon, about 180 miles away on mainly motorways. So, is the Vauxhall the all-rounder that I need?
On my local trips, the Sports Tourer has made a real impact as I’ve become a complete convert on plug-in hybrid technology. It’s become second nature to step out of the car and plug into my Ohme ePod every time I pull back onto my drive. The official Vauxhall range is 42 miles but in reality and across some cold mornings, this has been showing up as 33 miles when I set off. While this 21 per cent drop off is a little concerning, I do understand that test environments are very different from real-world use.
This aside, 33 miles in my local driving schedule works just fine. It’s enough to shepherd me about my weekly timetable without having to use any petrol, as I invariably return home before the battery is flat. And because I’m lucky enough to have a driveway and wallbox, I’m able to fully charge at home without having to negotiate the world of public charging. The infrastructure is improving all the time but it can still be a lottery, and charging points in remote locations can be few and far between, meaning those with pure-electric vehicles can struggle when heading to some rural areas. This plug-in hybrid seems to be a great stepping stone while the UK irons out the electric transition kinks.
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At 4.6m in length and a low seating position, the Sports Tourer is a different beast from the SUVs and crossovers I’ve become accustomed to when it comes to manoeuvring into parking bays. The camera and sensors have helped with this adjustment, but it has taken time to gauge spots to park and ensure that I’m going to squeeze the car in. I’m sure I will adjust in time but it’s certainly worth a mention for anyone thinking about switching to an estate.
On the road, the Vauxhall offer a very smooth ride. In electric mode, the acceleration is impressive. The 0-60mph is achieved in just under 8 seconds, so it’s no slouch and works to my needs.
The low ride height offers a sportier driving experience and, while parking is an adjustment there are no surprises in terms of the lines of view, but the wing mirrors do seem more angular in shape and a little smaller than I’m used to. Braking is sharp and responsive, too, and the Astra responded well when a recent roundabout hazard necessitated an emergency stop.
Where the Sports Tourer has really dazzled has been on the motorway. Our trip to Devon was the perfect opportunity to see how it would perform on longer, uninterrupted sections of faster carriageway. The EV range only took us two junctions along the M4, so thereafter it was full on petrol-electric hybrid mode and I was curious to see what it returned in terms of efficiency and drive quality.
“The Astra responded well when a recent roundabout hazard necessitated an emergency stop”
Over the 120 miles of motorway on the outward trip we hit a pleasing 48mpg. It purred along comfortably at 70mph with an impressively low engine noise. The cabin felt very well insulated, particularly as the wind picked up as we crossed the Avonmouth Bridge on the M5 near Bristol.
The adaptive cruise control helped to make it a relaxing drive, too, slowing us down gently when cars switched lanes in front of us before calmly picking speed back up again. Likewise, the lane assist feature helped guide the car without overly pulling on the steering, something that has irritated on other models I’ve reviewed.
The Astra Sports Tourer’s automatic eight-speed gearbox has performed well in nearly all driving environments, as we took it up and down steep hills, sharp bends, and undulating coastal routes. It worked its way through the gears without ever straining or having to overwork. I only had to use the optional paddle shifts on a couple of occasions, to drop a few gears when a boost of speed was required for overtaking.
While down in Devon we were fortunate to have a home charger in our accommodation, so we were able to revert to EV power again for our days walking on the beach and trips to local towns. This meant that we only needed one petrol station top up for the week away, giving us fuel for the motorway on the return leg and resulting in a resounding difference to my wallet. With future holiday decisions looming, electric charging at the accommodation will now jump up my list of priorities.
So, the Sports Tourer gets our vote for its driving experience. It’s giving me a different perspective from my usual ride type and I’m taking this as a positive. Next time I’ll continue to explore the Vauxhall’s full proposition as I put its features in focus.
- Distance this month 720 miles
- Mileage to date 1,321 miles
- Average petrol fuel economy 147mpg
June 6, 2024 Feature focus
It’s time for some tales of the unexpected. I’ve been living with the Astra Sports Tourer for over three months now and have enjoyed exploring some of its signature features. While there have been a few pleasant surprises along the way, in the interests of balance I also need to report on a couple of niggles.
For example, the boot is a game of two halves. The interior netted side pockets are a real bonus, providing a snug and efficient spot to store my bits and bobs. Dog drinking bottles, wet wipes and compact umbrellas, it holds the lot. The elastic fitting keeps items secure and the open netting means it’s easy to access and dip in and out of.
However, having reviewed several tailgate mechanisms over the last couple of years, the majority of which having been automatic, the fact that the Vauxhall has a manually-opening hatch is a gripe. Automatic tailgates can be released and opened remotely from afar via the key fob or closed via the press of a button housed in the boot’s door. Some even open with a waggle of your foot under the bumper.
Whatever the method, many cars now have a degree of automation. With the Astra, the boot is unlocked via the key fob but the hatch itself has to be raised and closed by hand. Maybe we have been too spoilt with our test cars thus far but it has felt a tad cumbersome at times, for example when carrying shopping or with a wet dog tucked under one arm. Wrestling the boot up with one hand isn’t ideal.
Given the spacious boot is a big plus point for the model and prospective owners may be drawn to it for this very reason, the old-fashioned access is a missed opportunity. This is a GS trim model, don’t forget, so not even the entry-level Astra (which is called Design). It comes with heated front seats so you’d expect an auto tailgate, too, but that only comes as standard in Ultimate and GSe guises.
But one automatic feature it does have has been irritating me. The Astra unlocks automatically when you walk up to it with the key fob about your person, which should be super handy when you’re heading out on a car trip. However, I’ve found it to be overly sensitive and as a consequence it is a little disconcerting if you’re not intending to use the car.
On one particular Sunday morning as I pottered around the front drive, the Sports Tourer went on a rapid series of unlocks and locks as the proximity of the key in my pocket triggered it to respond. And if you’ve left the dog or a child in the car for a few seconds, say if you’ve forgotten something you need for a trip and have to run back to the house, then the car locks and the occupants may set the alarm off.
Keeping things simple is often best, and that is exemplified with one feature inside the car: physical buttons on the central cluster for stereo volume and air conditioning. Not only do I find these easier to identify and adjust than using a touchscreen but it’s less of a distraction when you want to keep your eyes on the road.
Having to scroll through several menu wormholes to find the feature you need is ridiculous when tapping a physical button is so simple and convenient (kudos to Vauxhall). It might seem less slick than a digital interface but the practicalities are safer and more efficient in my view (even if this option might be more expensive for car manufacturers to install).
[Carmakers have been removing physical buttons for a number of years, ostensibly to de-clutter cockpits but in reality it saves them money in production. However, some are reverting to proper buttons after customer dissatisfaction and a growing focus by regulators on its effect on safety — Ed.]
The very welcome warmer weather of late has also prompted more frequent use of the air conditioning, which gets top marks. Generous horizontal vents, which are three or four times the size of most offerings, can be controlled with a finger slide to channel air sideways. It’s also easy to direct the airflow upwards or downwards, towards your face or inside the cabin. Aside from efficiency, the design is aesthetically pleasing and has streamlined appeal.
In the next chapter, I’ll be giving the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer’s touchscreen and added options a more detailed examination. Both of these areas have influenced my driving experience to differing degrees, so warrant time under the spotlight.
- Mileage this month 646 miles
- Mileage to date 1,967 miles
- Average Economy 191mpg
Have a question for Tina? Use the comments section below.
Related articles
- If you enjoyed this extended review of the 2023 Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer plug-in hybrid, you might like to take a look at our review of the Mazda MX-30 R-EV: Is it a revolution in plug-in hybrids?
- Also check out our first drive review of the electric Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer
- And did you know Vauxhall is planning a £22,000 city EV?
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