FIRST DRIVE: New Vauxhall Astra holds so much promise


At this week’s UK media launch and first drive of the all new five door Vauxhall Astra GMUK would only talk about the new model range but they took the opportunity to showcase their Ellesmere Port manufacturing facility at Merseyside where the new car is being built, as well as the current Astra Estate and Astravan. With GM’s European operations likely to be in the hands of the Russian backed Canadian Magna International company, although the I’s need to be dotted and the T’s crossed on the fine print of the deal and the future both Vauxhall’s UK plants at Ellesmere Port and Luton with potential job losses the subject of media speculation, the message from GMUK was no comment, ‘the car is the star’ on this occasion. However the UK media were transported in current model Astra five door models and given a brief tour of the Ellesmere Port facility before collecting the new Astra five door models for the test drive programme. The current Astra is Britain’s best-selling UK built car. So far this year, due to the run out of the current model, 49,242 have been sold but in a full year over 90,000 UK sales are likely, depending on future market conditions. The plant has been home for 46 years of every compact class Vauxhall sold in the UK, Viva, Chevette and five generations of Astra. Now the sixth generation is rolling off the lines in readiness for the car’s showroom debut and the start of sales in December. The plant now employs 2,200 people and to date has produced neatly 4.5 million vehicles. The facility has the capacity to build 190,000 vehicles a year on a three-shift system equating to 40 cars and vans per hour or one Astra rolling of the line every 90 seconds in both right hand drive Astra form or left hand drive Opel versions. Currently the factory is operating a two shift system producing around 130,000 units a year. GMUK said Ellesmere Port is one of the most advanced facilities in the UK, and one which is already mooted to take on production of the Ampera, Vauxhall’s revolutionary all electric model set to go on sale in 2012. Speaking to Journalists this week, plant director Tom Schmidt, who has spent 30 years with GM, said, “This plant has the flexibility to build anything. At the moment 56pc of production is exported to 24 different countries and 48pc of vehicles produced are right hand drive. The UK market takes 25pc of Ellesmere Port production The British Government recently gave GM an £8.7 million grant for employee training so the Ellesmere Plant could win ‘the bid’ to get production of the new Astra”. A new Astra Sports Tourer model range will follow in 2010 as will a new Astravan range but there was no confirmation as to when the new generation Astra three-door models would join. Production of the new five door Astra will also start shortly in Poland. Vauxhall’s Engineering Centre, based at GM’s Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire has been instrumental to developing the new Astra specifically for UK roads with new bespoke steering settings to improve responsiveness and smoothness. Adam Collins, GMUK’s product manager compact cars said the longer, wider and roomier new Astra has a range of eight engines and five trim levels. The new engines offer an overall average of a 13.3pc improvement in CO2 emissions. Prices start from £15,675 and extend to £23,695. He added, “The message we want you to take away from this event is that the new Astra has more premium features, it offers better ride and handling performance and of the overall improvement in design and quality, especially the interior.”
FIRST IMPRESSIONS

	Britain’s best selling UK built car is re-born and revitalised says GM UK. The new Astra five door medium sized C-segment hatchback is built at Ellesmere Port and production is now underway in readiness for showroom sales to begin in December. This is the sixth generation Astra and by far the most sophisticated and refined yet. It follows the design and much improved quality path laid down by the larger and highly praised Vauxhall Insignia range which went on to be voted European Car of the Year.
The latest Astra uses the all-new GM Delta platform which is bigger and 43pc stiffer than the previous version. At 4.42 metres in length the new Astra has grown by 170mm, nearly seven inches, and the wheelbase has been increased by 71mm to improve rear seat legroom. The widening of the front and rear tracks improves handling performance and with extra width in the cabin passengers will enjoy the extra room and comfort. Vauxhall’s Engineering Centre at Millbrook has been responsible for the bespoke tuning of the electrically operated power steering specifically to suit UK roads.
	The handling and ride comfort has been further improved using a beam rear axle design with the additional Watt’s link which controls lateral forces during cornering. This makes the handling much more predictable and allows for softer suspension bushes and settings so improving the ride quality. The new Astra now ‘rides’ like a much larger car, well in keeping with its higher grade image. As for prices, Vauxhall say the entry level model as increased by £270 with the range now starting at a modest £15,675 and increasing to less than modest £23,695. There is a range of eight engines, five petrol, three diesels, and all are four-cylinder units.
A 1.3-litre 109g/km ecoFLEX diesel unit with stop/start facility is due in Spring 2010. The new and revised engines are 13.3pc cleaner and more economical than their predecessors. The most popular petrol engines will be the 1.6-litre 115PS unit which will account for 30pc of sales followed by the new 1.4-litre 140PS unit which should attract 18pc of sales. I preferred the latter during the test drive but it still doesn’t match the VW 1.4-litre TSi 122PS unit for response and flexibility. The new 1.3-litre ecoFLEX unit should be the main diesel engine with 10pc of overall sales with the 1.7 110PS and 2.0 160PS units taking 9pc each.
There are also five trim levels, S, Exclusiv, SE, Elite and SRi with Exclusiv being the most popular with 35pc of sales followed by 28pc for the sporty SRi. All models have driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags, ESP electronic control programme, air conditioning, stereo radio/CD player, reach and rake adjustable steering column, electrically operated windows, electrically operated and heated door mirrors , 60/40 split folding rear seat and daytime running lights.
Adam Collins, product manager for GMUK said at the UK press launch for the new Astra that their newcomer will still compete for sales against the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf. The Astra has been the best selling UK built car and around 90,000 are sold in a full year in the UK regularly putting it in the top four of the sales chart. The Astra is a popular choice for fleet and business users who make up 64pc of Astra sales but 65pc of all Astra’s sold have petrol engines and 65pc of all Astras sold in the UK are five-door models. Currently there is no news on when a new three-door version of the Astra will be launched but the Astra Sports Tourer is planned for 2010. With the recession hit new car market still uncertain but with green shoots showing, especially from retail customers, Vauxhall clearly wants to target new buyers who may never have considered buying a Vauxhall before, a similar plan worked well for Insignia sales. In addition to competing against the Focus and Golf ranges, Vauxhall sees the Astra as offering an alternative choice to people who might be attracted to premium products such as the Audi A3, but given the state of the economy will like the much more affordable price of the Astra. But it is the style that will first attract customers - think Insignia - see Astra. The newcomer is a scaled down version to look at and inside it is just like being in a slightly smaller Insignia. The interior quality and twin cockpit design in the front is generally first class. The extra legroom and width in the rear will be enjoyed. On the down-side, the rear visibility through the tailgate is not great, the rear seats are not as comfortable as the front ones and the controls are many, varied and their operation somewhat confusing – just like Insignia in fact. The test driving revealed much improved ride comfort over the old Astras, better handling, a more controlled ride and a compliant suspension which seemed well able to cope with our poor roads. Much work has been done with the steering to give better response and feedback from the modern but insular electronic systems. Mostly the Millbrook tuning has worked and customers will like the light but positive feel the system provides. MILESTONES. Vauxhall Astra 5-Door 1.6i VVT 115PS Exclusiv. (best selling model) £16,650. Engine/transmission: 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol, 115PS, 155Nm at 4,000rpm, 5-speed manual, front wheel drive. Performance: 118mph, 0-60mph 10.9 seconds, 44.8mpg, (36.2mpg actual), CO2 147g/km, VED Band F £125. BIK 18pc (tbc). Insurance group: 4E. Dimensions/capacities: L 4,419mm, W 1,814mm, H 1,510mm, boot space 370-1,235-litres. For: Built in Britain, styling and design, quality of fit and finish, roomy, surefooted handling, comfortable ride, new 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine. Against: Poor rear visibility, unsupportive rear bench seat, confusing and not intuitive controls. ©DAVID MILES
OUR VERDICT
The GM design targets were to give the new Astra more premium features than its competitors, improved ride and handling over the old Astra and to have a product with an eye-catching design with a more user friendly and more upmarket interior. Full marks achieved then in those areas.