Vauxhall broke their own rules. The facelifted Astra had a neat pricing scheme. All electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrids. Hatchback, estate. All started at £29,995. It was balanced. Then came the pure petrol option. It upset the order.
Prices dropped. Now the entry level sits at £27,495 for both hatchback and estate.
The engine
It is a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder. Makes 128bhp. Same unit from before the facelift. Right now? Eight-speed automatic only. We expect the six-speed manual later. It’s the last one left. No chance of seeing the old 109bhg engine again.
Efficiency hasn’t budged either.
* Fuel economy: 48.7 mpg
* CO2: 132 g/km
Same as before. Why change what isn’t broken?
What do you actually get?
The new bottom-line price covers the Griffin trim. It isn’t bare bones. It has the same kit as the pricey powertrains. You get adaptive cruise control, LED headlights. Heated front seats. Keyless entry. Even a heated steering wheel is standard. Parking sensors front and back.
Climb to the GS trim at £28,995 and things look a bit meaner.
– 18-inch wheels
– Black exterior accents
– Sports seats
– 180-degree reversing cam
– Keyless go
Want luxury? Go Ultimate. It’s £31,495. You get diamond-cut alloys, wireless phone charging, and heated massaging seats. Heated windscreen? Check. Noise-insulating windows? Yes. If you buy the estate (Sports Tourer), the boot opens itself on this trim too.
One catch. All trims get a black roof. Metallic black is free for the body color. Want blue, yellow, white, or silver? That costs you. An extra £650. Grey isn’t safe either.
Paint is not a minor detail here. It adds to the final tally quickly.
The manual box hasn’t arrived yet. Will it come back in time to save some buyers from the auto shift? Only time will tell. But the price has definitely changed.
