We achieved 4.2 miles per kWh during a motorway run and around town, which would have given us a total range of around 245 miles (five miles more than what we saw in the old Astra Electric). We’re confident we could have upped the predicted range fairly easily with some more steady miles.
While rivals such as the Elroq can charge up to 175kW, the Astra’s 100kW maximum speed is unchanged from before. With the larger battery this means a 20 to 80 per cent top up takes a few minutes longer than before, at around half an hour. What is new for the Astra Electric is vehicle-to-load functionality, so you can charge appliances from the Vauxhall’s battery.
As for the way the Astra Electric drives, it’s 0.3 seconds slower from 0-62mph than before due to the extra weight of the larger battery, but otherwise it feels the same. The front-mounted electric motor with its 154bhp and 270Nm of torque is certainly responsive enough and delivers a decent amount of shove even up to motorway speeds. But compared with rivals such as the EV3 and Elroq (both of which have at least 201bhp), the Vauxhall isn’t particularly exhilarating in a straight line.
The Astra Electric, like its combustion-engined alternatives, handles in a safe, predictable manner. There’s light, albeit slightly vague steering, but it’s possible to lean on decent levels of front grip, although the Astra isn’t particularly rewarding to drive quickly.
Comparing the Astra Electric back to back with its Hybrid 145 and plug-in hybrid alternatives, we found the ride was more composed in the EV. We put this down to the extra weight (more than 200kg more than the Hybrid 145), counteracting what can be an occasionally choppy ride in the other Astra models.
The standard kit is even better on the Astra than it was before. Our Ultimate trim gets a head-up display, wireless smartphone charger, plus new heated and massaging front seats. There’s also new ‘Intelli-Lux’ adaptive headlights, although we tried them out at night and didn’t find them as precise or responsive as the ‘Matrix’ lights from the Volkswagen Group.
| Model: | Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric Ultimate |
| Price: | £33,995 |
| Powertrain: | 1x e-motor, 58.3kWh battery |
| Power/torque: | 154bhp/270Nm |
| Transmission: | Single-speed automatic, front-wheel drive |
| 0-62mph: | 9.5 seconds |
| Top speed: | 106mph |
| Charging: | 100kW (20-80% in 32 minutes) |
| Range: | 276 miles |
| Size (L/W/H): | 4,642/1,860/1,443mm |
| On sale: | Now |
