Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Review 2024

Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer At A Glance

4/5
Honest John Overall Rating
The Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer shows that estate cars can still be cool. It looks great inside and out, and boasts plenty of practical space. There are superb plug-in hybrid versions, plus an all-electric model is on the way.

+Great design. Estate car practicality. A wide choice of petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid or electric powertrains.

-Not as good to drive as the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports, or as roomy as the Volkswagen Golf Estate. Hybrid models sacrifice some boot space.

The Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer has all the style of the latest Astra, but with more passenger space and room for luggage. Its modern and athletic looks make it stand out from the best estates more than ever before. Available in petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid and performance versions, there’s also a fully electric version coming soon.

Vauxhall is going through a revolution as part of the massive Stellantis Group.  Suddenly, its cars are looking fresh and modern, there are plug-in hybrids and electric models, and its interiors are stylish with nicely integrated tech.

This is a whole new era for Vauxhall and it’s one in which the Astra Sports Tourer is much more deserving of its name.

In a world demanding ever more SUVs, the best estate cars still have their loyal fans. Spacious interiors, additional load space, sharper handling and more compact dimensions can all give an estate car the edge over an SUV.

In recent years, the Astra estate has lost out to its traditional rival the Ford Focus Estate, as well as the stylish SEAT Leon Estate and the immensely practical Skoda Octavia Estate, but now it’s back and it means business.

There are three trim levels: Design, GS and Ultimate. All provide lots of standard equipment to tempt buyers away from rivals and SUVs.

Vauxhall’s new Pure Panel infotainment and instrument cluster digital screens not only look really good, but are simple to use and packed with features to make your drive both easier and more enjoyable.

Vauxhall has included a full range of engine options to suit both private and company car buyers, from the nippy 1.2 turbocharged petrol and long-distance 1.5-litre diesel, to the latest plug-in hybrid models with an emissions-free electric range of up to 42 miles.

A fully electric version is joining the line-up later in 2023, taking on more electric estates arriving from Peugeot, BMW and others.

Then there is the Astra Sports Tourer GSe, sitting under Vauxhall and Opel’s new GSe performance sub-brand.

Engineered to deliver practicality and performance, the GSe uses the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain, but power is boosted to 225PS and the chassis and suspension have been uprated with promises of dynamic handling.

It all marks a big change for the practical, but formerly rather humble, Astra estate. Even the name ‘Sports Tourer’ infers that this isn’t just about carrying around work gear or going flatpack shopping – it’s designed and engineered to go touring to new places.

Is it all just marketing fluff? Our Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer review will reveal all.

Ask Honest John

Can you recommend a car with electric memory seats?

"My wife and I share one car (Toyota Avensis Tourer estate) which we are thinking of replacing within 12 months. We have a height difference of 10 inches between us and have found the memory function on the electric driver’s seat to be really useful. Unfortunately, most new cars, including the Toyota Corolla, don’t seem to offer it. Can you please help identify any that have this feature?"
There is still plenty of new cars that offer electric memory seats but it's often restricted to the high-spec versions or optional equipment. It's more common in larger family cars than the Corolla, (the outgoing Ford Mondeo has electric memory seats on top-end versions) but the Peugeot 308 SW GT lists it as optional equipment and the Vauxhall Astra Ultimate gets a memory function as standard.
Answered by Lawrence Allan

What's the best hybrid estate car?

"I am looking to change my 10-year-old Golf diesel. I would like a car with similar fuel costs and am told the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports hybrid is good. What do you think? "
The Toyota Corolla is a full hybrid (one with a small battery which charges itself as you drive) rather than a plug-in hybrid where you can charge a larger battery at home. Toyota does offer a plug-in hybrid RAV4, but for a similar-sized plug-in car we'd recommend checking out the new Peugeot 308 PHEV estate, the Astra Sports Tourer hybrid or the Skoda Octavia iV estate.
Answered by Lawrence Allan
More Questions

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