Vauxhall Astra Electric Review 2026

Vauxhall Astra Electric: Everything you need to know

This is about as self-explanatory as cars get. It's a Vauxhall Astra, but...electric. While cars like the Volkswagen ID.3, Cupra Born, MG 4 and Renault Megane E-Tech sit on bespoke electric platforms, the Vauxhall Astra Electric merely takes everything from the regular Astra bar the engine, gearbox and fuel tank, replacing them with a battery and a motor. 

While this means you're missing out on the benefits of a car built from the ground up as an EV, mainly interior space, the Astra Electric does offer a more familiar, less intimidating way into electric car ownership. It doesn't even look any different, aside from some discreet badging. 

It's based on the same platform as the Peugeot e-308, which is different to the underpinnings of other Stellantis electric cars (including the Citroen e-C4, Vauxhall Mokka Electric and Jeep Avenger, to name a few).

That platform houses a relatively small 58kWh battery pack (54kWh in earlier versions), although that's still enough for 282 miles of range according to the WLTP Combined cycle. The battery powers a motor, and not a very powerful one – there's just 156PS on tap. 

Vauxhall facelifted the whole Astra range, including the Electric, in 2026. Newer versions feature an illuminated grille and front badge, because such features are now all the rage for some reason. Other than that and a slight increase in battery capacity, not a whole lot else changed. 

How we tested the Vauxhall Astra Electric

We've driven the new Astra Electric alongside its petrol-powered equivalents on a variety of roads. We've also extensively driven multiple versions of the scarcely different pre-facelift version. 

Throughout all that, we've found the Astra to be pleasant and easy to drive, if a bit firm. The last bit is particularly curious, as it's a car that seems to have little interest in being driven in a sporty manner. 

Electric drive suits the Astra well, making it seem more relaxing and refined than its petrol-powered cohorts, particularly versions with Stellantis's thrashy three-cylinder engine. And although it's far from what you'd call quick, the Astra Electric isn't sluggish, either. 

Our testing has exposed the Astra Electric as a disappointment in terms of practicality. Space in the rear is quite tight, and the boot space is underwhelming. 

Perhaps our least favourite aspect is the dreary nature of the cabin. Other Stellantis brands using a lot of the same parts seem to come up with far snazzier designs. The Astra does at least claw back some ground for using physical climate controls, though. 

Is the Vauxhall Astra Electric a good car?

The Astra Electric has become much easier to recommend than it was originally. Early versions cost around £40,000, and we struggled to see how the car was worth it. Today, the car isn't a whole lot better, but its starting price is significantly more palatable at £29,995. In fact, Vauxhall has opted for a strategy of price parity across the hybrid, plug-in hybrid and Astra Electric, so your wallet won't get an extra clobbering if you opt for the latter. 

It's this price which is key to the Astra being appealing, rather than it being a stand-out option in the electric car world. While not an amazing option, it's a solid choice that'll be a great introduction to the world of EVs. 

Vauxhall Astra Electric Range

The original version of the Astra Electric could cover up to 260 miles according to the WLTP Combined cycle. Things improved slightly for the 2026-on version, which had improved battery chemistry to bump the capacity from 54kWh to 58kWh. This sees the range climb to 282 miles.

That's still not anything special, and at colder times of year, you'll struggle to crack 200 miles. Then again, a Renault Megane E-Tech offers roughly the same official range figure, as does the smaller battery version of the Cupra Born. The latter can be specced with a bigger pack, but it'll cost you a lot more than even the top-spec Astra Electric. 

Vauxhall Astra Electric charging

Although the Astra Electric's range has improved, the charging rate is unchanged. So, if you're looking at either a pre or post-facelift version, it'll be the same 100kW capacity. That's a fair way behind the 130kW offered by a Megane E-Tech, and it means waiting about 32 minutes for a 20-80% charge at a public rapid charger. Charging at a home wallbox will take about eight hours.

Like a lot of Vauxhall models, the Astra Electric has a curiously firm edge to its ride. It soaks up bigger shocks well enough, but the suspension never seems to settle, with a near-constant jiggling present in the cabin. 

A big difference between the Vauxhall Astra Electric and rivals like the Cupra Born and MG 4 is the Astra is front-wheel drive. That means it doesn't feel particularly agile to drive, although it handles in a safe and reassuring manner. Essentially, if you're not bothered about driving a sporty electric car, the Vauxhall Astra goes about its business with minimal fuss.

With no engine sound to drown out wind and road noise, they've nowhere to hide, but this isn't a big deal, as the Astra's cabin keeps you relatively well insulated from both. 

There are lots of driver-assistance features fitted as standard too (see the safety section below for the full rundown), while decent visibility makes the Astra Electric easy to drive around town.

Vauxhall Astra Electric batteries and motors

Originally, the Vauxhall Astra Electric used a 54kWh battery pack, which powers a single electric motor on the front axle. Both were carried over to the facelifted model, but the battery chemistry has been updated, yielding a small increase in capacity to 58kWh. 

Regardless of whether you're looking at a newer or older Astra Electric, the motor produces a maximum of 156PS and 270Nm of torque, taking the Astra Electric to 62mph in 9.2 seconds. Top speed is 106mph.

As these figures suggest, the Vauxhall Astra Electric is far from the fastest electric car on the market. There's enough instant shove to make light work of day-to-day driving, though (after an annoying delay between hitting the throttle and anything happening), and overtakes don't require excessive planning.

Like most electric cars, you can ramp up the regenerative braking so that it slows down more (using the electric motor) when you lift off the accelerator. This is done by selecting 'brake' mode on the centre console - although it's not quite strong enough for one-pedal driving.

Standard driver-assistance tech on the Vauxhall Astra Electric includes an automatic emergency braking system (with pedestrian detection), a lane departure warning system (with lane keep assist) and a 360-degree parking camera.

The top-spec Vauxhall Astra Electric Ultimate comes with Vauxhall's Intelli-Drive 2.0, which essentially adds semi-autonomous capability. This includes semi-autonomous lane changing, advanced intelligent speed adaption, lane change assist with blind spot alert, lane positioning assist and rear cross-traffic alert.

Although Euro NCAP hasn't crash-tested the Vauxhall Astra Electric specifically, the regular Astra was awarded four stars out of five in 2022.

You'll need to look elsewhere if you want to haul anything – the Astra Electric isn't rating for towing at all. 

Space for passengers is much the same as in the regular Vauxhall Astra. That means the front feels roomy enough, although adults in the back might find things a little cramped. Dedicated electric vehicles like the Volkswagen ID.3 and related Cupra Born tend to feel roomier - that's an advantage of designing cars on a purpose-built electric car platform.

You'll face a compromise in terms of boot space, too. The overall luggage capacity is down to 352 litres - the same as a plug-in hybrid Astra, but 70 litres less than the petrol model.

Family buyers might want to consider an electric SUV alternative like the Skoda Enyaq iV instead. There's also the Astra Electric Sports Tourer to consider if boot space is a concern. 

Interior quality is so-so. There are some surprisingly plush finishes in the Astra Electric's cabin, but there are also some hard plastics. On the plus side, these ought to stand up well to family life. Also, facelifted cars get a much nicer satin grey finish to the centre console, replacing the big chunk of scratch-prone, shiny black plastic seen on earlier cars. 

With its part-Alcantara seats, the top-spec Vauxhall Astra Electric Ultimate does feel a bit posher than the entry-level GS.

The twin-screen display is a real talking point in the new Vauxhall Astra Electric. It consists of a 10-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, and another 10-inch central infotainment display.

Both look pretty smart and are easy to use. We found Vauxhall's navigation system to be user-friendly, but it's just as easy to connect your phone and use your favourite navigation app via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Vauxhall talks a lot about a 'digital detox' in the Astra – that means you get physical buttons for turning on the heated seats or adjusting the climate control. That's definitely a trend we can support.

These are the latest On The Road (OTR) prices for the Vauxhall Astra Electric as of April 2026 – prices can change, so please use these as a guide before checking Vauxhall's latest price lists.

Is the Vauxhall Astra Electric good value compared to rivals?

Initially, the Astra Electric cost an eyebrow-raising £40,000. Prices have decreased steadily, and for the facelifted version, there's now no price difference between the car and its hybrid and plug-in hybrid siblings. 

£29,995 for the cheapest version is great value for money, considering that price doesn't even include the government's electric car grant (ECG). Given that the current version qualifies for the £1500 band 2 grant, it seems likely that the updated Astra Electric will snag the same discount.

The Cupra Born starts from £34,190 even with the ECG factored in – more than the un-discounted price of a tops-ed Astra Electric Ultimate. While the Renault Megane E-Tech is more competitive in terms of price when ECG is factored, it's still a fair bit more expensive at £31,295. The MG 4 has exactly the same starting price as the Astra, but it's slightly better equipped and more fun to drive. 

You could pay less than half the price of a brand new Astra Electric by opting for a used example. Or if you prefer something fresher, now should be a good time to score a good deal on a pre-registered version of the pre-facelift car – it's not like you'd be missing out on any fundamental changes. 

If you're paying the current per kWh price cap, it'll cost about £15 to fully charge your Astra Electric from flat. It's worth looking into an EV tariff, though – these offer reduced off-peak rates, so if you time your charging sessions accordingly, it could cost a fraction to keep it topped up. 

Electric cars are now liable for vehicle excise duty (VED), better known as car tax, so you won't escape the £200 annual fee paid by petrol and diesel-powered cars from year two of ownership.

Insurance groups range from 25-27, which is similar to the likes of the Cupra Born and Renault Megane E-Tech.

The Astra's trim levels have changed around a bit, although Ultimate remains at the top of the range, with GS sitting in the middle and Griffin serving as the entry-level trim.

The Vauxhall Astra Griffin comes with the following equipment fitted as standard: 

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• LED front/rear lights
• Illuminated grille 
• Black roof
• 10-inch digital instrument cluster
• 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
• Adaptive cruise control
• Front/rear parking sensors
• Heated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Keyless entry
• Climate control 
• Auto-dimming rear mirrors
• Electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors

The Vauxhall Astra GS builds on the above with:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Sport design bumper 
• Edge-to-edge glass infotainment/instrument cluster panel
• Reversing camera 
• Sports seats
• Dual-zone climate control
• Keyless start 

The range-topping Vauxhall Astra Ultimate adds:

• Pixel LED headlights
• Lane change assistance
• Head-up display
• Wireless charger
• Heated and insulated windscreen
• Heated front seats
• Panoramic sunroof
• Electrically adjustable driver's seat
• 18-inch alloy wheels

Originally, the line-up consisted of Design, GS-Line and Ultimate.