Vauxhall Astra Sport Tourer (2010 – 2016) Review

May 2010

Vauxhall confirms British built Sports Tourer

Astra Sports Tourer combines high levels of practicality clothed in a sleek and rakish body from Brit, Mark Adams’ design team. Available to order from October 2010. Start/Stop technology, reducing emissions and fuel consumption.

4,698mm long x 1,814mm (2,013mm inc mirrors) x 1,535mm high. Load capacity 500 litres seats up; 1,550 litres seats down.

Assembled solely at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire, while its new upper-body structure has been 100 per cent engineered at Vauxhall Engineering Centre in Bedfordshire. And like the recently launched Astra hatch, the Sports Tourer will feature key dynamic elements tuned for UK roads.

Astra Sports Tourer maintains the hatch’s wheelbase (2,685mm), yet its superior packaging has allowed the maximum load length to be increased by 28mm to 1835mm, and its load volume by 30 litres to 500 litres with the rear seats up.

As well as boasting a cargo area with flat wall linings to fully optimise available space, a new FlexFold feature (standard or optional depending on trim level) allows each section of the 60:40 split-fold rear seatbacks to be lowered at the press of a button housed in the walls of the cargo compartment. In addition, with the rear seat cushions folded up against the front seat-backs, the Sports Tourer has a completely flat load floor and a maximum load capacity of up to 1550 litres.

Compared with the previous Astra estate, the Sports Tourer has an additional 25 litres of storage space in the cabin, 50 per cent more than before.

July 2010

Prices for the Astra Sports Tourer announced

The new Astra Sports Tourer in UK from late 2010 priced at £16,575, over £500 less than previous entry-level Astra Estate, yet with a long list of additional standard kit.

Built in Britain at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant, the Astra Sports Tourer range starts with the 1.4 (100PS) ES model, which gains an extra 10PS of power over the old 1.4 Astra Estate. It also adds: air conditioning, curtain airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESP), Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), an aux-in socket and Active Safety Front Head Restraints, all as standard.

The Sports Tourer’s premium over the 5-door hatch model starts from just £995, bringing the benefit of a larger cargo area (500* versus 470 litres, with rear seats up), despite retaining the same wheelbase as the new hatch.

Diesel prices are also competitive, with the entry-level 110PS 1.7 CDTi ES Sports Tourer costing less than the outgoing 90PS 1.3 CDTi Astra Estate Life, yet packing more power and benefiting from sub-120g/km CO2emissions.

The Sports Tourer range comprises four trim levels: ES, Exclusiv, SE and SRi, but adds a variety of standard and optional equipment, including FlexFold, which allows each section of the 60:40 split-fold rear seatbacks to be lowered at the press of a button housed in the walls of the cargo compartment.

The Sports Tourer is likely to account for approximately 10 per cent of all Astra sales. Illustrating the depth of Vauxhall’s engineering and manufacturing excellence, the Sports Tourer will be assembled solely at its Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire, while its upper-body structure has been 100 per cent engineered at Vauxhall Engineering Centre in Bedfordshire.

October 2010

Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer goes on sale

From launch, Astra Sports Tourer buyers will have a choice of six frugal, yet lively engines, with an ultra-low emissions, Start/Stop-equipped ecoFLEX model available soon afterwards.

The petrol line-up starts with the 100PS 1.4i ECOTEC-4 with variable valve timing and sequential fuel injection, while a 1.6i ECOTEC-4 with 115PS is also available. The Sports Tourer’s most powerful petrol engine will be the smooth and punchy 1.4i Turbo which produces 140PS, yet achieves a combined fuel consumption of 45.6mpg and C02 emissions of 145g/km.

A new ecoFLEX model will be available soon after launch and will be one of the first Vauxhall models to get Start/Stop technology. Based on the 1.3 CDTi 95PS engine, the ecoFLEX features a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) and variable geometry turbocharger.

Two 1.7-litre CDTis, with either 110 or 125PS, and a 160PS 2.0 CDTi, which combines high performance with 55.4mpg combined economy and emissions of just 134g/km, complete the Sports Tourer’s diesel engine range.

From the start of the Astra Sports Tourer’s development, Vauxhall’s target was to maintain current levels of ride and handling enjoyed by the five-door hatch. As a consequence, its wheelbase remains the same at 2685mm, as do its front and rear tracks (1544 and 1588mm respectively).

Also carried over is the hatch’s innovative compound crank/Watt’s link rear suspension, which combines exceptional body control and ride characteristics and is unique to Vauxhall/Opel. For the Sports Tourer, the compound crank’s settings have been revised, as have damper calibrations, to cater for the model’s higher load capabilities without compromising the hatch’s dynamics.

The new Astra Sports Tourer entered the UK market late 2010 priced at just £16,575, over £500 less than the current entry-level Astra Estate, yet incorporating a long list of additional standard kit.

The Astra Sports Tourer range starts with the 1.4 (100PS) ES model, which gains an extra 10PS of power over the equivalent 1.4 Astra Estate. It also adds: air conditioning, curtain airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESP), Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), an aux-in socket and Active Safety Front Head Restraints, all as standard.

Better still, the Sports Tourer’s premium over the 5-door hatch model starts from just £995, for which customers benefit from a larger cargo area (500 versus 470 litres, with rear seats up), despite retaining the same wheelbase as the new hatch.

Diesel pricing is equally aggressive, with the entry-level 110PS 1.7 CDTi ES Sports Tourer costing less than the outgoing 90PS 1.3 CDTi Astra Estate Life, yet packing more power and benefiting from sub-120g/km C02 emissions.

The Sports Tourer range comprises four trim levels: ES, Exclusiv, SE and SRi, but adds a variety of standard and optional equipment, including FlexFold, which allows each section of the 60:40 split-fold rear seatbacks to be lowered at the press of a button housed in the walls of the cargo compartment.

June 2012

Astra facelifted

Astra five-door and Astra Sports Tourer models given a bolder, more aggressive appearance, with new front grille, restyled indicators and fog lamps, and an overhauled rear end. The new look brings the styling of the five-door models closer to that of the sportier three-door GTC, which benefits from a new engine option.

Other changes to the Astra range include the addition of new optional extras for the five-door hatch and Sport Tourer models. These include rear view camera, winter pack, daytime running lights, new colour options and a driver assistance pack, which includes various safety equipment.

August 2012

Vauxhall Astra BiTurbo added to the range

Vauxhall added two more high performance diesels with 195PS and 400Nm torque to its Astra range. The British-built Astra BiTurbo 5-door Hatch and Sports Tourer – which becomes the most powerful estate in its class – offer blistering performance, high levels of practicality and impressive frugality.

Both models have a top speed in excess of 135mph and can achieve 0-60mph in under eight seconds. The boost in performance does not compromise economy either, with low CO2 emissions of 134g/km and a combined 55.4mpg. Both models also benefit from Start/Stop technology. Prices start from £24,095 for the Hatch and from £25,110 for the Sports Tourer.

February 2014

New 1.6 CDTi engine introduced

Previously only available on the Zafira Tourer and the Meriva, the new 1.6 CDTi engine is now in the Astra. It is available in two power outputs. The 110PS version achieves 76.3mpg combined with emission of just 97g/km while the 136PS model averages 72.4mpg combined and 104g/km. The Astra with the 1.6 CDTi is available to order now with first deliveries expected from April.