Vauxhall Astra Electric Sports Tourer

When you think of Vauxhall, several things come to mind but the most prominent will always be reliability. This is something Vauxhall know as a company and have successfully built an entire brand around this idea. Since the beginning, they have constantly and consistently released cars that are safe and dependable. There is no other brand that does this as well as they do. 

So when they released their electric range, you would expect the same features to be present in the electrified version as their historical counterparts. Now for the most part Vauxhall’s electric range has been successful so let’s look at their newest battery-powered release.  

The Vauxhall Astra Electric Sports Tourer is their electric version of an estate car. There aren’t very many market rivals as many brands have not moved into producing electric estates just yet. The main rivals the Astra Sport Tourer would have to watch are the Peugeot e-308 SW, Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo and the MG 5 EV due to their large cargo spaces. 

This electric estate is very similar under the hood to another electric Vauxhall, the Astra electric, as they share identical 154bhp electric motors and a 51 kWh battery pack. The biggest changes to this vehicle are a larger cargo space that can fit up to 516 litres, 352 litres more than the Astra hatchback, and a longer wheelbase. Overall, this is perfect for families that want to buy an electric car with a little bit of extra space.  

The Astra Sports Tourer’s electric engine can produce 154 horsepower and 199 foot-pounds of torque, which is only slightly less than the MG 4 EV and the Hyundai Ioniq 5. It can complete 0-62 mph in 9.2 seconds. There is torque available the second you use the accelerator as 0-30mph takes four seconds. It just loses steam as the speed increases. Its driving range is between 200 and 256 miles depending on where you are driving and how much charge was in the battery at the beginning of your journey. With a conventional wall charger, it will charge the battery fully in eight hours but with a high-speed charger it can go from 10% battery capacity to 80% in half an hour. 

One of the things that Vauxhall got so right about this car, apart from the enormous cargo space, is how it drives. This estate has firmer damping, a heavier steering system and firmer suspension, giving it way better handling reminiscent of the Citroen C5 X and DS4. When taking on a tricky bend you will find it offers plenty of grip and a slight understeer- gentle but reliable as always Vauxhall. As it has a heavier steering system, the driver has a clearer idea about what’s happening at the front axle. The wider wheelbase also gives the car a better ride especially when moving at higher speeds. This is due to the extra length between the axles.  

Any external noise from the road and wind is removed well by the estate’s soundproofing but there is a slight booming noise from the back of the car due to its large cargo space. When this space is empty it amplifies any noise from the rear of the car. These noises are also amplified due to the car being electric; there is no engine noise to drown it out.  

While this is all looking pretty good for the Vauxhall Astra Electric Sports Tourer, it is the price of the estate that really lets it down. This car will set you back at a starting price of £40,000 for an entry-level design and £46,000 for a top-spec version, which would be even more in dollars. 

While it is understandable that electric vehicles cost more to produce than standard combustion engine ones due to the technology’s infancy, it still feels like quite a steep price. What is even more confusing is how hasn’t Stellantis managed to keep the costs of its electric motors and battery packs lower, now that it is supplying six brands and many more vehicles with power. Volkswagen is doing a much better job. 

Overall, apart from the price, this electric estate from Vauxhall is everything you would expect: reliable, desirable and full of power without showing off. Another great release.