2025 Vauxhall Astra Review | Adds flair to the familiar

What is the Vauxhall Astra?

The Vauxhall Astra doesn’t need much introduction. It’s a stalwart of the family hatchback class and has been a household name in the UK for many decades. This is the eighth generation of the Vauxhall Astra, and notable also as it’s the first to arrive under new Vauxhall/Opel owner, Stellantis, which also owns Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Fiat and various other brands.

This mk8 Astra, then, sits on the same platform as the Peugeot 308, but there are a few differences in the engine line-up. The Astra, for example, is available with a non-hybrid 128bhp 1.2-litre turbo that comes with a manual or automatic gearbox. There’s no diesel option, but there are a couple of plug-in hybrids to choose from.

There is a 143bhp mild hybrid powertrain that’s shared with the 308, though, as is the 154bhp pure electric option.

As with previous generations, the Astra is available as a five-door hatchback or a Sports Tourer estate model. There aren’t any four-wheel drive options, nor any word or confirmation of a fast, VXR hot hatch any time soon.

The GSe (or Grand Sport electric) is the sportiest model currently, and that’s little more than a pokier version of the plug-in hybrid - with 222bhp rather than 178bhp, or later 192bhp - with a tweaked suspension. You can read about that version in much more detail in our Vauxhall Astra GSe First Drive article.

The pure electric Vauxhall Astra-e, meanwhile, comes with a 54kWh (gross) battery, which is enough to give it an official WLTP range of 256 miles. That isn’t quite as much as you can get in rivals like the VW ID.3 and Renault Megane E-Tech.

The Astra has certainly come a long way in the styling stakes, with a bluff, chiselled look that’s enhanced by the trademark ‘Vauxhall Vizor’ – the glossy, black grille insert that dominates the Astra’s face – and slim LED lights at the front and back.

Family hatch rivals are too numerous for us to mention them all, but they include the Toyota Corolla, VW Golf, Kia K4, Mazda 3,Seat Leon, Honda Civic and many, many others.

How practical is it?

Practicality in the hatchback model is up to family car standards, but nothing exceptional. There’s enough room in the rear seats for two average-sized adults to sit very comfortably, but you’ll get more headroom and legroom in a Seat Leon or Skoda Octavia. The Astra also feels a little dark in the back seats due to the narrow rear windows.

The hatchback's boot is a good size at 422 litres, which is enough for a single buggy or medium-sized dog, and if you go for GS or up, there’s a variable floor that raises the floor up so that it’s flush with the load lip and folded rear seats, too (though this isn’t available on electric or PHEV models).

Go for the Astra in Sports Tourer estate form, and you'll get a very useful 597 litres of space in petrol models. The Sports Tourer also has a slightly longer wheelbase than the hatchback, to the benefit of rear legroom.

The plug-in hybrid and electric models do lose a bit of boot space to their batteries (down to 352 litres in the Vauxhall Astra hatchback and 516 in the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer estate), and the big suitcase-type container for your cables is a pain to have hanging around in the boot.

Up in the front seats, the Astra feels smart but very straightforward. The central touchscreen is neatly installed in a curved, glossy housing that also incorporates the digital driver’s dials. A row of logical shortcut buttons and (praise be) physical air-con controls are user-friendly, and the slim steering wheel is pleasant to hold.

Visibility out of the back of the Astra is a little restricted compared to boxier rivals like the VW Golf, but the view forward is good, and the driving position offers a good range of adjustment.

What's it like to drive?

The Astra delivers a confident and relaxed driving experience, regardless of which engine you go for. We’ve tried most of the various powertrains, and actually the entry-level 128bhp 1.2-litre turbo petrol is the sweetest-handling version, with pleasantly linear and predictable steering, light turn-in for corners and a chirpy, eager three-cylinder engine. Sure, you have to let the engine rev quite high to get the best performance, but it’s happy to do that. It is available with an eight-speed automatic, but the six-speed manual that we tested suits the engine very well.

The 143bhp mild hybrid model is just as willing as the standard 1.2-litre engine, and the extra shove from the small electric motor provides a useful extra bit of low-down get-up-and-go.

Meanwhile, the Astra Electric feels much like the standard car, as you’d expect, albeit quieter, which goes without saying. The instant shove of the electric motor makes for a more effortless driving experience, although the inertia of that big battery means it feels just a touch less agile in bends.

It’s stiffer, too, which means the ride comfort isn’t quite as impressive. And that’s a shame, because ride comfort is a real highlight with the rest of the Astra range: the car generally sponges up big bumps and scruffy road surfaces with ease.

The plug-in hybrid versions of the Astra pair a 1.6-litre petrol engine with and electric motor. Initially, the regular version had 178bhp, but in late 2025, this was replaced by a new version with 193bhp and a larger battery for a longer electric-only range. We’ve not tried the latter, but we have tried the former. It’s quite a quick car if you want it to be, but the 1.6-litre turbo petrol sounds coarse if you let it rev to even moderate heights. Still, in electric running it has excellent refinement and smooth performance right up to motorway speeds. When the engine is running, the automatic gearbox generally does what you want it to and everything remains calm and relaxing. It's a shame that the feel of the brake pedal isn't more consistent, however, and like with the EV, the weight of the battery blunts the handling just a little.

At the top of the range sits the GSe version, which uses the same plug-in hybrid drivetrain as the regular PHEV, but with the wick turned up to develop 222bhp. Almost all of what we said about the regular PHEV still applies, but there are a couple of fundamental differences. Predictably, the GSe is a fraction quicker against the stopwatch, although in day-to-day use, you might well struggle to detect the extra pace. And since the GSe badge signifies Vauxhall’s ‘electrified performance’ sub-brand, you might well expect more. More positively, though, the GSe has a lowered suspension with more sophisticated dampers, and the steering has been recalibrated for greater responsiveness. It does feel a bit sharper than other Astras, so there is fun to be had, but again, you might expect more fun from a car that Vauxhall is making out to be sporty choice in the range.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

Mainstream Astras are offered in three different trims in the UK, and they’re all well equipped. Even the entry-level Griffin car (formerly called Design) gets 17-inch alloys, adaptive cruise control, a heated steering wheel, LED headlights and front and rear parking sensors with a rear-view camera.

GS (formerly called GS Line) is the next level up, and gains dual-zone climate control, sports seats, black alloy wheels, and a surround-view parking camera, though oddly, it loses the wireless phone charger that comes as standard in the Griffin.

Ultimate is stuffed with equipment, including a head-up display, full matrix ‘Intellilux’ LED lights that give you main beam illumination without dazzling oncoming traffic, wireless phone charging (it’s back again), part-alcantara seats, a heated windscreen and a sunroof.

At the top of the range sits the standalone GSe model, which is only available as a plug-in hybrid and with fettled suspension. As you’d expect, it also comes stuffed with luxury equipment and driver assistance features.

All Astra models get a digital driver’s display and a 10.0-inch colour touchscreen that features satnav, digital radio, bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It’s actually an easier system to use than that of the Peugeot 308 or VW Golf, not least thanks to the simple, physical shortcut buttons that let you hop from feature to feature very easily. The graphics aren’t as good as you get in the VW Golf, nor in premium rivals such as the Mercedes A-Class, Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series, but they are still easy to see.

Vauxhall Astra running costs

List price is comparable with the many rivals that the Vauxhall Astra has, but the fact that the Astra is so well equipped makes it feel like even better value. Few rivals offer features like keyless entry on mid-spec trim lines, so you are getting a lot for your money. Vauxhall is typically very good at offering low-interest finance and therefore tempting monthly finance costs, too.

As for efficiency, the fuel economy across the range is very good. The 1.2-litre petrol manages between 49mpg and 51mpg officially, but 40mpg is more like it in varied real-world use.

The hybrid should better that slightly, but don’t expect significant gains; this, after all, is only a mild hybrid, and so its electric boost is minimal. That said, you should see real-world fuel consumption that’s at least a couple of miles per gallon better than you will with the pure petrol version.

Initially, the plug-in hybrids initially had an electric-only range of around 35 miles according to official figures, but our experience suggested a return of more like 30 miles in best-case real-world scenarios. Then, in late 2025, the 12.4kWh battery in both versions - regular PHEV and GSe - was swapped out for a new 17.2kWh item, pushing the official range up to around 50 miles (the regular PHEV also received a small power hike from 178bhp to 192bhp, while the GSe PHEV remained the same on 222bhp). We’ve not yet tried the revised versions to see how the range fares in the real world, but terms of fuel economy, don’t expect to see anything like the official figures of around 120mpg. The official tests are always unrealistically flattering to plug-in hybrids, and what you get in daily use will depend entirely on how often you plug in, and how much of your travel can be carried out on electric-only power. Once the battery runs dry, the 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine will probably struggle to return 40mpg.

With the electric version, its 54kWh battery is good for around 250 miles according to official figures, although in the real world, don’t bank on much more than 200 miles, even in optimal conditions. Charging at home will take around eight hours on your average 7kW home wallbox charger, and cost you around £15. That’s assuming your domestic power is billed at the UK’s national average rate: get yourself on a tariff that allows you to charge overnight on heavily discounted off-peak power, and you’ll be looking at more like a fiver, maybe less. That’ll make for super-low running costs. An equivalent charge on a public DC rapid charger will probably cost more like £45 (prices vary greatly, but they’re always much more expensive than home charging), and it won’t even be that rapid because the car can only accept DC charge at a maximum rate of 100kW, which isn’t great.

The 1.5-litre diesel has long since been axed from the range, but if you’re a long-distance driver, it might be worth seeking one out on the used market. It had an official WLTP combined fuel economy of between 62mpg and 64mpg depending on the wheels and gearbox fitted, but we’d expect to see around 50mpg in everyday use.

The government axed VED road tax incentives for alternative-fuelled vehicles in April 2025, so regardless of fuel type, your Astra will be liable for the £195 flat rate, and remember that all tax liability is passed on to subsequent owners. Remember also that cars that cost more than £40,000 when brand new will also be liable for the luxury car surcharge, adding another £425 to your annual tax bill between years two and six of the car’s life. In terms of list price, this doesn’t currently affect any version of the Astra (at the time of writing, at least), but higher-end versions of the EV and PHEV sail very close indeed, and the addition of even a single optional extra could well take these cars over the threshold. If buying used, make sure you Google the reg of the example you’re considering to find out what you’re letting yourself in for.

Insurance and servicing costs will be much the same as they are for comparable family hatchbacks, and Vauxhall does offer a fixed-price servicing scheme.

Vauxhall Astra reliability

Vauxhall's reputation for reliability has historically not been the best. Having said that, it did pull out a surprise result in the 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey; having finished 29th out of 31 manufacturers the year before, it leapt up to 5th in the table, with a highly creditable score of 95.1 per cent.

The results for the Astra itself weren’t quite so glowing, mind you. The latest mk8 version was too new to get a mention, but its predecessor came 20th out of 25 models in the family cars category of the same survey.

A three-year, 60,000-mile warranty is standard, and can be extended up to five years for an extra cost. That’s on a par with Volkswagen and Ford, but looks unimpressive next to longer standard warranties that you get with Toyota, Kia and Hyundai.