Hang on; did you get planning permission for that conservatory?
That's no conservatory, that's just the new Vauxhall Astra estate, or Sports Tourer as we're now supposed to call it. It's a car that Vauxhall reckons will be ideal for both work and family life, and it goes on sale immediately after its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next week.
It's around 200kg lighter than the old Astra wagon, and comes with a range of engines stretching from 95hp all the way up to 200hp, courtesy of a new 1.6-litre direct-injection petrol engine that will also make its debut in Frankfurt. It'll be high-tech too - you'll be able to spec it with Vauxhall's new OnStar connectivity system, as well as clever LED headlights, a powered tailgate (which you can open by kicking under the back bumper) and a battery of safety systems including a forward collision alert that can brake the car to a halt from speeds of up to 25mph.
Of course, this being an estate, space is the crucial thing. Vauxhall says that it has 26mm more front headroom and 28mm more rear legroom than the outgoing Astra, and with the back seats folded you can pack up to 1,630 litres of luggage into it. The split rear seats fold in a 40:20:40 layout and there's a clever 'FlexOrganiser' with side rails, tie-down points and nets to keep anything valuable or fragile from rolling around in the boot.
Neil Briscoe - 10 Sep 2015