| First Drive | Millbrook, England | Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer |
Vauxhall has lengthened the Astra to form a new Sports Tourer estate version. Family hatchbacks converted to estates don't normally go down too well in the UK, but this one is surprisingly competent and spacious enough to rival larger, more expensive models.
In the Metal
As estates go, the Astra isn't a bad looker. The front is exactly the same as
the hatch and the rear has been tastefully stretched without compromising on load area.
The whole rear end of the car has been redesigned with a number of new features. The rear seats fold down at the touch of a button, while the boot cover can be slid back halfway to allow easier access to luggage but without rolling it all the way back. Everything's very easy to remove and put back together again, too.
What you get for your Money
The basic Sports Tourer commands a further £995 over the hatchback, so it starts at £16,795 for the ES 1.4i. that's not all though, as the estate also gets more equipment as standard, including curtain airbags, active head restraints, ESP stability control, air conditioning, a better stereo, an aux-in socket and an electronic handbrake. Not bad, really.
Economy ranges from 37.7mpg from the 1.6 VVT automatic to a thoroughly impressive 68.9mpg from the 1.3 CDTi derivative. The latter will also offer 109g/km emissions when it arrives in January.
Driving it
If you've driven the Astra hatchback then you've driven the estate. Unless you're really going for it then you'ss struggle to notice the extra bit of car at the back. This is because the wheelbase is unchanged from that of the hatchback and it's only the body that's longer - by 183mm.
The Astra is arguably the most refined car of the current mid-sized hatchback bunch and that carries over to the estate. Wind and road noise are well suppressed and the only significant audible intrusion is from the diesel engine, which clatters a little. It's no surprise that the 1.7-litre CDTi variant is expected to be the big seller, but the 1.4 Turbo is certainly worth a look if you're a keen driver. Steer clear of the 1.6 petrol though - the car struggles with this engine and it's unlikely to do much for resale values. A super frugal 1.3 CDTi will join the range in January with stop-start technology, which, we're promised, will gradually filter out to other models in the range.
Worth Noting
Load capacity is vital in this sector and the Astra can keep up with the best of them. It offers 500 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place and a maximum of 1,550 litres.
Vauxhall also claims that the Astra Sports Tourer is actually more adept at carrying big loads than the Insignia estate on certain occasions. The 'black box' measurement refers to the largest single object that you can fit in the boot and the Astra trumps its big brother in this area.
Summary
Vauxhall is gunning for a bigger slice of the retail sector with the Astra Sports Tourer. The previous model sold mainly to fleet buyers (90 percent, in fact), but the company reckons that this model will be more popular with private customers, who could account for up to 35 percent of sales.
There's no reason why they shouldn't, as the Sports Tourer is a fine estate car. It's affordable, practical, well specced and refined. It's also one of the more handsome estate cars on sale and the handling is almost identical to the hatchback's.