The arrival of the new Vauxhall Astra Electric hatch and Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric estate means the range will offer an impressive four different powertrain fuel types – and across two different body styles.
The Vauxhall Astra Electric will go head-to-head with the new Peugeot e-308 in 2023. Other pure electric car rivals include the acclaimed MG4 EV, Volkswagen ID.3, Renault Megane E-Tech, Cupra Born, Kia Niro EV, GWM ORA Funky Cat and the long-running Nissan Leaf.
The launch of the new Vauxhall Astra Electric means the British brand now offers a choice of six different pure electric passenger cars.
Prices for the new Vauxhall Astra Electric will be revealed nearer to its UK release date. Ordering for the new EV opens early next year, with first deliveries expected from June 2023. Orders for the new Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric will open in the summer, and deliveries are expected towards the end of 2023.
New Vauxhall Astra Electric prices are predicted to start from around £37,000. This will see the car go head-to-head with its direct rivals, including the Volkswagen ID.3 and Renault Megane E-Tech Electric.
The new Vauxhall Astra Electric sports the same distinctive styling as the regular Astra range. The company calls it ‘bold and pure’, with clean-cut, distinctive lines and a confident stance.
The front end of the Astra Electric is defined by the Vauxhall ‘vizor’, a pure black panel, behind which are hidden the various driver assistance systems. Its sharp LED headlights have a distinctive daytime running light logo.
The Astra Electric has bold flared wheelarches front and rear, while the hatchback has a C-pillar treatment that mimics the classic Vauxhall Astra from the 1980s. A contrasting black roof is available on both hatch and Sports Tourer estate models.
The new Vauxhall Astra Electric is distinctive at the rear, too. Its LED tail lamps sit flush with the boot lid, sharing the same distinctive LED light pattern as the headlamps. There is a slim and vertical high-mounted central brake light, too – a neat and characterful touch. This features on both the hatch and Sports Tourer estate models.
All versions of the Vauxhall Astra Electris come with 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels as standard. These can optionally be had in a black finish, for an added styling flourish.
The Astra Electric looks almost identical to regular Vauxhall Astra models. This is intentional, to ‘normalise’ the idea of going electric. The only obvious change is an ‘e’ logo on the right-hand side of the tailgate – plus the green stripe on the number plates, of course.
Inside, the new Vauxhall Astra Electric is also identical to regular models with an automatic gearbox. It has the Vauxhall Pure Panel dashboard, which combines a 10.0-inch driver display with a 10.0-inch central infotainment touchscreen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are both standard. The advanced system is feature-packed and includes the ‘Hey Vauxhall’ natural voice recognition digital assistant.
Vauxhall hasn’t dispensed with physical buttons, though, with the climate control air-con and other functions accessed via an array of controls below the central screen. This helps ensure the new Astra’s various gadgets are easy to use.
The new Vauxhall Astra Electric promises great comfort from behind the wheel, thanks to its ergonomic Active Sports seats. These can be finished in premium Alcantara upholstery, and have been certified by the German AGR ‘campaign for better backs’ association.
Rear-seat space in the new Vauxhall Astra Electric is identical to the regular model. Boot space also matches the Vauxhall Astra Hybrid-e models, thanks to the batteries being mounted beneath the floor. Vauxhall says the new Astra Sports Tourer Electric will have a 516-litre load space with the seats up, extending to 1,553 litres with them folded.
The new Vauxhall Astra Electric and Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric both share the same BEV powertrain. This combines a 156hp electric motor with a 54kWh battery. It will deliver a WLTP-certified EV range of up to 258 miles on a single charge.
Performance figures for the Astra Electric have not yet been revealed, but it will reach a top speed of 105mph. The car supports 100kW DC rapid charging, which will charge the battery to 80 percent in 30 minutes. All models also come as standard with a three-phase 11kW AC onboard charger, for faster charging when using a wallbox at home.
The new Vauxhall Astra Electric can cover 62 miles using just 12.7kWh of electricity. This represents a strong rate of efficiency for a pure electric family car, says the firm.
The all-new Vauxhall Astra is still a little too fresh to appear on the used car market. So why not look at the previous-generation model, an acclaimed car that is now temptingly priced? We like the facelifted versions, available from 2020 onwards. A 145PS 1.2-litre turbo SRi model, with around 12,000 miles on the clock, looked great value at just £12,995. The 1.5-litre diesel engine, also offered in facelifted models, is a good choice too – and available for a similar price.
There’s plenty of electric car news right now here at heycar. We recently covered everything you need to know about the exciting new Abarth 500e, and looked in detail at the updated MG5 EV. Check out our 2023 new car news article for all the latest cars coming next year.
If the Vauxhall Astra Electric isn’t for you, the firm also offers a Astra Hybrid-e plug-in hybrid version, which has a 43-mile EV range. There are regular petrol and diesel versions of the Astra, too.
The Vauxhall range will go fully electric in 2028.
There are three different driving modes on the new Vauxhall Astra Electric: Eco, Normal and Sport.
Whether you're looking for advice on what hybrid car to buy or looking to find your next EV, we've got the answer