Vauxhall Astra ecoFLEX review
A hint of luxury is the last thing you expect from the stripped-out, “eco-friendly” cars that are presently fashionable. The cabins in VW’s BlueMotion and Skoda’s Greenline ranges, for example, normally resemble the Siberian Steppes because any superfluous fripperies have been deleted to save weight, and thus fuel.
Vauxhall’s Astra EcoFlex is a different matter entirely. Finished in bog-standard silver, our five-door, 1.7 CDTi 16v test car looked utterly dull from the outside (the design seems to have aged dramatically all of a sudden), with just a little “ecoFLEX” insignia on the boot, but the interior came as a pleasant surprise.
Cannily, Vauxhall offers the eco Astra with three body styles (three- or five-door hatch, plus estate) and a variety of trim levels. Our Design version came with a smart dark interior, lots of cheerfully shiny black plastic on the centre console, air-conditioning, full-size curtain airbags, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, remote central locking and a reach- and rake-adjustable steering wheel.
It was also endowed with a satnav entertainment system (£1,225), Bluetooth (£295), electrically operated folding door mirrors (£160) and a rear parking sensor (£365), all of which took the price to an eye-watering £20,300. The Astra ecoFlex range starts at £16,340, which is rather a lot to pay for a family hatchback. It’s refreshing, however, to be able to choose the manner in which you preserve the planet.
The figures speak for themselves: carbon emissions of 119g/km put the car into tax band B (VED costs £35 a year) and it has an EU Urban fuel consumption rating of 50.4mpg. In return you get a maximum 108bhp and 191lb ft of torque, which doesn’t sound like much, but I was astounded at how much fun the Astra was to drive.
The driving ergonomics are brilliant, with a low-slung, chunky gearlever providing short, neat changes between the six ratios and a small, responsive steering wheel. The chassis has been lowered and feels firmly planted through corners, with the nose swift to change direction.
The engine is a sweet thing. I was expecting a lot of noise and diesel vibration to be transmitted into the cabin, on the assumption that much of the insulation would be taken out to save weight, but it positively purred at idle. On the go, a squeeze of the throttle releases a strong spurt of acceleration and it’s so much fun you don’t notice how quickly the power delivery dips as the revs continue to rise.
It’s entertaining around town and, all the while, you’re getting about 50 miles to the gallon. This is clever engineering, so toes and fingers should be crossed that the future of Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port factory is secure. The company is producing some very good cars at the moment - the Insignia (Car of the Year), the terrific Corsa and the sweet-looking Agila, for instance - and the Astra EcoFlex is another to add to the list.
Price/availability: from £16,340. On sale now.
Engine/transmission: 1,658cc common-rail turbodiesel; 108bhp at 3,800rpm, 191lb ft of torque at 2,000rpm. Six-speed manual gearbox, front-wheel drive.
Performance: top speed 117mph, 0-60mph in 12sec, EU Urban fuel consumption 50.4mpg, CO2 emissions 119g/km.
We like: Fun handling, spirited engine, interior comfort, fuel consumption figure, carbon emissions.
We don’t like: Price, dated exterior design.
Alternatives: Seat Ibiza Ecomotive, from £10,034. VW Golf Bluemotion, on sale this summer. Volvo C30 DRIVe, from £15,084.