Electric version of Vauxhall’s family car has an official range of up to 258 miles On sale June Price from £35,000 (est)
Ayisha Gharu Ayisha.Gharu@haymarket.com
THE VAUXHALL ASTRA’S history is dotted with a fair few innovations and reinventions, but the popular family car has always been driven at least partly by petrol or diesel – until now.
The Astra Electric is available in hatchback or estate car bodystyles, and whichever you choose, it’s powered by a 153bhp electric motor paired with a 54kWh battery.
That gives it an official range of up to 258 miles – farther than the upcoming Peugeot e-308 and the cheapest MG 4 EV can go but less than the entry-level Cupra Born.
The Astra Electric can be charged at rates of up to 100kW.That means it should be possible to top up the battery from 10-80% in half an hour, assuming you use a powerful enough charging point.
Visually, there’s not a lot to differentiate the Astra Electric from the existing petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions, but there are a few small touches, including dedicated 18in alloy wheels.
The interior features a central infotainment touchscreen display, plus a 10.0in digital instrument panel.There’s also a head-up display that projects the most important driving information on to the windscreen, in the driver’s line of sight.
We’ve tested the Astra’s infotainment set-up in other versions of the car and we liked it. For example, there are more real buttons than in many models – which we welcome, because they’re easier to use when
