Vauxhall Astra Electric review

The Vauxhall Astra Electric is the latest addition to the Astra range, and means you can now take your pick from a petrol, a plug-in hybrid or – as in this case – a fully electric car.

The Astra Electric is based on the eighth-generation Vauxhall Astra and looks identical to other versions from outside, but as you'd expect there's one big difference – you won't find an engine under the bonnet.

Instead, it gets its power from a 115kW electric motor and a 54kWh battery, giving it enough juice for an official range of up to 258 miles. Vauxhall has simplified the range too, cutting your options down to just three trims levels, including a new entry-level one that aims to keep the cost competitive with the likes of the Tesla Model 3.

As well as a hatchback, you can have the electric Astra as an estate car, called the Astra Sports Tourer Electric – ideal if you need to take your four-legged family member along for the ride.

So is the Vauxhall Astra Electric a better choice than the closely related Peugeot e-308, as fun to drive as the Cupra Born or as strong on value as the MG4 EV? In other words, how does it rank among the best electric cars? Read on to find out...

Unlike the regular Astra – which has a range of engines – the Vauxhall Astra Electric and Astra Sports Tourer Electric are available only with a 54kWh battery (with a 50.8kWh usable capacity) paired with a 153bhp electric motor that drives the front wheels.

That's enough power for a 0-62mph time of 9.2 seconds, which is slightly quicker than the Peugeot e-308 (9.8 seconds), but slower than an entry-level MG4 EV (8.0 seconds) or Tesla Model 3 (5.8 seconds). Likewise, the Sports Tourer is slower than an MG5 EV (7.7 seconds).

You could say, then, that the Astra Electric is more spritely than sporty, and that theme extends to its handling. It feels slightly firmer than a petrol-powered Astra and manages to keep body roll in check, but isn’t what you’d call dynamic or engaging. That’s largely due to the numb steering, which gives you little idea of what the front end is up to. The Cupra Born is more enjoyable to drive on a winding road.

If comfort is more of a priority, the Astra Electric is worth your time. Despite being on the firmer side, it rides well over most road surfaces and soaks up bumps and imperfections well. Better still, the firmness means it doesn’t pitch and roll over undulations, and has better body control than softer-riding electric cars including the BYD Dolphin. 

Wind and road noise are well contained, and there’s no engine noise to disturb the peace, all of which adds to comfort on a long drive.

According to official figures, that drive can last up to 258 miles between charges, which is more than the entry-level MG4 (218 miles), the MG5 (250 miles) and most versions of the Peugeot e-308, but slightly less than the Born 58kWh (264 miles). The Model 3, meanwhile, will travel up to 344 miles (on 18in wheels) between charges and has always proved to have incredible efficiency in our Real World Range Test.

Driving overview

Strengths Controlled and comfortable ride; not much wind and road noise 

Weaknesses Numb steering; some similarly priced rivals have longer ranges

As with the exterior, the interior of the Vauxhall Astra Electric and Sports Tourer Electric very similar to what you find in a regular Astra (or Astra Sports Tourer).

That’s not particularly a bad thing, because it means you get comfortable and supportive front seats that offer plenty of adjustment. With a steering wheel that has plenty of movement up, down, in and out, you shouldn’t struggle to find your perfect seating position.

Visibility out of the front is generally good, but it’s slightly annoying that the slim front pillars are angled in such a way that they can sometimes get in the way of your view at junctions.

Rear visibility and the view over your shoulder, meanwhile, is hampered by wide rear pillars. Luckily, parking should be easy enough, thanks to front and rear parking sensors coming as standard and all but entry-level Design trim getting a 360-degree parking camera.

Sitting behind the steering wheel and extending out towards the middle of the centre console are two conjoined 10in screens with sharp graphics. Each has a different job, with the one sitting behind the steering wheel taking the place of traditional dials. Thankfully, unlike in the related Peugeot e-308 you look through the steering wheel at the display not over the top.

The central display is an infotainment touchscreen. Its responses could be quicker, and while the home screen uses a simple grid layout to help you find the function you want quickly, the fonts used by the sub-menus are tiny.

All Astra Electrics have wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, but it’s best to stick with the standard-fit built-in sat-nav if you want to see instructions on the driver display.

You control the majority of the system through touch or using the hit-and-miss voice control system. We’d prefer that there was a physical control too (like the rotary controller in the Mazda MX-30) because that would be far less distracting to use on the move.

At least the Astra Electric gets physical shortcut buttons for some features and proper buttons for the climate control, rather than the annoying touch-sensitive ones in the Cupra Born.

As a whole, though, the Born’s interior feels classier. In the Astra Electric, it doesn’t take long before you notice how dark everything is.

There are plenty of soft-touch plastics within easy reach and a lot of them are finished in a variety of textures, but they’re almost hidden in various shades of black. You do get some coloured trim finishers on the doors and dash, but they don't really lift the sombre mood.

Interior overview

Strengths Comfortable driving position; physical air-con controls; Crisp digital driver display

Weaknesses Rivals have classier interiors

The Vauxhall Astra Electric and Sports Tourer Electric have identical footprints to their petrol-powered counterparts, meaning the space inside is largely the same.

Rear space varies more between the hatchback and estate car versions. The hatchback offers more than enough space for children but head room is rather tight for adults. If you often drive with adults in the back seats, we’d recommend taking a look at the more accommodating MG4 EV and Tesla Model 3.

You could also consider the Sports Tourer – its boxier shape provides greater headroom than the hatch, although leg room remains tight. The MG5 EV electric estate car is quite a bit roomier, as are conventional estate cars including the Ford Focus Estate and Seat Leon Estate. 

The Astra Electric hatchback boot offers more than 350 litres of space so it should easily swallow your weekly shopping, a buggy or luggage for a modest family holiday. The boot in the Cupra Born is slightly larger, but the square shape of the Astra’s is more useful. The Astra Sports Tourer Electric, meanwhile, gets 516 litres of boot space, which is quite a bit more than the 464 litres you get in an MG5. 

If you need to carry more luggage, you can drop the Astra Electric's rear seats. They split in a 60/40 configuration, which isn’t anything special, but you do get a useful ski hatch between the rear seats, meaning you can carry two rear passengers and longer loads like, well, skis.

Practicality overview

Strengths Plenty of front space; big boot

Weaknesses Less rear space than rivals

Initially, the Vauxhall Astra Electric and Astra Sports Tourer Electric looked quite expensive next to rivals and the introduction of an entry-level Design trim has done little to change that.

They cost more to buy outright outright than equivalent versions of all the main electric rivals, including the Cupra Born, MG5 EV and VW ID 3 while even the most expensive version of the MG4 EV costs thousands less. Worse news is that even the excellent Tesla Model 3 RWD – which is better in almost every area – is less money than an Ultimate spec Astra Electric.

When it comes to depreciation, the Astra Electric is predicted to lose its value a fair bit more quickly over three years than any of those rivals, and that’s something that can have an effect on PCP finance rates or if you intend to sell the car after three years. However, Vauxhall often has competitive offers, so make sure you check for the best prices using our New Car Deals pages.

No matter which trim you go for, you get plenty of standard equipment, with even Design getting 18in alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights with high-beam assist, cruise control, keyless start, and electrically adjusted and heated wing mirrors.

Upgrading to mid-spec GS adds even more equipment, including keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control and upgraded parking assist. The problem is that it’ll cost you more than the Model 3, which is even better equipped and will go further between charges.

If you want all of the bells and whistles, you’ll want to go for top-spec Ultimate. That version comes with matrix LED headlights, a heated windscreen, wireless phone-charging, a head-up display, a panoramic sunroof and a few styling tweaks inside and out.

Regardless of which version you go for, the maximum charging speed is 100kW, meaning that a rapid public charger will take the Astra Electric from 20-80% in around 26 minutes. An 11kW charger will get it from 0-100% in five hours, 45 minutes and a 7kW home charger will need eight hours. The Born and the Model 3 charge more quickly.

The Astra Electric is too new to have featured in our 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey but Vauxhall did – and it didn’t fare well at all. It finished way down in 30th place out of 32 car makers, putting it above Alfa Romeo and Cupra but below most other brands.

Like all Vauxhall models the Astra Electric comes with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. That's in keeping with cover from most other manufacturers, but can’t beat Hyundai's five-year warranty, Kia's seven-year cover or Toyota’s up to 10 years of cover.

Safety wise, the model was awarded a slightly disappointing four out of five stars when it was tested in 2022 by the experts at Euro NCAP. The Born and the MG4 both got five stars, while the Model 3 also scored five stars but in 2019, when the tests were less stringent.

At least the Astra Electric has plenty of safety equipment fitted as standard, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assist and speed-limit sign recognition. You’ll need Ultimate trim or above if you want lane-change assistance and rear cross-traffic alert.

Costs overview

Strengths Plenty of standard kit; competitive list price

Weaknesses Poor reliability score; safety rating could be better; depreciates faster than rivals

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