Eighth generation Vauxhall Astra focuses on the future

General Guides  New Launches 

The story of the Vauxhall Astra began over 40 years ago. Now the eighth generation of Vauxhall's best seller will be available to lease very soon, and it could be the best one yet.

The new Vauxhall Astra will launch as a sporty five-door with a dynamic look and even more space than its predecessor. And for the first time, Vauxhall will also make the Astra available with all-electric drive.

The latest version is more angular and aggressive than previous generations, and the ‘ Vauxhall Vizor ' front face and strong muscular wheel arches create a sporty and confident looking car. It's also available with two-tone paint for those who want to make a statement. In many respects this is the best-looking Astra for quite some time.

It's definitely the most high-tech Astra.

You will soon be able to choose between plug-in hybrid or efficient internal combustion engine with a pure-electric version to follow in the next 12 months. The range-topping hybrid offers powerful performance between the combustion engine and the electric motor. The 1.6-litre four-cylinder produces around 180bhp with the electric motor boosting that to around 225bhp in total. A Plug-in Hybrid version with 180bhp will also be available. For emissions-free city driving, the electric mode can simply be selected, allowing the new Astra Hybrid up to 35 miles of range electrically.

For those not ready for electricity, the 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine delivers nippy performance in either a 110bhp or 130bhp version. If fuel economy is on your list of reasons to lease a car, the 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel with 130bhp is available with a six-speed manual gearbox or an eight-speed automatic. Both are capable of up to 62mpg so they're definitely the most frugal of the internal combustion options.

Wide touchscreens give smartphone feel to Astra interior

The technological advancements continue in the interior of the new generation Astra too. Analogue instruments are consigned to history, replaced with fresh, modern graphics for a more intuitive experience. The new Astra is operated via extra-wide touchscreens, just like a smartphone with only key features such as climate control still operated via physical switches and buttons.

The digital cockpit features two 10-inch displays, integrated with glass-to-edge design placed horizontally across the dashboard. Thanks to a special layer that prevents upward reflections in the windscreen, the design does away with the need for a hood over the displays which enhances the feeling of width and space in the car. You could even opt for state-of-the-art assistance systems ranging from the Intelli-HuD head-up display to the semi-automated Intelli-Drive assistance system and the Intelli-Vision 360-degree camera.





It's inevitable that this car is going to prove popular, it is a Vauxhall Astra after all.

Vauxhall will open the order books for the new Astra this autumn and the first lucky drivers will take delivery of their cars early next year. If you want to be one of them - and if you're looking to lease a new hatchback there's absolutely no practical reason why you wouldn't be – you just need to decide which new Astra specification you'd prefer to lease.

---

View our latest blog posts