For longer than I’ve been doing this job, and that’s quite a long time, the Vauxhall Astra has been cast in the role of perpetual bridesmaid, smiling through gritted teeth as, yet again, the Volkswagen Golf glides smugly up the aisle without so much as a backward glance at its hapless rival.
But of late two things have happened. First, Volkswagen messed up the Golf. I’ve not read a review that says the current eighth generation car is better than its predecessor. Second, Vauxhall was absorbed into Stellantis, which now owns everything from Maserati and Alfa Romeo to Citroën and Peugeot. And the talismanic boss Carlos Tavares is charging forward at the head of product-led recovery, of which the new Astra is just one example.
It may not look like it inside or out, but it shares the same platform, suspension and powertrains as the Peugeot 308; once that news would induce groans, but no longer. This middle-of-the-range 1.2-litre turbo Astra is a thoroughly capable, likeable car. It looks good and its little three-pot motor delivers decent performance. I didn’t think the eight-speed auto was worth the extra £1500 it cost but, slightly lumpy ride aside, there was little else to criticise. Refined, well equipped and with an infotainment system you can actually understand and operate with ease, it’s an Astra I’d have over the equivalent Golf. And I’ve never written that before. AF
• Price £27,210 (auto £1500 extra)
• Engine 1.2 litres, three cylinders, petrol, turbocharged
• Power 129bhp
• Torque 170lb ft
• Weight 1266kg
• Power to weight 102bhp per tonne
• Transmission Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
• 0-60mph 9.7sec
• Top speed 130mph
• Economy 52.3mpg
• CO2 123g/km
• Verdict Put a ring on it.
The McMurtry Speirling PURE fan car has been announced, a track-day version of the 1,000bhp electric prototype which broke the Festival of Speed hillclimb record last year
MG’s electric Cyberster might seem like a new dawn, but the brand is hoping that it heralds the latest chapter in a long history of fun and (relatively) affordable sports cars
MG is back in the roadster business, but the Cyberster is like nothing it’s made before: weighing almost two tonnes and with vast power, it looks to be the blueprint for electric sports cars, writes Andrew Frankel
New cars that run on carbon-neutral e-fuels can still be sold after the EU’s ban on internal combustion engined-vehicles, legislators have announced. But don’t think this will reverse the switch to electric power, writes Andrew Frankel
McLaren Automotive’s reputation rebuild continues with its mooted SUV plans – but can it find the partner it needs to secure future?
Was 2022 the final chance for a supercar splurge? It was the performance cars that stuck in Andrew Frankel’s mind this year
The Mercedes-AMG One has just taken the record of the fastest road-legal car to lap the Nürburgring but, as manufacturers continue to chase the mythical crown, Andrew Frankel worries that the pressure and risks are becoming overwhelming
Ford’s decision to axe its bestselling, highly acclaimed Fiesta was inevitable, in the face of rising costs, changing tastes and electric legislation writes Andrew Frankel
The new Lotus Evija Fittipaldi electric hypercar commemorates 50 years since the Brazilian’s F1 title, and uses material from original Type 72
Sometime before the end of the year someone is going to ask me to write a piece about the car that impressed me most over the previous 12 months. And…
F1 is set to use sustainable fuel by 2026 – but, thanks to former Mercedes tech chief Paddy Lowe’s Zero Petroleum, it’s already being used elsewhere
Pebble Beach is perhaps the most highly coveted concours of all – Andrew Frankel sums up the unique atmosphere of the rarefied automotive event
