Vauxhall will launch electric versions of its Vauxhall Astra hatchback and Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer next summer. Their arrival will bring its battery-electric passenger car range to six models and represent another big step towards its goal of offering only pure EVs by 2028.
The new cars will notably increase the electric choice available to buyers in the UK family hatchback market, with the Sports Tourer in particular becoming one of only a handful of pure-battery estates on the market. Scheduled to be delivered from next June, the new models are built on Stellantis’s EMP2 platform – similar to Peugeot’s e-308, which is scheduled to hit the UK market at about the same time as the two Vauxhalls.
Their prices are expected to usefully undercut those of the similarly sized but more powerful Renault Mégane E-Tech, which arrived in the UK in a three-tier range priced at £37,000 to £41,000.
However, they are unlikely to get close to the bargain-priced MG 4 hatchback, another recent arrival, whose prices start at £28,500 – about the same as Vauxhall’s Corsa-e, which is a size smaller than the Astra. The arrival of the new EVs means Vauxhall will offer buyers a choice of four different Astra powertrains – petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid and pure EV. The new battery editions are identical in styling to existing models – except for the lack of exhaust pipes and the standard adoption of 18in diamond-cut alloy wheels (also available optionally in black).
The new Astra Electric models are both powered by a 153bhp AC synchronous electric motor that produces maximum torque of 199lb ft and drives the front wheels through a single-speed reduction gearbox.
There are three driving modes – Sport, Normal and Eco – with the non-Sport modes delivering slightly less power to improve driving range. The Astra Electric’s official WLTP range is quoted at 258 miles, a figure that improves considerably on the Corsa’s official 222 miles even though the new Astra’s gross battery capacity of 54kWh is only marginally ahead of the Corsa’s 50kWh. Like its sibling, the Astra Electric battery can handle 100kWh DC charging and will charge to 80% in just 30 minutes.