The new Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer has made its world debut at the Brussels motor show ahead of deliveries beginning in summer later this year.
The estate version of the reinvented Astra starts from £25,005 in entry-level Design trim, which includes 16in alloy wheels, a 10in touchscreen and 10in instrument cluster, Bluetooth connectivity and wireless smartphone integration. A raft of safety kit including lane departure warning, parking sensors at each end and a driver drowsiness detector are all standard, as well.
GS-Line trim asks £27,900 for an enhanced equipment list including larger 17in wheels, a contrasting black rood, dual-zone climate control, heated seats and a 360deg parking camera.
The Ford Focus estate rival is offered with a choice of plug-in hybrid, petrol and diesel engines. Plug-in hybrid models offer 178bhp, while petrol and diesel variants produce between 108bhp and 128bhp.
The model is the first estate in Vauxhall’s line-up to sport the firm’s latest corporate look, as seen on the Mokka, Crossland and Grandland, with its now-trademark ‘Vizor’ and ‘Pure Panel’ design features at the front end.
The Sports Tourer measures 4.6m long, 1.8m wide and 1.4m tall. Non-electrified models offer 608 litres of boot space with all seats in place and 1636 litres with the rear seats folded down, while the plug-in hybrid has 548 litres and 1574 litres respectively. Load height stands at 60cm.
Petrol and diesel models are available with Vauxhall’s optional Intelli-Space feature, which adds a movable load floor that can be tilted at a 45deg angle. Also included is a retractable boot storage cover that can be stored below the floor.
Intelli-Space includes improved storage areas for first aid and flat tyre kits, which are now discreetly hidden and can be accessed from the boot or rear seats. Vauxhall says this means drivers will not have to completely unpack the boot to access them.