Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer 2023 (2022 - )

Vauxhall recently launched its all-new Astra hatchback and we have been waiting patiently for the arrival of the longer estate version – or Sports Tourer to give it its official title.

But that wait is over and the latest vehicle is available in trim grades called Design, GS and Ultimate, powered by petrol or plug-in hybrid engines. There were a few diesel models at launch, but these are few and far between to be honest as Vauxhall moves towards cleaner, greener motoring.

Factor in the competitive pricing and this Astra Sports Tourer could be the ideal car for any business driver who needs to lug lots of equipment around or the active family with ample space in the back for camping gear and some bikes.

Its not easy making a car that stretches more than 4.6 metres in length look that attractive, but somehow those clever designers at Vauxhall have achieved the seemingly impossible with the all-new Astra Sports Tourer.

From the front, the blacked out grille and signature daytime running lights give the vehicle a premium look and the same goes for the rear with the ASTRA name across the tailgate and the company logo also quite prominent. Once again, the LED tail lights look distinctive making the car easily recognisable at night. The profile is exceptionally streamlined with rear privacy glass, a black roof and blacked out pillars. And the sporty appearance is completed with sports-style front and rear bumpers, plus 17-inch black alloy wheels.

Move inside and the spacious cabin is modern in its design and layout with plenty of technology to explore and soft-touch surfaces, along with high-end decorative fixtures and fittings. 

The seats and steering wheel are manually adjustable but finding the ideal driving position is a simple process and special mention to the all-round visibility which is exceptional. The seats can also be heated to fend off the winter chill.

The main focal point is the driver-focused 10-inch colour infotainment screen which offers access to the many on-board features, including sat nav, Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a six-speaker sound system, DAB digital radio and a practical 360-degree panoramic parking camera.

This screen seems to merge seamlessly into the 10-inch driver information display behind the leather-wrapped steering wheel, and this is where all the vital driving data is clearly viewed.

Everything is easy enough to operate on the move and there is natural voice recognition for completing simpler tasks.

While many business drivers will see the appeal of the plug-in hybrid Astra Sports Tourer with the financial rewards that technology brings to the mix, we opted for the petrol version for our test drive.

This sees a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine matched to a six-speed manual gearbox. It delivers 130PS along with 230Nm of torque which translates into some fairly decent performance stats with a 0-60mph sprint time of 10 seconds and top speed of 130mph. Yes, there are faster estate cars out there, but you will probably need to spend a lot more money for a more complete package.

What the Astra Sports Tourer does really well is cover all bases. It’s a great motorway cruiser, but has plenty of grip and acceleration when firing through the more challenging country lanes. I would say the steering felt a tad light at times, which is great in busy town centres with lots of manoeuvring involved, but not quite so reassuring on twisting roads.

Refinement levels impress with barely a sound filtering into the cabin and the highly effective suspension doing a worthy job of smoothing out the road surfaces. Our car was riding on 17-inch wheels – go larger and you will likely notice a bumpier and less cushioned ride quality.

The Astra Sports Tourer is an estate car with a strong road presence. It stretches 4,642mm in length, 2,062mm wide (with mirrors), 1443mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,732mm.

Up front, there is bundles of room so a couple of six footers can sit comfortably for hours on end. The legroom in the back is not quite so impressive as you would think at first glance, especially if the front seats are pushed well back. But a trio of adults can fit in, albeit with some moans and groans. Ideally, it’s perfect for a trio of youngsters though.

The boot is generously sized with a load capacity of 516 litres, increasing to a generous 1,553 litres with the 40:20:40 spilt-folding rear seats dropped forwards.

And there are numerous practical storage options throughout the car, including a deep glovebox, a central cubby, door bins with room to store a bottle, seat back pockets, four cup holders – two at the front and two odd-shaped ones in the rear, plus a covered tray and USB ports.

The loading sill is relatively low so its easy to lift in heavy or awkwardly-shaped items and there are Isofix anchors to the outer rear seats so securing a child seat is no problem at all.

The Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer is available in trim levels called Design, GS and Ultimate with prices starting from £28,810 and rising to £35,065. Our test car in GS grade was priced at £31,055 and the only optional extra was Brilliant Paint for which there was no added charge.

When it comes to the day-to-day running costs, the 48.7-50.4mpg fuel efficiency figure makes for interesting and appealing reading, especially for business drivers clocking up high motorway mileage.

The carbon emissions figure of 126-131g/km would result in a first-year Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax) charge of £210, dropping to the standard annual fee of £180 after 12 months.

The Astra Sport Tourer will be a popular choice in the business sector and it comes with a Benefit in Kind tax rating of 30 per cent. And the car, as tested, sits in insurance group 19.

Vauxhall on a whole, has a decent enough reputation for reliability and all upholstery, powertrains, fixtures and fittings should survive the test of time.

Whether you want to call it an estate car or the more alluring Sports Tourer, there’s no doubting this Astra will tick all the boxes for any business driver wanting a practical yet stylish car that eats up motorway miles without breaking the bank. 

It is packed with tech, very competitively priced, drives well and, then at the weekend, it can easily cope with all the demands of an active family.

While buying trends have seen people shifting towards SUVs these days, it’s good to see there’s still a market for these good-looking load luggers.