• One battery and motor combo
• 156hp, 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds
• 54kWh battery good for over 200 miles

Electric engines

Unlike many rivals such as the Cupra Born, you don’t get a choice of battery size or motor power with the Astra Electric. This means there’s no big battery long range version, and no cheaper short-range version as found with the entry-level MG4.

Instead, you’re stuck with a single 54kWh battery and 156hp electric motor that’s good for an official range of 258 miles and 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds. That performance figure is slightly misleading as it feels far more urgent around town and only feels like it could do with a few more ponies as you approach motorway speeds.

Even so, most EV rivals will leave it for dead in a straight line thanks to their more potent motors. A regular MG4 will leave the Astra trailing, let alone the sub-4.0 second 0-62mph MG4 XPower that’s still cheaper.

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What’s it like to drive?

• Firm ride jars around town
• Tidy but uninspiring handling
• Lots of tyre roar

In some respects, this is the most pleasant Astra of them all. The electric motor is smooth and quiet, the brakes easy to modulate unlike some rivals, and it responds to throttle inputs quickly. Unfortunately, the quietness of the electric motor highlights plenty of road roar that makes cruising less relaxing than it should be.

The suspension really doesn’t help here, either. It feels as if Vauxhall has made the springs noticeably stiffer to cope with the added weight of the battery at the expense of ride comfort. Drive down a typically scarred stretch of urban road and you’ll find it thumping and thudding as you’re jiggled in your seat more than the softer MG4. Things improve as speeds increase, so motorway cruising is bearable.

Despite the stiff suspension, handling isn’t the Astra Electric’s forte. Work within the car’s limits and you’ll find good grip levels while the steering is precise and well weighted. Push harder and there’s lots of body lean before the front tyres quickly relinquish their purchase on the road. It’s tidy enough and by no means bad, but a Cupra Born is a sharper drive and an MG4 more fun.

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