• Two petrols and one diesel engine available
• 180hp and 225hp plug-in hybrids offered
• Excellent six-speed manual, automatic optional

Petrol engines

There are two options here, both based around the same 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine. The entry-level model has 110hp, but there’s a more expensive model with 130hp. Both come as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox, although the latter option can be specified with an eight-speed automatic. We’d stick with the manual – it’s more fun to drive and slightly cheaper.

We really like the Astra in 130hp form. It’s the same three-cylinder power unit shared with the Peugeot 308 and Citroen C4, which has established itself as punchy, refined and economical. It even sounds quite good when you drive spiritedly, burbling away like a miniature V6.

Performance isn’t exactly face-melting, but that just means you can use more of the engine’s power more of the time. You’ll find yourself constantly rowing through the snappy manual gearbox to keep the engine on the boil. The 130hp engine allows the Astra to get from 0–62mph in 9.7 seconds and reach top speed of 130mph, which is good considering its diminutive size.

Diesel engine

Vauxhall offers a single 130hp 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel. UK buyers can only have the engine with an eight-speed automatic, which some drivers may not like. Vauxhall still has to sell the engine as it’s a handy addition to the range for fleet buyers, but the brand reckons that 80% of all Astras sold will be fitted with a petrol engine and a manual transmission.

It’s a quiet and unobtrusive unit which makes the Astra pleasant to drive on the motorway. It offers more than enough power to keep up with the flow and noise levels are kept in check famously by the eight-speed gearbox, even when you’re climbing over Shap with a car-full of passengers and their luggage.

In fact, the eight-speed gearbox works so well with the diesel that we never found ourselves missing the manual. There’s only one downside to the unit – the distance to empty range indicator is optimistic on a full tank, and drops too quickly to be fully trusted.

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Hybrid engines

The Vauxhall Astra’s plug-in hybrid line-up comprises of two models. Entry-level is the 180hp model, which can get from 0–62mph in 7.9 seconds. The powertrain is a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, paired with an electric motor and a 12.4kWh battery pack.

A more powerful version with 225hp drops the car’s 0–62mph time to 7.7 seconds. That makes it the fastest model in the hatchback’s range, and is also offered in the more sporting Vauxhall Astra GSe model.

The 180hp version is impressively refined. If you keep it locked in hybrid mode, it pulls away very quietly and maintains that near-silence right up to motorway speeds. When the 150hp four-cylinder petrol engine cuts in, it’s quiet and unobtrusive. Choose Sport mode and it ramps up in sound, but again is a long way from being obnoxious. Those looking for a refined drive will not be disappointed.

You can also run it as a pure-electric car (albeit over limited distances). We were impressed by how strongly it pulls in zero-emission mode all the way from 30mph in town to quick A-roads without assistance from the petrol motor. City dwellers and low-mileage drivers should find the 180hp PHEV suits their needs perfectly well as the 225hp version feels barely any quicker.

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What’s it like to drive?

• Neat handling, excellent ride quality
• Light steering and brakes
• Petrol model handles better than plug-in hybrid

As we noted in the introduction, there wasn’t a lot wrong with the way the old Astra drove – but for the eighth generation it takes a big leap forward. It’s now up there with the best in class. We sampled the 130hp petrol model in six-speed manual form, the diesel and the 180hp plug-in hybrid.

The standard 130hp petrol Astra feels nimble, with quick steering, lots of grip and impressive body control. It’s not particularly sporting, but it’s sure-footed and capable of entertaining you on the right roads. The diesel model shares this agility, although it’s a gruff-sounding unit – albeit a quiet one.

The hybrid isn’t quite as good, as the chassis is constantly dealing with the extra 300kg of the battery pack and electric motor. That means it’s less eager to attack corners and feels lumbered under quick changes of direction, though. Every version of the Astra shrugs off potholes well, and noise levels are commendably low thanks to its acoustic windscreen glass and low wind noise.

Back roads are fun, but we reckon the Astra is at its best on the motorway. The car settles down well at speed and, although the ride is compliant, it never feels over-soft or lacking in composure. Noise levels are equally low at speed. It’s an impressive effort overall and, although it’s not quite up there with the Ford Focus or SEAT Leon in terms of engagement, it’s a good overall compromise between handling and comfort.