• User-friendly physical controls
• Well screwed together
• But not that plush

How is the quality and layout?

In a world where everything seems to be controlled by a touchscreen, it’s great to see the Astra Electric sticking with physical controls. This makes changing temperature, radio volume and other functions so much easier and safer on the move.

Quality is good with a decent spread of soft touch plastics and nicely textured harder ones. It feels a real step up from the budget EV crowd but can’t quite match the Cupra Born for ambiance.

Infotainment and tech

Vauxhall’s new Pure Panel infotainment screen is a big step forward over the previous Astra, and light years ahead of the system Volkswagen uses in the ID.3. It’s crisp and easy to read, and you can display a broad range of information on the digital gauge cluster using a button to mounted on the end of the indicator stalk.

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All the systems work well and the menus are easy to navigate. Vauxhall’s built-in sat-nav system is quite good too, and it’s supplemented by Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – both of which are can be accessed without plugging your phone into the dashboard. The musical information and warning chimes are particularly entertaining, although we’d be interested to see if the novelty wears off after extended use.

Comfort

• Excellent front seats as standard
• These include under-thigh and lumbar adjustment
• Can feel a little oppressive inside

All versions of the Astra Electric get Vauxhall’s multi-adjustable ‘AGR’ front seats as standard. These include your usual adjustments plus seat base angle, lumbar support and even under thigh support.

The result is seats that remain comfortable after a few hours behind the wheel regardless of your size and stature. We do wish the interior wasn’t quite so black, dark grey and charcoal, though.