Head Turner Stacks Up Against Rivals

“The ubiquitous Astra gets a powerful new diesel engine and the muscular jawline of its GTC coupé cousin – it goes and looks all the better as a result,” writes Sean Carson of MSNCars in its first impressions of the Astra BiTurbo. “In the ultra competitive world of the family hatchback it’s not good enough to just have head-turning looks, strong performance, decent efficiency or an agile chassis. Nowadays a C-segment car has to have all of the above in abundance.” With this Astra the big news is under the bonnet. “It’s sporting the 2.0-litre turbodiesel from the larger Insignia BiTurbo. It doesn’t actually have a direct competitor, but it certainly stacks up against its lesser-powered rivals on price.” The “most powerful mid-size diesel Vauxhall ever” packs 195bhp and 295lb ft that sees it sprint 0-60mph in eight seconds. But it’s not about redline- chasing performance here, rather that fat torque figure - of which 80 per cent is available at just 1,250rpm – that gives stonking in-gear acceleration. Efficiency that gets very near to its lower-powered competitors and performance to seriously outgun them where it counts makes the Astra BiTurbo an appealing option. It’s got strong performance and a reserved and refined interior. The new Astra is a great all round effort from Vauxhall. (Source: MSN Cars, 3 September)