New engine builds character

Autocar’s Steve Cropley says it’s “surprising” how a better engine can “improve the whole of a car’s character”, in his review of the Astra Sports Tourer 1.6 CDTi. “The arrival of a new aluminium-blocked 1.6-litre unit – which matches the power and torque of some of 2.0-litre versions, complies with Euro 6 emissions and slashes fuel consumption by 10 per cent – has given the car a new level of responsiveness and refinement.” The new engine is part of Vauxhall’s downsizing focus, the 1.6 CDTi “the latest piece in Vauxhall’s plan to create three all-new engine families and reveal 23 new models by 2016”.“What impresses about the 1.6 diesel in the Astra is its smoothness and quietness. It feels free-revving for a diesel, but you still get the impressive low-end thrust for which the previous, less-refined units were known. “On a long motorway haul, taken as quickly as traffic would allow, the car returned 52mpg and offered a touring range of 580 miles. “In low-end Tech Line trim the test Sport Tourer cornered and steered very well, and coped impressively with abrupt bumps and potholes. It comes across as a near-ideal British family car,” concludes Cropley. (Source: Autocar, 9th April)