Review of the new Vauxhall Astra 1.6 16V Turbo

With more space, sleeker styling and improved driving dynamics, Vauxhall's sixth generation Astra is more accomplished than ever before. Add in the impressive 180PS 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine we're looking at here and you have a family hatchback that's now very difficult to ignore.

Despite Vauxhall's best efforts over thirty years and five different generations, their Astra has rarely been the family hatchback its drivers would ideally have chosen to own. Not that it's ever been a bad car: just never a class-leading one. The kind of car you bought because it was good value. Or more likely, because you were given the keys by your company Fleet Manager. For this MK6 model, greater efforts than ever before have been made to ensure that 'want one' factor. It's bigger, sharper to drive and nicer to sit in, while sleek styling makes this one of the most attractive cars in its class. No variant in the range better exemplifies all of this than the 1.6-litre petrol Turbo model we're looking at here.

Manufacturers selling family hatchbacks of this kind are usually torn between trying to match the quality and comfort of a Volkswagen Golf or the sharp handling of a Ford Focus. Most end up with a compromise between the two that leaves these impressive class leaders untroubled. With this car, the GM designers claim to have done better - but have they? Let's find out.

Back in the steam age, an inventor called James Watt (remember his name from school history lessons?) invented a linkage system created to constrain the movement of a steam engine piston in a straight line. Over a century later, this Astra's engineers turned again to the same concept. When applied to a car's rear suspension, this Watts linkage reduces sideways motion between the axle and the body of the car in a way that they claim is more space-efficient, lighter and adjustable than the multi-link rear suspensions used in the Focus or the Golf.

"This 1.6-litre Turbo model further underlines the fact that this Astra must now be taken more seriously than ever before.."

As to whether it all works, well, if you regularly corner your family hatchback on its door handles, you'll probably still find a Ford Focus to be a slightly more engaging drive. The rest of us though, will find this a well-judged compromise that's superior to the Ford for ride comfort and is as good, if not better, than anything else in the class when it comes to an engaging drive. Both the dampers and the slightly vague electric power steering have apparently been tuned specifically for British roads but if you'd to do some further fine tuning of your own, there's the option of specifying the Flexride adaptive suspension with 'normal', softer 'Tour' or stiffer 'Sport' modes that's standard on plusher models. A slick gearshift and well-judged pedal weights also go in the plus column. Overall then, this Astra is a highly polished drive.

Which would be pointless without an equally good showing under the bonnet. The 1.6-litre petrol Turbo variant we're looking at here has 180PS to call upon, so it's not exactly slow off the mark. Sixty from rest occupies just 7.9s on the way to 138mph and there's 230Nm of torque to match, so acceleration is almost instant in any gear.

The fresh, contemporary, sculpted styling of this sixth generation Astra shrouds a body that's not only 43% stiffer than before but also significantly larger - a full 18cm longer than its predecessor. Size matters in this sector. So does quality. In both these areas, this Vauxhall really does have an advantage over its competitors, something you really appreciate from a seat inside.

Starting at the front, there's a dashboard that disgraces those of some compact executive BMW 3 Series-class cars. In fact, come to think of it, this is much nicer than a 3 Series too - and whoever would have thought that we'd have been saying that about a humble Vauxhall Astra? At last, VW's Golf has met its match in this class in terms of perceived quality, thanks to features like the elegance of the dashboard design and little touches like the smart chromed rings around the dials and switches. Compared to some cars in this sector, a journey in this Astra is like being upgraded from economy to business class.

As for that increase in size, you notice it most back here on the rear seat. A fully-grown adult really can sit comfortably in the middle for decently long periods alongside passengers who'll appreciate the fact that you can slide your feet properly right under the seat in front. So yes, this really is a proper 5-seater in a way that many of its rivals simply aren't. Not such good news for Vauxhall is the fact that the improvement in cabin space is so significant that it virtually matches that of the brand's apparently bigger Insignia model. One reason for buying the larger car might, perhaps, be that its boot betters the 350-litre bay in the Astra by 140-litres, but with all the seats flattened, the Astra remains close to its bigger stablemate, offering 1235-litres. There's also a useful floating floor for separating your load.

It's possible to get the 1.6 16v Turbo engine in sporty SRi or plush SE trim. Both models of course get the basics like ESP stability control, air-conditioning, a CD stereo, while SRi is Vauxhall's mainstream sporty trim level and includes 17" alloy wheels with lowered sports suspension. Astra pricing isn't quite as affordable as it has been in the past compared to rivals, with Vauxhall rightly assuming that it now has a product that can stand toe to toe with the sector's best in terms of quality. The 1.6-litre 16v Turbo engine is available with the advanced FlexRide adaptive damping system that adjusts the car's damper settings according to the driver's preference. Priced at around £1,700 more than the 140PS 1.4 petrol Turbo model, this won't be a big Astra seller but it will be a satisfying one for those whose budgets can stretch.

Fuel economy of 41.5mpg on the combined cycle is better than we expected a 180PS petrol turbo model to produce, as is a CO2 emissions figure of 159g/km. Vauxhall being a mainstream brand, residual values aren't as strong as, for example, a Volkswagen Golf but the Astra claws the advantage back with a low upfront price, modest cost of options and very affordable servicing.

Bottom line? Well this 1.6-litre Turbo model further underlines the fact that this Astra must now be taken more seriously than ever before. It's good to drive and great to ride in, with a large, classy cabin that will sell this car to many, the standard having been raised far beyond what we've seen from Vauxhall in the past.

Best of all, it's mainly British, built at Ellesmere Port near Liverpool to a quality at least as high as anything the Japanese brands can manage. That reason alone might be enough to give this car a place on your family hatchback shortlist. Fortunately for Vauxhall, there are also many others.

TOP 5 ASTRA DEALS

The results below show the top ASTRA deals on buyacar

Vauxhall Astra 1.4i 16V SRi 5dr Hatchback
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Price £15,122 Read Astra Reviews	Save £5,998
Vauxhall Astra 1.7 CDTi 16V ecoFLEX SRi 5dr Diesel Sports Tourer
Price £15,562 Read Astra Reviews	Save £6,598
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