VAUXHALL ASTRA SPORTS TOURER

Estate version of newly facelifted family car arrives with plug-in hybrid powertrain

- MATT PRIOR 

The Sports Tourer - so estate version of the latest Vauxhall Astra has arrived in the UK.

Our test car is a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric plug-in hybrid (there are also conventional 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrols) in GS trim, rather than fully sporty GSe, meaning it has a 148bhp, 184lb ft engine and a 109bhp, 236lb ft motor for totals of 178bhp and 265lb ft (they don't both blow their strongest at the same time).

The battery has a capacity of 12.4kWh, can charge at a rate of 3.7kW (7kW is a £500 option) and gives an electric-only range of 42-45 miles. Officially, anyway: our hatchback Astra PHEV long-termer broached only 30 miles a couple of times, and then in warmer weather.

That might be enough for most commutes and daily travails. But a private buyer will need to be sure that the PHEV is the one to have: if you're unable to plug it in frequently enough, the pure-petrol variant is not only lighter and cheaper but also, in our experience, more economical by a margin.