It’s got the space, but does Vauxhall’s 1.0-litre Astra Sports Tourer have the pace, ask Al Suttie?
1 – Downsized engines are all the rage and Vauxhall gets in on the act with its 1.0-litre turbo petrol in the Astra wagon.
2 – A three-pot motor with 105hp has its work cut out, even with 170Nm of shove and only 1288kg to lug about.
3 – Acceleration is okay, with 0-62mph in 11.0 seconds and this Astra Sports Tourer feels fine in town.
4 – The engine is smooth and less thrummy than most three-cylinder motors, and it’s flexible enough to pull cleanly from low revs.
5 – Where the problem lies is at motorway speeds. Fifth is the top gear and it’s ideal for relaxed cruising.
6 – When you want to go a bit quicker, however, you need to drop to fourth or even third, which takes the sheen off the laid back driving manner.
7 – During our time with the Astra, we also saw an average of 40mpg, some way off the claimed 65.7mpg combined figure.
8 – This is because you have to work the engine more than a diesel or larger capacity petrol.
9 – 100g/km CO2 emission is good and betters the Ford Focus 1.0 Ecoboost Estate’s 109g/km.
10 – For urban driving, this Astra works well and can carry plenty, but for long distance use we’d stick with a diesel version.
