Vauxhall has dropped itself neatly into a little segment on its own with the latest addition to the Astra engine range.
Bringing in a 180PS petrol model fills the gaping chasm between the hooligan 236PS VXR and the next most powerful petrol engine, which was the 1.8-litre 140PS unit. The new engine, already used in the Meriva VXR and also tuned slighty for use in the Corsa VXR hot hatch, is a 1.6-litre and turbocharged to put out 180PS. It offers a decent performance alternative for drivers that are reasonably cash-conscious yet want a petrol-engined car, though not an overt hot hatch like the VXR Astra. At the moment, there’s no Ford Focus, Renault Megane or Peugeot 307 that gets within 20PS of this new Astra engine.
A CO2 figure of 180g/km puts the 1.6 Turbo two BIK bands higher than the 1.8 version, and fuel economy is 2.0mpg worse, which is more than acceptable given the extra 40PS that means more than a second-and-a-half wiped off the 0-60mph time.
