Road Test

Vauxhall Astra 1.4T SRi

Test date Monday, October 12, 2009  Price as tested £19,255

Vauxhall has been so much in the news with the saga of who will or won’t own it (the Magna deal is pending, but not yet done) and what it means for the brand, factories and workers that you sometimes need to remind yourself of what matters most: the product. If cars wearing Vauxhall badges in future are not competitive, in the long run it won’t matter much whether it’s owned by GM, Magna or the Queen of Sheba because there will be nothing to own

But Vauxhall, at least, is convinced that this car has some magic about it. The Insignia is the reigning European Car of the Year and Vauxhall sees this new Astra as being cut from the same cloth: a car of equal quality, integrity and ability in more compact form.

It will need to be good. While the Insignia fought relatively soft rivals like the Ford Mondeo and VW Passat and, in our eyes, still missed the top of the class, the Astra faces its eternal nemeses, the ultra-able Focus and Golf.

To take up the challenge, this 1.4i Turbo SRi has stepped forward. In our experience it is probably the best car in the Astra line-up, so we know it will be good. But will it be good enough?

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