You can’t really fault the SRi’s outright pace on paper, with the 0-60mph sprint taking 9.5sec. But the long haul to the red line is a dreary trek. Anyone remotely interested in cars will find little to inspire.
Press the sport switch and if you already have the throttle open you’ll feel the car surge forward. Response is now greatly improved. However, sensitivity on this level is really unhelpful around town. In theory, a choice of throttle maps is a useful idea but, in practice, a well judged standard setting should be more than adequate.
The gearbox has a light but unremarkable shift, but absolutely refuses to be rushed unless the driver uses brute force. It’s difficult to fault the brakes, with a fine stopping time of 2.4sec from 60mph to zero and good resistance to fade. But, despite the good performance figures, the mushy pedal failed to inspire confidence.
Handling impressions are of a smooth-riding vehicle with a generous amount of wheel travel. Never do things deteriorate beyond a jiggle, but around town the fidget can become wearisome. Plenty of road grip is the benefit.
The electro-hydraulic power assistance robs the steering of most of its feedback. However, the Astra’s steering has very little deadness, the wheel turning with confidence and accuracy. So what of the sport button? Its changes to the steering (our car was without IDS Plus) aren’t as pronounced as the throttle transformation. Concentrate hard, and you might feel the rack’s reactions sharpen, but it can’t increase the amount of feedback.
Next to the Focus’s near-nervous agility, however, the Astra feels passive. Where a Focus – and to a lesser extent, a Golf – relishes a challenging road, the Astra is a more reluctant partner. The torsion beam thumps over ruts mid-corner. Push hard and it gets upset more easily. Switch off the ESP and the rear of the car will be worked more obviously. The Astra is therefore good to drive, but still not great.
