Price: £16,615
Top speed: 121mph
0-62mph: 10.5 seconds
MPG: 65.7
CO2: 99g/km
Police forces around the world love flexing their muscles with a wildly inappropriate squad car. Famously, the Italian carabinieri once splashed out on a Lamborghini Gallardo (0-60mph 3.7 seconds; top speed 203mph). The German bundespolizei weren’t to be outdone, however, and soon bought a hyper-charged Brabus Rocket (3.2 seconds; 225mph). Both of these were then left for dust when Dubai’s police dept joined the race and put their officers into a Bugatti Veyron (2.5 seconds; 268mph). And if getaway drivers thought they’d have an easier time in Britain, they should note that Avon & Somerset owns an Ariel Atom (2.5 seconds; 168mph). Clearly these pursuit vehicles are the exception. Of the 19,964-strong fleet currently owned by the UK’s 43 constabularies, the bulk are Vauxhall Astras or Ford Focuses.
If you were in the market for a sensible family hatch, the fact that it’s good enough for the cops will give you some faith. But you don’t have to believe the police. The Astra is also one of the very few vehicles that AutoExpress gives five stars, describing it as: “The best all-round compact hatchback you can buy.”
It first went on sale in 1979. Since then it’s sold in massive numbers. But despite all its popularity, you’d never call it a class-leading car. It gets the job done. No one rushes to their dealer to snap up an Astra.
Vauxhall has been working hard to change that perception and this latest Astra takes great strides towards the high ground of desirability. Price has always been key to its appeal, and this model sticks to that formula: the value bang you get for your buck is remarkable.
There are 10 engines to choose from. The smallest is the gutsy 1-litre 3cyl turbo petrol – the fastest Astra has a 197bhp 1.6 turbo petrol, but that will cost you £6,000 more. This new model is 200kg lighter than the old one (imagine asking a couple of rugby prop forwards to get out of the boot and you can see how important weight is to cars) and this means these smaller and more efficient engines never seem underpowered. The drive is full of vim and the car handles well – it has been developed and built at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire and its chassis has been created specifically to cope with Britain’s terrible roads.
Inside you’ll find tactile rubbers, plush leathers and piano plastics. That premium feel is enhanced by its strong tech, all accessed through the 8in touchscreen. There’s Apple’s excellent CarPlay connectivity system or Android Auto depending on the type of smartphone you have. You can also make use of Vauxhall’s OnStar system. This creates a high-speed 4G mobile wifi hotspot. You can then connect remotely to your Astra using an app. You could sit on your sofa and use your phone to view the car’s diagnostics, honk the horn and flash the lights. You could even remotely lock the car and locate it on the phone’s map. Who needs the law in a Lambo, when you can stop the thieves with your phone.
Classic cars in a heavenly setting
Take 50 of the world’s finest motor cars and display them against the backdrop of a Grade I listed Georgian mansion and what do you have? The Heveningham Hall Concours d’Elegance. This is its second year and having seen stunning cars parked up on the dramatic grass terraces designed by renowned landscape architect Kim Wilkie last year, there is every chance 2017 will be even more sumptuous. Also the Concours d’Elegance, which is sponsored by the English watch brand Bremont, has now evolved to include some lovely old propeller aeroplanes. The event takes place on 8 and 9 July at the same time as the more established annual Country Fair which itself attracts over 20,000 visitors who enjoy everything from aerobatic displays to powerboat racing, bungee jumps to stunt horses – all in the 5,000 acre Capability Brown landscape. Heveningham Hall is in Halesworth, Suffolk, IP19 0PN (01986 798 151). For more details of a great day out, go to heveninghamconcours.com
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter@MartinLove166
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