Wednesday 24th February 2010

The guys over at Petrol Hedz have recently road tested the New Vauxhall Astra SRi 2010. They seem to think very highly of it (which is always great to hear!), especially after saying things like "for the money and quality, there is not much around right now that is even in the same league". So, if you're not a top league footballer or the likes of Cheryl Cole who have a lot of cash at their disposal but still want top class quality, maybe this is the car for you...

They go into quite a bit of detail about the various elements of the Astra SRi. Have a read below, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts, Have you had a chance to test drive it yet?

“The Astra I was driving was a neatly beefed up SRI, with a 1.6 16v VVT engine. It has 115PS @ 6000rpm, and 114 ib.ft of torque, not too bad really, for a car that weighs 1905 kg."

"As with the Insignia, the Vauxhall Astra is an all-new car, continuing the transformation of the Vauxhall product range. Like the Insignia, the Astra aims to attract a new group of buyers, those who may never have considered a Vauxhall before, but now see cars like the new Astra as offering all the style and quality, but at a price most people can afford. This new Astra has quality materials in the cabin, it also feels a lot better put together than previous models. The bodywork is not too bad either if I am honest. The feeling of cabin space and depth is fantastic; it feels like you could fit a family of five in here very comfortably indeed. Like the Insignia, the Astra's main clocks and gauges are also ringed with chrome, with the speedometer and tachometer pods angled inwards towards the driver; it sort of gives it a sportier feel. The seats are fantastic too."

Having sat in one of the new Astra's when we headed over to Millbrook to test drive it in December, I have to admit I did have mischievous thoughts of driving it right out of the testing grounds straight to my front door. I just loved the quality feel inside, the comfy seats which I just melted into, and it also helped to have an adjustable steering wheel. I guess that's why the secruity there is like fort knox, for people with naughty thoughts like me...

He then goes on to talk about how low the CO2 emissions are. "The Efficient, yet powerful, Vauxhall Astra's engines are low on CO2 but high on power, which makes a change really. I have never really disliked any of the Vauxhall engines."

"The new Astra also comes with FlexRide. This was first seen in the Insignia, FlexRide offers the driver three settings - Standard, Sport and Tour - while being fully and continually adaptive to changes in driving style and cornering speed. The system is offered as an option on SE, Elite and SRi models with all engines, except the normally aspirated 1.4-litre petrol unit."

"All versions come with Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) ABS & ESP/ESC including traction control (TC), along with an MP3 thingy, and a whole host of side, curtain & front airbags. Quite a well equipped machine, even in basic trim."

Talking about the ESP (Electronic Stability Program), if you haven't seen it in action, check out the video of myself & my colleague testing the system with a pro driver on the Handling Circuit. Apologies about all the screeching, but he was going a lot faster than it looks and to be honestly, it felt worse than a ride at Thorpe Park, especially that I was sitting in the back seat not able to see where we were swerving next... CLICK HERE

So to sum it up, Petrol Hedz have this to say "Yes it’s a Vauxhall, and yes it is not for everybody’s liking, but for the money and quality, there is not much around right now that is even in the same league."

If you'd like to read the full review, please CLICK HERE