Friday 11th December 2009

“We wanted the ‘Gotta Have’ feeling” said Mark Adams, GME’s chief designer. Well another ‘Adams’ can now be added to that firmament of Adams stars... alongside Tony, Douglas, John Quincy, Bryan and Gomez.

Andrew English of the Telegraph seems to agree, calling Adams and his team ‘as hot as a Mark Ronson horn section’ and voices the view that the ‘new Astra appears set to enhance that reputation’. Having driven the all-new Astra around Frankfurt in the dead of night, Andrew in his review, addressed some of the major features of the 6th Generation Astra that those who go on to test drive or buy the car will come to appreciate and love dearly.

Continuing Vauxhall’s trend of Innovation, Adam’s team have combined the size, weight and efficiency benefits of a compound crank rear axle with a cleverly positioned Watt’s link (basically helps support lateral forces whilst cornering, and is often used in race cars) meaning you’re connected to the road with a new suspension set-up for seriously improved ride and agility. If you don’t believe me, watch me getting thrown around part of the Millbrook proving track by a pro-driver. The synapses were firing overtime; I was terrified and incredibly impressed all at the same time. And then we tried a lap with the ESP (Electronic stability programme) on, which senses when the car departs from the drivers chosen path. Seriously, it does. The electronic control system applies the brakes or adjusts the throttle as necessary to bring the car back under driver control...it does this on its own with no input from the driver at all. Remarkable.

So, what was going on that made me still feel so safe, despite the pro-driver (thank you again Alex) trying to throw us off the road. Well, the all-new Astra features a longer wheelbase and wider tracks for improved stability and ride comfort. Add to that the MacPherson strut (that’s technical engineering talk, not to be confused with a certain supermodel on the catwalk) and the aforementioned Watt’s linkage and you’re looking at leading edge handling, ride and comfort.

Add to this Vauxhall’s much admired and praised FlexRide adaptive system and the all-new Astra stands out as being truly Innovative, containing numerous features rarely found in a compact class car. The FlexRide adaptive damping system was first seen in the Insignia-it adjusts the suspension character automatically depending on the driver’s needs; the dampers are electronically controlled and continuously adapt within milliseconds to the prevailing road conditions (ideal for the quality of roads that most of us drive on in the UK, which the all-new Astra has been specifically tested on), whilst also offering the driver three programme settings that can be done manually, via dashboard buttons. The electronic brain behind FlexRide is the DMC (Drive Mode Control) module. The DMC constantly monitors up to eleven different driving variables-including acceleration, braking and cornering-and optimises the behaviour of the chassis accordingly. Another key function is that it monitors driving style as well. You can relax though, you’re not being judged! Yet...(there’s a usb port, so maybe analysing driving style, cost-efficiency etc might be a thing of the future).

The result is a car that effectively understands the driver’s preferred method of driving and adapts itself to suit whatever conditions you’re currently facing (how many variables that could be on any given day on the UK is anyone’s guess?!), whilst providing important bona fide safety benefits. In Normal mode (the standard default mode), FlexRide continuously adapts to all driving conditions, providing more comfort and improved cornering behaviour, but drivers can also opt for either Tour or Sport mode settings as well. The Tour setting selects a softer, more cosseted ride, ideal for long distance cruising. The Sport button promotes hands-on, sporty driving, reinforcing the agile, spirited feel that typifies the all-new Astra.As the all-new Astra is prettily sitting on the forecourts as of today, don’t take my word for it! Book a test drive and check it out for yourself (and remember to come back here to the reviews section and let us know what you thought!)