Vauxhall Astra BiTurbo - Comfortable, Quick And Refined

Whether it’s the SEAT Leon FR TDI, Volkswagen Golf GTD or BMW 125d, pretty much every family hatch has a hot diesel model these days and now that includes the Vauxhall Astra. This 2.0 CDTi BiTurbo has just arrived in the UK as part of the face lifted line-up and it claims to offer an enticing blend of performance and economy.

The Astra BiTurbo performs well as a comfortable, quick and refined family hatch, with appealing looks to top it all off

With 192bhp and 400Nm of torque you’d think it would have the performance part covered, but it just doesn’t feel that fast. Unlike in the Golf GTD you never get a rush of turbocharged torque, with the Astra favoring more of a steady approach to covering 0-62mph in eight seconds. That’s only half a second down on the GTD, but it feels much slower.

On the plus side, you do notice the torque at higher speeds, when you can drop down a gear, floor the throttle and comfortably climb from 50-70mph or overtake on the motorway. You won’t hear the engine, either, although it is a little rough and noisy during hard acceleration at low speeds. Whereas the Golf GTD’s 2.0 TDI sounds smooth and even a little sporty, the Astra BiTurbo grumbles a bit at low revs.

On the plus side, you do notice the torque at higher speeds, when you can drop down a gear, floor the throttle and comfortably climb from 50-70mph or overtake on the motorway.

It does look great, though, topping off the Astra’s face lifted styling with a body kit and two chromed exhausts. It also has lowered sports suspension, which helps ensure it feels more agile than the standard car without losing out on comfort. Yet the steering isn’t quick or tactile enough to match the BiTurbo’s sporty intentions, and the car ends up being capable rather than fun.

The five-door Astra BiTurbo CDTI is capable of reaching a top speed of 140mph (226 km/h) while the Estate version will do a respectable 138mph (222 km/h)

What of the running costs? Well, 55.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 134g/km sound good in isolation, but put those figures next to 67.3mpg and 109g/km in the GTD and the Astra suddenly starts to look pretty shabby.

At $36,150 , the Vauxhall does at least compare favorably with the $41,033 Golf, although we’d recommend specifying electric rear windows and parking sensors, neither of which comes as standard. The Astra’s biggest problem, however, is the Leon FR TDI, which shares the GTD’s excellent mechanicals, feels just as good from behind the wheel and yet is only $33,563.

Vauxhall Astra BiTurbo

Verdict

The BiTurbo is comfortable, quick and refined, but it doesn’t feel like a sporty flagship diesel. More needs to be done to mark it out from the normal Astra. The Leon FR TDI is cheaper, more efficient, better to drive and just as stylish; the BiTurbo will be a tough sell.