Following on from a recent glowing review of the fully-electric Opel Astra, its estate stablemate, known as the Sports Tourer, moves the Astra nameplate up another gear, combining the same attractive styling and layout with even more space and power for a complete motoring package.
Battery-electric, as a plug-in hybrid or with highly efficient petrol and diesel engines, the Opel Astra range is in a really good place at the moment – and with appealing prices to match. Whether it’s the Astra hatchback or the Sports Tourer, standard equipment and comfort across the range is to a high level.
The Astra Sports Tourer boasts the same striking new Opel Vizor front face design as the hatchback, giving it a distinctive, muscular look. Inside, the Astra Sports Tourer remains smartly designed and clutter-free. In front of the driver is a 10-inch digital instrument panel, paired with a similarly sized centre touchscreen angled towards the driver which is supported by various physical buttons for climate control, heated seats and music volume. There is ample storage space across the door bins, under the centre armrest and glovebox. There’s also a neat sunglasses holder tucked away under the centre touchscreen – a small feature a lot of car makers seem to have done away with.
Further down the vehicle, the Astra Sports Tourer is 57mm longer than the hatchback version, naturally providing even more space for rear passengers and luggage. Rear seats fold in a 40/20/40 style to create 1,634-litres of cargo space, and even with the seats upright you still get an impressive 597-litre boot.
There are three trim levels; ‘SC’, ‘Elegance’, and ‘GS’, with prices currently starting from €32,095. There is a 1.2-litre petrol engine with 110hp and a six-speed manual gearbox, or a 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine boasting 130hp and a brilliant eight-speed automatic transmission. Opt for the fully-electric powertrain and you get 115kW/156hp and 270Nm of maximum torque with a real-world range of around 410km.
I tested the Astra Sports Tourer GS powered by the aforementioned diesel engine, which comes in at €43,195 plus delivery, with €210 annual road tax. This top-level version adds jet black alcantara suede seats, black fascia with mistral trim inserts, AGR-certified heated front seats, heated leather three-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel, power-folding door mirrors, dual-zone electronic climate control, and 18-inch ‘Pentagon’ alloy wheels. It is also adorned with the ‘Black Pack’, which features a black Opel logo and Astra rear badge, black roof and a black Opel Visor.
The 130hp diesel engine produces 300Nm of torque and a nice soundtrack while out on the road. Quoted fuel consumption is 4.5l/100km, which proved achievable in the real world. The Astra Sports Tourer’s 52-litre fuel tank serves up a range of over 1,000km. It’s also equipped with a 13-litre AdBlue tank.
The Opel Astra Sports Tourer’s handling through corners is exceptional, while its light steering makes parking a breeze. If Top Gear’s ‘Cool Wall’ was still a thing I suspect this car would edge along the boarder of ‘Sub Zero’. It’s a thoroughly engaging car to drive – the complete package.
