The UK has a bit of a soft spot for warmed over hatchbacks wearing the Griffin badge. With that in mind, the introduction of a range-crowning Vauxhall Astra GSe with a punchier plug-in hybrid system and tweaked suspension should get enthusiasts’ mouths watering up and down the country.

Don’t expect VXR levels of tyre-shredding power, with the Astra GSe’s 225hp output shared with the Peugeot 308 and DS 4. It’s also down on the 245hp of the Cupra Leon e-Hybrid, Skoda Octavia vRS iV and Volkswagen Golf GTE, the GSe’s natural rivals.

Unlike some competitors, the Astra GSe is available as a hatchback and Sport Tourer estate, usefully boosting practicality to impressive levels. Both versions get GSe specific front and rear bumpers, 18in alloy wheels, GSe branded seats and a GSe steering wheel. Crucially, there are clever dampers that soften themselves when you hit a big bump and stiffer springs, plus quicker steering.

What’s it like inside?

The GSe branded Alcantara sports seats have under-thigh, lumbar and seat base angle adjustments, and remain comfortable after a few hours behind the wheel. They have more side support than lesser Astras, but a bit more around the shoulders would have been welcome when cornering quickly.

Regular instruments are replaced by a large digital display that’s sharp, but not as configurable as what you’d find in the Cupra Leon and Golf GTE. The Astra’s infotainment system is easier to use than the Leon and Golf’s thanks to clearer menus, although systems from Hyundai and Kia are more responsive.

Quality is for the most part good, with pleasant plastics in the areas you touch regularly and more robust ones hidden away. It is a little plain in places, but the physical heater and stereo controls are most welcome as they’re much easier to use than touch sensitive ones. Even so, the Cupra Leon has a plusher interior.

12

The Leon is also more spacious for passengers, with greater rear legroom. The Astra fights back with a bigger boot, at least for a plug-in hybrid, with both hatch and estate outstripping the Leon and Golf by some margin.

If you want to know more about the space on offer, quality or anything else about the interior, have a look at our main Vauxhall Astra review.

Range and charging

According to official WLTP tests, the Astra GSe covers a useful 40 miles on electricity as a hatch or 39 miles in estate guise. That puts the hatch in a lower BIK tax bracket than the Cupra Leon e-Hybrid and Skoda Octavia vRS iV, while the estate is one band higher, matching the sporty Leon and Octavia.

12

Charging the 12.4kWh battery takes five hours 30 minutes using a three-pin plug and four hours with the standard 3.7kW onboard charger using a Type-2 cable. An optional 7.4kW charger drops this to just under two hours on a wallbox that can support it, again using the Type-2. There’s no rapid charge capability.

What’s it like to drive?

GSe models get stiffened suspension and faster-acting steering, yet the clever Koni dampers we mentioned above ensure it’s still perfectly liveable. Yes, you will feel a bit of a thump if you hit a nasty pothole, but for the most part the GSe combines good ride comfort with tighter body control and keener handling than the standard Astra.

In fact, we’d go as far as to say that it’s a sharper drive than the Cupra Leon e-Hybrid or Octavia vRS iV, the GSe hiding the weight of its bulky battery better than those rivals. There’s very little body roll and decent levels of grip, although the eco-biased tyres mean lower limits than a proper hot hatch. Still, up to a point it feels agile, and you can cover ground quickly.

12

Push too hard and the nose runs gently wide of your chosen line, something the rather numb steering won’t give you any warning of. In other words, it’s very competent and one of the better handling PHEV hatches, but it could still do with a bit more driver involvement.

As for the uprated hybrid system, it can struggle to put its power down at low speeds and from a standstill. Even so, this is a brisk rather than outright fast car, just like its rivals. It also feels a little clunkier and more hesitant than the Leon e-Hybrid and Octavia iV.

Acceleration is nowhere near as punchy in EV mode, yet is sufficient for keeping up with the general flow of traffic up to 84mph.

12

What models and trims are available?

The Astra GSe only comes in one generous specification, with the only options being the aforementioned faster charger.

Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, a head-up display, heated front seats and steering wheel, keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, a gesture-controlled electric tailgate on Sports Tourers, adaptive auto lights and wipers, adaptive cruise control with lane position assist, sat nav, front and rear parking sensors, a surround view camera, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert. That makes the initially steep-looking price significantly more palatable.

Read on for our verdict on the Vauxhall Astra GSe.