• Spacious boot but not the class best
• Comfortable driving position and sets
• Easily room for four six-foot adults

There are no bold proclamations about Vauxhall Astra practicality being exceptional in any way, but as a five-door hatchback it offers a useful degree of flexibility that will satisfy the needs of many customers. At 370 litres, the boot space with the rear seats in place beats the contemporary Ford Focus’ 316-litre total but lags behind more spacious rivals such as the VW Golf and the Peugeot 308.

Tumble the seats over and it’s a similar story. The Astra’s capacity extends to 1,210 litres, which is beaten by the Focus and kicked into touch by both the Golf and the 308.

How big is it?

Elsewhere, the cabin is dotted with sensibly sized and shaped storage areas for oddments, including a section low down on the centre console which can be used to hold and charge some smartphones.

Perhaps the Astra’s most practical feature isn’t something within the car but something it connects to – OnStar. This is Vauxhall’s parent company’s (General Motors) telematics and concierge service. Sadly, this incredibly useful service was discontinued as part of the car’s 2019 facelift.

The size of the Astra is average for its segment (at the time). It’s easy to manoeuvre and park as a result, with good all-round visibility. The only black marks are the angular pillars at the back of that can block your view out slightly. However, parking sensors and cameras – even a self-parking system – are available to help parking in tight spots.

Safety

• Five-star Euro NCAP safety rating
• LED Matrix headlights work effectively
• Driving Assistance Pack is feature-laden

The inherent safety of the Vauxhall Astra was underlined by its Euro NCAP crash test performance where it scored a five-star rating.

Not only was the body of the seventh-generation Astra lighter than before, it was also significantly stronger. Six airbags ensure that occupants are cushioned in the event of an accident and a series of electronic aids work continuously to keep the car in check, mitigating the chances of the driver losing control in the first place.

Safety enhancing features such as a forward-facing camera with pedestrian detection and traffic sign recognition were available, along with a lane departure warning system complemented by lane keeping assist to gently apply some steering angle in an attempt to prevent you veering out of your lane.

Further to that, there’s the collision mitigation element to the package which warns the driver if the car suspects an impending accident. The system will automatically applying the brakes to try and avoid it altogether if it can.

Night time illumination can be improved considerably with LED lights front and rear. Those up front are particularly sophisticated being matrix units, allowing sections of light to be switched on and off to avoid dazzling oncoming drivers, even in automatic main beam mode. Additional safety options include blind spot warning and a self-parking function.

Watch the Vauxhall Astra Mk7 crash test video