Let’s be honest: in a world where most cars look like white goods on wheels, it’s genuinely refreshing when a manufacturer decides not to just slap a new badge on its family hatchback, but actually makes it worth looking at twice. The Opel Astra, that solid workhorse from Rüsselsheim, is about to get a proper mid-life overhaul, and no, this isn’t some half-hearted facelift with a different grille sticker. This is a car that’s becoming sharper, greener, and, dare I say it, rather desirable. Especially the electric versions, which give you that satisfying glow of knowing exhaust pipes are finally on the endangered species list.
First up: the looks. Opel hasn’t thrown the baby out with the bathwater, but everything has been honed to a point. Up front you get a wider, bolder grille wearing the brand’s Vizor face, complete with that cheeky full-width LED daytime running light that winks at you in traffic. The headlights are slimmer, meaner, and available with matrix LED tech that turns night into a well-lit playground without blinding oncoming wildlife. At the back, the Sports Tourer estate gets subtly reshaped tail lights that flow into the bumper like they were always meant to be there. Overall length stays sensible (around 4.37 m for the hatch, 4.64 m for the estate), but the car now looks lighter on its feet, as if it’s itching to dive into the next corner.
Now the good bit: what’s underneath. Opel has flung the doors wide open to electrification, and I for one am standing here clapping like a seal with a full charge. The plug-in hybrids get bumped to 180 hp system power, enough to fire you to 100 km/h in near-silence while keeping CO₂ below 25 g/km. Pure-electric range? Up to 75 km, perfect for commuting without inhaling everyone else’s fumes. Then there’s the full-fat Astra Electric: 54 kWh battery, 418 km WLTP range, 156 hp delivered with the smoothness only electrons can provide, and charging speeds that don’t make you age visibly at the plug.
Inside, it’s a masterclass in sensible futurism. Twin 10-inch screens run the latest infotainment, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard (because wrestling with cables in 2025 is just embarrassing), and an optional head-up display that keeps your eyes on the road instead of the dash. Safety? Intelli-Lux LED Pixel lights with 168 individual segments per side that pick out the road like a sniper and dim only the bits that would annoy other drivers. And for the estate brigade: 597 litres of boot expanding to 1,634 litres, with a variable floor that’s more useful than a multi-tool on a camping trip.
Prices kick off around €30,000 for the basic petrol versions, but point your wallet toward €40,000+ if you want the clever electrified ones, money you’ll claw back in fuel savings and that glorious silence. First cars land early next year, just in time to replace whatever oil-burner is currently wheezing outside your house.
Bottom line: if you want a compact car that does the school run, handles a twisty road with a grin, and doesn’t make the planet weep, the new Astra is stupidly hard to fault. Proof that electric driving can be practical, enjoyable, and even a little bit thrilling, without the racket of an internal-combustion engine begging for mercy.
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