FIRST DRIVE: Vauxhall Astra Electric 2026: cheaper, better… or too late?

We utilized to grumble about evaluating too many electrical SUVs … Well, that's about to alter. Because in this video we've got something various, the updated Vauxhall Astra Electric. And while it may not sound as exciting as the current electric SUV, this facelift could in fact make it even more interesting.
Why? Due to the fact that Vauxhall has made some key changes. There's a brand-new battery, improving range to as much as 281 miles, subtle styling tweaks, and a couple of interior updates. However the huge story here isn't the design or the tech … it's the cost.
The old Astra Electric was a fantastic car to drive and extremely efficient– even winning our Electrifying Effectiveness Award– but it was just too costly to suggest. Now, with a starting price under ₤ 30,000 (and possibly even less with grants), things look extremely different.
In this evaluation, we take a closer take a look at what's changed, how it drives, what it resembles within, and whether this newly priced Astra can lastly compete with rivals like the MG4, Cupra Born and Renault Megane.
So, has Vauxhall repaired the Astra Electric, or is it still playing catch-up?
Let us understand what you believe in the remarks.

#VauxhallAstra #AstraElectric #Vauxhall.

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MORE ABOUT ELECTRIFYING.COM. Electrifying.com is the # 1 destination for electric cars and truck evaluations, explainers and guides. Established by Ginny Buckley, we bring you the most recent updates on EVs and in-depth evaluations of the hottest brand-new models. Whether you're changing to electric or simply curious, our plain-English guides and skilled advice make it simple to browse the world of electric vehicles. Stay informed, make confident choices, and join the electrical revolution with Electrifying.com! #ElectricCars #EVReviews #SwitchToElectric #GinnyBuckley #NicolaHume #nickishields. 0:00 Wild Discovery: The

Astra Estate Returns. 0:26 Wait … A Vauxhall Estate in 2026?! 0:56 What's In Fact New( Battery,

Variety, Price). 1:22 Press Journey Truth Check.
1:45 Facelift or Just a Tweak? Honest Take. 2:26 Exterior Modifications Explained( Lights, Wheels, Style). 3:01 Estate Reward: Extra Space+ Rear Design. 3:45 New IntelliLux Lights (50,000 Aspects! ). 4:11 Interior Modifications: Spot the Difference. 4:54 Infotainment: Better or Still Meh? 5:30 New "IntelliSeat" Explained( Convenience Test …
). 6:04 Cabin Quality & Usefulness.
7:06 Back Seats & Guest Space. 7:50 Boot
Area: Estate vs Hatch. 8:07 Charging, Heat Pump & V2L Functions. 8:43 Driving Begins (Massage Seats
Surprise). 9:37 Seat Comfort Verdict( Not Great …). 10:09 Battery Upgrade & Real-World Variety. 11:16 Efficiency & Regen Driving. 11:49 Efficiency & 0– 62mph.
12:20 Trip, Improvement & Steering Improvements. 13:13 Drive Modes & Real Range Effect. 13:58 Final Thoughts Start Here. 14:32 Pricing Drop Modifications Everything. 15:26 Decision: Too Late or Lastly Worth It?

Comments

34 responses to “FIRST DRIVE: Vauxhall Astra Electric 2026: cheaper, better… or too late?”

  1. @BillySharples-ig5mq Avatar
    @BillySharples-ig5mq

    The groove in middle of the seat is just a fart gap uber drivers.

  2. @Linealo Avatar
    @Linealo

    We need more estate / wagon / combi cars. They’re the perfect “2 parents, 2 children” cars for everyone that wants to drive to their gransparents on a weekend, regularly goes to the hardware store or gardining section or needs to haul the next crib from the IKEA 2 cities away. They genrally just have to check a few boxes that shouldn’t be too hard totick, looking at current favourites like the Skoda Octavia or Superb:
    – Hit a reliable decent range (of at least 300km / 200miles) in winter (0°C) between about 10-90% charge usage.
    – Offer plenty of storage space in boot (450L+), frunk and also inside of doors and the dash board.
    – Provide enough space for people in front and back, working smartly with the raised floor from the battery so that when the children grow up, their long legs also fit fine
    – Provide at least 100kW of consistent charge speed between 20-80% and highger peaks (150-200kW) if possible.
    – Be very, VERY affordable (at least half of the most interesting extras like 360° cameras, good climate control, heatpump, 1-Pdeal drive and USB charging ports as well as child seat fixtures and such) for around 30K. Start at 25-27k base model, go up to max. 40K with all bells and whistles and a truly large battery. List prices / UVP!

    What Vauxhall (Opel / Stellantis) needs to really optimize now is their software (which has been quite confusing with all their subscription packet options and apparently bad reliability too). Their image has been hampered severely by OBD issues in the past and the fact that almost all manufacturers only promise their software to be free for “10 years” or so, some even less, really puts a dent into the offer.
    As for this model, pricing, space and performance all seem to line up with these very fundamental needs I put above – maybe except the 1-pdeal drive and chargings peaks. But overall, this does seem like an excellent car for a majority of people that are currently driving cards like the VW passat, Audi A4, Skoda Octavia and so on.

    My hope currently is that Skoda finally brings forth their Vision O E-Octavia and manages to make it affordable and not some weird project car that’s more fancy than useful. And while we’re at it, a small Skoda E-Fabia would be lovely too for a format. So if Vauxhall now takes this segment first, I’m up for it, because the only other options of these classes (ID.7, ET5, Audi Q4, BMW i3, etc.) are all much more expensive and sometimes even less spacious despite being larger.

    1. @jonekone3769 Avatar
      @jonekone3769

      This!

    2. @Pressure_23 Avatar
      @Pressure_23

      I quite agree. Suspect VAG is taking Skoda too far up market.

      I don’t think Kia is worrying about Vauxhall.

    3. @BeLowBelowo Avatar
      @BeLowBelowo

      Yeah, the Citroën C5X
      But Stellantis is scrapping it before giving it an EV update which this Astra and Peugeot 408 gets.

    4. @danielstefanovic2604 Avatar
      @danielstefanovic2604

      Not realy, i had to decide between the enyaq and id 7 tourer and the luggage space in the enyaq was almost as big, bigger in the height while the id7 was longer, Hauling a pram was easier in the enyaq

    5. @100uo Avatar
      @100uo

      Just get a petrol estate – solves all the concerns you mentioned about battery, charging, etc.

  3. @dusandestanovic5884 Avatar
    @dusandestanovic5884

    It looks better, definitely. I love how the interior is organized and how it looks, the car seems simple and more normal than what you usually see these days, the price is nice and the model definitely stands out from everything else on the market. That green color looks really nice on it.

  4. @dusandestanovic5884 Avatar
    @dusandestanovic5884

    The wheels look good and the review was pretty nice.

  5. @vpnconsult Avatar
    @vpnconsult

    The logo looks really Aliexpress

    1. @Sjalabais Avatar
      @Sjalabais

      If the Stellantis just also had the stellar Chinese quality…

  6. @shieldaigbencher Avatar
    @shieldaigbencher

    Who wants to light up and show off their Vauxhall badge? Can you turn it off?

    1. @rogerdraycott3486 Avatar
      @rogerdraycott3486

      Me…..and I have done for 45 years . Love em !

    2. @shieldaigbencher Avatar
      @shieldaigbencher

      @rogerdraycott3486. Maybe time to try something new?

    3. @SWR112 Avatar
      @SWR112

      ⁠@shieldaigbencher Why if he likes them fair play, they were a great Car brand in the day.

    4. @shieldaigbencher Avatar
      @shieldaigbencher

      @SWR112. The Opel Monza is still a dream car for me!

  7. @mikadavies660 Avatar
    @mikadavies660

    The problem with Stellantis is they bring out new models at stupidly high prices…. Finally after a year of not selling any, they get realistic with their prices.

    1. @Mantas-q7h Avatar
      @Mantas-q7h

      yes, what the hell 40k opel astra 😢

    2. @alt4523 Avatar
      @alt4523

      Agree. Vauxhall with a 54-55kWh battery at £40k is totally insane. It could be ok back in 2019-20, but not in 2026. The reface lift 2025 versions with delivery miles are offered at £16k, …and I would still go for 2023 Polestar 2s with 69kWh and 3-5k miles on the clock at the same 16-17k.

  8. @mikadavies660 Avatar
    @mikadavies660

    My first modern EV was a Citroen EC-4, as the leasing deal was so cheap. Nice comfortable car, OK bhp, but simply NOT enough range. On the motorway, in the winter…. you are struggling above 150 miles… desperate for a charge. In the real world, the issue is the SMALL BATTERIES… Stellantis cars are realistically city only cars.

    1. @spsmith45 Avatar
      @spsmith45

      Citroen, Peugeot and DS all have larger battery cars with long range.

  9. @minstral9 Avatar
    @minstral9

    I own the previous version of the Astra EV and absolutely love it. It’s quiet, comfortable, agile and great to drive plus reasonably efficient if you use eco mode. Glad to see they’ve replaced the gloss black centre console which is difficult to keep clean. I personally don’t mind the new wheel design.

    1. @mryan9270 Avatar
      @mryan9270

      How did you find the range?

  10. @jostv.2726 Avatar
    @jostv.2726

    I really like the design. The stellantis models might not have the best range and charging capabilities, but I really like the design and interior structure, physical buttons and practicality, especially for the Astra:)

  11. @miro_o Avatar
    @miro_o

    5:50 Soo… they added a fart channel? 😅

  12. @stefanaxelsson6397 Avatar
    @stefanaxelsson6397

    Really like the looks of it!

  13. @davidlang3625 Avatar
    @davidlang3625

    Goes to show that keeping the car low improves efficiency, unlike the current obsession on building and buying crossovers.
    Pricing of this car is now more realistic, I never understood why it was previously priced so high then offered with huge discounts.

  14. @julianceder3596 Avatar
    @julianceder3596

    Loved the intro

  15. @doranakal7826 Avatar
    @doranakal7826

    Love your show! Suggestion – could you maybe include the range figures in kilometers as well (at least in writing) for us, continental viewers. Cheers!:)

  16. @karman79 Avatar
    @karman79

    That green is certainly the right launch colour.

  17. @user-hf7jp2lt5x Avatar
    @user-hf7jp2lt5x

    I love the range comments. If the real world range is 210 that takes a minimum of 3 hours in the UK. Safety advice is to take a break every two hours. So if you plug in while you have a coffee break you can realistically drive all day. Being honest, is nice to have more range, but this is why a lot of cars have real world ranges of just over 200 miles. It just works.

  18. @TheAllMightyGodofCod Avatar
    @TheAllMightyGodofCod

    About the seats, that groove that you talk about does have a HUGE impact on long drives, not on short ones.
    That has been used in PSA cars for decades and it does make a difference

  19. @keithshayle7027 Avatar
    @keithshayle7027

    Good review!

  20. @presterjohn71 Avatar
    @presterjohn71

    At that starting price and with a practical estate shape I can see a lot of independent delivery people showing interest.

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