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2023 Vauxhall Astra GSe Order Books Now Open, It’s Not Cheap

Remember when compact hatchbacks didn’t cost an arm and a leg? Increasingly stringent emission regulations and increasingly more standard equipment led to higher and higher sticker prices, which brings us to the new Astra GSe.
2023 Vauxhall Astra GSe 10 photos
Photo: Vauxhall
2023 Vauxhall GSe range2023 Vauxhall Astra GSe2023 Vauxhall Astra GSe2023 Vauxhall Grandland GSe2023 Vauxhall Grandland GSe2023 Vauxhall Astra GSe2023 Vauxhall Grandland GSe2023 Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer GSe2023 Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer GSe
As opposed to £25,290 for the base 1.2-liter turbo with a manual transmission, which means $31,365 at current exchange rates, Vauxhall charges an eye-watering £40,550 ($50,285) for the plug-in hybrid performance model. Not exactly a bonafide hot hatch, the Astra GSe is rocking 225 ps (222 horsepower) and 360 Nm (266 pound-feet) of torque.

The plug-in powertrain is based around a 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder lump developed by Groupe PSA rather than Opel or General Motors. Both Opel and Vauxhall are currently owned by Stellantis, the company resulting from the cross-border merger between Fiat Chrysler and Groupe PSA. The German brand and its British sib posted a long-overdue profit in 2018 after 20 years of losses under the GM yoke.

Now available to order in the United Kingdom, the eco-friendly thriller is due to start deliveries in early summer. Later on, the five-door hatchback will be joined by a wagon-bodied sibling for customers who need more space. Rather than dubbing it estate as it is customary in this part of the world, Vauxhall calls the longroof Astra Sports Tourer.

Good for 180 ps (178 horsepower) on full song, the internal combustion engine is joined by an electric motor capable of 110 ps (108 horsepower) according to Vauxhall. It’s connected to a 12.4-kWh battery, which promises 40 miles (64 kilometers) of range as per the WLTP. In the Astra Sports Tourer GSe, make that 39 miles (63 kilometers).

Based on the Astra Ultimate Plug-In Hybrid, the GSe stands out from its lesser siblings in a few notable ways, including a lower profile attributed to revised suspension. 11 percent stiffer springs also need to be mentioned, along with Frequency Selective Damping technology from Koni.

Equipped with Commodore 18-inch wheels, black Griffin logos, and a black-painted roof, the GSe sweetens the deal with AGR-certified performance front seats trimmed in Alcantara. Highlights also include recalibrated steering, Intelli-Drive technology with Forward Collision Alert, and Active Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection.

Customers who aren’t quite happy with the Astra’s conventional body styles don’t need to look elsewhere for a crossover alternative because Vauxhall has one in the form of the Grandland GSe. It’s the brand’s most powerful model at press time, packing 300 ps (296 horsepower) and all-wheel drive. It flaunts a slightly more powerful version of the 1.6er mentioned earlier, plus two electric motors.

Priced at £43,700 (approximately $54,195) on the road, the utility vehicle rides on Monza 19-inch wheels. Despite its larger wheels and overall dimensions compared to the Astra GSe, the Grandland GSe offers more range (41 miles or 66 kilometers) thanks to a slightly larger battery pack.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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