The Vauxhall Astra is now available as a self-charging mild hybrid, yours from £30k

Vauxhall has added a mild hybrid version of the Astra and Astra ST to the line-up, which, thanks to the magic of a weeny 0.89kWh battery buried in the gearbox, will sip 19 per cent less fuel than an equivalent petrol-engined Astra. Happy Wednesday!

Vauxhall says the 48V mild-hybrid set-up - as featured in the Corsa and Grandland - features 134 horsepowers courtesy of a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine and an electric motor generating a modest 27bhp. There's also a dual clutch six-speed automatic gearbox, too, and because it's a mild hybrid, it'll self charge, just like the one in the new Honda Civic.

You won't be travelling for miles on end with just 0.89kWh at your disposal, but said distance will be achievable right up to 18mph. Perfect for leaving the driveway quietly, and creeping along in traffic, then.

Vauxhall reckons on a 0-62mph time of nine seconds, which is 0.7 faster than the Astra petrol version. The Sports Tourer model delivers similar numbers. Faster, but should be cheaper to run: it's more efficient and the CO2 emissions have also dropped from 123g/km to 106-112g/km.

Prices start from £30,250 which gets you into a hybrid Astra 'Design', and from £37,860 for the 'Ultimate' hybrid estate. Sounding like a better name for a Gladiator than any of these, that latter version includes fancy matrix headlights, Alcantara and a panoramic sunroof added to the standard kit offered on the entry-level Design trim. Yours from July.