Vauxhall Astra Electric review

This is not a cheap car to buy outright. Bear in mind that a 1.2 petrol Astra starts from £27k; the cheapest Astra Electric is £37,795, and that’s before you’ve stuck anything on it. Ooft. Then again, a hybrid Qashqai or Honda ZR-V hover around the £40k mark, so for a fully electric car the Astra isn't so mad after all.

Thankfully it comes with plenty of kit as standard. The entry-level Design car comes with LED lights, high beam assistance, front and rear parking sensors, various safety gadgets, intelligent cruise control, the double 10-inch screen set-up, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a USB socket up front, those audio controls on the steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers, electric and heated door mirrors, keyless start and 18-inch alloys. And nope, you can’t have the 16s that the petrol one gets.

GS turns the 18s into black alloys and adds a black roof and exterior trim, adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera, dual zone climate control, heated front seats and steering wheel, the AGR-approved driver’s seat, a front armrest and keyless start. It costs from £40,145.

Finally there’s Ultimate spec for £43,260. Hello LED pixel headlights, every active safety system you can think of that wasn’t already on the car, the head-up display, a wireless phone charger, a heated windscreen, Alcantara trim, panoramic sunroof and even fancier alloys.

Design gets you more than enough gear; but if you can afford it then you will no doubt be grateful for the extra creature comforts when they’re called upon.

Monthlies aren’t as competitive as promised at launch. Is inflation to blame? The Astra Electric starts from £425 a month over five years (yes, five) with a deposit dipping under £5k and a 10,000-mile annual allowance. That’s about £40 per month less than the Sports Tourer.

As a company car, the Astra Electric will bring huge tax advantages. With a Benefit-in-Kind rate of two per cent, Vauxhall reckons that over four years a 40 per cent taxpayer will save around £13,500 in company car taxes by picking the Electric over an equivalent petrol-powered Astra.

Quick note on charging costs: top up at home on an average UK tariff (35p/kWh) and you're looking at about £18 to go from flat to full. Roughly half the price per mile of a petrol Astra right now. Get yourself on a deal where overnight prices are cheaper and you'll slash that figure significantly.