Frankfurt Motor Show: Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer unveiled

New estate Astra gains space, loses weight, and starts at around £17,000

The range starts with an engine giving 99bhp and there is also a new 1.6-litre petrol giving 198bhp (AFP/Getty Images)

The Astra Sports Tourer is pretty much the same size as the model it’s replacing, but somehow they’ve managed to liberate more space inside. Specifically, headroom is up by 26mm in the front and 28mm in the rear.

They’ve also found another 80 litres of cargo area. With the rear seats flat there is now 1630 litres to play with. If you add in some of the FlexOrganiser elements then you can make this an even more practical space with the addition of cargo nets, fasteners and so on. Access to it is by electric operation, and there’s the option of opening the hatch by looking only slightly silly and waving your foot under the tailgate.

There have also been significant weight gains to match the space gains. The Sports Tourer comes in 200kg lighter compared to its predecessor, largely due to the latest GM D2 platform underpinning it all. That should lead to improved fuel consumption from the engines. The range starts with an engine giving 99bhp and there is also a new 1.6-litre petrol giving 198bhp. A 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine giving 148bhp will join the range, alongside a new 1.6-litre Whisper Diesel.

Prices are expected to remain around the same, starting at about £17,000, and deliveries to the UK begin in October.