Skip advert
Advertisement

2016 Vauxhall Astra review – new Astra is best yet, but can it excite? - Interior and tech

With an excellent engine and an outstanding ride the new Astra has some great attributes, but sadly it isn’t a drivers’ car

Evo rating
RRP
from £15,295
  • Great engine, unexpectedly fast and feels well built
  • Overall, just not very exciting

Interior and tech 

The Astra’s interior seems light and airy. The dash is littered with touches of chrome that nicely breaks-up the amount of black. The plastics used do feel luxurious and pleasant to touch. However you do find these plastics where you’d expect to find leather or metal, the gear knob in particular. Overall though, it feels very durable and well built.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The seating position is good, if a little bit too high. Find me a car that doesn’t feel like that, though. The steering wheel has a decent amount of adjustment, so getting comfortable isn’t difficult.

The main satnav screen seems to be angled upwards towards the roof of the car. It’s not difficult to see because of this, but you don’t expect the main source of the infotainment to be pointing in a different direction to the occupants. However, with DAB, satnav, Bluetooth it adds to the Astra’s pleasant environment.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Theon Design Porsche 911 review – twice a GT3 RS's price, but twice the car?
Theon Design Porsche 911
Reviews

Theon Design Porsche 911 review – twice a GT3 RS's price, but twice the car?

Theon Design's latest Porsche 911 restomod calls back classic racers and costs twice as much as the best new 911. We drive it to see if it's worth it
21 May 2026
Volkswagen Golf GTI review – once the definitive hot hatch, is it still one of the best?
Golf GTI
In-depth reviews

Volkswagen Golf GTI review – once the definitive hot hatch, is it still one of the best?

The latest Golf GTI is fast, capable and easy to live with, now with improved if not perfected HMI and driving dynamics
19 May 2026
Rocketeer Mazda MX-5 review - the 340bhp V6 sports car you never knew you needed
Rocketeer Mazda MX-5 corner rear
Reviews

Rocketeer Mazda MX-5 review - the 340bhp V6 sports car you never knew you needed

By putting a 340bhp Jaguar V6 in Mazda's MX-5 specialist Rocketeer has created one of 2026's unexpected driving hits.
22 May 2026