A 1.8-litre, 140bhp engine drives the front wheels of the Astra through a four-speed automatic gearbox. There is no sequential shift option on the gearbox. The car’s official combined urban and highway fuel economy figure is given as 7.8-8.0 litres per 100km, which is a reasonable figure for a car and engine of this size.

Get behind the wheel of the car and the first thing that comes to your attention is that it does not have the soft, laid back character of a typical family sedan. The meaty leather wrapped steering wheel transmits road feel to your hands very well, give plenty of feedback on what the tarmac beneath you feels like.

It rides on the firm side, and the stiff suspension setting will probably feel more at home on a sports car rather than a family sedan. The Astra is able to change direction very quickly and the Continental tyres on the 16-inch rims do give a lot of confidence inspiring grip, sliding very progressively at the very limits of traction.

But most drivers are likely to find that this dynamic ability puts the car’s character at odds with its low profile family sedan styling, and some will probably feel that the car’s overall ride quality is much stiffer than its competition.

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