Vauxhall ASTRA CONVERTIBLE 2.2 16v
It Could Only Mean One Thing. Vauxhalls Latest Astra Convertible Gets The 2.2-Litre Engine Thats Proved To Be Vauxhalls Ace In The Hole. Andy Enright Checks It Out
Four
seat cabrios tend to be surprisingly unappetising things. Those based on hatchbacks tend to look like prams whilst those derived from saloons traditionally resemble skips. Unless youre prepared to fork out serious money for something like a
BMW 3 Series or Mercedes CLK theres not a great deal that will really ring the bell of the average consumer. Rocketing roadster sales have shown that there is a market for topless funsters in this wet and windy land, but the mainstream manufacturers have tended to serve us some distinctly sloppy seconds.
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Vauxhall aim to change all that with the £20,645 Astra Convertible 2.2.
The engine is becoming familiar fare to anybody whos au fait with the Griffins wares. Its seen service in the Astra, Astra Coupe, Zafira, Vectra, VX220 and Omega but sadly not the Agila(!). The 2.2-litre sixteen-valve unit is smooth, torquey and flexible, although not the most vocal or charismatic powerplant of its type.
Nevertheless, Vauxhall knows a good thing when it sees one and has spread the 2.2-litre gospel far and wide, the nation becoming converts to the feel of 145bhp under their right foot.
"The lifestyle has indeed landed."
Fitted to the Astra Convertible, this engine is good for nine seconds to 60mph on its way to a top speed of 135mph. Buyers of this sort of car are rarely looking for absolute performance which is just as well, as in this department the Astra is absolutely competent and nothing more. Youll notice a quite gluttonous thirst around town mind you (its rather un-Astra-like to be returning urban fuel figures of under 24mpg), though on the open road, the figure rises substantially, meaning you should return over 30mpg on a regular basis. As for those questions of chassis flex and scuttle shake, theyre both very well suppressed until that moment that you have a VX220 delusion and give the Astra a sound thrashing down a poorly surfaced road.
Then the view in the rear-view mirror will grow blurred, the dash will give the odd chirrup and creak as the body does minor parallelograms. In terms of total body control, its certainly an impressive job when compared to rivals. As a result, Vauxhall have managed to engineer in a quality that hasnt traditionally been mentioned in word association games when Astra is mentioned fun. Still, the basic architecture is sound.
The Astra hatch has gained a reputation for being something of an entertainer on the quiet, a talented performer that hides its light under a big old bushel. The styling has benefited from the involvement of Italian styling house Bertone who have worked with Vauxhall to create something altogether more sophisticated. Few would mistake it for Bertones vintage work, but given the constraints of the design its a tidy job, if a little heavy at the rear. Its still an Astra, but any colour bar yellow banishes any residual skip imagery.
In developing a new kind of up market-feeling affordable convertible, the Bertone people clearly used upmarket BMWs and Mercs as benchmarks. The Astra cabin in this guise feels sharp and classy, particularly with the optional leather trim in place. More importantly, from the outside, the car looks even better. Unlike the old Astra Convertible, theres no ugly roll-over bar to spoil the pretty lines, nor is there any need for a fiddly tonneau cover.
Instead, the hood is properly concealed beneath a metal cover behind the rear bulkhead. This hydraulically opens and closes to swallow both the roof and the glass rear window plus the whole process is completely automated with no clips, catches or poppers to worry about. Just as youd find in only of those prestigiously-badged soft-tops. In fact, Vauxhall has even stolen a march on some of those rivals by offering the owner the option of raising and lowering the roof without being in the car at all.
Picture it. Youre seated beneath a canopy at your favourite roadside café and it begins to rain. But theres no need to get up and leave your coffee. You simply press one of the two central locking buttons on your remote control keyfob for more than two seconds and the roof will close automatically in just 30 seconds. The same time it will take to open if youve parked in the rain only to find that the sun has now come out.
In addition, you can lower all four windows electrically using the same remote control unit and of course, there are also switches in the car itself to perform the same functions. The 2.2-litre engine makes this Astra the pick of the range. The best powerplant in the most desirable bodyshell equals a genuinely competitive package.
It shows how far Vauxhall have come that an £20,645 Astra seems good value for money and an entirely reasonable proposition. In a marketplace stuffed with skips and populated by prams, the Astra Convertible offers a viable alternative. Bertone may have better moments, but the Astra certainly hasnt.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Vauxhall Astra Convertible 2.2 16v
PRICE: £20,645 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 13E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 209g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 9.0s / Max Speed 135mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 23.0mpg / (extra urban) 42.8mpg / (combined) 32.5mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin Front airbags / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4267/1709/1390mm
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