Vauxhalls have always been overpriced for what they are but 40k for that “meh”-mobile. What were they thinking?? Get a base model MG4 with £13k in change OR spend £42k and get a Polestar 2.
The petrol model is priced about the same as the Focus and looks a lot better. It's the Stellantis 50% EV charge so they can make massive profits on batteries.
@@sIightIybored I understand that they need to make money from the EV model and they have to price the car higher than the ICE or PHEV version but their starting price for the Astra is outrageous consider you touching the luxury brand territory. For the EV mode of the Astra, it makes zero sense to buy one for 40k.
I agree with your conclusion the price is over the top for a car with that battery size and power. The Kia Niro has a bigger battery more power and 7 year warranty for the same money or less spec dependent.
Don't get hung up on the size of the battery. You don't check the size of the petrol tank in an ICE. You check the fuel economy. This seems to be much better than the competitors in that area, meaning it doesn't need a battery as big as others. It's too expensive though
This is funny. While watching this, I was aware that I had test driven the MG4 X-Power a few days ago, and I was thinking the MG4 blows this out of the water in every single metric: Space, equipment, looks (subjective) , incredible performance , battery size and range AND PRICE!! Not everyone wants or needs a car as big as the Tesla or a SUV. Why would anyone choose the Vauxhall? A simply unbelievable price. Being set up to fail! It is good the video ended with that precise comparison.
Yeah me too! The MG is a great car, superior in every way and massively cheaper. The X-Power was a bit mad for me tbh but great fun - I’m waiting for the bigger battery version.
MG4 is a chinese SAIC produced car. And according to a year long EU investigation chinese EV manufacturers are subsidised by communist party of china at each and every level from lithium extraction, through battery cells production, pack production all the way to the final car assembly. So - secret of "MG4 blowing everything away price" is communist china subsidies aimed at destroying european car industry and taking markets for themselves. They're just sekling them below costs. That's why they'll have nearly 50% import tarrifs imposed by EU starting from 1.11.2024.
For me at £40k Stellantis should be putting a battery that can do 350miles range at least in this (and the e308). A buyer has compromised on cabin space, but that miles/kwh figure would make it a high mileage drivers dream. The estate version would be a company car drivers dream… Stellantis have cocked this up in my opinion…
Nobody needs a '350' mile range though. Batteries cost and weigh a lot, carrying them costs energy, the energy lost from dragging around a huge battery pack is a law of diminishing returns. Smaller capacity makes a lighter battery pack. Fast charging (with appropriate cooling) should cost less to make and use.
@@FFVoyager I’d rather have a 350 mile wltp range for the days I do 260-300 mile round trips where I can charge at home for 10p per kWh than having to rely on public chargers that are a lot more expensive. So not everyone needs that range, but some drivers do. Just because you may not need it doesn’t mean that applies to everyone. At £40k drivers like me are going to be looking at other cars that can do over 300 miles, but it’s a shame as I don’t necessarily want an suv or crossover, so the 308sw was something I was genuinely considering, but not anymore
The Astra petrol is priced very well. Stellantis takes reasonably priced petrol models adds a few thousand £/€/$ in batteries then adds 50% to the price of the car. There's a reason private car EV sales have flatlined at 6%.
@@gregcooper2719 I'm sure YOU would. Some others seem to want to tow a caravan to Scotland from the south coast every week - but potential customers are already (rightly) complaining about the cost of the car! Adding huge batteries to a vehicle that very few people will ever drive 350 miles in one hit isn't really sensible. Making an efficient vehicle that charges fast would be a more affordable and accessible solution.
Agreed, why would anyone have this over a longer ranged, easier to charge Tesla 3. Or a top of the range fully loaded megane EV, kia Niro 4 ev, new hyundai kona ev, ionic 5, i just dont get it
Not necessarily. Fewer people fork out in full for new cars to day. Most are acquired on personal leases or via PCP agreements. You have no depreciation worries with those.
The basic problem/issue here, is that the new Astra isn't a "ground up" electric car. It's a " we sell 'em with an engine or as as an EV" car...... And as a result, there are compromises.....
there isn’t anything wrong with a ‘converted ICE’ if designed from the start to be flexible. The original Kona/e-niro was an ICE platform and they were hugely popular and efficient. This seems like a decent small family car - good efficiency etc. Its just too expensive
If a car is comprised of thousands of parts and all but a few are the same as an ICE, why not share a platform, making production easier and cheaper. The ICE has been getting incrementally better for almost a century (the Model T was the first auto to function like a modern car in many respects). They just work. Why throw away all that knowledge? When you do that you end up with problems like flush door handles and charge ports that don't open in winter and dumb decisions like CUVs without basic stuff such as rear wipers or glove boxes and designs that annihilate cargo space to add a fraction to range, like in the Ioniq6.
@@MrKlawUK The thing is that Opel/Vauxhall form part of the Stellantis group and on the same platform sell the Peugeot e208 and e2008, the Opel Corsa, the Citroen eC4 and DS eTense as well as the Jeep Avenger. You would think that with so many models with a shared platform it would be worth their while to do one dedicated EV platform (similar to what VW did with the ID 3, ID 4, Audi Q4 and other models.
Spot on from Nicola, nice car, £10k too expensive for what it is. It’s on a shared ICE platform, it should be cheap. Stellantis have lost the plot The Citroen EC-4 is a nicer car on the same platform and is £32k
Exactly! This platform is used across several brands, cars within each brand and drivetrains. Economies of scale would mean lower cost. How tf is it still so expensive then?!
They did not manage to put all German car workers to out of job and did not transfer all production to China to make it cheaper… It will hapen eventually, unles EU will put 100% tax to every car from China… That is the most likely thing to happen…
That a great review, full of opinions based on the driving experience. In the years it took for stellantis to bring out an electric Astra, why didn't they conclude that the Astra is expensive for what it is? This is an open goal for MG and BYD. It sounds like the long awaited astra estate will be priced closer to the porsche taycan cross turismo than the MG 5. If you really want one, it's probably wise to site on your hands and wait for them to be disconnected. For my money, the Chinese cars with room in the back for humans seem to fit the bill. Once the Chinese have copied the Astra buttons, I am not sure it will have a USP.
@@FFVoyager Yep stellantis should have been forward thinking and by now having a factory in china that builds theyre cars cheaper then ship to europe, also they should make a deal with byd or catl to get cheaper lfp batteries instead,
I went to a local dealer to inquire about the Peugeot e308 and was told that it would cost €50,000. Even the salesman could barely keep a straight face.
It’s a good looking car but seriously expensive. It is a shame that the big manufacturers are charging (no pun intended) so much when there are other makers out there that give better performance and range.
The headline price is too much, there's no getting away from that, but... Vauxhall give great discounts. When we looked at the Corsa last year we dropped the price by a quarter (roughly). And then you pop around to Peugeot and Citroën and Renault and challenge them to match the offer!
Legacy auto are in real trouble. Their cost base is far higher than dedicated EV Co’s like MG or Tesla & unless they radically rethink their offer their inexorable decline will accelerate. The Astra is a good case in point. Expect to see some mega mergers in the coming years.
Stellantis is a mega merger though, FCA and PSA. I agree with you though, they need to change their plans or the Chinese will decimate them, Hyundai/Kia at least make a fantastic car despite being expensive, I can't understand why anyone would choose this over the Korean offerings, or mg4 or byd in the lower price class
@@alexanderstefanov6474 Completely agree. The Stellantis formation is just the start of the consolidation of the legacy brands. I can see VAG, who are in deep trouble merging with another, perhaps BMW or Mercedes. Their debt levels are horrific. Ford & GM are both toast and as for the Japanese, I dont even think they want to realise the trouble they're in. As for JLR & Polestar, their volumes are almost irrelevant. You're right about Hyundai/Kia, they do seem an outlier in the legacy world, but they too have horrific levels of debt. The next 5 years will see radical transformation in the legacy sector, all whilst the Chinese and Tesla clean up.
@@petehampton6051 it'll be interesting to see what happens with the Japanese manufacturers. Subaru might go majority to Toyota, they already own dihatsu. Mitsubishi is Renault Nissan already. Maybe honda and Mazda will merge, they have compatible client bases.
40k for a Hire Car Astra. Plenty of more premium brands to choose in that price range 😢. I'd be interested in the residual value after a year. Only then would it be worth considering if you wanted a used "Hire Car" Vauxhall Astra.
Nicola, we need a video telling us what is the best car to replace the faithful fiesta owners who are now faced with the dilemma of having to buy something else, thanks 😮
Great review - In my opinion, Nicola is one of the best automotive journalists there is, engaging, informative, and most importantly her reviews are not formulaic.
I'd say so long as it can pull away fast enough when you need to, I wouldn't worry so much about the numbers. However, the price numbers are more concerning. I'd definitely take an MG4 over this any day. Did Vauxhall even look at the competition?
It is possible that German auto workers get a tinyt bit better salary than their coworkers in China… That is the difference. First all electronic production… TV, phones etc did go to china… Now cars are moving to China also. Interesting to see what production remain in europe? 1 million dollars/ euros luxury cars like Ferrari and similar and… well that is that….
The Astra is by faaaaar the best looking car in it's class, like you say it's just such a shame about the price! I'd take the MG4 any day on price alone
The MG is a Chinese car. The CEO of Stellantis, which owns Vauxhall, and owns factories in Europe and China, said recently that it costs 30% more to make a car in Europe than in China. I suppose that means we'll soon be reliant on China for cars, like we are for everything else. I believe right-hand drive Tesla Y's are also made in China (not sure). It could be that, when most cars are electric, only luxury cars will be made in Europe.
Vauxhall but it's Left-hand drive with Gernam registration plate... I'm confused.. Is it just an Opel that they just put an Vauxhall logo cause it's supposed to be for Brits?
Stellantis can’t make money selling them for less. European carmakers cannot currently compete on price with Chinese or Tesla. But price is on everything for some buyers. MG4 certainly looks the better buy with a hatch, Tesla Model 3 with a boot (but firm ride).
I just DON'T the CRAZY price?? If they just copied VW with the ID3 as a bench mark.... Then I get it.... but the ID3 isn't selling!!!! Then look IN HOUSE at Stellantis... The Citroën E-C4 is miles cheaper for EXACTLY the same battery & motor, but with comfortable seats!! I totally agree, that the base Astra is way over priced, by at least £6,000 if not £8,000
I would have the MG4 over the Astra at the moment, but kudos to both manufacturers for not being sucked into the SUV train with these models. However, when did we start thinking 9.5 seconds to 60 was slow? Why are we focusing on supercar performance for family cars. Yes, it's a giggle, but is it necessary? There was a time when neck snappingly fast performance was all I'd focus on, but now I'd take range and charging performance over a 0-60 under six seconds claim.
Hmm also - if you do that sort of acceleration continually what does it do to the range - the 9.5 seconds for the astra is probably to keep the range up by keeping the acceleration speed down?? maybe I am not an expert on these things!
It is a pity this didn’t work out. I was really looking forward to a normal hatchback/estate EV with legacy manufacturer quality and dealer network at a decent price. Looks like we’ll be waiting a while longer.
Looking at the depreciation of EVs, in a couple of years you could probably pick up a good used example of this car for half the the price new or less. Even then you will have the problem that it is not as well specced as competing models.
i love this review, she says it in a way the average person would. no denying its strking car but peoplle never forked out 40k for an average car 5 years ago. She has a style unmatched for the journalistic reviews and well done
Given the current high depreciation of EVs it will be a £30k car when it's six months old. Already possible to get Mégane ETechs for sub £30k at that age
Love Nichola's reviews. Down to earth and tells us what we want to hear about what the car is like to drive, how comfortable it is, the ease of operation of the controls etc. As for the price of the Astra, Nicola is right in that the Chinese cars are a serious rival to European cars now, particularly on price. European car manufacturers need to get real on their pricing as EV's are too expensive.
I get the feeling that the electric drive train on the e-EMPv3 cars is really the v2 of the e-CMP (Cross, Mokka, 208, 2008, etc) just incorporated here to provide and electric option. The real mid-sized offering from Stellantis will be the STLA-med. The issue that the Astra turned over at the wrong point in the development process.
I cant see why anyone would buy this for that price. I mean a nissan leaf is roughly the same, (quicker, but slower charging) and that starts at £28k. This will be on sale at £35k very soon.
A nice car but apart from the smallish battery, that price is awful! Not forgetting, of course, there'll be a lot more tax to pay once you spec it over 40k as well!
As someone who drives an e208 which has a list price of £35k (ridiculous but a company car so I don’t pay that), I have no idea why anyone would privately buy any Stellantis EV new, especially this Astra. Cannot believe this will sell unless they give huge discounts to fleets - it’s dead in the water to private buyers.
I totally understand the frustrated headline now. It looks great (or at least average, which nowadays makes it pretty great), until you see what you can get for less! For me, the electric revolution has brought one thing back to the masses that the Vauxhall and other multi-fuel platform cars don't have - rear wheel drive! When I trade in my Kia Soul EV, I'm going for a VW ID3 or Cupra Born.
Wonder when the point will come that first time drivers will never afford to drive, once ICE based cars become 'classic', and electric cars effectively become either obsolete (unsupported due battery degradation or major electronic failure) and scrapped before they reach say 500 or 1000 pound mark or the car gets scrapped due minor crash but battery safety can't be ensured? Plus, first time driver would look at say 55 or 80 bhp...now equivalent Astra is 150bhp? Just a thought.
I get the idea that instead of flowers you offer Nicola a usb thumbstick with a few nice indicator sounds on the first date. Please let the indicator sound become a bit on your videos xD
I can't see how these compromised EVs built on hybrid platforms can compete with rwd true EVs like the the iD3, EV6 or mg4, especially considering the latters lower price and better specification and packaging. The other big problem this astra had is it's Citroen eC4 sister car, which is the same in many ways but better in others, especially ride quality
£40K!!!!! That's ridiculous for a Vauxhall with the same body work of an ICE car. When the ID2 and Renault 5 are reportedly coming out at under 25K and do similar mileage, this astra is a bit of joke.
Exactly. They are already mass producing most of the car so where is the "economy of scale" ? The battery is small, so where is the saving there ? SMH.
It's basically the same car as the 308 but for more money. All PSA group cars use the same 50kw battery and the sweet spot for this segment might have needed an extra 10kw. For the corsa/208 is perfect though
Great review by Nicola. Aside from the price, the Astra has one other problem. It’s as ugly as sin. That black grille & badge stripe across the front. Somebody was on Meth on a Friday afternoon 😬
Not trying to be a fanboy or a white knight sort of person, but Nicola is easily the best car reviewer for the general population. She's what Mat Watson used to be before all the drag races etc. For more detaled reviews etc OSV and it's associated channels are the best, but for an enjoyable and good overview, Nicola is the best by far👍🏾
I think I’m hooked on that turn signal noise lol I also like how it looks :) Although I will say $51-$53k (rough “almost but not quite” conversion if they were available stateside) for something like that is too much.
I don't think you can convert the proce directly since there are probably a lot of purchase taxes in UK as in most parts of Europe. A Tesla Model 3 SR costs £42.990 so you can compare it to that But since the price is about the same I know which one I would prefer
The UK price includes sales tax at 20% … so a £40,000 car is £33,300 pre-tax, which is $43,175 at current exchange rates. Then in the US deduct state and federal subsidies (where applicable) and add local taxes.
@@MandyFlame hypothetically speaking, if it got the full $7500 tax credit (just an example), that would bring it down to the mid 30s pre tax which would be much more digestible. I forgot that VAT (or it’s automotive equivalent) is automatically calculated into the full price. Thanks :)
The only issue with this car is the laughable cost. Ok fine everyone does PCP these days (a massive factor that was mostly overlooked in this video because the deals on offer are much more competitive than list price) but still...it means noone can afford to buy it out at the end if they wanted too and depreciation will be huge. A shame as it looks outstanding and awesome to just have a proper family car not a crossover. I would say the petrol/hybrid model is a decent choice, but i guess that defeats the point. I will always choose a car for looks/style where possible, but not at 13k more than an MG4. Cant justify that.
I recently hired the same car but the petrol auto version with 8 speed dsg!!! it was a bit frantic on the mountain pass roads between Slovenia and Austria. The tech was very good though very similar to the Renault Megane ETech I drive each day.
I love her dislike of piano "gloss" black and appreciation of real/physical buttons. There is absolutely no reason other than cost cutting that HVAC controls should be anything other than three simple, physical dials. Too many reviewers seem to like being forced to use voice commands, capacitive touch screens, and fake buttons that require taking your attention off the road to use, which is baffling.
I suspect that just like the Corsa electric, give it twelve months, and they will be giving this car away at super discount prices particularly nearly new ones.
@@stevenjones916 Indeed... I'm getting at the fact that EV's were more rare and expensive back then. Now with the likes of the mentioned MG4 and others starting to finally changing the game, Vauxhall is really out of touch with what the regular folk this is squarely aimed at are willing to pay, now that more "affordable" (and I use the term loosely) EV's are slowly starting to appear.
Well done for pointing out the price discrepancy between this Vauxhall compared to the competition. However, perhaps you could have also pointed out that MG is a Chinese owned company with its vehicle production based in China and then told us about China's abysmal human rights record. For instance take a look at what China is currently doing in Tibet....you'll soon see what I mean. If something in this world seems cheap and too good to be true there's normally a reason.
I love you enthusiasm, and looikng for a Hot Hatch.. i don´t care about range. I just charge up the battery is down. But can afford a car that take 3.8sec. to 100km/t i mindblowing, that faster that my old dream cars Vector W8 . do hope that Xpower can fit tow Hook.
Love your energy. This new Astra appears to be "Optimus Past-its-Prime" compared with your previous Optimus Prime 😂😂As you say, nothing to get too excited about!
MG is owned by the Chinese state... They give away the cars at a discount to take over the whole market, the communist party has established this strategy. Everyone is ignorant of the dark secret behind MG. Vauxhall charges for what an electric car costs... MG doesn't... Because they are a political weapon... NOT... a normal company.
I really do think it's about time EV's were sold at a more normal price now. The Hyperinflation some companies still think they can charge is just greedy. The MG and most other Chinese rivals are soon going to dominate the UK car market as they see cheaper prices sell better.
Hire cars and company cars for mid-level executives - that’s the Astras target market and has been for at least 15 years now, so the list price really doesn’t matter as far as Vauxhall are concerned. Shame really, could have appealed to some families too
Nicola has proven to be a fantastic addition to the channel. Her reviews are excellent.
Yes she's quirky and great fun. Am I allowed to say that now?
Absolutely agree 👍
I used to rate Nicola's reviews on the channel she was with before. I was wondering where she'd gone.
I don't want an EV to go fast, just give us a good range at an affordable price.
So did I.
So I bought a used Hyundai Ioniq 28kWh. Getting around 6mi/kWh and 160 mile range at the moment.
Just get a normal MG4 then
How about in 2024 Byd Seagull,250 miles range, 5 door hatchback,for only $11,000 Euros that's affordable right?
@@magallon643 it's not for sale in the UK.
@@FFVoyager bummer
Wow. Ten grand too expensive to be competitive.
Vauxhalls have always been overpriced for what they are but 40k for that “meh”-mobile. What were they thinking?? Get a base model MG4 with £13k in change OR spend £42k and get a Polestar 2.
I'd spend the 42k on a Kia EV6 or ioniq 6 myself, but of course you're correct, and the base MG4 is a very good car
Fairly sure you can get the MG4 x power (435bhp) for 36k.
The petrol model is priced about the same as the Focus and looks a lot better. It's the Stellantis 50% EV charge so they can make massive profits on batteries.
@@badboy250984 You can, they mention that in the video but if you value range over speed and wanna save cash, long range MG4 is better.
@@sIightIybored I understand that they need to make money from the EV model and they have to price the car higher than the ICE or PHEV version but their starting price for the Astra is outrageous consider you touching the luxury brand territory. For the EV mode of the Astra, it makes zero sense to buy one for 40k.
I agree with your conclusion the price is over the top for a car with that battery size and power. The Kia Niro has a bigger battery more power and 7 year warranty for the same money or less spec dependent.
Don't get hung up on the size of the battery. You don't check the size of the petrol tank in an ICE. You check the fuel economy. This seems to be much better than the competitors in that area, meaning it doesn't need a battery as big as others.
It's too expensive though
1:56 4.8 at 70mph is really good! I usually manage around 4.6 in my Ioniq (38kWh) that’s one of the most efficient EVs of the past 5/6 years.
This is funny. While watching this, I was aware that I had test driven the MG4 X-Power a few days ago, and I was thinking the MG4 blows this out of the water in every single metric: Space, equipment, looks (subjective) , incredible performance , battery size and range AND PRICE!! Not everyone wants or needs a car as big as the Tesla or a SUV. Why would anyone choose the Vauxhall? A simply unbelievable price. Being set up to fail! It is good the video ended with that precise comparison.
Brand loyalty.
Yeah me too! The MG is a great car, superior in every way and massively cheaper. The X-Power was a bit mad for me tbh but great fun - I’m waiting for the bigger battery version.
MG4 is a chinese SAIC produced car. And according to a year long EU investigation chinese EV manufacturers are subsidised by communist party of china at each and every level from lithium extraction, through battery cells production, pack production all the way to the final car assembly. So - secret of "MG4 blowing everything away price" is communist china subsidies aimed at destroying european car industry and taking markets for themselves. They're just sekling them below costs. That's why they'll have nearly 50% import tarrifs imposed by EU starting from 1.11.2024.
For me at £40k Stellantis should be putting a battery that can do 350miles range at least in this (and the e308). A buyer has compromised on cabin space, but that miles/kwh figure would make it a high mileage drivers dream. The estate version would be a company car drivers dream… Stellantis have cocked this up in my opinion…
Nobody needs a '350' mile range though. Batteries cost and weigh a lot, carrying them costs energy, the energy lost from dragging around a huge battery pack is a law of diminishing returns. Smaller capacity makes a lighter battery pack. Fast charging (with appropriate cooling) should cost less to make and use.
@@FFVoyager I’d rather have a 350 mile wltp range for the days I do 260-300 mile round trips where I can charge at home for 10p per kWh than having to rely on public chargers that are a lot more expensive. So not everyone needs that range, but some drivers do. Just because you may not need it doesn’t mean that applies to everyone. At £40k drivers like me are going to be looking at other cars that can do over 300 miles, but it’s a shame as I don’t necessarily want an suv or crossover, so the 308sw was something I was genuinely considering, but not anymore
The Astra petrol is priced very well. Stellantis takes reasonably priced petrol models adds a few thousand £/€/$ in batteries then adds 50% to the price of the car. There's a reason private car EV sales have flatlined at 6%.
@@gregcooper2719 I'm sure YOU would. Some others seem to want to tow a caravan to Scotland from the south coast every week - but potential customers are already (rightly) complaining about the cost of the car! Adding huge batteries to a vehicle that very few people will ever drive 350 miles in one hit isn't really sensible. Making an efficient vehicle that charges fast would be a more affordable and accessible solution.
@@sIightIybored really? An Astra in mid-range spec is £29,855!
Price has killed its chances before it started
Why? Care to explain?
@@MrAndreCoutinhoStarting its base price at 40k. Much faster, more range available for a lot less money with its rivals.
Agreed, why would anyone have this over a longer ranged, easier to charge Tesla 3. Or a top of the range fully loaded megane EV, kia Niro 4 ev, new hyundai kona ev, ionic 5, i just dont get it
@@mejay01Tesla M3 all day long for most people
Not necessarily. Fewer people fork out in full for new cars to day. Most are acquired on personal leases or via PCP agreements. You have no depreciation worries with those.
Will it’s secondhand value drop like a stone, just like the Corsa E?
Yep i guess by christmas you can get one with decent mile for 30k£
A £29k car at RRP of £40k. Sales will be impacted.
The basic problem/issue here, is that the new Astra isn't a "ground up" electric car. It's a " we sell 'em with an engine or as as an EV" car...... And as a result, there are compromises.....
Absolutely, when ground up rwd EVs are available at the same or lower price
there isn’t anything wrong with a ‘converted ICE’ if designed from the start to be flexible. The original Kona/e-niro was an ICE platform and they were hugely popular and efficient. This seems like a decent small family car - good efficiency etc. Its just too expensive
If a car is comprised of thousands of parts and all but a few are the same as an ICE, why not share a platform, making production easier and cheaper. The ICE has been getting incrementally better for almost a century (the Model T was the first auto to function like a modern car in many respects). They just work. Why throw away all that knowledge? When you do that you end up with problems like flush door handles and charge ports that don't open in winter and dumb decisions like CUVs without basic stuff such as rear wipers or glove boxes and designs that annihilate cargo space to add a fraction to range, like in the Ioniq6.
@@MrKlawUK The thing is that Opel/Vauxhall form part of the Stellantis group and on the same platform sell the Peugeot e208 and e2008, the Opel Corsa, the Citroen eC4 and DS eTense as well as the Jeep Avenger. You would think that with so many models with a shared platform it would be worth their while to do one dedicated EV platform (similar to what VW did with the ID 3, ID 4, Audi Q4 and other models.
@@ewadgeWent well for VAG, massive reduction in sales now - possibly should have concentrated on getting the software right as well!
Nailed it. Chines manufacturing, ie MG, and Tesla's lead and economies of scale, are making it very very hard for ANYONE else to compete.
Spot on from Nicola, nice car, £10k too expensive for what it is. It’s on a shared ICE platform, it should be cheap. Stellantis have lost the plot
The Citroen EC-4 is a nicer car on the same platform and is £32k
Exactly! This platform is used across several brands, cars within each brand and drivetrains. Economies of scale would mean lower cost. How tf is it still so expensive then?!
@@TTThedarkknight the Citroën E-C4 is a nicer car on the same platform and is £32k. Vauxhall are crazy
That Astra is £10k overpriced. The strategy of selling less cars for more money is unlikely to work going forward
So like every European car…
Doesn’t look good for the future of Stellantis… but you have to understand that they have the most expensive CEO in the automobile industry … 😉
😂 He has to manage a lot of brands...
I’d much rather have the MG4 XPOWER for less money. What are Vauxhall thinking?!
Sleep walking into disaster.
Pay something to the workers, unlike MG4 manufacturer…
Why didnt anyone at Vauxhall just google search the prices of other EVs before they announced this car?
They did not manage to put all German car workers to out of job and did not transfer all production to China to make it cheaper…
It will hapen eventually, unles EU will put 100% tax to every car from China… That is the most likely thing to happen…
Because a list price is just the price to indicate what car Vauxhall wants to be compared to. The discounting is always heavy on Vauxhalls.
What were Vauxhall smoking with that price point lol.
That a great review, full of opinions based on the driving experience. In the years it took for stellantis to bring out an electric Astra, why didn't they conclude that the Astra is expensive for what it is? This is an open goal for MG and BYD. It sounds like the long awaited astra estate will be priced closer to the porsche taycan cross turismo than the MG 5. If you really want one, it's probably wise to site on your hands and wait for them to be disconnected. For my money, the Chinese cars with room in the back for humans seem to fit the bill. Once the Chinese have copied the Astra buttons, I am not sure it will have a USP.
My guess is that Stellantis don't have enough batteries to make enough cars if they drop the price.
@@FFVoyager Nah its more like even at this price they barely make any money on it.
@@danielstefanovic2604 I'm sure the margins are tight.
@@FFVoyager Yep stellantis should have been forward thinking and by now having a factory in china that builds theyre cars cheaper then ship to europe, also they should make a deal with byd or catl to get cheaper lfp batteries instead,
I went to a local dealer to inquire about the Peugeot e308 and was told that it would cost €50,000. Even the salesman could barely keep a straight face.
Over 12 month waiting list for Vaux now, lots of dealers pulling out of all models and dumping them.
It’s a good looking car but seriously expensive. It is a shame that the big manufacturers are charging (no pun intended) so much when there are other makers out there that give better performance and range.
My question is Nicola, which one (the MG or Astra) would you choose to rent?
The headline price is too much, there's no getting away from that, but... Vauxhall give great discounts. When we looked at the Corsa last year we dropped the price by a quarter (roughly). And then you pop around to Peugeot and Citroën and Renault and challenge them to match the offer!
Legacy auto are in real trouble. Their cost base is far higher than dedicated EV Co’s like MG or Tesla & unless they radically rethink their offer their inexorable decline will accelerate. The Astra is a good case in point. Expect to see some mega mergers in the coming years.
Stellantis is a mega merger though, FCA and PSA. I agree with you though, they need to change their plans or the Chinese will decimate them, Hyundai/Kia at least make a fantastic car despite being expensive, I can't understand why anyone would choose this over the Korean offerings, or mg4 or byd in the lower price class
@@alexanderstefanov6474 Completely agree. The Stellantis formation is just the start of the consolidation of the legacy brands. I can see VAG, who are in deep trouble merging with another, perhaps BMW or Mercedes. Their debt levels are horrific. Ford & GM are both toast and as for the Japanese, I dont even think they want to realise the trouble they're in. As for JLR & Polestar, their volumes are almost irrelevant. You're right about Hyundai/Kia, they do seem an outlier in the legacy world, but they too have horrific levels of debt. The next 5 years will see radical transformation in the legacy sector, all whilst the Chinese and Tesla clean up.
@@petehampton6051 it'll be interesting to see what happens with the Japanese manufacturers. Subaru might go majority to Toyota, they already own dihatsu. Mitsubishi is Renault Nissan already. Maybe honda and Mazda will merge, they have compatible client bases.
MG isn’t a dedicated EV Co’.
@@bordersw1239 the MG4 is a dedicated EV platform though, and RWD
40k for a Hire Car Astra. Plenty of more premium brands to choose in that price range 😢. I'd be interested in the residual value after a year. Only then would it be worth considering if you wanted a used "Hire Car" Vauxhall Astra.
Nicola, we need a video telling us what is the best car to replace the faithful fiesta owners who are now faced with the dilemma of having to buy something else, thanks 😮
Hyundai i20.
I think the astra is very good looking compared to the other competitors. The standard petrol is also competitively priced.
Great review - In my opinion, Nicola is one of the best automotive journalists there is, engaging, informative, and most importantly her reviews are not formulaic.
Her reviews are always so enjoyable
I'd say so long as it can pull away fast enough when you need to, I wouldn't worry so much about the numbers. However, the price numbers are more concerning. I'd definitely take an MG4 over this any day. Did Vauxhall even look at the competition?
the competition is so far ahead they can't even see it. 🙃
It is possible that German auto workers get a tinyt bit better salary than their coworkers in China… That is the difference. First all electronic production… TV, phones etc did go to china… Now cars are moving to China also.
Interesting to see what production remain in europe?
1 million dollars/ euros luxury cars like Ferrari and similar and… well that is that….
The Astra is by faaaaar the best looking car in it's class, like you say it's just such a shame about the price! I'd take the MG4 any day on price alone
don't agree, it's gross.
Best looking? No. It's not bad looking but it's just very ordinary.
The MG is a Chinese car. The CEO of Stellantis, which owns Vauxhall, and owns factories in Europe and China, said recently that it costs 30% more to make a car in Europe than in China. I suppose that means we'll soon be reliant on China for cars, like we are for everything else. I believe right-hand drive Tesla Y's are also made in China (not sure). It could be that, when most cars are electric, only luxury cars will be made in Europe.
Vauxhall but it's Left-hand drive with Gernam registration plate... I'm confused.. Is it just an Opel that they just put an Vauxhall logo cause it's supposed to be for Brits?
Stellantis can’t make money selling them for less. European carmakers cannot currently compete on price with Chinese or Tesla. But price is on everything for some buyers. MG4 certainly looks the better buy with a hatch, Tesla Model 3 with a boot (but firm ride).
I just DON'T the CRAZY price?? If they just copied VW with the ID3 as a bench mark.... Then I get it.... but the ID3 isn't selling!!!! Then look IN HOUSE at Stellantis... The Citroën E-C4 is miles cheaper for EXACTLY the same battery & motor, but with comfortable seats!! I totally agree, that the base Astra is way over priced, by at least £6,000 if not £8,000
Will hopefully be a rare sight on our roads - and deservedly so. Is the e308 similarly "meh"?
Nicola, love your presenting style! Great
I loved the bit about the 'comfortable seats', LOL. Great review, thanks.
Seats in Opels… They have allways been hard…
I always liked that for some reason😅@@haukikannel
Nobody delivers like Nicola. Nice & Fine are my current favourite words. Bravo 🎉
I would have the MG4 over the Astra at the moment, but kudos to both manufacturers for not being sucked into the SUV train with these models. However, when did we start thinking 9.5 seconds to 60 was slow? Why are we focusing on supercar performance for family cars. Yes, it's a giggle, but is it necessary? There was a time when neck snappingly fast performance was all I'd focus on, but now I'd take range and charging performance over a 0-60 under six seconds claim.
Hmm also - if you do that sort of acceleration continually what does it do to the range - the 9.5 seconds for the astra is probably to keep the range up by keeping the acceleration speed down?? maybe I am not an expert on these things!
It is a pity this didn’t work out. I was really looking forward to a normal hatchback/estate EV with legacy manufacturer quality and dealer network at a decent price. Looks like we’ll be waiting a while longer.
Looking at the depreciation of EVs, in a couple of years you could probably pick up a good used example of this car for half the the price new or less. Even then you will have the problem that it is not as well specced as competing models.
i love this review, she says it in a way the average person would. no denying its strking car but peoplle never forked out 40k for an average car 5 years ago. She has a style unmatched for the journalistic reviews and well done
Given the current high depreciation of EVs it will be a £30k car when it's six months old. Already possible to get Mégane ETechs for sub £30k at that age
The UK spec Mégane e-tech is only available with the small central screen for some reason and the rear legroom is terrible.
If it’s like the Nissan Leaf, this will lose half its value in two years. Absolutely not worth it
Love Nichola's reviews. Down to earth and tells us what we want to hear about what the car is like to drive, how comfortable it is, the ease of operation of the controls etc. As for the price of the Astra, Nicola is right in that the Chinese cars are a serious rival to European cars now, particularly on price. European car manufacturers need to get real on their pricing as EV's are too expensive.
I get the feeling that the electric drive train on the e-EMPv3 cars is really the v2 of the e-CMP (Cross, Mokka, 208, 2008, etc) just incorporated here to provide and electric option. The real mid-sized offering from Stellantis will be the STLA-med. The issue that the Astra turned over at the wrong point in the development process.
I cant see why anyone would buy this for that price. I mean a nissan leaf is roughly the same, (quicker, but slower charging) and that starts at £28k. This will be on sale at £35k very soon.
Great review! Like this new girl on this channel!🌹👍 MG xpower is a bargain💥
Great video, just drove one, everything said was correct.
A nice car but apart from the smallish battery, that price is awful! Not forgetting, of course, there'll be a lot more tax to pay once you spec it over 40k as well!
She did not change the oil on her old astra. Which blew up the turbo
A few short years ago a "dirty diesel " was the must have vehicle
As someone who drives an e208 which has a list price of £35k (ridiculous but a company car so I don’t pay that), I have no idea why anyone would privately buy any Stellantis EV new, especially this Astra.
Cannot believe this will sell unless they give huge discounts to fleets - it’s dead in the water to private buyers.
But what will it cost to insure vs the Tesla and MG?
It’s a hire car..someone in Vauxhall’s marketing dept just jumped out of a third story window 😅
I totally understand the frustrated headline now. It looks great (or at least average, which nowadays makes it pretty great), until you see what you can get for less! For me, the electric revolution has brought one thing back to the masses that the Vauxhall and other multi-fuel platform cars don't have - rear wheel drive! When I trade in my Kia Soul EV, I'm going for a VW ID3 or Cupra Born.
Wonder when the point will come that first time drivers will never afford to drive, once ICE based cars become 'classic', and electric cars effectively become either obsolete (unsupported due battery degradation or major electronic failure) and scrapped before they reach say 500 or 1000 pound mark or the car gets scrapped due minor crash but battery safety can't be ensured? Plus, first time driver would look at say 55 or 80 bhp...now equivalent Astra is 150bhp? Just a thought.
I don't know why, but your body shakes a lot as well while you're driving. Again, could it be the hard seats?
I really enjoy your style👍
I get the idea that instead of flowers you offer Nicola a usb thumbstick with a few nice indicator sounds on the first date.
Please let the indicator sound become a bit on your videos xD
I can't see how these compromised EVs built on hybrid platforms can compete with rwd true EVs like the the iD3, EV6 or mg4, especially considering the latters lower price and better specification and packaging. The other big problem this astra had is it's Citroen eC4 sister car, which is the same in many ways but better in others, especially ride quality
£40K!!!!! That's ridiculous for a Vauxhall with the same body work of an ICE car. When the ID2 and Renault 5 are reportedly coming out at under 25K and do similar mileage, this astra is a bit of joke.
Exactly. They are already mass producing most of the car so where is the "economy of scale" ? The battery is small, so where is the saving there ? SMH.
Brand new Tesla available in the inventory section brand new to collect immediately is £40,470. Vauxhall messed up with the pricing.
I switched off when you got excited about the indicator noise. Seriously, if that's it for excitement, then the car is dull as dishwater.
It's basically the same car as the 308 but for more money. All PSA group cars use the same 50kw battery and the sweet spot for this segment might have needed an extra 10kw. For the corsa/208 is perfect though
I can't understand the Corse-E being one of the biggest selling electric cars in UK.... As it is SO expensive!
Great review by Nicola.
Aside from the price, the Astra has one other problem. It’s as ugly as sin. That black grille & badge stripe across the front. Somebody was on Meth on a Friday afternoon 😬
Not trying to be a fanboy or a white knight sort of person, but Nicola is easily the best car reviewer for the general population. She's what Mat Watson used to be before all the drag races etc. For more detaled reviews etc OSV and it's associated channels are the best, but for an enjoyable and good overview, Nicola is the best by far👍🏾
It’s only Vauxhall in the UK, Opel here in Ireland and the rest of Europe.
So, Vauxhall couldn't afford to supply the UK review market with a RHD ?
Yet MG managed to supply one.
I'd say that Astra is about £20,000 over priced. Over 40 grand is madness.
The way EV prices are falling lately, I’m sure this new Astra will be down to about £16k by next summer…and still no one will buy them.
Great entertaining review
Tell me more love about other electric Estate other than Opel Astra please.......
I think I’m hooked on that turn signal noise lol I also like how it looks :) Although I will say $51-$53k (rough “almost but not quite” conversion if they were available stateside) for something like that is too much.
I don't think you can convert the proce directly since there are probably a lot of purchase taxes in UK as in most parts of Europe.
A Tesla Model 3 SR costs £42.990 so you can compare it to that
But since the price is about the same I know which one I would prefer
The UK price includes sales tax at 20% … so a £40,000 car is £33,300 pre-tax, which is $43,175 at current exchange rates. Then in the US deduct state and federal subsidies (where applicable) and add local taxes.
@@MandyFlame hypothetically speaking, if it got the full $7500 tax credit (just an example), that would bring it down to the mid 30s pre tax which would be much more digestible. I forgot that VAT (or it’s automotive equivalent) is automatically calculated into the full price. Thanks :)
Love the humour as always Nicola :) this is overpriced pitching itself against a Tesla model 3 won’t help
The only issue with this car is the laughable cost. Ok fine everyone does PCP these days (a massive factor that was mostly overlooked in this video because the deals on offer are much more competitive than list price) but still...it means noone can afford to buy it out at the end if they wanted too and depreciation will be huge. A shame as it looks outstanding and awesome to just have a proper family car not a crossover. I would say the petrol/hybrid model is a decent choice, but i guess that defeats the point. I will always choose a car for looks/style where possible, but not at 13k more than an MG4. Cant justify that.
I recently hired the same car but the petrol auto version with 8 speed dsg!!! it was a bit frantic on the mountain pass roads between Slovenia and Austria. The tech was very good though very similar to the Renault Megane ETech I drive each day.
Very efficient, shame about the price.
40k for an Astra 😂😂😂. You don’t need to say anymore. No thanks
I love her dislike of piano "gloss" black and appreciation of real/physical buttons. There is absolutely no reason other than cost cutting that HVAC controls should be anything other than three simple, physical dials. Too many reviewers seem to like being forced to use voice commands, capacitive touch screens, and fake buttons that require taking your attention off the road to use, which is baffling.
Yay a Nicola video!
I suspect that just like the Corsa electric, give it twelve months, and they will be giving this car away at super discount prices particularly nearly new ones.
Drive this out of the dealer and it will instantly vaporise £10k.
@@sIightIyboredit is called vat.
Looks like a good EV, shame they priced it in 2010.
2010 ? I wouldn't pay that much for an Astra in 2040 !!!
@@stevenjones916 Indeed... I'm getting at the fact that EV's were more rare and expensive back then. Now with the likes of the mentioned MG4 and others starting to finally changing the game, Vauxhall is really out of touch with what the regular folk this is squarely aimed at are willing to pay, now that more "affordable" (and I use the term loosely) EV's are slowly starting to appear.
Well done for pointing out the price discrepancy between this Vauxhall compared to the competition. However, perhaps you could have also pointed out that MG is a Chinese owned company with its vehicle production based in China and then told us about China's abysmal human rights record. For instance take a look at what China is currently doing in Tibet....you'll soon see what I mean.
If something in this world seems cheap and too good to be true there's normally a reason.
I love you enthusiasm, and looikng for a Hot Hatch.. i don´t care about range. I just charge up the battery is down. But can afford a car that take 3.8sec. to 100km/t i mindblowing, that faster that my old dream cars Vector W8 . do hope that Xpower can fit tow Hook.
Unless it's got an LFP battery: Can you limit the charging to 80%?
All manufacturers restrict the usable charging range so why would you need to?
Pass im waiting for the e-3008 or the vauxhal/opel brother instead, it will have atleast good range og option for 4x4
is that a new version as e-3008 owner I met at a charger was only getting 135 miles of range when on motorways!🙄
@@markreed9853 thats the e-2008, the 3008 doesnt exist as pure ev.
The e-2008 has specs as this astra
The Astra is not Chinese like the base M3 and MG's. And offers one of few electric stationwagons
The Astra biggest problem........every other car.
Love your energy. This new Astra appears to be "Optimus Past-its-Prime" compared with your previous Optimus Prime 😂😂As you say, nothing to get too excited about!
👏👏👏👏👏😂
Just compare the Astra to the entry level MG4 on a dedicated platform for around £27k and you'd be crazy to buy the Astra
MG is owned by the Chinese state... They give away the cars at a discount to take over the whole market, the communist party has established this strategy. Everyone is ignorant of the dark secret behind MG.
Vauxhall charges for what an electric car costs... MG doesn't... Because they are a political weapon... NOT... a normal company.
Stelantis electrified products at the moment are way to expensive for what they are. A fully loaded hybrid Peugeot 308 is nearly 50 thousand pounds
You almost loved the Honda E. You almost loved the Astra. Surely your luck will change. I love Sugar Puffs. My life is so simple.
@Electrifyingcom, can we have an end of year special episode "Nicola's Top Ten Satisfying Indicator Sounds"?
😂
We’re on it!
I really do think it's about time EV's were sold at a more normal price now. The Hyperinflation some companies still think they can charge is just greedy. The MG and most other Chinese rivals are soon going to dominate the UK car market as they see cheaper prices sell better.
The turn signal sound is the same as the beginning of a Pink Floyd track
Doesn’t do enough v rivals, as you say! I certainly wouldn’t buy this over MG4 or Kia Niro.
Enterprise will like it though 😉
Hire cars and company cars for mid-level executives - that’s the Astras target market and has been for at least 15 years now, so the list price really doesn’t matter as far as Vauxhall are concerned.
Shame really, could have appealed to some families too