Fancy going electric but not sure about making the leap? Our new Astra PHEV could provide a valuable stepping stone. Tester Nat Barnes reports back.

List price (BiK): £40,845 (12%) CO2: 24g/km MPG/ EV range: 256mpg / 42 miles

Our Astra PHEV family hatch certainly has the standout factor

Report 1:

Not so many years ago, it would have been hard to over-estimate the significance of this new Vauxhall Astra Plug-in Hybrid to the new car market.

Like the Focus and Golf, the Astra was such a huge player in the car market that they would soon be commonplace on every street and car park. Except that I’ve been driving this new Astra long-termer for two weeks and have seen less than a handful of others on the road – something that would have been utterly inconceivable until the rise of crossovers to British roads.

And that, ironically, seems to me an even better reason to be driving one. Plus, I’m the perfect candidate having just stepped out of our Ford Kuga long-termer, the kind of family car that the Astra needs to convince drivers out from.

Certainly, the numbers stack up. A 1.6-litre turbo petrol linked to a 12.4kWh battery giving it 180bhp, 24g/km emissions and, on paper at least, a 42-mile electric range – more on which in a moment.

Those stats are backed up with looks too and I love the design of the new Astra, especially in the optional metallic Electric Yellow of my test car – it certainly makes it easy to spot and find in busy car parks.

Except that my first impression wasn’t positive. And the reason, ironically, had nothing to do with me or even the car, but clearly the previous incumbent who must have had a right foot like an anvil. The reason was that despite a fully charged battery, the electric range was showing as just 19 miles. That’s not just not in the same postcode as the claimed 42 miles, that’s not even in the same country.

While I’m not naïve enough to think that I’ll be able to match that EAER 42-mile figure, I wasn’t too impressed with a figure less than half that. An explanation from Vauxhall however said that the trip computer learned from the previous usage and it would soon correct itself to a higher number. And, lo and behold, they were right. With every new charge, the range has steadily grown and I’m currently (pardon the pun) at 31 miles. Let’s hope it keeps growing.