With convincing acceleration and power right through all the gears the five-door Astra  170 hp 2.0 Turbo sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds and has a top speed of 135 mph.

The 2.0 engine is combined with the new six-speed manual-shift gearbox, but the gear ratios have a wider spread than standard. This  means that sixth gear is designed for a lower engine speed and fuel economy, and top speed is reached in fifth gear.


High-tech and high performance - the diesel choices for new Astra

With more and more buyers turning to diesel as their preferred fuel, Vauxhall is offering customers three state-of-the-art, turbocharged,  common rail direct-injection engines from the ECOTEC range, all of which comply with Euro 4 exhaust emission standards.

The entry-level 1.7 litre turbodiesel engine offers 80 hp and a maximum torque of 125 lb ft. It is the same engine that appeared in the  current Astra in the first quarter of 2003, marking a milestone as the first diesel engine in a production model anywhere in the world  with Euro 4 certification. In the new Astra the engine has a top speed of 104 mph, a 0-60 mph time of 14.0 seconds and a fuel  consumption rate of just 57.6 mpg.

The technical highlights of the ECOTEC four-valve turbodiesel include second generation common rail direct injection. With high  injection pressure, it has close control of the individual injection processes and highly effective fuel dispersion. This helps to reduce  the engine's exhaust-emissions and improve its responsiveness and acoustics.

In addition, the engine has a range of technical refinements which support Vauxhall's aim to be among the leading manufacturers of  diesel engine passenger cars in the future, including pneumatically controlled swirl flap valves in the intake manifold and precise  control of the water-cooled exhaust-gas recirculation system.

New to Vauxhall Astra is the more powerful version of the 1.7 CDTi engine. Thanks to a turbocharger with variable turbine blades, this  unit produces 100 hp and delivers a maximum 177 lb ft of torque to the crankshaft. The top speed of this powerful Astra 1.7 CDTi  model, which has a five-speed manual-shift gearbox, is 112 mph, but it has a modest fuel consumption of only 56.5 mpg. 60 mph is  reached in 11.3 seconds from standstill.


Inspired performance: all new 1.9 turbodiesel impresses all round

At the top of the diesel engine range are the all-new 1.9 CDTi ECOTECs. Boasting power outputs of 120 hp or 150 hp and 206 lb ft or  232 lb ft of maximum torque, the 1.9 is seriously impressive. Not only is it the ultimate diesel in terms of performance and power,  these figures also put the new Vauxhall Astra at the top of its segment in terms of acceleration.

Its performance on the road is equally inspiring. Equipped with the latest six-speed manual gearbox, the Astra 1.9 CDTi has a top  speed of 118 mph and a 0-60 mph dash of 10.1 secs in 120 PS form and 130 mph a 0-60 mph time of 8.6 seconds in 150 PS form -  half a second faster than the Golf 1.9 GT TDI (130 hp) and almost a whole second ahead of the Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec TDCi (115 hp).  Speed aside, the engine is also notable when it comes to fuel consumption as it registers only 50.4 mpg on the combined cycle.

previous page | go to page 12