David Roy writes that even though this practical family trailer seems to have become an endangered "species" in the SUV era, we are still big fans of the decent station wagons in Drive Towers.

Happily, Vauxhall’s new Astra Sports Tourer looks like it will provide anyone on the market with a very attractive small wagon option.

The 2021 Astra Sports Tourer is currently the only long roof product of the Luton brand, because it decided to quietly phase out the larger Insignia Sports Tourer at the end of 2019 due to the decline in sales in the UK market.

The 2022 Astra Sports Tourer will be ordered early next year, marking a major improvement of the model. It follows the heel of the new Astra hatchback and uses the eye-catching Chevrolet Camaro-style "Vauxhall Vizor" front end processing that combines the latest series of Griffin logo motors.

Crucially, the Sports Tourer also looks good from the back, it is more stylish to the back end of the Volkswagen Golf Estate, it will compete with it, and is definitely better than the insect-like back end of the outgoing Vauxhall model Take it to the next level.

The new Sports Tourer will also be the company’s first electric wagon in history, using plug-in hybrid technology for the first time, generating up to 222bhp of total power through Vauxhall’s eight-speed automatic transmission, while gasoline and diesel engines provide Provide a series of output power from 108bhp to 128bhp, with a six-speed gearbox.

Although Vauxhall has announced the all-electric version of the new Astra hatchback Astra-e in 2023, there is currently no information on whether the manor version will receive similar treatment.

In terms of dimensions, it is 4,642 mm long, 1,860 mm wide, 1,480 mm high, and has a loading height of 600 mm. The Sports Tourer has a wheelbase of 2,732 mm, which is 57 mm longer than the latest Astra hatchback.

The length of the Sports Tourer is actually slightly smaller than the upcoming model — a full 60 mm, in fact — thanks to the shorter front overhang, but the petrol and diesel versions have slightly more rear space and room for seats. Compared with the 1,600 liters of the old car, it is 1,634 liters and is folded flat. And the seat can indeed fold and lay flat (a “must have” function for any serious station wagon), providing a 40:20:40 split for various load/passenger configurations. The latest Astra Manor’s new plug-in hybrid model has lost 60 liters of luggage space on the under-floor lithium-ion battery, and those who wish to take advantage of the extra PHEV power cannot use the optional “Intelli-Space” adjustable rear The load-bearing floor can be set to high, low and 45-degree inclined positions.

Vauxhall keenly pointed out that, unlike its competitors, when the movable floor is in its upper and lower positions, the Sports Tourer's retractable trunk lid can be stowed. Tire repairs and first aid kits are also stored in the under-floor compartment, which can be accessed from the luggage compartment or the rear passenger area without unloading the vehicle.

The interior of the new-generation Sports Tourer has also been renewed. Vauxhall’s all-digital pure panel human-machine interface (HMI) provides driver information and entertainment through a 10-inch dashboard and 10-inch digital touch screen, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Standard installation on all models. Vauxhall obviously learned from Volkswagen’s mistakes, ensuring that key controls such as heating and ventilation settings can be adjusted via physical switches for easy access on the go.

Thanks to Astra Sports Tourer's AGR certification (as in Aktion Gesunder Rücken eV, which aims to create a healthier back) front seats, you will also stay comfortable on board. Internally developed, these are super-ergonomic matters, and Vauxhall claims that this will make Astra the best of its kind in terms of long-distance travel comfort.

We look forward to testing this next year: the pricing and specifications of the new Astra Sports Tourer will be announced on the launch day, and the first customers are expected to be delivered in the early summer of 2022.

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