For Rear spoiler; front, side and curtain airbags; ESP with traction control; air-con; sports front seats; aluminium pedals; sport suspension; top-notch fit and finish; nimble handling
Against Limited rear visibility; cabin could be more spacious; less legroom than competitors; steering is precise but without much feedback; residual values not on par with rivals’
Decent built quality and impressive on-road manners have made the Astra a desirable car, and this willing and flexible engine is one of the best in the range
Of the four bodies in the Astra range, the three-door Sport Hatch is - naturally - the sporty option.
Effectively, it’s a three-door version of the regular five-door, but there are sufficient differences that it deserves its own name.
To go with the sportier styling is a more sporty drive (plus tighter accommodation and worse rear visibility), while the Sport Hatch also does without some of the more basic trims.
That means the Sport Hatch range starts at a higher price, but if you compare like for like, the two models cost the same.
The most major difference is that, in keeping with its sporty ethos, the Sport Hatch range is topped by the screaming 236bhp VXR hot hatch, which isn’t available in the five-door.
Other than that, the engine options are pretty much the same and, as in the five-door, our favourite model has the 1.6 16v petrol engine.
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