Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer GSE - long-term review

Here is a story about a grey, hybrid Vauxhall estate, made by a company that’s shutting up shop in the town it’s most associated with. Vauxhall Motors began trading in Luton back in 1905 - check out some of the archive pics in the gallery above - and now, after 120 years, has announced the closure of the remaining Bedfordshire plant where it makes vans.

Look, here it is.

Sad times. Vauxhall’s steadily been closing off its Luton sites for a while now, like this one that used to be its main factory but is now a set of apartments, all named after Vauxhall models, like this one named after your correspondent's first car.

Or this one that used to be its parts warehouse, where your correspondent once toiled over the summers.

Or this one that used to be its Luton headquarters, where your correspondent once did work experience.

A reminder that all endeavour is ephemeral, but also a reminder that making cars (and vans) in a rapidly changing world is tricky and unpredictable. A bit like this GSE wagon’s brakes, which over the course of our six-month custody, remained consistently… inconsistent.

And while Vauxhall’s Luton presence was once a powerhouse, the same can’t be said of this Astra GSE, because it never really felt all that… powerful.

GSE – short for ‘Grand Sport Electric’ – is Vauxhall’s new-era performance badge, taking over from beardy wonders like GTE and SRI and GSI and VXR. Sounds like it belongs, but those cars had a distinct offering – they were a bit mad. This one definitely isn’t.

It’s definitely sensible, and very definitely annoying. For a performance estate, the powertrain remained unconvincing: a plug-in hybrid setup that matched a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine to a battery and electric motor. The electric bit was good, but we never gelled with that engine and gearbox combo. Often, the engine and gearbox never gelled with itself, either.

And while it handled decently, utilising its fancy dampers and sportier chassis to good effect, nothing ever really sparkled. And while it looked handsome on the outside, on the inside its user interface was a bit glitchy. Comfortable seats. Cramped rear bench.

There are cheaper Astra wagons on offer, and there’ll be an electric one too. What this GSE needs is a large dose of what made the old VXR so endearing: lunacy. A properly sorted engine and sharp-witted ‘box would make a world of difference. As would a more performance-orientated interior. A racier exterior. A distinct personality.

Until that happens, it’ll remain a… grey, hybrid estate made by a company that’s shutting up shop in the town it’s most associated with.