Astra gets under 110g/km

Date: 29 January 2010   |   Author: Martin Gurdon

Vauxhall has launched Ecoflex-badged, diesel Astra which emit under 110g/km of CO2.

Costing between £17,920 and £20,320 depending on trim, the five-speed, 1.3-litre cars fill an import gap in the latest Astra's line-up, with figures including a combined 67.3 mpg and emissions of 109g/CO2 per kilometre. The fuel figure is 12.1mpg better than the existing 1.7CDTi Astra diesel, and the Ecoflex model will slot into the 13% BIK band and sits below the 110g/km capital allowance point crucial to fleets buying outright.

The car's efficiency improvements have been made with a mix of taller gearing, revised engine mapping, aerodynamic changes to its under-body, and an engine bay air flow shut off device.

Aimed squarely at business car drivers, the Ecoflex, Astra gives Vauxhall a rival to low emission versions of models like the Ford Focus Econetic and VW Golf Bluemotion, though both of those two can reach as low as 99g/km.

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