► Living with a hot-ish hybrid Astra GSe
► Jake’s losing his rag with the auto ‘box
► Read month 5 here
A pox on those at Stellantis who programmed the Astra GSe’s gearbox. I hope they forever have a stone in their shoe, or get caught out in the rain without a coat or umbrella.
Want to overtake? You’d better file a form with the gearbox council – in triplicate – and be prepared to wait a very, very long time for anything to happen.
Want to come to a complete stop? Brace for what feels like being gently rear-ended by the car behind.
Plug-in hybrids are complicated – I get that – but surely there’s a smarter and smoother option than this. To the point I’m wondering if a whining, mooing CVT would be preferable – that’s how irritated I am by this gearbox.
I hope the Stellantis group’s new dual-clutch transmission for mild hybrids is better, because it will be deployed on a great many cars in the years to come.
Read month 5
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Read month 3
Read month 2
Read month 1
Logbook: Vauxhall Astra GSe
Price £43,250 (£43,750 as tested)
Performance 12.4kWh battery plus 1598cc four-cylinder, PHEV, 222bhp, 7.7sec 0-62mph, 146mph
Efficiency 256.0mpg (official), 40.0mpg (tested), 25g/km CO2
Energy cost 19.3p per mile
Miles this month 688
Total miles 9225