Based on the latest Astra estate chassis, the Astravan will once again be built in the UK at the firm’s Ellesmere Port factory in Cheshire.
Three diesel engines will be offered, alongside a single petrol motor. A 1.9-litre CDTi will top the range, offering 120bhp, although this is only expected to account for around 15% of sales.
More popular will be a 100bhp 1.7 CDTi, taking around 20% of sales. However, Vauxhall believes the lion’s share of orders, as much as 60% of sales, will be for the 90bhp model, now using the firm’s 1.3-litre CDTi engine.
It is thought that most of the vans ordered with the 1.4-litre, 90bhp petrol engine will be converted to LPG.
These versions can be ordered through Vauxhall dealers but will be converted externally by an approved converter and will benefit from the normal Vauxhall warranty.
All vans will come with a six-speed manual gearbox, though the 1.9-litre engine has the option of a six-speed automatic box. Two trim levels will be available, Club and Sportive. Vauxhall believes as many as 25% of Astravans will be ordered with the higher Sportive specification, which includes air conditioning as standard.
The van benefits from a 32mm wider track, a longer wheelbase and shorter overhangs, all adding up to an improved drive. At the working end, the load floor is 79mm longer and 6mm wider, with load height up 24mm.
Despite that, however, as the sides of the van taper more now, actual load volume has shrunk slightly by 0.02 cubic metre. Payload has increased by around 45kg to 650kg. Prices will be announced in June, with customer deliveries due in October of this year.
Vauxhall expects to build up to 10,000 Astravans each year, of which 90% will be sold in the UK.
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