There’s nothing like taking to the country roads for a long weekend away from the city. Whether it’s for seeing family or taking some well earned time out from the busy lifestyle, driving leisure is a key element to making you’re weekend away right.
In my case the weekend was all about the wedding of close friends, as well as spending time with family members. I take to roads of Essex and Suffolk, where the country scenery is beautiful and the roads go from city blocks, to country lanes and marshland.
The great guys at Vauxhall introduced me to their brand new Vauxhall Astra, to test drive along the country lanes of Suffolk & Essex. Upon first glance of the exterior design, you’re immediately drawn in to the new shape and look of this new and exciting hatchback.
The model in my possession was the 2 litre 5-door model, armed to the teeth with an array of driving gadgets and gizmos.
Upon the long drive into the country I was able to identify the drive itself has to be the best driving experience I have had in a Vauxhall for a long, long time. There’s a much smoother change of gears in each shift, followed beautifully with better handling and acceleration output. But that aside here is the key points of difference which I found great about driving the new Vauxhall Astra.
The on board computer system
Being a lover of anything technological, the new built in computer system was a joy to use. Everything you could possibly need, is sitting in the centre of the dashboard. The new Vauxhall computer system comes packed with, Satellite navigation, DAB Radio, Phone control menu and an intuitive text message system to allow you to reply to messages without using the phone itself.
Along with the clever centre console there’s also the mini display on the driver’s dashboard, to give you a safe and visible summary of the system actions. The steering wheel has all the necessary controls to manage the car system, without taking your hands off the wheel.
Vauxhall OnStar
This is the part that sets the Astra apart from the competition. OnStar is a leading provider of in-vehicle connectivity and telematics services, to nearly 7 million drivers in the United States, Canada, Mexico and China.
Now the great service comes to the UK driver, providing you 24-hour contact support at all times. Imagine being stuck in the complete middle of nowhere, with not a drop of signal to make a SOS call. With the OnStar system this is a thing of the past. The Ariel in the Vauxhall is further amplified for the OnStar service, providing you with a continuous communications line to SOS in any situation.
In Car Wi-Fi
With the addition of the amplified radio antenna, comes a 4G mobile service built in. This is strong enough to provide up to 7 mobile devices internet service at once. This is a big step forward for driving in our generation, allowing you to always stay in connectivity on the go. It’s also perfect to keep the kids entertained on mobile devices whilst you enjoy the peaceful ride to your destination.
New Body Shape
The new shape of the Astra is a definite move on from last year’s model, giving it a sharper, distinctive look without compromising on its beauty. The headlights on the new model are more striking visually, as well as being technologically advanced. The IntelliLux LED Matrix headlights adjust automatically, so you can drive on high beam without disturbing other drivers.
This is a model ideal for a wide range of drivers across the nation, with a multitude of features to appeal to all.
For more information or for a brochure, head to the Vauxhall website for more information.
