Vauxhall Astra on the Motability Scheme

Every Astra now has an AGR-certified driver's seat as standard. AGR is a German back-health campaign that independently assesses car seats, so this is a tested claim rather than a comfort adjective. The seat adjusts eight ways, and the front passenger seat adjusts four ways.

All versions use Vauxhall's Intelli-Seats, which have a recessed channel running up the middle of the seat base. The idea is borrowed from road bicycle saddles, and it takes pressure off the tailbone, which helps on a long drive or when you are sitting for a while before setting off.

Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel are standard on every version, so you are not paying extra for the thing that actually helps on a frosty morning. Ultimate adds electrically adjustable front seats with a massage function and a heated windscreen.

Every Astra has two 10-inch screens side by side under one piece of glass: a digital instrument display in front of the driver and a touchscreen in the centre. Satellite navigation is standard, so you are not paying for it separately or relying on your phone.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, which puts your maps, music and messages on the car's screen without plugging anything in. That is one less cable to reach for in the cabin.

You can also speak to the car. Say "Hey Vauxhall" and you can set a destination, change the temperature or pick a song without taking your hands off the wheel.

Ultimate adds a head-up display that projects your speed and directions onto the windscreen, plus a wireless phone charging pad.

Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection is fitted to every Astra. It watches the road ahead and brakes for you if you do not react in time, and below 30mph it can bring the car to a complete stop.

Eight airbags are standard, as are lane departure warning with lane keep assist, extended traffic sign recognition and a driver drowsiness alert that watches your steering inputs and suggests a break. Adaptive cruise control is standard too, so the car holds its own distance in motorway traffic.

Front and rear parking sensors come on every version, and GS and Ultimate add a 180-degree reversing camera, which makes reversing out of a tight supermarket bay far less stressful.

Ultimate adds Intelli-Lux HD adaptive headlights with more than 50,000 individual LED elements. They let you leave full beam on and dim only the part of the beam falling on other traffic, so you see further ahead at night without dazzling anyone.

The 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine produces 130PS. It covers 0 to 62mph in 9.7 seconds and reaches 130mph, which is plenty for pulling out of junctions and joining a motorway without planning.

Fuel economy is 47.9 to 48.7mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, so most drivers will get somewhere near 500 miles from a tank and fewer trips to the forecourt.

Three driving modes are offered. Eco stretches the fuel further, Sport sharpens the responses, and Normal sits between the two.