Vauxhall is working on a hot new electric Astra as the next model in its recently relaunched GSE sub-brand, Autocar understands.
It will be the first Astra hot hatch since the VXR bowed out in 2017 and the third Vauxhall to wear the new GSE badge after the Mokka and upcoming Corsa, with which it is tipped to share its 277bhp FWD powertrain – including an electronic limited-slip differential.
There is an opportunity for a fast Astra to benefit from the retirement of the Ford Focus ST and Honda Civic Type R petrol hot hatches.
It will also enter a growing segment of EV performance hotches that includes the Alpine A290, Cupra Born and Mini Aceman JCW – as well as the Abarth 600e and Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce with which it is expected to share key components.
Improving brand perception with cars like its GSE models is key in Vauxhall’s plan to fend off competitors from China, with newcorners such as Omoda, Jaecoo and BYD posing a significant threat.
“When we look at [surveys], Vauxhall scores highly for rational appeal but not so much the emotional,” the brand’s new commercial director, Michael Auliar, told Autocar.
Insiders suggest there is “momentum” in the GSE sub-brand’s development, with the Corsa (pictured below) arriving later this year and the British brand fielding an entry in the ADAC GSE Rally Cup, with young Welsh driver loan Lloyd piloting an extensively modified Mokka.
Although the Astra was the first car to use the GSE name when it was revealed in 2023, it was not the focused performance machine that it was initially billed as.
The arrival of the hot Mokka last year effectively relaunched GSE, bringing much more power – 277bhp compared with the Astra GSE PHEV’s 222bhp – and a bespoke suspension set-up.
The new Astra GSE is likely to employ a similar range of upgrades, but it could gain more power to match combustion rivals such as the Volkswagen Golf GTI and ensure it is not outperformed by the smaller, lighter and cheaper Mokka GSE and Corsa GSE.
