WITH 36 years of history and more than three million UK sales under its belt the Vauxhall Astra is an iconic part of British motoring heritage.

And the development of the all-new seventh generation model that has secured more than 2,000 jobs at the Ellesmere Port manufacturing plant in Cheshire aims to take that success story and develop it even further.

With prices starting from £15,295, the latest Astra features a range of new powertrains and is packed with innovative technology including the company's impressive OnStar system which makes the car a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to seven devices.

By using a lightweight architecture, Vauxhall has managed to reduce the weight of the Astra by up to 200kg and that, in conjunction with a range of highly efficient engines, means fuel economy and carbon emissions figures have improved considerably.

On the design front, the Astra is smaller on the outside, but bigger inside. In fact it is 5cms shorter, 2.5cms lower, the wheelbase has been reduced by 2cms, but back seat passengers are treated to an extra 3.5cms room and the boot capacity stays at 370 litres (1,210 with the rear seats dropped flat).

The car's design is more dynamic in appearance with the grille flowing neatly into the headlight clusters and the standout Griffin logo along with the characteristic blade rising to the rear of the vehicle making the car instantly recognisable as a Vauxhall. But the most significant change is the divided rear pillar which now helps to create the impression of a floating roofline.

Move inside and it's nice to see a clutter-free, yet feature-rich interior. The newly designed seats are smaller and 10kg lighter thanks to very clever packaging methods and the introduction of ultra-high strength steels that are built in under the robust seat upholstery.

Customers can choose from five trim levels - Design, Tech Line, Energy, SRi and Elite (there are also Nav options for both SRi and Elite grades). All models are well equipped, but the real stand-out feature that is standard on SRi and Elite models and available as an option on other trims is the OnStar system.

By pressing a button located next to the rearview mirror you are instantly connected with an operator - a real one! They ask what they can do to help and from there you simply make your request for information on local restaurants, nearest filling stations, services etc. And if you are lost in unfamiliar territory, simply call up the OnStar and ask for directions - wait a couple of minutes and then watch in admiration as the route is downloaded directly to your sat nav system.

OnStar also makes the car a hotspot for up to seven devices, it can be used to check tyre pressures and oil levels, but possibly most importantly of all it detects if an airbag is deployed. If the operator cannot contact you or get a response then the emergency services are alerted and given your exact GPS location.

The system is free for first year, then there is an annual subscription of £79 but that does include full AA membership. There will also be a data allowance charge but according to Vauxhall, this will be very competitively priced and costings will be announced a little later down the line.

Another new advancement for the Astra and a first for any vehicle of this class are the glare-free LED Matrix headlights which provide outstanding night-time illumination.

There are 16 LED segments (eight each side of the car) and the matrix system automatically adapts the length and distribution of the light beam according to the traffic situation.

It works in conjunction with a front camera that detects other vehicles and then switches off the individual LED segments so as to prevent dazzling other motorists yet still maximising the light from your vehicle.

There are numerous beam patterns to deal with varying conditions such as town light, tight bends, country light, motorway light and even tourist mode to alter the beam direction when travelling in Europe on the right hand side of the road.

We tried out this new lighting system during a night-time drive and they were most effective, especially when travelling along dark lanes.

The main beam was left on the whole time and the lights illuminated the road beautifully. And then when a car approached the LEDs beam became masked so as not to dazzle anyone.

In a whole hour's driving not once were we flashed because our lights were too bright yet the road was always very clearly lit ahead and to the sides.

We also drove two models during lengthier routes that incorporated motorways, hilly roads and busy town centres and both proved up to the challenge.

First up was the Astra Elite Nav 1.4 150ps turbo petrol version priced at £20,315 (£21,875 with options). This car can reach from 0-60mph in 7.8 seconds, has a top speed of 134mph, combined fuel efficiency of 51.4mpg and carbon emissions of 128g/km.

In busy traffic the car cruised along effortlessly, then when the open road presented itself the acceleration through the six-speed manual gearbox was swift and smooth with a constant supply of power on tap.

The road-holding was good and there was very little wind, engine or road surface noise - an area that Vauxhall designers have been working hard to address. Comfort levels were good and visibility was also impressive.

Next up was the Astra SRi Nav 1.6CDTi 136ps diesel model with six-speed manual transmission priced at £21,480 (£22,870 with extras added). This model can reach 60mph from a standing start in 9.0 seconds, tops out at 127mph, has combined fuel economy of 72.4mpg with emissions of 103g/km.

Once again the car was up to any challenge that we threw at it. The acceleration was prompt, the steering nice and precise and the suspension also quite good although some of the roads in North Wales did cause the occasional bump and dip along the way.

All in all, the new Astra is another great piece of British craftsmanship and with sharper styling, better efficiency and state-of-the-art technology it would seem Vauxhall has another success story in its midst.