The Vauxhall Astra feels like a bit of a national institution, a nameplate that has signified a small, affordable family hatchback for over three decades.

The range has grown over the years with the core five-door model joined by a capacious estate, a coupe-like three door GTC model and a tyre shredding VXR hot hatch. The MK6 Astra was introduced in late 2009, but here, we’re going to concentrate on the facelifted line-up, which arrived in 2012 and lasted Vauxhall until the seventh generation version’s introduction in the Autumn of 2015.

What You Get

Though the aesthetic improvements made to this improved MK6 model Astra were subtle, they did succeed in giving it a much fresher look. We’re talking here of the five-door hatch and the Sports Tourer estate: the other Astra bodystyle option, the GTC Coupe, had been introduced as recently as the end of 2010, so needed little visual re-fettlement. And it’s that GTC that provided the inspiration for many of the aesthetic changes made to this facelifted range.

What To Look

For As is always the case with mainstream family hatches, you’ll want to keep a look out for thrashed company hacks or ex-hire fleet vehicles. Ensure that the car has been serviced on the button and that the mileage on the service record stamp tallies with what the odometer says. It’s also worth checking the car for accident damage, as many cars will be de-fleeted early if they’ve had a prang and have been repaired.

Overall

There are lots of options if you’re looking for a family hatchback from the 2012 to 2015 period and in a class packed with noteworthy cars, it would be easy perhaps, to overlook this facelifted MK6 model Astra or at least it isn’t if you choose your engine and spec carefully.

It’s worth looking at this later facelifted post-2012 version of the sixth generation design, rather than the original version. If you can do that, then you get yourself smarter looks, more efficient engines and extra hi-tech features. And, as ever with an Astra, there’s a huge selection of used vehicles to choose from, so be patient and negotiate hard. Do that and you’ll almost certainly come away with a very good deal. On a surprisingly good car.