The Vauxhall Astra has long since been the bread and butter of British car sales. Never quite as defined as the class leading Focus, but a reliable source of practicality and value. Though those are a great pair of traits to be associated with, they do very little to please those of us who want a little more from a car than its simple A to B function. The latest Astra is a real step up in quality, however, as something to tickle on the odd country road it does very little. Enter the Vauxhall Astra GTC and from the get go the statement it is making is very different from its sibling. If you think that this car is just an Astra minus a couple of doors you would be wrong. Very wrong.

From a visual perspective not a single body panel is carried over from the hatchback, and whilst the five-door was never ugly, it just doesn’t touch this. What we have here is the first Vauxhall in decades capable of turning heads. It is both lower and wider than the standard model. Those sculpted hunches and bold rear lines give the car a rather domineering silhouette. It isn’t overly aggressive, but its appearance sets it apart, and when you have competitors such as the VW Scirocco to consider that is no bad thing.

Inside you are greeted with what has become Vauxhall’s standard interior since the launch of the Insignia. Gone are those nasty flat facias of the previous Astra, and in their place sits a rather modern center console. Everything is well laid out, and by that I mean buttons are in logical locations, though the main cluster does feel a little crowded. Our test car being the Sport model lacked the half leather interior and the far superior steering wheel found on the SRi, that said all the fundamentals of the cabin were above par. The seats are supportive but not intrusive, rear passenger room is surprisingly generous with good levels of head and leg space, and overall it is garnished with many practical features such as numerous large storage spaces. The boot may have an olympic hurdle of a lip that the average shopper must overcome in order to place items in the back, but that aside the amount of space is greater than what you would find in many of this cars competitors.

Under the bonnet of this specific machine is a 1.4 litre turbocharged engine that produces 140BHP. Turbocharging is becoming all the rage again since it provides more power whilst helping to meet the new European emissions standards. The only real problem comes in the form of turbo-lag caused by the delay in pressure build up within the turbo. It can and has been a real killjoy of many otherwise brilliant cars. So what hand has fate issued to the GTC? I am pleased to report pocket aces! The engine loves to rev and the turbos delay is almost unnoticeable. Get the GTC out of first gear and it really surges along completing the 0-62MPH run in a respectable 9 seconds. The general noise of the engine is hidden at low speeds, but get above 4,000RPM and it makes for quite pleasant listening. Push on further through the rev band and you might just hear the whistle of the turbo under the bonnet. I would describe the general demeanor of the motor as polite. It is refined when pottering around town but becomes adequately sonorous once you put your lead boots on. Stop/Start tech is also included to reduce emissions but Vauxhall also gives you the option to turn the system off if you so wish.

 The GTC is at its best when the going gets twisty and the suspension begins to show its development hours. You can really fling it into corners and be completely confident in how the car will react. The high levels of grip and direct steering makes for an enjoyable combination. The gearbox is a real credit to this car as with short sharp movements you can crack through the gears much like you would expect from a proper sports car. I only really had two issues with the Astra whilst driving it. Firstly for a car that is more driver focused I wish the steering was a little more communicative. True drivers want to feel the tarmac beneath the tyres and I couldn’t help but feel that the GTC has been softened to please a wider market. Secondly the A-pillars around town are a little bit on the chunky side and tend to obscure visibility at junctions. These are by no means major faults, but they are the sort of thing that prevents this car from being the class leader.

The 1.4i 16v VVT Turbo with 140BHP starts at £19,625 which is very well priced in comparison to the Megane and Scirocco. Personally we would opt for the SRi model with some smarter alloys and a more comfortable steering wheel Considering it is only an extra £1,000 it would be worth while.

Overall this car has been very enjoyable and a refreshing burst of excitement from the Vauxhall badge. We eagerly anticipate the VXR model…