Vauxhall Astra GTC Coupe (11 on) - Review

This striking brute is the third incarnation of the current shape of Astra, lining up alongside the five-door and Sports Tourer models. It has its sights set on the likes of Volkswagen’s Scirocco and the Renault Megane Coupe; both attractive three-door hatchbacks with serious style and decent driving dynamics. Vauxhall’s offering has an emphasis on driving enjoyment, with the high-tech front suspension set-up from the Insignia VXR employed and a wider track utilised to vastly improve traction and agility. Sounds like a strong proposition in the driving stakes, then. What about efficiency? Well, there are six engines available upon launch. Two derivatives are already under the magic 120g/km CO2 threshold under which fleet managers insist their cars pass, returning 62.8mpg in the same breath. Vauxhall expects a 50/50 split between fleet and private sales so this is a car that needs to appeal to a pretty broad spectrum of society. Good news then that an even lower-emitting, more economical ecoFLEX model is also in the pipeline along with a sizzling VXR version. The question then is this: does the GTC have enough sparkle to steal sales from its continental cousins? Read on to find out.