For Transformative styling l Retuned dynamics l Enduring practicality
Against Drab-looking interior l Engine’s shortage of torque l The ‘Astra’ badge
1. Background:
Vauxhall has been preparing the ground for the Vauxhall Astra GTC for some time. The manufacturer revealed a lookalike concept model of the same name over a year ago at the Paris motor show and made it clear at the time that the racy coupé previewed a new type of Astra. Three-door versions of Vauxhall’s big-selling workhorse have always proved reasonably popular with buyers, but the new car was to signal a step-change in the way the variant would be marketed.
2. Design:
Vauxhall claims that the GTC isn’t just a three-door version of the Astra hatchback and would rather see it positioned – like the Scirocco is – as a separate coupé model, distinct from the rest of the range. “The GTC shares no body panels with either the Astra hatch or Sports Tourer,” Vauxhall claims. And not unjustifiably, it points out that the rakish styling has reached production in a guise that’s faithful to the GTC Paris concept from 2010.
Overall, the GTC’s sleek shape is even longer than the five-door hatch’s at 4466mm (up from 4419mm) and, given the stance, it’s no surprise that it’s also wider (1840mm instead of 1814mm) and lower (1482mm rather than 1512mm). What’s more surprising is that the manufacturer has troubled itself to extend the hatch’s wheelbase for the GTC, by 10mm to 2695mm. The tracks are also wider at the front (up 40mm to 1584mm) and rear (up 30mm to 1585mm).
In part, the suspension’s increased dimensions are because, at the front, it wears a different set-up from the five-door hatch. Instead of conventional MacPherson struts, the GTC is the first Astra to get General Motors’ HiPerStrut system. In principle, it’s much like a MacPherson strut but with an extra knuckle to bring the steering axis closer to the centre of the driven wheels, reducing torque steer. Ford and Renault have similar systems. The GTC’s steering is electrically assisted and gets a UK-specific tune.
At the rear, the GTC retains the torsion beam and Watt’s link from the five-door Astra, but with extra roll stiffness. Our test car was also fitted with optional FlexRide adaptive dampers. The GTC’s engine range comprises 1.4 and 1.6 turbocharged petrol engines, and 1.7 and 2.0 turbodiesels. Our test car was a 1.6 turbo petrol, producing 178bhp at 5500rpm and torque of 170lb ft from 2200rpm to 5400rpm. It drove through a six-speed manual gearbox.
3. On the Road
The Vauxhall Astra GTC’s 178bhp is a generous headline helping of power for a car of this size and price. But its 170lb ft of torque – the greater indicator of real-world performance – isn’t so generous. It comes up short next to the 178lb ft you get in a 1.4-litre ‘twincharged’ Scirocco, let alone the 222lb ft of a 2.0-litre turbo Renault Mégane coupé.
At our test track, the Astra’s showing was respectable, if unexceptional. In chilly and damp conditions, the car hit 60mph in a two-way average of 8.8sec and 100mph in 24.3sec. That 0-60mph time was a full second slower than Vauxhall’s claim but, betraying that shortfall in torque, it was two-tenths slower than the Scirocco 1.4 TSI we tested in the same conditions. Which may slightly undermine one of the key pillars of the GTC’s appeal for some: the delivery of a little bit of extra performance at a bargain price.
The Astra’s engine is at its best high up in the revs. Through the middle of its range of operation, it feels a little strangled. But that’s only a minor, relative criticism. The engine’s good in-gear flexibility and throttle response make it easy to drive in everyday conditions. And the car’s performance also only really seems disappointing in comparison with the Scirocco, one of the classiest acts in the segment.
To 100mph, the Astra actually out-accelerated the BMW 116i Sport we road tested just a few weeks ago – a car that we tested in drier conditions, is priced very similarly to the Astra and which the casual observer would probably expect to outsprint it.
Refinement is a strong suit for the Astra GTC, most of the time. Although a little boomy at high revs, the car’s engine is hushed during normal use and, even on 20in wheels with 245-section tyres, road noise isn’t excessive. The 65dB of cabin noise we recorded at 50mph is commendable for the class and could probably be improved upon if you go for smaller wheels. As could the economy of the 1.6-litre petrol engine. In response to our touring test schedule, the Astra returned 37.7mpg – another respectable, if unexceptional, showing.
Sat on its wider track and shod in bigger wheels, the GTC feels like a meatier presence on the road than its hatchback sibling, and the retuned steering offers a consistently fluid interpretation of a sharper front end. Thanks to the new HiPerStruts, the experience is rarely corrupted by grave torque steer, and the quality of the car’s turn-in, while still not pin-sharp, has been augmented by the lower ride height and noticeably less body roll.
It is not ideally suited to life on the track, but the driving experience on the road is credibly fluent and, considering the extent of the modifications beneath, still surprisingly comfortable. Even burdened with remarkably large 20in wheels, our test car could usually be relied upon to decipher England’s road surface conundrum with energetic aplomb.
The optional adaptive damper set-up fitted to our test car is busy enough to be a touch too firm and noisy when seriously tested, but comfort levels resist degradation right up to the point where the FlexRide’s Sport mode is triggered. With the orange light ignited on the dashboard, the GTC requires a concrete mill pond if it is to avoid subjecting its occupants to archetypal choppiness.
The same button also activates the car’s more assertive steering setting, but the software conceit simply adds more weight to the proceedings without improving feedback, and considering Vauxhall has gone to the effort of retuning the default set-up to British roads, it hardly seems worth selecting. Fortunately, the manufacturer has shown sufficient foresight to allow drivers to choose which options they dial in or out of the Sport button via the GTC’s on-board configuration menu. Keener throttle response aside, less is definitely more in this regard.
4.Living:
Before forming an opinion on the GTC’s interior, one must first gain entry to it, and that means prying open the seemingly huge doors necessitated by the coupé layout and extended wheelbase. With room to spare on either side, it’s easy enough. But when you’re hemmed in by parked cars, access is rather more of a struggle.
Once inside, those who expect the cabin to replicate the exterior’s stylish makeover are likely to be disappointed. Perceptibly little has changed from the interior layout already available in the conventional Astra line-up. The raked A-pillars and low-swept roofline slightly alter the mise en scène up front, and the high beltline is liable to make drivers feel like they’re sitting lower than they actually are, but otherwise it’s a familiar, dowdy affair.
Vauxhall has made some effort in the higher trim levels to break the monotony; the SRi model we tested featured faux brushed aluminium inserts on the centre console, air vents and doors – but the same unfortunate cloudburst of black buttons remains on the dashboard. Returning customers might praise the functional similarity, but the uninitiated will be left to plough forlornly through myriad knobs and switches.
Although the hatch’s shortcomings have been inherited, so have its strengths. The coupé never feels less than spacious, especially in the back, where there’s plenty of room for adult-sized legs. A vast C-pillar and tiny windows can make it seem dingy, but the ceiling is surprisingly distant considering the external aesthetic. There’s also a large boot tucked into the car’s toned tush, which, at 380 litres, offers almost 30 litres more capacity than the five-door hatch’s.
As you might expect, Vauxhall has manipulated the GTC’s pricing to ensure that the entry-level car offers buyers a saving over the cheapest Scirocco. Thus, the Sport model with the lower-powered 120bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine starts at £18,495, compared with £19,845 for VW’s 120bhp Scirocco 1.4 TSI. That’s a meaningful chunk of change, but it’s worth noting that the Megane coupé and Hyundai’s new Veloster are both available for less in base-spec form.
Ascend into the mid-range (which a significant proportion of customers can be expected to do) and it’s much closer to call. The better-trimmed SRi model with the 1.6-litre motor tested here is only separated from the 160bhp Scirocco 1.4 TSI by pocket change, and the VW claims marginally better fuel consumption (42.8mpg versus 39.2mpg) and lower CO2 emissions (154g/km against 168g/km).
5. Verdict:
The Vauxhall Astra GTC is not without its faults, but like the streamlined Calibra of the 1990s, it certainly provides Vauxhall with a curvaceous excuse to start shouting about brand and badge allure again. British-born design chief Mark Adams deserves significant credit; the styling transformation achieved under his direction would probably have ensured that the three-door Astra made a sizeable impact had it simply been slipped on to the standard hatchback’s humdrum chassis. But thanks to an admirable investment of time and money, this coupé can back up its new appearance with a deeper dynamic authority.
Source: http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/RoadTestsHistory/Vauxhall-Astra-1.6T-16v-GTC-SRi-180-/260175/
