Vauxhall Astra GTC SRi ….

I’’m no fan of the new Vauxhall Astra shape, much preferring the sharper lines of the previous model. A bit like me perhaps, the once-svelte figure now replaced by a more pie-enriched outline – but still game for a gurry on a quiet stretch of road. And that was the first disappointment.

Although the spec sheet for the new Vauxhall Astra GTC claims its 1.6 four-pot turbo has 178 bhp, it didn’’t feel like it. It feels as though the turbocharger is too big for the engine, the 1598 ccs struggling to summon up enough puff to spin it, whereas a smaller unit might give sharper response.

But scorching along the tarmac is not what this Astra is about, as I realised the more I drove it. Yes, it’’s quick, but in a more relaxed way, and all the more enjoyable for that. It’’s a bigger car than the outgoing Astra hatch with a longer wheelbase and wider front and rear track. It’’s also got wider bodywork. At 2020 mm, that’’s 53 mm wider than the old Astra, but it looks even wider with that expanded waistline and those full-fat wheel arches.

It also feels less pinched inside the car and yet snug. The new seats are excellent, the driving position just as good and there’’s more shoulder room. There’’s also a bit more legroom in the back and a decent boot, and because the tail end doesn’’t slope down too steeply, there’’s bags of room in it for lots of –- well, bags! That is once you find out how to open the tailgate of course.

Apart from the button on the key fob there is no switch on the dash to release the boot lock and no obvious catch on the tail gate itself. It was only after some fruitless searching that I resorted to the distinctly unmanly pursuit of referring to the Handbook, whereupon I found that pressing the bottom of the Griffin badge would release the catch – and that was despite many earlier unsuccessful pokes and prods around the badge! Sneaky.

Ride quality is good and with the wider track, stability is much improved which adds to the comfort, especially on twisty roads. In fact the only drawback was the Continental Contisport Contact 235/50 tyres on 18 inch rims. They gripped well and didn’’t jolt over pot holes, but they generated quite a bit of road noise, more than I would have expected from this tyre. In fact I checked to see if they were actually winter tyres, but apparently not.

There were no complaints about grip levels though and even when it was raining, the tyres and steering provided good feedback in changing conditions. I did notice a bit of understeer at times when pushing on, but that was easily countered just by backing off a bit on the approach to bends and then powering smoothly all the way through. A rather more satisfying and relaxing approach to corners than the usual frenzied throttle stabbing and brake pedal stamping, gear shifting and steering wheel tugging usually associated with hot-hatches, and yet, seemingly just as quick.

On the other hand, if you do want a sharper, more exciting Astra to quicken the pulse, there will be a 2 litre VXR version along shortly.

But that will appeal to a different, more specific market, because what Vauxhall has done with the 1.6 litre GTC is build a car that will attract down-sizing, comfort-seeking, style conscious oldies, who enjoy driving, and yet is still cool enough for the teens to hack it.

One other niggle is the electric parking brake. I don’’t understand why manufacturers think this is such a ‘good thing’. From a personal point of view, I don’’t like them, even if they do work well especially with Hill Start Assist which this Astra has. It adds costly complexity to an otherwise simple operation. Besides, pulling on a handbrake is the only physical work-out that some folk get these days, so on that basis, electric parking brakes, like fags, should be banned.

As for the fuel economy I got nowhere near the claimed 39 mpg ‘urban average’ but that was probably my fault, revelling in its appetite for cross-country, B roads. Instead, my average for the week was 33.9.

So if you want a fast car that will tug your arms out of your sockets and jar your spine, forget it. But if you want a car that will get there just as quick as most other ‘hot-hatches’ and still put a smile on your face then this latest Astra GTC is well worth a look. But if you do take one out for a test drive don’’t just dawdle up to the traffic lights and try to light up the tarmac, go and look for some twisties. That’’ll clinch it.

Me? From that initial ambivalence, I ended up really liking it, and yes, I would happily spend my own money on one if I was in the market for a ‘proper’ Grand Tourer.

  • Review Date: May 2, 2012
  • Price
  • Engine
  • Performance
  • Economy
  • CO2 emissions

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