OPEL Astra GTC Review

Since the hatchback segment is so popular in Europe, it was only normal that automakers started giving birth to creations that mix three-door hatchbacks with coupes. There are many three-door hatches that come with a sporty silhouette, but they’re not included here, as we’re only talking about cars that actually look like they have coupe genes and which share a limited number of body panels, if any, with the five-door models.

This is the table at which the new Opel /Vauxhall Astra GTC sits and which it shares with a pretty small group of cars, such as the Volkswagen Scirocco and the Hyundai Veloster. Many people compare the Astra GTC with the Scirocco forgetting that this is in fact the second incarnation of the coupe-ish Opel.

The Russelsheim-based carmaker has always had a passion for cars like this, but this passion hasn’t produced fruits in a consistent way over the years. In the 80s, we talked about the Manta, which was followed by the Calibra in the 90s. Then, in the 2000s the G generation of the Astra received a proper coupe version designed by Bertone, which was spiritually succeeded by the aforementioned first incarnation of the Astra GTC.

For now, this is the only Opel that gets close to the coupe concept, at least until the rumored Calibra revival makes its way to our world. However, the Opel’s sports car might arrive very late or may not come at all, since the carmaker find itself in a less than pleasant financial situation nowadays, under GM’s rule.

Now that the dust from the history book has settled, it’s time to open the generously-sized front door and see what the charms of our yellow test car are all about.

Our test car knew that we had expectations for it, so it came prepared with optional goodies ranging from the FlexRide adaptive suspension to the special headlights that use the Adaptive Forward Lighting technology with a bi-Xenon setup.