The Astra is Opel's mainstay all-rounder. It's a standard sight on European roads but less common in Hong Kong gridlock.
Practical, well styled, and tough as old boots - the Astra has always been a reliable and adaptable mid-range sedan.
In this respect the new GTC is no different, but there's more to Opel's latest coupe than meets the eye, as pleasing as it is. The Astra Gran Turismo Compact immediately makes its mark - it's beautifully styled, with an expressive body shape formed by its arched roofline, tapered front and rear and sleek silhouette.
Set on the same wheelbase as the standard Astra hatchback, the GTC has been extensively restyled, sharing only the bonnet and front arches with the five-door. Yet, despite its lowered stance (the chassis is some 15mm closer to the ground) and roofline, interior headroom in the three-door GT has only been reduced by a fraction due to a lower seating position.
As interesting as it looks, most of the standard sedan's practical features have been retained. The GTC is still a genuine five-seater with a 340-litre boot and a rear bench that splits and folds to allow flexible use of the interior space - just like a normal hatchback.
The compact GT's interior is pretty slick too, with an enormous front windscreen that stretches 1.8 metres from the bonnet lip all the way back to the central B-pillars, giving a cockpit-like field of vision for front passengers.
