Opel Astra GTC, it means a sporty version of the popular Opel Astra. With 180 horses under the hood so the pipes on it, if you have a conscience to it, and the pennies it costs to allow the turbo to work hard.
Four years ago, in 2008, attracted Volkswagen, Opel’s toughest domestic competitor, new life in the sports coupe Scirocco. Now, Opel’s response, and even if the designers in Rüsselsheim, Germany does not take the same hard shoulder width at the rear of the VW, it is still a design that promises much for those who expect sports car characteristics.
The test car is a gasoline GTC with a 1.6-liter engine with the turbo frightened up to 180 horses. It is one of currently three variants. Cheapest is GTC with a 140-hp turbo (209,900 dollars), the most expensive a 2-liter diesel with 165 horsepower (242 900).
How sporty is it then for 221,900 dollars? Suffice it to well for those who are content with “just right” sporty performance. Later, the OPC versions (Opel Performance Center), with another hundred horses for those who for some reason find pleasure in such motorization.
By this we understand that GTC-bet, whatever version, is not about to chase the green car points. Efficient diesel 2.0 CDTI comes closest, but with a carbon dioxide emissions of 127 grams, you end up still on the wrong side of the green cars 120-gram limit.
Our test car do zero to one hundred on a decent 8.3 seconds and tops at 220 miles an hour. When driving is turbo lag real – you get “waiting for” the pressure before it actually pushes away. But then it will go away also.
A sport mode is – the difference is not monumental when it is engaged all the time, however, antiskid system is well out of the car, even on snöunderlag in northern Smaland. The steering is very good, live in a balanced manner that should fit all and contributing to the “asphalt biting” behavior on the winding roads.
Turbo towing costs, so that we leave behind. But over 37 miles of groomed (speed wise legal) driving on the main highway, but also some city driving, a lot of highway driving in highland areas, and almost zero pedal joy (nix sports mode) so landed GTC: n of 0.72 liters per mil. A tangency of the manufacturer’s own data for the combined cycle. Interpret it what you will.
Naturally I sit well in the GTC, the sporty seats are modestly sporty (you can touch on the rump) and leg room is also available for longer than the undersigned (1.84 cm).
The rear seats are belts for three. But comfort is sufficient only passably for two.
The luggage compartment also fits best for the two – in total.
The driving position is pretty good, but the amount of buttons on the center console requires habituation. A remarkable finish failure is that the hand brake handle landing a few millimeters from the gear lever surround framing. Precipice of a irritates me when the fingers ports, albeit slightly, but still trapped.
For the first time I came to see a score with electrically operated handbrake. But then only out of concern for my fingers.
dn.se/motor
