Frankfurt 2011: New Vauxhall Astra GTC (2012) debut

Vauxhall Astra GTC finally arrives at Frankfurt

The Vauxhall Astra GTC finally make its production début at Frankfurt, 12 months after its arrival as a concept and 3 months from the reveal.

The Vauxhall Astra GTC (and its European equivalent Opel GTC) finally gets to go on public view at Frankfurt this week, a year after it arrived as a concept at Paris.

Based on the more prosaic five-door Astra, the GTC carries over just about nothing except the door handles although it still conspires to look like a slightly squashed, butch version of its sibling.

The Astra GTC is a decent looking effort from Vauxhall – as is the regular Astra – designed to take the fight to cars like the Scirroco. And if Vauxhall’s promise for the GTC turns to reality it is in with a fighting chance.

Underpinning the good-looking GTC is a new, driver-focussed chassis derived from the Insignia VXR and fixed and fettled to work on UK roads. Which helps. As does the longer wheelbase with a wider track front and rear.

The GTC gets FlexiRide damping with three modes, HiPerStrut front suspension and a Watt’s link rear axle, which means you should be able to make the GTC’s dynamics suit the roads you choose, which does promise some fun along the way.

Engines at launch will be a range of diesel and petrol options with outputs from 118bhp to 178bhp, with the promise of an Astra GTC VXR with around 300bhp promised for the not too distant future.

The new Astra GTC will hate showrooms before the end of the year, with prices starting from £18.5k.