Vauxhall Astra GTC

Vauxhall Astra GTC

Recommended. A big chunk of surprise has rolled out of Luton. Thankfully it's the good kind. Combining stunning looks, cracking handling and some neat interior touches, the Vauxhall Astra GTC is a Griffin, Jim, but not as we know it.

Admit it, you were expecting 'just' a three-door Astra. You can't be blamed for thinking as much, because that's what it looks like. But if you line the two up you'll see that they're very different beasts.

The five-door hatch looks taller, fatter, more 'family' than the GTC. It's very design focussed, and that's something you don't notice with a casual glance. The hook around the door handle, the way the rear lights overhang, the fact the rear window-line plunges toward the rear, but the actual roofline remains tall, so grownups can sit in the back without having their spines bent. From some angles, and I now owe someone a cliché biscuit, it looks a bit Alfa Romeo-ish. This is not a bad thing.

Apparently the only exterior things shared with the hatch are the door handles and the radio aerial. Inside, the interior is largely lifted from the five-door, which is fine as it looks good, if a little 'own-brand'.

There are a couple of ergonomic issues with the GTC. If you're not over six feet tall, the moment you adjust your seat to a comfortable position you'll reach round to grab the seat belt and find it's a very, very long way behind you. The coupé looks are one thing, but set back B-pillar is a little bit of a disadvantage.

Little person issues aside it's very pretty and will, once people see its crazy angles, turn more than a few heads.

The boot is big enough to fit a fairly...muscular body, which should be ample for most drivers.

While its boot is a nice bonus, the GTC is about looks and handling. We know it's pleasing on the eye, but does it handle well, Or is it a bit of a damp fish?

Surprisingly, it's brilliant. Far better than your average three-door hatch. Thanks to its HiPerStrut suspension (borrowed from the Insignia VXR) the GTC deftly bounces from corner to corner without too much bother. It's really quite astonishing and rather flattering, too. That said, as with all cars, it will understeer if pushed too hard. Thankfully the majority of drivers won't drive on the limit 99.9 percent of the time, so it's not an issue.

There's a varied line up of engines, as you'd expect - a handful of petrols and diesels to sate every audience. Performance fans will very much enjoy the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol because it's indecently fast. Frugality fans should prefer the 1.7-litre CDTi models for their low running costs.

However, the 2.0-litre diesel we tested simply didn't feel appropriate for the sporty set up of the car - a humdrum family hatch would suit it perfectly, not a slinky number like the GTC.