Vauxhall Astra GTC 1.6 Ecotec

Fuel economy is certainly competitive with a 42.8mpg combined cycle figure not at all bad for a car with 200PS on tap. CO2 emissions are rated at 154g/km. The insurance grouping is 27.

Design and Build










Almost all the Astra GTC coupes Vauxhall sells tend to be diesels.

Now the company wants to redress the balance a little with a truly class-competitive petrol-engined version.

To be fair, there were petrol versions on offer before but they weren't quite on a performance and efficiency par with the best that rivals could offer.

Here's a variant that is: the GTC 1.6 Ecotec. Under the bonnet lies the latest turbocharged SIDI direct injection engine already seen in, both in the larger Insignia and in more conventional Astra models.

The stats offered by this unit probably say it all: rest to 60mph in just 7.3s on the way to 143mph.

Yet a combined cycle fuel economy figure of 42.8mpg and CO2 emissions of 154g/km.

These are the kind of returns that until just a few years ago, you'd have seen from some diesel engines.

The result is an engine variant that makes a lot of sense if you can't quite stretch to the list price or the ongoing running costs of the petrol GTC flagship, the VXR model.

Let's look more closely at what's on offer.

Driving Experience

Fire the engine in a GTC with the turbocharged 1.6-litre Ecotec powerplant beneath the bonnet and there's no real clue that 200PS lies beneath your right foot.

Things are clearer once you get out onto the open road where 60mph from rest is just 7.3s away en route to a maximum of 143mph.That's pretty rapid going by class standards.

By anyone's standards in fact.

Yes of course, it's nothing like the performance you'd get from the range-topping VXR hot hatch version of course but in the real world on real roads, this car is surely as fast as anyone will really need it to be. You could be excused for approaching a drive in this GTC model with rather low expectations.

But you'll be surprised.


Only a £30,000 Insignia VXR gets its power down and turns into corners as sharply - and that's only because it shares this car's clever HiPerStrut suspension system. Before I drove this car, I wouldn't have thought it possible for an Astra - any Astra - to offer as rewarding a drive as a rival Megane Renaultsport or a sporty Focus ST.

I was wrong.



Vauxhall's Astra GTC was in danger of becoming something of a forgotten choice in the affordable coupe sector.

This 1.6 Ecotec engine deserves to get it noticed.

To be frank, it's easily the best mainstream petrol engine in this model line-up, fast yet efficient.

A powerplant that, in short, perfectly suits this car. If you were thinking of buying a GTC with a diesel engine, we'd urge you to look and see if your annual mileage really warrants that.

We'd guess that in many cases, once you do your sums, this 1.6 Ecotec variant might turn out to be an all-round better bet.

Choose it and we reckon that you'll certainly enjoy the ownership experience a lot more.

Which is, after all, what owning a small coupe ought to be really all about.

Market and Model

Expect to pay around £21,000 for this Astra GTC 1.6 Ecotec - which seems reasonable given that this sum represents a premium of only just over £1,000 more than the fastest 140PS version of the entry-level petrol unit, the 1.4 16v VVT Turbo. Entry-level Sport-trimmed models include most of what you'll want - air conditioning, a decent quality MP3-compatible CD stereo with Aux-in point and USB functionality, daytime running lights, seat height adjustment and a remote control alarm system.




You also get an electronic parking brake - though that, to be honest, I could do without. A key decision all GTC buyers have to make is whether to find an extra £800 for the FlexRide adaptive damping system that enables you to set the suspension up to suit the mood you're in and the road you're on.

Many will feel that the standard UK-developed damping set-up is good enough not to need it and may be more tempted to spend a similar amount on Vauxhall's clever Adaptive Forward Lighting system - or perhaps the clever Intellilink infotainment set-up.

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