Here's the star of Vauxhall's Paris Motor Show stand, the Astra GTC Paris concept.

The car previews both the three-door Astra, which is likely to retain the Sport Hatch name, and its high-performance flagship.

Vauxhall says the production Sport Hatch will look very similar to this, with an obviously sportier stance than the five-door Astra. Apart form the 'signature blade' design motif, taken from the Insignia, the Sport Hatch gets a tight crease over the rear wheels, from taillight to door handle.

It sits on 21-inch wheels and has a bonnet crease that is apparently inspired by 'Vauxhalls of yore'. We believe 'yore' denotes the pre-GM period, circa 1910-1925.

There's also talk of keeping the GTC badge for the hot version. Those are not our words, but the words of Vauxhall, who says that 'if the GTC moniker were to be adopted, it would be the first time that a Vauxhall has been so named'. What is that if not a tacit announcement?

Very little is given away about the car itself, though we know its exact length: at 4.46 metres it should sit five in comfort. The bodywork also shrouds an extra wide wheelbase and a limited slip differential, suggesting this will be the approach taken for the production GTC.

The engine is a 2.0-litre turbo unit of unspecified power, though as this car will mix it with the Renaultsport Mégane and the Mazda3 MPS, expect no less than 250bhp. It has a six-speed manual gearbox and start-stop technology.

We're promised more details prior to the car's September 30 unveil in Paris, including interior pictures.