What's the news?
Vauxhall has managed to eke 200hp out of a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine for its stylish Astra GTC hatchback, making it the fastest version that isn't bestowed with a VXR nameplate. And it only costs £20,995, something of a bargain for this level of performance.
Exterior
Not much to report here - the GTC looks as good as it ever has done, with the engine and some infotainment tech the main things to discuss. However, as the GTC is probably the sharpest-looking car in its sector (for instance, the Volkswagen Scirocco is six years old in 2014, while the Hyundai Veloster Turbo is an acquired taste) this is no bad thing.
Interior
Again, the GTC remains the same inside, but now you can order it with the Intellilink infotainment system. Starting from £855, the basic version will equip your Astra with satnav, voice control, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity - and a picture viewer that can also handle Gracenote album art, all via the seven-inch touchscreen display. Which is nice. There's also a level above this called Navi 950 Intellilink, featuring Europe-wide street-level mapping and the ability to update via USB, plus integration of a smartphone's voice recognition, meaning incoming text messages can be read out as you motor along. This is available on all GTCs, not just the new 1.6.
Mechanicals
This 200hp/300Nm version of the 1.6-litre petrol was first seen in the Cascada convertible. Vauxhall claims it is all-new, not just an evolution of the old 180hp lump, and it features SIDI - Spark Ignition Direct Injection. It's a four-cylinder unit but, bizarrely, Vauxhall remains coy about where in the rev range the peak power and torque are delivered; it wouldn't tell for the Cascada, either. However, that 300Nm compares very favourably with the old unit's 230Nm, so power is up 11 per cent and torque 30 per cent. That means the 0-62mph time drops from the old car's claimed 7.8 seconds to 7.4, while top speed rises to 143- from 137mph.
Vauxhall says the engine is the only in its class to feature twin balancer shafts, something that should go some way to the quiet and smooth running that Vauxhall has targeted by reducing all noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels. As ever with these modern powerplants, power goes up and yet the eco credentials improve: the 1.6 returns 154g/km and 51mpg, a 13 per cent improvement in the model's efficiency.
Anything else?
You can order your GTC 1.6 200hp now and you should receive the car this spring. It'll come with a 'Lifetime Warranty', available to the first owner, which is valid until the car has covered 100,000 miles.
Matt Robinson - 7 Jan 2014