VERY few cars genuinely look as if they are about to burst into life when quietly parked on your driveway — but the Astra GTC is one of them.

The sleek three-door, with its low, wide stance and rakish lines, positively bubbles with nervous energy, even at standstill.

Lined up against dynamically-styled rivals such as Volkswagen’s Scirocco and Renault’s Mégane Coupé, the GTC pitches in with a competitive price tag with the range starting at about £19,000.

Oxford Mail:

A sleekly-designed powerhouse

The third body style to come off the so-called Delta platform, following the hatchback and sports tourer, Vauxhall says the only exterior design elements the GTC shares with its siblings are door handles and the roof aerial.

Vauxhall’s signature ‘blade’ design, a crisp line that sweeps up at the front of the door, is now similar to the Insignia, but runs the opposite way to other Astras.

A second line strikes through the door handle, stretching to the rear, while a third line follows the roof’s profile, guiding the eye to the spoiler.

At the front, slim, ‘eagle-eye’-style headlamps have wing-shaped daytime running lights and the beefy rear gives the car imposing proportions.

But the real appeal of the GTC runs far deeper than its muscular looks, with a chassis specially tuned to cope with both high power output and the challenging and less-than-perfect roads that UK drivers have to deal with.

Engineers figured that a car that works well coping with the UK’s blend of undulations, cambers, rough surfaces, blind apexes and crests would perform even better in other markets.

Much of the development centred on the introduction to the GTC’s suspension of Vauxhall’s HiPerStrut, which is based on the system seen on the 325 horsepower Insignia VXR.

In a nutshell, it helps tame a powerful front-wheel-drive car, delivering calm, precise steering, with improved grip during cornering, especially at higher speeds.

The test model, with its 195 horsepower 2.0-litre BiTurbo diesel engine, delivers a proper driver-oriented feel, enhanced by sporty interior styling.

Red-and-black leather interior, a small, flat-bottomed steering wheel and a short gearlever add to the involvement, while maintaining an excellent level of comfort.

Oxford Mail:

A smart and comfortable interior

A host of electronic systems are also on hand to help, ranging from an anti-lock braking system and cornering brake control, to emergency brake assist and electronic parking braking with hill-start assist.

Rear parking sensors would be a useful addition, especially as rear vision is restricted by a letterbox-like rear screen.

But while the GTC’s exterior appearance might suggest it is a less than practical car, there is in fact plenty of interior space for five adults and a useful boot.

AT A GLANCE

  • Cost: £24,175
  • Insurance group: 20 (1-50)
  • Fuel consumption (Combined): 57.7mpg
  • Top speed: 131mph
  • Length: 446.6cm/176in
  • Width: 184cm/72.4in
  • Luggage capacity: 13.4 cu ft
  • Fuel tank capacity: 12.3 gallons/56 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 129g/km
  • Warranty: 100,000 miles