Opel confirms 3dr Astra GTC for Australia

Opel Australia has confirmed they will be adding the three door GTC hatch to its range when the Astra launches here towards the end of the year.

Bill Mott, Opel Australia Managing Director, says the GTC is the pinnacle of the Astra line, “Opel designers wanted the Astra GTC to be the ultimate expression of Opel’s design language ‘sculptural artistry meets German precision’ and to embody our passion for the automobile.

“We are excited to be able to present this dynamic car to Australians, as it offers the ideal blend of emotion and functionality, and expect our ‘hot hatch’ to bring a breath of fresh air into the sports compact segment.”

In overseas markets the GTC is available with four engine choices, we can’t see all four making it to Australia. Our guess is Opel Australia will market the car against the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Renault Megane RS 250. Therefore we expect to see the top of the range 1.6 litre turbo with 132kW/230Nm. We may get a diesel-powered GTC too.

The petrol model is a little underpowered compared to the Golf GTI (155kW/280Nm) and Megane RS250 (184kW/340Nm). It will need to be sharply priced to seriously tempt buyers away from established hot hatch benchmarks.

Hot Hatch Heaven: Opel Astra GTC Confirmed to Join Launch Line-Up

• Stunning design: Sports Coupé with dramatic proportions and exquisite surfacing
  
• Exclusive chassis layout: All GTC versions receive HiPerStrut (high performance front strut)
  
• Perfect for everyday use: Roomy, flexible and packed with innovative technologies
  
• Opel launch line-up scheduled for Q3, 2012 now comprises four key models

Opel Australia today confirmed that the Astra GTC three-door sports compact will be completing the launch line-up.

Following its world premiere at the 64th International Motor Show in Frankfurt last year, the Astra GTC presents an ultra-sporty and stylish model to Australia, joining the exciting launch range comprising the Astra Hatch and Tourer, Corsa 3 and 5 door, and Insignia Sedan and Tourer.

Opel Australia Managing Director, Bill Mott, confirmed that with the Astra GTC representing the “hero” of the range, the launch line-up is now complete.

“Opel designers wanted the Astra GTC to be the ultimate expression of Opel’s design language ‘sculptural artistry meets German precision’ and to embody our passion for the automobile,” said Mr Mott.

“We are excited to be able to present this dynamic car to Australians, as it offers the ideal blend of emotion and functionality, and expect our “hot hatch” to bring a breath of fresh air into the sports compact segment.”

The new Astra GTC stands out with sharp design and driving capabilities. On the outside, sculpted shapes with precise accents add drama to clean, sweeping coupé lines. And on the road, all Astra GTC versions benefit from a premium front axle layout with HiPerStrut – High Performance Strut – that ideally combines with the clever Opel patented Watt’s link rear axle to provide unmatched stability and the sharpest driving precision. Only very few, radical sporty cars in the segment offer such a sophisticated front axle architecture.

The GTC is the ultimate Astra in design and driving dynamics and will further energize the successful Opel compact family, which increased its segment share in Europe from 8.3% in 2009 to 11.4% in 2010.