Review: Tom Mooney
Like the new 308, the GTC places hugh emphasis on first appearances: a car which puts dynamism at the centre of its appeal ought to look the part and the GTC does, with dramatic styling cues such as the wheel arches, the arcing roof and the grimacing front grille.
The GTC’s dashboard is considerable busier than the 308’s, but once you acquaint yourself with the flood of information, you have the option of tailoring the car to your needs.
At its core, I found the GTC an immensely adaptable car, and on Saturday I drove it from Wexford to Kiltorcan, on good roads, on lunar surfaces, on mud tracks, across humpbacked bridges, on challenging bends on either side of Inistoge, and not once, considering my relationship with the car was less than an hour old, did I feel in any way discommoded.
On the contrary, once the car had to absorb the occasionally challenging laws of physics outside Thomastown and the, em, engaging minor road to the Kiltorcan racing circuit, body lean was absorbed effortlessly.
Opel has fitted the low weight GTC with the tried and tested Astra’s Watt’s link rear set-up and the HiPerStrut front suspension from the Insignia, which explains why (a) it is so well balanced on any terrain (b) why the steering is precise and (c) why the performance is justifiably sporty (18 inch alloys are standard issues).
To offset any negative impact on traction under heavy acceleration, the HiPerStrut isolates the steering from torque, which makes the GTC feels sharper to drive. As there is no concession to weight, the enemy of stability in a sports set-up, the feedback from the front wheels to the steering wheel is seamless. With the GTC, Opel sought a car with stylish coupe character and genuine hatchback versatility.
FlexRide chassis settings is an optional feature which transforms the GTC from Sport to Tour using Continuous Damping Control technology: the dampers are basically reconfigured for a more adhesive grip. The Start/Stop System uses fuel savings: the engine stops when you do, with the transmission in neutral, but starts instantly as soon as the clutch pedal is depressed again. The system can be activated/deactivated via a button on the centre console. The Start/Stop System uses an enhanced alternator, starter motor, and a specially designed battery
Six turbocharged engines (three diesel) are offered with a six speed transmission, with impressive fuel economy. The powertrain line-up includes petrol engines ranging from 120 PS to 180PS and three turbo diesels 110PS to 165PS, and meet the Euro 5 emission standards.
Both diesel and petrol variants are available with an advanced, precise and easy-shifting 6-speed manual transmission and are available with the Start/Stop System, with the exception of the 1.6 Turbo (180PS)
The 2.0 CDTi is being cited as the most effective blend of performance and efficiency, returning 4.9 litres/100 km (or 58 mpg – combined) and emitting 129 g/km of C02. Very impressive for a fast car…..0 to 100km/h in nine seconds.
The excellent ECO Drive Assist shows you exactly when to shift for maximum economy, but it also does more. It reveals the equipment that is using the most energy together with the fuel consumption history for the previous 50 kilometres. For this it has three sub-menus that are shown in the central display between the instruments
