OPELAstra 3 Doors (GTC) 2005 - 2009

　　While the Astra had been around for many years under different body styles, General Motors decided to release a sporty-looking Astra with the aim of a offering a vehicle to appeal to a broader range of customers.

　　The Astra GTC was one of the greatest success stories ever made by GM. The younger drivers were not very attracted by the oddly-shaped 5-door compact vehicle, thus the new model was exactly what they were looking for.

　　The Opel Astra GTC was introduced in 2004. While the sporty car had the same underpinnings as its five-door sibling, it shared only a part of the body, transforming it into an overall better-looking vehicle.

　　The Astra GTC came with a very raked windshield and a sloped back that made the car look like a coupe, rather than a hatchback. The narrowed rear triangular windows and the big tailgate transformed the otherwise dull Astra into an eye-catcher.

　　The interior was the same as in any other Opel Astra, with a rounded case for the instrument cluster. In the back, there was a good amount of space for two adults. The center tunnel was too tall to fit three passengers in there.

　　The split-folding rear seatback seat was good for expanding the trunk, and even with the seats up, the trunk was decently sized.

　　Under the hood, the Astra GTC was offered with a wide choice of diesel and gasoline engines. Its top version was the VXR, which provided 200 hp.