Car pool: Opel Astra GTC Sport

The car: Opel Astra GTC Sport 1.6 SIDI

The price: $36,990, plus on-road and dealer costs

Vital statistics: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo petrol; 125kW/280Nm; 6-sp auto; 6.8L/100km and 160g/km CO2; FWD.

The tester: Stephen Ottley

Why we're driving it:

Opel has introduced this 1.6-litre SIDI turbo engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Likes:

Still looks stylish. One of only a handful of three-door hatches. Fuel economy is good. Plenty of standard gear, including 19-inch alloys wheels, Bluetooth, satnav and parking sensors. Front seats are comfortable and supportive. Decent boot for its size.

Dislikes:

Engine is underwhelming, lacking performance, and sounds too flat for a sporty hatch. Gearbox slow to react at times as it feels tuned more for economy rather than sporty driving. The manual version (which has a 132kW/230Nm 1.6-litre engine) feels a lot sportier. Optional FlexRide adaptive suspension system didn't make a significant difference. Rear seats are tight on space.

Would I buy one?

The Astra GTC presents as an exciting machine but its looks can be deceiving. I'd rather pay the extra $6000 for the red-hot Astra OPC.