14.4.2005
Victory for Astra GTC over Audi A3 and Mercedes A Class Coupé

The leading Portuguese motoring magazine, Auto Foco, gave the Opel Astra GTC 1.9 CDTI 150 hp a clear victory against the Audi A3 2.0 TDI and the Mercedes A Class Coupé 200 CDI, in the GTC's first comparison test published in Portugal.

The editor writes: “If you want to buy a compact car with sporty looks, a powerful diesel engine and an efficient chassis, and if you can’t spend more than 30,000 euros, the Astra GTC is an excellent choice.”

In the magazine's evaluation, the Astra GTC comes out as the number 1 in the areas of engine performance, steering precision, seating position, comfort equipment, price and warranty/maintenance. The editor also praises ride comfort, space for rear-seat passengers, trunk capacity and braking performance.

About the IDS Plus chassis with CDC, he writes: “The Astra brings all new systems into this segment. Electronics on the chassis level work in a very efficient way. With the Sport Switch on, cornering dynamics are really impressive, even at very high speed.”

The Astra scored a total of 419 points, ahead of the A3 (411) and the A Class (408).