European automakers offer some tempting hot hatches, but the stark reality of gas prices that are even higher across the pond than they are here in the United States dictates that most buyers are opting for diesels. Vauxhall is here to say, however, that it doesn’t have to be one or the other.
Slotting in below its VXR performance range is a new turbodiesel Astra, packing a 2.0-liter twin-turbo diesel four with 195 horsepower and a whopping 295 lb-ft of torque. The sequential twin-turbo oil-burner is the same as Vauxhall offers in the larger Insignia, but in the smaller hatchback, all that twist helps the Astra GTC BiTurbo run from 0 to 62 mph in 7.8 seconds en route to a 139 mph top speed, all the while returning 53.3 miles per gallon on the European combined cycle – thanks in part to the standard stop/start system.
The new engine option is being launched together with a styling update to both the hatchback and Sports Tourer wagon versions of the Astra. The revision includes a new front grille, bumper and lamps, as well as a reshaped tail. A front camera system is also on offer to help keep that new chin clear of curbs.
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