Vauxhall announced the launch of a new version of the Astra GTC with a small but powerful engine. The powertrain in question is a tweaked version of the exiting 1.6-litre turbo unit, upgraded to make 30 percent more power and torque, while delivering 13 percent better fuel economy.

So the output is increased to 200PS and 300Nm of torque and average fuel consumption to 51 mpg, while CO2 emission is dropped to 154g/km. Performance-wise, the car has a 0-60mph time of 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 143 mph.

Of course, with small and powerful turbo engine you always run the risk of suffering massive turbo lag. But at least the new engine is more refined that the one that went before. It features twin balancer shafts for smooth running, while a host of sound engineering measures have been made for low noise, vibration and harshness.

The Vauxhall Astra GTC with the new engine is priced from £20,995 on-the-road. There is also an £855 option pack that adds the Intellilink infotainment system with feature like satellite navigation, voice control, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, picture viewer and Gracenote album art, all via its high-resolution 7-inch touchscreen display. It even offers smartphone integration with the ability to read your text messages to you.