With just under three weeks left until the 2010 Paris Motor Show kicks off, Opel have released what they say is the strongest indication yet of what the next Astra GTC will look like.

Styled under the direction of GM Europe’s British-born design chief, Mark Adams, the GTC concept mixes styling cues from across the firm’s model range.
In particular, the ‘blade’ surfacing on the car’s flanks is reversed from the five-door Astra’s, leading from the front door instead — in a manner used on the Insignia — to create a subtle, integrated side skirt. A second crease runs from the front edge of the door handles to the rear lights. The front styling cues include a sharp crease down the centre of the bonnet – a feature from Opels of old, the firm claims – and headlights that sweep back into the front wings. The rear gets LED tail-lights in a ‘flying wing’ motif and a subtle spoiler at the top of a hatch that has a complex shutline

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At 4.46 meters, the Astra GTC is actually slightly longer than the five door Astra, by 40 mm. Despite the obvious lower roof line, Opel say there’s still plenty of room for five adults. Underpinning the new body is a wider chassis, which is coupled with Opel’s FlexiRide adaptive damping and an electronic limited-slip differential.

The Astra GTC concept is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, with the Astra GTC OPC version expected to have around 220 kW on tap. The engine will also feature stop/start technology and be mated to a manual gearbox.

Opel are promising more detail on the GTC at the Paris Motor Show, but despite the production-ready looks, the concept is appearing more than a year before the three-door Astra is due on sale in the UK late next year. With a bit of luck, the OPC version will arrive soon after.