FIRST impressions count, and no more than when there's a coupe sitting on the road, waiting to be driven. A bit like love at first sight... or not.

Nobody buys a coupe (almost always dearer and less practical than a hatch equivalent) unless it looks good and makes you feel a warm glow of ownership satisfaction.

Well, the Vauxhall Astra GTC passes the first hurdle with distinction. It's a handsome beast; all softly defined folds and dramatic curves emphasising a car that looks as though it means business.

Choose the Limited Edition version and the drama is ramped up with a set of enormous 20in alloy wheels that wouldn't disgrace a Ferrari and a set of bodywork bits (notably a rear spoiler and chiselled front bumper) adding a race car touch.

Which makes the choice of engine to haul this racy looker a real tug between heart and head. You can, for instance, opt for a comparatively weedy 1.4-litre diesel and be assured of good economy but perhaps not the sort of performance promised by the car's looks.

On the other hand, go for the engine driven here today and you'll be at the upper end of Astra GTC performance potential and enjoy a car that feels properly brisk when prodded with a sharp stick. Not so economical though.

The GTC might have lost a couple of doors over the more family friendly Astra hatchback, but it's actually longer and wider and still roomy enough in the rear for a couple of adults. The two remaining doors are huge; big enough to be a nuisance in a tightly packed car park.

There's a big boot too, hidden under rear bodywork so enveloping that judging distances while reversing is an act of faith and would make me tick the options box for £195 worth of reversing sensors before anything else.

Actually, there's precious little else you might care to add to a Limited Edition GTC, which comes as standard with manual air conditioning, an excellent sound system with DAB radio, Bluetooth and iPod control and the big alloys already mentioned. A superbly clear satellite navigation system adds a hefty £1,200.

Astra GTC prices range from £19,040 to £24,705 and there's a choice of 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol engines and a pair of diesels (1.6 and 2.0-litres) with automatic transmission available on the larger unit.

Those wheels might be expected to dominate the driving experience on our pitted roads but the Vauxhall engineers have worked wonders and they cope remarkably well most of the time, only pattering gently on the worst our transport network can deliver.

You need to work the engine briskly to squeeze out its performance potential, when you discover a car that covers ground quickly without quite engaging the driver as deeply as you could hope for.

Over 600 miles the car showed 35mpg on the trip computer, so it's neither especially frugal or thirsty for the power on tap. Trying really hard on one journey to keep the tank from emptying saw 40mpg, but choose the diesel if economy is all important.

Quick and good looking on the outside, the GTC shows how its price has been kept down when you slip aboard. It's a very usable cockpit and clearly well designed and put together but its unremitting blackness lacks much sporty sparkle.

Still, you'll spend more time looking out of the car than staring at the inside.