Vauxhall Tigra 1.3CDTi
Theres a lot to be said for pragmatism. That may sound odd coming at the start of a review of a two seat convertible, but if youre going to buy any two seat convertible, this could well be the most sensible one you can purchase. The Vauxhall Tigra is already one of the hottest tickets in town and now that an economical 1.3-litre CDTi is offered for £15,035, it makes a lot of financial sense.
Here at last is a sweet city scoot that you can buy with both your heart and your head.
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On a longer run it will nudge closer to 70mpg. Even in stop start city traffic, the figure will rarely dip much below 45mpg. Vauxhall reckon that when compared to a petrol version, a motorist covering 12,000 miles a year will save around £450 if they opt for the CDTi diesel car. Its not particularly rapid, but to be frank, who cares? This cars raison detre is looking good and not costing the earth while doing so.
If you want to talk 0-60 times, then youd be better off opting for the punchy 1.8-litre engine, or better still, a proper sports roadster. Suffice to say that the diesel engine has enough low down pull to make zipping onto a roundabout or out of a side street hassle free. Itll even work well enough covering distance, although long motorway inclines can leave it feeling a little short of breath.
Should you have an understanding fleet manager, the Tigra 1.3CDTi even makes a reasonable company car. The emissions figure of just 124g/km puts this Vauxhall in the lowest banding for a conventionally engined vehicle and the high resale value means that monthly leasing rates are very attractive indeed. Dont expect to be able to find too much space for samples, documentation or luggage though.
The Tigras pull on the heartstrings is easy to understand. Just look at it. Whereas the old Tigra was rather optimistically dubbed a 2+2 coupe, the latest version is an unashamed two seater. Its profile looks much like a Peugeot 206CC to which somebody has taken a plane and chamfered all the curves into edgy angles and gives a clue as to the cars party piece.
At the press of a button, the hard top folds into the boot, turning the little coupe into a full convertible. Everybody, it seems, is getting in on the folding hard top act, with Renault, Peugeot, Lexus, Daihatsu and Mercedes all offering vanishing tin tops and many more manufacturers lining up to introduce their own.
"The Tigra 1.3CDTi has to be the most sensible two seat convertible on sale today"
Theres little doubt that the Vauxhall feels a more polished product than, say, Fords Streetka. The interior quality is streets ahead of its Ford rival and the hood is in a completely different league. The cabin features wheel-mounted audio controls, a metallic finished fascia and a tiltable steering column. Both seats are height adjustable and an electronic display panel is standard on all models.
The standard car comes with 15-inch alloys, a CD stereo, anti lock brakes, twin front and side airbags and sports suspension. Trade up to the Sport version of the Tigra and Vauxhall include 16-inch wheels, a silver targa roofbar, a stereo that can handle MP3s, a remote controlled alarm and an alloy-effect centre console. Aluminium pedals, a leather-trimmed sports steering wheel and front fog lights are also included. A leather pack is offered as an option with seats, head restraints and door trims finished in hide and ESP is also an option for those looking to safely explore the limits of the Tigras handling.
Vauxhall have the benefit of others mistakes to draw upon in developing the Tigra. Many of the early coupe-cabriolet models looked the part but were cursed with woeful luggage space. This time round, the Tigra doesnt attempt to wedge in a pair of useless vestigial rear seats, instead offering a useful boot of 440 litres. Even with the hood cassette, in place theres 250 litres available more than enough for a weekends light luggage for two.
Theres a good deal of thoughtful attention to detail. The heated rear window features a special scratchproof glass and the tiny front and rear overhangs make the car easy to park. One thing has continued from the previous Tigra model. This is still a car that will sell on the strength of its looks.
The 3D ellipsoidal headlamps and wrap-around tail lights have the requisite bejewelled looks and the wedge shape that rises from front to rear helps the Tigra avoid the pram look that afflicts many small convertibles. The rear section of the Tigras roof structure can be specified in a contrasting colour; either Matt Star Silver or an aluminium shade, Matt Moonland, which sounds more like a 1960s record company executive to me. Alternatively you can opt for the targa roof bar finished in body colour. When this includes a hue as violent as Yellow Punch, its enough to create quite an impression! Although Im already anticipating the flak Im going to get from my more macho friends when they read this review, I think the Tigra 1.
3CDTi is both a very clever piece of marketing and a top notch product. Vauxhall know who their market is for this car and, to not beat about the bush too much, its young females looking for an affordable but good looking car. Any males buying this car will have to be very much in touch with their feminine side and also be able to put up with disgusted looks from white van men. Fear not.
This Tigra ensures its owners will laugh all the way to the bank and look good in the process.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Vauxhall Tigra 1.3CDTi diesel
PRICES: £15,035 - £16,185 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 8
CO2 EMISSIONS: 124g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 101mph 0-60mph 15.5s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 61.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, side impact beams, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm tba
