Vauxhall VECTRA 1.8 16V RANGE
Vauxhalls Vectra Makes A Lot Of Sense In 1.8-Litre Form If You Prioritise Quiet, Comfortable Travel. Jonathan Crouch Reports
Medium range Mondeo-sized motors have come on a lot havent they? Enough airbags for a bouncy castle, driving aids a-plenty, air conditioned luxury interiors. Only a few years ago, wed have been talking limousines. Now the subject is a bog standard entry-level 1.8-litre
Vauxhall Vectra.
General Motors would object to the description bog standard and, to be fair, their family favourite is pretty well-equipped, even in this, its humblest guise. Mind you, it needs to be. Asking prices which start at £14,390 put it plumb in the middle of a dog fight for dwindling sales with some very talented rivals. Nissans Primera,
Renault Laguna, Skodas Superb and of course the arch-enemy Fords Mondeo all spring to mind.
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In time past, the
Ford could always call upon far greater reserves of handling excellence to sway undecided buyers but the latest Vectra has narrowed the gap considerably in this respect, if not quite demolished it. At the same time, it out-guns the Ford when it comes to passenger comfort. The ride is more absorbent, the seats more comfortable, the rear
seat space slightly better and the long distance refinement superior. The differences are small but from Vauxhalls point of view, theyre crucial.
The 1.8-litre petrol engine we look at here is largely carried over from the first generation Vectra line-up and comes in no fewer than seven different trim levels entry-level Expression, Life and (identically priced) Club, mildly sporty SXi more overtly sporty SRi, plush Elegance and plushest Elite. Four or five-door hatch bodystyles are available plus an estate option. Under the bonnet is a sixteen-valve unit that puts out 122bhp, good enough,
Vauxhall says, to take the car from rest to sixty in 10 seconds on the way to 129mph.
"Vauxhalls fleet favourite is now the car it should always have been. "
What is different about this engine is the introduction of hi-tech drive-by-wire technology. Depressing the throttle pedal sends a command to the ECM (Electronic Control Module) which then controls the engine. Throttle cables? Who needs them. Drive-by-wire is supposed to improve driveability, require a lower pedal pressure and improve emissions.
This latter issue has been a thorny one for Vauxhall. Prior to the Vectras launch, their engineers were trumpeting that improved emissions had been achieved by the adoption of a close-coupled catalytic converter that warmed up more quickly. It was therefore more efficient on the move and belched less smoke on start-up. All of this sounded great in theory but when it came to it in practice, there was the mainstream 2.
2-litre petrol Vectra bottom of the class for CO2. Fortunately, this 1.8-litre version fares much better, with an entirely reasonable 184g/km figure. The other advantage of choosing the 1.
8-litre Vectra comes in the transmission choice on offer. This is the only engine on which youll be able to order GMs clever 6-speed CVTronic automatic grearbox. Yes, you can have an auto with other Vectras but its a conventional mechanical affair, albeit quite an advanced 5-speed one. CVTronic, in contrast, is one of those Continuously Variable belt-driven set-ups usually (but not exclusively) seen in small cars as theyre cheaper to maintain, lighter and more fuel-efficient.
Vauxhall see no reason why customers further up the pecking order shouldnt enjoy these same virtues. They also correctly point out that the completely smooth stepless and continuous adjustment of the transmissions ratios produces gearchange comfort that would be beyond the reach of a conventional automatic box. All £15,000 buying decisions ought to be made on the basis of such technicalities but the reality is that theyre not. Though the old Vectra sold well, it would have sold a lot better had it not had car park-cred akin to a Eurovision Song Contest winner.
Ex-
Audi stylist Martin Smith was tasked with creating a very different, more characterful shape and hes succeeded though not in a way that everyone will like. At least its bigger (the old Vectra was almost Focus-sized inside). Take a seat behind the wheel and those familiar with the larger Omega will feel at home immediately, since most of the switchgear has been handed straight down. Talking of switchgear, youll either love or hate the one-touch indicator stalk which automatically returns to the neutral position and gives three flashes if you push it to the first click.
Otherwise, its all good news. The steering wheel can at last be adjusted for reach as well as rake, the seats are comfortable and supportive and there are twin cupholders both front and back. The lack of an estate model will limit sales until one arrives late in 2003. Still, at least the hatch and saloon boast decent luggage capacity, the saloon fielding a 500-litre boot with split-folding rear seats.
Cleverly, the front passenger seat also tips right forward, creating a long loading length for surf board-type items. Vauxhalls fleet favourite is now the car it should always have been. Which is just as well given the quality of the competition. You could make a case for these 1.
8-litre models being the pick of the range, but dont expect that to mean too much in terms of driving excitement. Instead, rack up the appointments, watch the motorway miles click by and appreciate just how far this class of car has come.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 16v range
PRICES: £14,390-£20,645 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-8
CO2 EMISSIONS: 184-190g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 129mph / 0-60mph 10.0s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 26.1mpg / (extra urban) 47.9 / (combined) 36.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and curtain airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm 4596/1798/1460mm [4dr]
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