Vauxhall VECTRA 2.0T
The Vectra 2.0T Neatly Plugs A Gap In Vauxhalls Range - But Is It Enough To Convert The Cynics? Andy Enright Reports
If you buy into the view that the
Vauxhall Vectra represents all thats best about the fresh face of Vauxhall and many do you may perhaps be a little puzzled regarding their solution to plugging a worrisome hole in the Vectra line up. Theres no high-tech direct injection, variable valve timing shenanigans here. Vauxhall has apparently gone back to the eighties and bolted a turbo onto the Vectra.
Is this the same Vauxhall who have leaped to the head of the pack with the Meriva and Zafira, who rewrote what was acceptable for a big manufacturer when they launched the VX220 and who had everybody scratching their heads with the Signum? Of late, Vauxhall have been one of the most progressive manufacturers; remarkable when you consider their sheer size, but is this Vectra 2.0-litre turbo the way forward? Despite its old-school image, the turbocharger is as relevant now as it was back in the heyday of hot hatches with too much power and not enough handling. These days, canny manufacturers have worked out that a turbocharger can be a neat way to sidestep the worst of the CO2 based emissions taxation. With a decent power output and relatively low emissions, a turbocharged car often makes a good deal more sense than a similarly powered normally aspirated one.
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Thats why we are in fact seeing a renaissance of turbocharged cars with mainstream manufacturers such as
Vauxhall and
Renault now offering blown models in the middle of their ranges. The 175bhp Vectra 2.0T is a case in point. Designed to plug the gap between the 147bhp 2.
2-litre 16v engine and the range-topping 211bhp 3.2-litre V6 powerplant, its a development of the popular 2.2-litre aluminium engine used to devastating effect in VX220 and Astra sports models. As with most turbocharged engines, peak pulling power is impressive, the 2.
0T generating 265NM of torque between 2,500 and 4,000rpm which means that you wont have to wait impotently for the turbo to spool right up before youve got some meaningful oomph to play with. Naturally, this translates into some healthy performance figures. The 2.0T will sprint to 60mph in a mere 8.
1 seconds, and the midrange acceleration figures are equally impressive. Plug the car into fourth gear, floor the throttle at 30mph and itll take a mere 5.5 seconds for 50mph to register. True, part of the reason the figure looks so good is that the Vectra 2.
0T is fitted with a six-speed gearbox, but it still underlines the cars flexibility. Fuel economy is rated at 31.7mpg and emissions are pegged at 214g/km. Four trim levels are available, starting with the £17,590 SXi.
Next up is the £17,990 Design, followed by the sporty £18,390 SRi and finally the plush £20,695 Elite. The SRi is offered in hatchback form only whilst the others offer a choice between hatch, saloon and estate bodies.
"You wont have to wait impotently for the turbo to spool right up before youve got some meaningful oomph to play with"
As for those looks well, everyone will have their own opinion but at least this generation of Vectra makes a distinctive statement. Not as bold a one as that of, say, a Renault Laguna or a
Nissan Primera. Still, its a sight more interesting than that of a
Ford Mondeo. This middle ground stance will probably suit the majority of buyers, who should also be more than happy once they get inside.
The rear
seat space in particular has improved substantially. Only VWs Passat matches the cabin for trim quality, fit and finish another way of saying that this feels like a car from the next class up. In keeping with this approach, much of the switchgear has been borrowed from the larger Omega. In fact, theres only one major interior annoyance.
Whoever decided that the indicator stalk needed reinventing should be painfully reminded otherwise. The way the boot stays locked when the car isnt is also pretty annoying, but at least you can see some reason behind that. Youll want to know about the handling or at least you will if youre not a typical Vectra customer. The answer is that, like the styling, it falls somewhere in the middle of the class norm.
Mind you, thats pretty darn good these days and will represent a revelation for previous Vectra owners trading up. Lessons have clearly been learnt, with unsprung weight having been taken out of the suspension set-up through the use of aluminium componentry. The track has also been made wider to aid stability. Where this Vectra really cant be bettered however, is in terms of ride and refinement: its the sort of car you feel you could drive all day in. New electro-hydraulic power steering has a lot more feel (though still not enough). Then theres a body thats 60% torsionally stiffer, contributing to low body roll and sharp response on the twisty stuff. Its at this point you might also experience ESP+, Vauxhalls stability control system, assuming youve got it fitted.
Conventional stability programmes can leave you stranded by cutting the power and braking when you need motion most. This one cuts in more carefully. The Vectra 2.0T isnt the car many expected it to be.
Its not wildly sporting but nor is it obviously the short-term stopgap it at first seemed. Even in SRi trim, its a good deal more mature than youd give it credit for. Probably the greatest compliment is that it feels like a normally aspirated 2.8-litre powerplant.
In successfully reprising an old solution for a modern marketplace, Vauxhall should be congratulated. Theres always a place for pragmatism.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Vauxhall Vectra 2.0T range
PRICES: £16,995-£21,300
INSURANCE GROUP: 12E-13E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 214g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 139mph / 0-60mph 8.1s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 31.7mpg
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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