Vauxhall VECTRA RANGE
No More Mr Average - The Latest
Vauxhall Vectra Is A Striking Car Aimed At A Whole New Generation Of Buyers. Andy Enright Reports
"The latest Vauxhall Vectra", says Chief Designer Michael Pickstone, "defines a new type of vehicle architecture". He means that its different. And it needed to be.
The old version had become so outdated that rivals never even bothered to consider it as a direct competitor. And so familiar that user-choosers usually opted for something else. Which is why in developing a replacement, General Motors realised that mere evolution wouldnt do. With competitors as tough as Fords Mondeo, Renaults Laguna, Nissans Primera and VWs Passat, nothing short of a complete overhaul would suffice hence this completely fresh design.
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Only the engines have been left largely unchanged and many would finger the GM power units as the old Vectras ace in the hole. That means a familiar mainstream line-up of 1.8 and 2.2-litre petrol units, plus 100 and 125bhp DTi diesel engines.
Theres also a 175bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit and at the top of the range, theres a potent 3.2-litre V6 unit, carried over from the Omega. Diesel buyers looking for common-rail technology will gravitate towards the 1.
9-litre and 3.0-litre CDTi units. As youd expect, there are four-door saloon, (British-built) five-door hatchback and estate bodystyles, the latter of which sits on the 5" longer Signum platform. Trim levels are much as before, though with the addition of a plush mid-range Elegance variant, and, as before, theres a lot of marketing emphasis on the sporty SRi and GSi variants. Prices kick off at £14,390 for a 1.8-litre Expression and range through to £25,495 for the 3.
0-litre CDTI Elite estate.
"Where this Vectra really cant be bettered is in terms of ride and refinement"
Vauxhall identified three areas that needed emergency remedial action when it was faced with a blank sheet of paper. To start with, ride and handling had to be addressed, in order to match standards like those set by cars like Citroens C5. The engineers had tried and failed to do that with the old Vectras mid-term revisions back in 1999: this time, they had to do much better. And they have: this is still no Mondeo, but it gets surprisingly close. Lessons have clearly been learnt, with unsprung weight having been taken out of the suspension setup through the use of aluminium componentry. The track has been made wider to aid stability and a whole raft of electronic back-ups have been developed in the event of the driver running out of talent. Principal amongst these is the clever ESP+ stability control system: rather than just cutting the power and adding braking when you get into trouble, it senses that more gradual remedial action may be required and acts accordingly. The electro-hydraulic power steering is also a big improvement though could still do with more feel. 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. The second area the Vectra needed to address was the driver environment. Times have changed. Smithers from Field Sales no longer automatically receives a new Vectra every three years whether he likes it or not.
Company car taxation schemes have moved on and fleet users are increasingly choosing their own cars. In order to compete, medium range models like this need showroom appeal. They have to feel special as soon as you slip behind the wheel. Towards the end of its days, the previous Vectra felt about as special as a moist delve into the bottom of a students laundry basket.
The latest model, in contrast, has an interior with the sort of minimalist, clean lines youd expect in a Hoxton trendy's loft conversion, all backed up by controls so simple its easy to underestimate the amount of thought that has gone into their conception a sure indicator of
smart design. Only the fiddly redesigned indicator stalk will infuriate: why couldnt they leave it alone? The width of the platform allows a number of features to be built into the chunky centre console. It also means that the buttons dont need to be the size of pinheads, something youll appreciate when trying to adjust the controls. Vauxhall have helped by mounting a number of controls on the steering wheel, itself infinitely adjustable. Rain sensitive wipers, parking radars front and rear, tyre pressure monitors and an electronic child
seat detector that disables the airbag are features which were often previously the preserve of upmarket executive offerings.
The Vectra has now followed many of its rivals in appropriating these refinements for the mainstream market. Opinions may be divided on the latest look: still recognisably a Vectra, it takes the best aspects of the chamfered
Renault Laguna and combines them with bluff, industrial planes and bold styling that is distinctly Germanic. Probably more important is what lies beneath the bodywork a structure that is 60% stiffer. Youll feel the result in terms of sharper handling, lower levels of body roll and fewer squeaks and rattles. Equally vital of course is the space inside that shape, which is 100mm longer, 50mm wider and 50mm higher.
In order to create a more airy feeling inside, the rear seat passengers sit 20mm higher than those at the front. For business users of course, money talks in this corner of the market and the Vectra will have to battle hard for its corner given that fuel consumption levels and CO2 emissions on its mainstream engines tend to lag behind those of the immediate opposition. However, as your dealer will doubtless point out, the Vauxhall shades its rivals on price and tends to be more generous, model for model, when it comes to equipment. So, the second generation Vectra has strong styling, is good to sit in, has a range of decent engines and is up to high class standards when it comes to handling.
Given that its forgettable predecessor sold so strongly, its understandable that this car has got off to a good start already.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Vauxhall Vectra range
PRICES: £14,390-£25,495 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-14
CO2 EMISSIONS: 159-257g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.2i petrol] Max Speed 133mph / 0-60mph 10.0s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.2i petrol] (urban) 23.7mpg / (extra urban) 42.2mpg / (combined) 32.8mpg
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm 4596/1798/1460mm [4dr]
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