Vauxhall VIVARO VAN range
The Most Important Being To Provide Work At Vauxhalls Beleaguered Luton Plant. But The Latest Vivaro Van Has Other Virtues. Jonathan Crouch Reports
Car production may have stopped at Vauxhalls Luton plant but vehicle manufacturing certainly hasnt. The Bedfordshire facility is the European base for production of the Vivaro van, a stylish competitor in the UKs profitable medium to small panel van sector.
Slotting in just below the well respected Movano panel van, the Vivaro completes head-on with rivals like Fords Transit for buyers wanting a maximum payload of up to 1.2 tonnes. The front wheel drive Vivaro is available in several versions up to 2.9 tonnes in gross vehicle weight and is being offered with two wheelbase options (3098mm and 3498mm and two roof heights) giving a maximum load volume of over 8m3.
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Theres even a nine-seater minibus version should buyers require it and a doublecab that can
seat six and still provide room for cargo. Under the bonnet, theres a choice of two 1.9-litre turbo diesel engines developing either 80 or 100bhp and featuring hi-tech common rail technology. If thats not powerful enough, you can talk to your dealer about a 2.
5-litre 135bhp version, which, like the 100bhp model, has a 6-speed manual gearbox. Though theres also a 120bhp 16v petrol-engined option, the vast majority of Vivaro customers to pocket the fuel economy savings and go diesel. The 80bhp version, after all, returns a combined consumption figure of 38mpg. In conjunction with the 90-litre fuel tank, that gives a range of about 750 miles before refuelling.
The short-wheelbase low roof panel van has a length of 4.78m, a width of 1.90m and a height of 1.96m.
Inside, the load area is 2.41m long and 1.32m high. To save you doing the sums, that means a loading capacity of around five cubic metres.
Opt for the long version and that rises to nearly six cubic metres, thanks to a length of 5.18m and a load area length of 2.81m. Enough, in other words, for three Euro-pallets.
Go for the long wheelbase, high roof model and theres a load volume of 8.4m3.
"The Vivaros distinctive looks betray Vauxhalls desire for its volume van to be noticed"
To help access all this space, a one metre-wide sliding door is fitted as standard on the passenger side. A second sliding door is available as an optional extra, as is a hinged rear door opening to an angle of 270 degrees for the long wheelbase version. The Vivaros distinctive looks betray Vauxhalls desire for its volume van to be noticed. "We put just as much emphasis on this vehicles styling as we would with a passenger car," says Design Director Hans Seer. "Our goal was to support the vans functional efficiency with an exciting design." As evidence, he points to the domed shape of the cab roof. Besides giving the front an unmistakable appearance, this makes the vehicle easier to enter and improves side visibility. Other careful touches include the large front bumper with its integrated turn indicators and fog lamps, sitting just below the large, clear-glass headlamps. At the rear, the tail lights extend high up towards the roof from the rear bumper for better traffic visibility.
Talking of Traffic, you might recognize a resemblance to a new van of that name, produced by
Renault but built alongside the Vivaro and Nissans Primastar in the same Luton factory. All three vehicles are essentially the same (as are the larger
Vauxhall Movano, Renault Master and
Nissan Interstar models) but Vauxhall hopes that its wider dealer network will give it the edge for business users. These people will also be interested in the Vivaros 12-year anti-perforation warranty, low insurance costs and servicing requirements that are only every 18,000 miles or two years. Theres also a three year / 100,000 mile warranty included with every Vivaro sold.
Inside the cab, its all very car-like as youd expect from a modern van. The equipment list includes practical options like the universally applicable Flex Fix System with sliding fastening points for the cargo and keyless-entry central locking. A navigation system, ABS, air conditioning, a tailgate, a radio-integrated mobile telephone and a wide range of stereo systems with steering wheel controls are available if your business has more money to spend. In summary then, a complete package that forms part of the strongest presence Vauxhall have ever had in this sector.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
VAN: Vauxhall Vivaro range PAYLOAD: 1,200kgs (approx) CARGO VOLUME: Six cubic metres (approx) (long version)
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length / width / height m 4.78 / 1.90 / 1.97 March 23rd 2005
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