A VAN FOR ALL REASONS…
The Most Important Being To Provide Work At Vauxhall’s Beleaguered Luton Plant. But The Latest Vivaro Van Has Other Virtues. Jonathan Crouch Reports On The Latest Version
Vauxhall’s Vivaro van has carved a very useful niche for itself in the medium-sized UK van sector. A combination of smart styling, tight pricing, low running costs and a wide variance of bodystyles have all played into its favour. This despite the design’s existence in both Renault and Nissan guises with different badging.
In recent times, it’s been revised, with smarter front and rear styling Plus a more comprehensive Range of power units. Let’s start with the visual changes first. Redesigned teardrop-shaped front headlamps give the nose a smoother appearance, while the indicator lamps have been moved from the bumper to be housed inside the light units. The fresh nose is set off by a wider, more prominent V-grille to bring it in line with the rest of the Vauxhall model Range.
At the rear, redesigned clear lens tail lamp units give the van an equally distinctive appearance, while inside, the cabin also gets a few changes. Fresh upholstery and fabrics give the interior a smart, clean appearance, while top models get alloy-effect detailing on the gear lever and door trims, as well as smart chrome rims around the dials. A revised Range of infotainment systems are on offer, including colour sat nav. Vivaro buyers also benefit from GM’s latest technology, with standard ABS, optional ESP and alloy wheels.
The revised engine Range includes two all-new 2.0-litre CDTi units, which are fully Euro IV compliant. The engines develop either 90PS or 115PS – compared to the 82PS and 100PS of the old 1.9-litre units. They offer higher performance with practically the same fuel consumption, but have up to 26 per cent more pulling power than their predecessors, with torque up to 240Nm for the entry-level unit, and 290Nm for the 115PS engine.
"The Vivaro’s distinctive looks betray Vauxhall’s desire for its volume van to be noticed…"
A revised 2.5-litre CDTi powerplant completes the line up, with 145PS and 320Nm of torque – up 10PS and 10Nm over the old 2.5 CDTi. All Vivaros get a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, while 2.5-litre models are offered with optional Tecshift semi-automatic transmission. You can also now get this innovative gearbox on 2.0-litre 115PS versions for the first time.
Slotting in just below the well respected Movano panel van, the Vivaro completes head-on with rivals like Ford’s Transit for buyers wanting a maximum payload of up to 1.2 tonnes. British buyers can now choose a long-wheelbase Vivaro Combi for the first time, offering the comfort and space of the SWB 9-Seat Combi, but with added luggage space. The latest addition adds further weight to Vivaro’s claim to have one of the most versatile line-ups in its class, with standard and high roof versions, long or short wheelbases, low and high-floor dropsides, Double Cabs, a 12-seat Minibus and a stylish ‘Sportive’ model.
What it all boils down to is that you’re looking at a front wheel drive van available in several versions up to 2.9 tonnes in gross vehicle weight and offered with two wheelbase options (3098mm and 3498mm) and two roof heights giving a maximum load volume of over 8m3. 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 there’s a load volume of 8.4m3.
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 Vivaro’s distinctive looks betray Vauxhall’s desire for its volume van to be noticed. "We put just as much emphasis on this vehicle’s styling as we would with a passenger car," says Design Director Hans Seer. "Our goal was to support the van’s 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 Nissan’s 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 it’s wider dealer network will give it the edge for business users.
These people will also be interested in the Vivaro’s 12-year anti-perforation warranty, low insurance costs and servicing requirements that are only every 18,000 miles or two years. There’s also a three year / 100,000 mile warranty included with every Vivaro sold.
Inside the cab, it’s all very car-like – as you’d 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.
In summary then, a complete package that continues to represent 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
July 3rd 2006