VAUXHALL’S all new Vivaro van goes into the showrooms next month, the first UK built model built under the brand’s new owner PSA.
It shares its platform and mechanics with its new French-built Peugeot and Citroen siblings and what sets it apart for the UK market?
It’s built in Britain.
It is the result of a £100 million investment at Luton, turning an underground car park into a state-of-the-art production facility.
The Vivaro has consistently held number two spot in the UK behind the Ford Transit and Vauxhall aims to hold on to that position with the new model.
The third generation Vivaro medium van is a available in two lengths (L1H1 4.95m and L2H1 5.30m). Body styles include panel van, doublecab for up to six occupants and a platform chassis.
Priced from £22,020 excluding VAT, the Vivaro is available in three trim levels: Edition, Sportive and Elite.
Dual Side Sliding Door, Driver/Passenger Airbags and Cruise Control with speed-limiter are all available as standard on Vivaro for the first time.
Reflecting the demands of an evolving market, Sportive models are higher specification than, the outgoing model with standard equipment including body coloured mirrors, handles and body side moulds, alarm, auto lights and wipers, acoustic windscreen and thickened side glazing.
The top-of-the range Elite model features the latest safety technology as standard including Lane Departure Warning, Speed Limit Information, Intelligent Speed Adaptation, Driver Attention Alert and Blind Spot Detection.
It is based on Groupe PSA’s EMP2 platform, and production will help secure 1,250 jobs at its manufacturing plant in Luton. Vauxhall is the UK’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer with over one million Vivaro-type vans built since production started in 2001.
Investment in the new vehicle will help increase the plant’s production capacity to 100,000 units a year.
With a maximum cargo capacity of 6.6m3, the new Vivaro has a payload of up to 1,458kg, 200kg more than its predecessor.
The same applies to towing weights: the maximum trailer load is 2,500kg, 500kg more than the outgoing model.
Objects up to 4.02m long can be stowed securely in the 5.30m version thanks to Flex Cargo, an optional load-through flap under the front passenger seat.
The FlexCargo also allows the back of the middle seat to fold down to become a table for documents, a notebook or a tablet.
Automatic side sliding doors are also available for the first time on Vivaro. A foot movement towards the sensors on the vehicle is all that is needed to open the door.
Stability and safety on a variety of slippery surfaces – mud, sand or snow – is provided by the advanced IntelliGrip traction control system (optional) including the work-site set-up comprising higher ground clearance and underbody protection.
Arriving in Vauxhall showrooms in July, the all-new Vivaro van is available to order now priced from £22,020 excluding VAT.
Sportive models, priced from £24,270 (ex VAT) are higher specification than the outgoing model with standard equipment while the top-of-the-range Elite is priced from £26,370 excluding VAT.
The Edition Doublecab (from £25,750 exVAT) features an innovative hinged steel-mesh bulkhead that articulates forward when the second row seats are folded.
The anew Vivaro range features powerful yet frugal engines and smooth transmissions, for low running costs, reduced emissions and maximum efficiency.
All are validated and approved to Euro 6D Temp (Euro 6.2). On the entry level 1.5D (100PS) engine, torque has been improved to 270Nm. Towing has also been improved with up to 2,500kg available.
There is also a smooth 2-litre and a battery electric version will be launched during 2020.
In support of the new model, Vauxhall’s new van centres are currently undergoing a pilot corporate identity programme which will be rolled out later this year.
Derek Wilson, head of Van Business Centres, which were launched in January, said that there are already 62 sites nationwide.
Pilot upgrades to the corporate identity at the centres will start next week.
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