From the monthly archives: September 2011
We take a more in depth look at one of German company’s most popular roadster, the Vauxhall Tigra. The latest generation (made between 2004 – 2009) was a fine car with many great qualities.
We highlight some of our favourite assets of the car in this review.
Looks
With this generation, Vauxhall really did aim for the car to stand out. Some of the striking colours that it is available in gives the vehicle that bit more edginess and will get plenty of attention from other road users.
With the roof down, the Vauxhall Tigra looks sporty and desirable. From all angles the car looks quite attractive.
Handling on the road
The 1.8 litre is the pick of the bunch in terms of offering speed and handling. In this version of the car, you’ll feel as if you are in a sporty type of roadster. Although the car isn’t designed to be the fastest, the 1.8 does grip the road quite well and feels firm on the road. All models offer quite a comfortable and firm ride over poorly conditioned roads, which may come as quite a surprise for a car in this type of class.
Interior
The interior is quite attractive and very neat looking. There are metal pedals giving the car a sportier feel. Roadsters should give away that element of style and edginess within, which the Tigra does quite well. The boot space is also quite generous for a car in this type of class. There are also convenient storage spaces behind the front chairs. The automatic folding roof is easy to manoeuvre and is quite easy for anyone to get used to.
Costs
Considering this car is now available as a second hand car, you’ll be able to find a decent one for around £5,000 or less. The fuel economy is very decent and servicing the car also comes at a very cheap price. Running and maintaining a stylish roadster usually comes at a premium. This car is different, with the running costs one of the cars best assets.
Conclusion
The Vauxhall Tigra isn’t a car for sports enthusiasts who require plenty of speed. It’s a car that offers style and is designed for the more casual driver. For that type of motorist, we believe the car is near perfect.
The Vauxhall Insignia was always going to have big boots to fill after replacing the superb Vauxhall Vectra.
This car hasn’t let the company down in any respect, with sales figures very respectable indeed. This year the Vauxhall Insignia rose to prominence, with 2011 expecting to be the best year ever in terms of sales.
Since 2009, the car has been a tremendous asset to the company. It has perhaps taken Vauxhall and the whole automotive industry by surprise. So far, a total of 109,745 of them have sold since its launch. It is commonly known to be the best performing car in its class. That in particular comes as a massive achievement, with outstanding cars such as the Ford Mondeo and the BMW 3 Series being placed in the same category. It has even won the prestigious European car of the year award. The UK isn’t the only country for the Insignia to see major success, it has been the same throughout Europe.
Our review discussed everything great about the car. We mentioned that there is plenty of variants available offering diversity to suit all drivers’ tastes. The car looks sporty and luxurious at the same time, with a high emphasis on safety too. You’ll get a tremendous amount of practicality as well as very cheap running costs, with the diesel models in particular offering a great return on fuel in particular. Petrol engines also run quite efficiently within its class.
The Vauxhall Insignia has been successful with continuous improvements throughout its timeline. One of the most recent significant upgrades has seen the car installed with a REPS system (Rack Assist Electric Power Steering) as standard. The whole idea is to save energy in terms of the cars steering, meaning the hydraulic steering pump is not used when it is not needed to be used.
There will also be a Front Camera within the car. This represents a significant milestone for the company as they haven’t previously used this type of technology within any of their previous cars. It is a way of the car reading road signs and preventing the car from having an accident. The technology reads whether the car is travelling dangerously close to the vehicle ahead, sending a warning if it is.
Is the Vauxhall Insignia a welcoming replacement to the Vauxhall Vectra? Based on its current achievements it would appear so.
The Vauxhall Vectra was surprisingly taken out of production, after a successful 7 years on the UK market.
When it was available, it was an extremely popular car and very common amongst our roads.
We look at our favourite points on the latest model that was released.
Practicality
We like to start off on what we think is strongest point about the car in our reviews. The drive and handling is superb on the car but the immense practicality within the vehicle has just edged that factor out.
The sheer size of the vehicle will immediately give away that the car is roomy. When sitting inside, you will not be let down by the first impression.
Four adults are able to sit quite comfortably, with a fifth also to sit on comfort in some cases. There are a couple of handy storage spaces, with the glove box containing a lot of room.
The boot is large enough to store luggage as well as large bags alongside it, with 500 litres of room.
Drive and handling
As mentioned before, we are a big fan of the car’s smoothness on the road and agility too.
Passengers are unlikely to complain of the road’s bumps and of an uncomfortable ride. The Vauxhall Vectra rides over bumps very well, sometimes as if they are not even there.
The wind and engine noise is kept down to a minimum. There is a nice and quiet atmosphere within the car for everyone to feel at ease. In most types of adverse weather and road conditions, the car will remain solid and comfortable.
The handling on the vehicle is so good that the driver will feel as if they are driving a much smaller and lighter car. It is certainly a car for the type of driver that likes excitement and fun when on the road.
Looks
The Vauxhall Vectra is very attractive and has a great appeal to it. Although it is designed for the modern day family, it has a sporty look to it.
Conclusion
The car was eventually replaced by the Vauxhall Insignia, which on all accounts has been quite successful. However it could be argued that many would still like to see the Vauxhall Vectra make a return.
A significant new landmark has been reached by Vauxhall’s Cheshire manufacturing plant. The 100,000th Astra Sports Tourer has left the production line in the Ellesmere Port factory. Many people not only in the company but throughout the automotive industry are sure to view the news as quite pleasing and quite significant.
Higher sales overseas
Since 1962 when the plant opened, it has produced many different types of Astra’s, with this one being one of the most successful export selling cars.
The car is mainly sold outside of the UK, with it being exported to different continents such as South America and Africa, with European countries such as Germany selling the car very well.
The car only launched a year ago in September 2010. It is said to have had 6,316 sold in the UK within just 9 months. This figure is more than quadrupled in Germany within the same time period where 29,622 were sold.
Eco-friendly plant
The Vauxhall plant isn’t just one that prides itself on tremendous work ethic, with a target of 47 jobs being completed on an hourly basis, but the plant also has tremendous environmental credentials too. It has received awards for how “green” its way of operating is.
Car companies are not only creating cars that are safe to the environment, but their factories are also tailored to run in a non-polluting way too.
What’s good about the car?
It has great efficiency in terms of fuel and boasts great environmental benefits too. The practicality is perhaps its biggest selling point. Just by pressing a single button, the rear seats fold down to create an immense amount of space in the rear (FlexFold seating is available in the highest specification Se and Sri models) Throughout there are neat little storage spaces for valuables. It’s a great car for the family to travel in comfort. They’ll be able to store luggage as well as shopping.
Certainly a great contender to the Volkswagen Golf Estate.
The 2,100 employees who work at the factory have every right to be proud of themselves. They are the only plant within the whole country to produce and roll out the Astra Sports Tourer and are sure reach more milestones like this in the future.
Speculation was rife about Vauxhall releasing a new rival to the Citroen C1 around a month ago. Dubbed the “Vauxhall Junior”, the car was spied upon during a test by Vauxhall, with the car being typically covered in black (as with all unfinished products from automotive manufactures)
It has been headlined as a rival to the MINI too, with its small dimensions being the same as the MINI hatch. It could be a revolutionary type of car for Vauxhall, with it being designed in a slightly different way. What do we mean by that? There is said to be new luxury interior and high quality materials. However all of that is said to come at a price that represents all of that extravagance.
Concept city cars as well as those currently in production are branded as fun and exciting to drive. The Vauxhall Junior is no different. Branded as quite an engaging car to take for a spin, expect to hear more from the type of enjoyment it will provide in the near future.
Not too much is given away at present with the images released. As mentioned before the car is completely covered in black around the test track. One feature that can be safely assured of is the boomerang headlight, as seen on the upcoming Ampera. This seems to be the future of the design of Vauxhall cars. However keep noted that it hasn’t yet been confirmed by the German automotive company.
General Motors, a partner in Vauxhall, are said to be involved in the development of the next-generation engines that are to be installed upon the car. Being a small city car, it comes as no surprise that the Vauxhall Junior will have a petrol engine as small as 1.0 litre, with tremendous environmental credentials. The car is will emit just 100g/km of C02 whilst achieving a brilliant 80mpg. So far, the car really does sound like it will be a hit.
The car is said to cost around £11,000 and will be able to purchase in 2013. The company are already promising that it will be an exceptional car. It all sounds very exciting so far, but will the Vauxhall Junior live up to all the hype?
More and more car manufacturers seem to be bridging the gap between computers and automobiles. Vauxhall have joined suit by introducing an iPhone application called “Vauxhall Road Trip”.
Working differently compared to a typical journey or route planner, the new Vauxhall app calculates the cost of fuel as well as other business expenses too. The application will target businesses that provide their staff with company cars as well as anyone else. It will be a very useful way of calculating expenses, saving time and reducing common errors. Hassle is saved with employees as well as the business, who typically find it a bother to recoup travel expenses. Fleet car companies will especially find the new Vauxhall app very appealing.
The application has a memory of favourite destinations so data doesn’t have to be continually entered. This feature makes it very useful for employees who drive company cars, with their common routes saved within the application.
The reporting system represents some clever functionality by the company. Reports of expenses and trips are able to be e-mailed to the appropriate members of staff within your company via a CSV file. Confidential data is able to be backed up and accessed on different digital devices. Password protection is also an option making your valuable data as secure as possible.
Reviews so far have been very positive for the Vauxhall app, according to Apple’s official website. You’ll be able to use the app on the iPod touch and iPad, as typical with most of the Apple applications. However the iOS must be at least 3.1.2.
The new development from Vauxhall is a great way of expanding the companies’ horizons. With them joining the current smart-phone app boom, they are exposed to different markets bringing which potentially brings about more eventual profits. What’s special about it all is that that it isn’t just restricted to Vauxhall owners, it is available for anyone to use. All vehicles from any manufacturer are said to available for entry.
This is sure not to be the last application from a car manufacturer dedicated to smartphones and other digital devices.
What’s even better is that the Vauxhall app comes completely free. Simply search for Vauxhall Road trip on the Apple App Store if this sounds it will be beneficial to your company.
Vauxhall UK factories have just received praise from CEO Karl-Friedrich Stracke regarding their work and commitment.
It seems that they are now in line for further tribute, as they have helped the UK automotive industry grow.
Supply contracts signed up quicker than expected
Vauxhall are said to have achieved new supply contracts worth £175 million. This may come as quite a surprise to many as the deals were actually achieved ahead of schedule. The original deadline was the end of next year. Thanks to the new deals that were reached, Vauxhall are now committed to spending £35 million yearly to their UK suppliers. This represents a healthy outlook for the UK automotive industry. Products that will be supplied include parts such as suspension springs and exhaust systems plus many more.
Promising young workers being hired
They are also dedicated to bringing about more automotive jobs, especially for young people. The employment of 39 apprentices as various Vauxhall factories in order to develop their skills within the Vauxhall is testament to that fact.
The company see young workers as their future. Building their skills and knowledge will allow the young employees to grow with the company. This will create a much brighter future with more stability. Skills learnt will be a mix of business skills as well as technical manual engineering.
More productive staff
In order for the company to improve, it was decided that the production line should be faster yet keeping it effective. This was agreed by 268 employees to make the production line faster than ever.
Getting better and better
The company really do seem like they are growing from strength to strength over the UK. It has been mentioned that the company’s reputation was quite badly damaged within the automotive industry during the recession. Their recent success mentioned here accounts for them rebuilding their reputation and making excellent progress.
The 500,000th Vauxhall Vivaro was also recently rolled out, marking a great amount of success. The Luton plant where it was made has achieved something truly remarkable. The van continues to be one of the most popular in the UK and is one of the reasons for the company doing so well in the UK.
Dedicating themselves to employing youth, exciting new models to be released, encouraging business developments among many other positives bring will come as welcome news to all involved.
It would certainly appear that Vauxhall alone account for how well the automotive industry seems to be picking up. With the upcoming Ampera, the company’s future looks very bright.
In a welcoming piece of news, the chief of Opel/Vauxhall has recently been full of praise for staff who works within their UK Vauxhall factories.
However there have also been warnings that work must improve if the company are to increase business and gain more profits. He stated that one reason could be due to the fact that the company are depending on fleet and rental markets too much. The company have stated that retail sales need to increase, as this is the main source of profits.
Nevertheless that shouldn’t deflect on the hard work and great praise placed upon Vauxhall’s staff. Staff within Vauxhall’s factories have been commended by Karl-Friedrich Stracke, the CEO of the company. The specific plants in question are the Ellesmere Port and Luton plants. His exact words were “The work at Ellesmere and Luton is world class. Ellesmere’s absentee rate is the lowest of any plant in Europe – very impressive. Luton is an amazing operation, with almost no robotisation but still with a fantastic efficiency rating.”
The recent praise of Vauxhall factories seems to be justified with the Luton plant announcing yesterday that the 500,000th Vivaro has been created. It took over a 10 years for that figure to be reached. The Vivaro itself is a van that is developed in partnership with Renault. The second generation of the van will developed at the plant too, with an estimated 1,500 jobs saved.
The Luton plant has also been touted as a potential production plant for the highly anticipated Vauxhall Ampera. It would be quite an honour for the plant to develop this vehicle. However the destination of where the electric vehicle will be created is still unknown. It may not even be in Europe.
It is of no surprise that demand for the Vivaro is very high. It mixes practicality, high economy credentials and is a comfortable ride at the same time.
Vauxhall seem to be doing very well in rebuilding their reputation since the global economic crisis, which was said to take a hit during that particular period. Vauxhall factories are on top of their game, with the UK based plants helping to enhance their reputation.
When looking at the new Vauxhall Astra GTC, you immediately think of the Volkswagen Scirocco. Vauxhall themselves have already stated that the Renault Megane along with the Scirocco as its immediate rivals. That’s certainly a tough market to crack.
It will naturally join the sport coupe class with a target of being the best car to handle within its class.
A tough feat to beat, the Scirocco has been praised by many car experts for its handling. The “stability and precision” of the car is something that is unmatched according to Vauxhall. This is said to be the major attribute in the cars selling point in swaying others away from its rivals. Will it actually work? If drivers want a car that handles great wouldn’t they opt a dedicated sports car for the same price?
Vauxhall surely won’t be banking on just the handling to make the car a hit. There are plenty of other brilliant features about the car that will make it very attractive to prospective buyers.
We mentioned that the car looked like a Scirocco. Bearing that in mind, it’s obvious to say that the Vauxhall Astra GTC doesn’t look like your typical Astra. It sits 15mm lower than the normal Astra and has a wider frame. This naturally helps the performance of the car and makes it looks a lot different, but in a good way. The aggressive and sporty looks will be a great selling point for the car. 20inch wheels will also add to the appeal, with them blending in superbly with everything looking in great proportion.
There will be a decent range of engines available too. They include both petrol and diesel. There will be a 2.0 litre diesel that produces a decent 163bhp. The 1.6 petrol will produce 178bhp and will be turbocharged. Two 1.4 petrol’s will also be made available with an output of 118bhp and 138bhp.
After the car’s premiershwoing at the Frankfurt Motor show this week, it has been predicted that the car will do very well.
It will set you back £18,495 with the highest spec costing £22,430.
The Vauxhall Astra GTC already has 15,000 pre orders. Could this car be a stroke of genius from the German company?
The new Vauxhall Zafira price tag will be £21,000, it has been announced. This week at the Frankfurt Motor Show the latest model which will be the “Tourer” was unveiled and paraded in front of thousands of fans.
The price has been set for the ES 1.8 which will be the entry level car. It is said to have a generous 140bhp, a generous amount of power for a car of its class it would appear.
It is known as one of the most versatile and unique 7 seater vehicles. The typical size that you may associate with a 7 seater is not seen on the Zafira. However the new model has been made slightly bigger, with the length being 19cm longer and the track increased by 9.6cm.The new dimensions have ensured however that the car hasn’t lost their identity.
What do you get for £21,000?
The looks
The style and design of the mew Vauxhall Zafira looks fantastic and very attractive. Vauxhall’s next generation of cars seem to have “Boomerang” shape headlights fitted. If you buy the Vauxhall Zafira, you’ll certainly be purchasing a car that’s stylish as well as having a superb family car.
Equipment
For the £21,000 you’ll have air conditioning, six airbags, Flex7 seating along with a sophisticated sound system that includes a DAB.
Safety Technology
Safety technology is quite advanced in the new Vauxhall Zafira. As it’s a family car, it would appear that Vauxhall has placed a lot of emphasis on the safety of passengers, hoping this will help justify the cars price tag.
Safety Technology included
- Side Blind Spot Alert
- Advance Park Assist
- Side Blind Spot Alert
Practicality
There is a large boot space that can reach up to 1860 litres depending on the setup within the vehicle. The seating arrangement is more flexible and practical than ever before. Certain areas of the seating are able to be altered depending on the situation. Extra storage units are also placed within.
It’s hard to say whether the car can trump the market leader, the Ford S-Max and whether the price tag is justified yet.
Expect to see the Vauxhall Zafira available for purchase on the 1st November of this year.
