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The appropriately named Vauxhall Movano has plenty of advantageous features which have made it one of the best vans available on the market.
In 2010 the Movano received a facelift. We highlight some of our favourite features about the van.
In terms of storage capacity, the Movano is one of the largest in it’s class. There are different panel vans included in the van’s line-up which comes in four different lengths and three different roof heights.
The largest models are able to store a tremendous 17 cubic meters. It has a load length of 4.4 metres.
Towing trailers is also made very easy with the van being able to pull 3.0 tonnes worth of weight. The maximum gross train weight is said to be 7.5 tonnes.
Accessing the van is made a lot easier with the twin rear doors opening wide. With the wheel arches being designed to transport larger items easier.
Safety
The Vauxhall Movano is very safe indeed coming with a host of safety technology that make the vehicle one of the best in its class.
The safety equipment includes ABS brakes with brake force distribution. ESP electronic stability control is available upon rear wheel drive variants of the van. There are plenty of desirable extras in terms of safety equipment including seat integrated side air bags and headlamps with cornering lights.
Running Costs
The all-new 2.3 litre CDTi common rail engine offers fantastic economical ratings. All models return a respectable fuel economy.
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.
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.
A unique looking car, in a good way, the Vauxhall Meriva has been a welcoming introduction into the market for UK families since 2002.
It can be described as a mix between a small car and a MPV that has the best features in both types of vehicles. The look of it being a family car does widely spring to mind in terms of its exterior but the design is still quite attractive.
We take a look as to why we think the Vauxhall Meriva has been quite successful in the UK market in this review.
Comfort
Adults are able to sit very comfortably within. Bumps and humps aren’t felt a lot on uneven roads and it is one of the features on the car. The driver is able to sit comfortably with wonderfully laid controls on either side.
Practicality
Drivers who buy the car don’t get it for the style or blistering pace, but more for the practicality that it offers. Appealing to families, the back seats can adjust to create more space in any way you wish. It comes with a big boot as expected to fit more than just your everyday items. There plenty of storage spaces within to add to the cars practicality. The visibility of the road for the driver is brilliant too.
Owning the car
Everything is brilliantly priced with the car. This includes the price of purchase, insurance, petrol, tax and servicing. The car also holds its value very well too, making the Vauxhall Merviva even more an attractive proposition. The car is said to be able to produce a brilliant 57mpg, a wonderful figure on any car.
Safety
The car is very safe which is represented with its 5 star Euro NCAP crash test rating. All models come with stability control as well as twin front and side airbags. There is also stability control too which is a brilliant safety feature.
Conclusion
The car is a worthy alternative to the Citroen C3 Picasso or the Nissan Note. There are many more features of the car making it a worthy car to purchase, we have just highlighted a few. If you want a practical multi-purpose vehicle that is reliable, not too large and completely family orientated and then the Vauxhall Meriva is for you.
Vauxhall to rival the Volkswagen Nils
Vauxhall has revealed plans for a new concept electric car, which will be displayed at next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show.Not only will the company rival the Volkswagen Nils, but it will also rival the Renault Twizy and the Audi Urban Concepts.
What’s the name of the car?
The news is certainly a bolt from the blue, as no one had expected Vauxhall to release this type of car. It is so new that the name is still unknown, as Vauxhall haven’t officially revealed it as of yet, or any official images for that matter.
The design
From what we can see from the design released by Vauxhall, the new electric concept car will adopt a similar front design to the soon to be released Vauxhall Ampera, with the headlights appearing to be similarly shaped on both cars.
The back of the car is possibly the most interesting angle, with it designed like a motorbike. Overall the car has an attractive and futuristic design, looking very unique and is sure to appeal to many people. It certainly doesn’t look like your average car.
A dedicated city car for the future
The new Vauxhall electric concept will deemed as a city car, with excellent economical capabilities. It will be able to reach 60miles before recharging and will be able to reach a top speed of 75mph. It will be a great urban car that will also be suitable for motorway trips. The car will able to seat 2 people within.
Competitively priced and a good driving experience
The fact that will be small and very light (according to Vauxhall) means that it will have excellent agility. Vauxhall will be hoping to make their new electric concept car deliver an exciting driving experience to all drivers. Considering this, the car may appeal especially to younger drivers who are on a smaller budget.
As it is just a concept car there have been no plans for release. But could this be the future? Is the new way of urban transport and commuting small emission free electric cars? As mentioned earlier Volkswagen, Audi and Renault all plan to release concept city cars, meaning there could be some substance within the statement. Vauxhall will be hoping that their new electric concept car is the start of something new and will influence future plans for car development.
