Join us as we explore the world of Vauxhall with a compilation featuring their best reviews from Men and Motors.
Experience the in-depth analysis of Vauxhall's performance, design, and engineering, as our experts leave no detail unturned. Whether you're a Vauxhall enthusiast or simply curious about the brand's enduring legacy!
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© Men and Motors - One Media iP 2023
Experience the in-depth analysis of Vauxhall's performance, design, and engineering, as our experts leave no detail unturned. Whether you're a Vauxhall enthusiast or simply curious about the brand's enduring legacy!
------------------
Enjoyed this video? Don't forget to LIKE and SHARE the video and get involved with our community by leaving a COMMENT below the video!
Check out what else our channel has to offer and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to Men & Motors for more classic car and motorbike content! Why not? It is free after all!
Our website: http://menandmotors.com/
----- Social Media -----
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/menandmotors/
Instagram: @menandmotorstv
Twitter: @menandmotorstv
If you have any questions, e-mail us at talk@menandmotors.com
© Men and Motors - One Media iP 2023
Category
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MotorTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC]
00:10 The Vauxhall Frontera was generally acknowledged to be a pile of old rubbish.
00:14 It fell somewhere awkwardly between the lightweight off-roaders and the heavyweights
00:18 in price, specification and capability.
00:20 That makes it all the more surprising that Vauxhall took the decision to make the new Frontera
00:24 closely resemble its somewhat useless predecessor.
00:27 Having said that, it's still a pretty handsome car.
00:30 This is the new long wheelbase.
00:32 It's the V6 Limited.
00:33 It's the top of the range.
00:34 Leather everywhere.
00:35 And I'm going to get my muddy boots all over it.
00:37 [MUSIC]
00:51 The new Frontera has been widely praised for the improvements to the ride on the road.
00:55 And in this, the long wheelbase version, well, whilst a long wheelbase may bring penalties off the road,
01:01 on the road, that goes even further to ironing out the choppiness that might be associated
01:05 with a short wheelbase for the four.
01:07 That means it's actually quite a civilized place to be.
01:10 Despite being so high up and all the advantages of a 4x4 for that commanding driving position,
01:15 you could genuinely almost be in an ordinary family saloon.
01:19 And that air of civilization is added to by the pretty high specification.
01:23 This is a top spec version, but we've got electric and heated mirrors, heated seats to keep your body warm in winter,
01:29 and pretty much every other gizmo you're going to want.
01:31 The only thing lacking, and is lacking in every Vauxhall, is a sunroof, but then we do have air conditioning in here.
01:36 So, you can live without some luxuries.
01:38 This that we're driving today is the V6 engine version, and it's a lovely engine.
01:42 Very smooth, very powerful, very torquey, and it makes a great snarly noise.
01:46 Mated in this instance to an automatic gearbox, four speed, very smooth, changes very nicely.
01:51 You can get a five speed manual with the V6.
01:54 Also available is a 2.2 litre engine, which obviously has to be worked a little harder, but is perfectly capable.
01:59 And that's available with a manual gearbox.
02:01 You can get into one of these for less than £19,000 with the smaller engine version,
02:05 and perhaps lose a few of the bells and whistles.
02:08 Now, that's Land Rover Freelander territory, and to my mind, this feels far more substantial,
02:12 both on and off the road, it has a greater presence.
02:15 It's actually a bigger car.
02:17 Sure, as a 4x4, it can't compete with the top dogs, the likes of the Toyota Amazon,
02:21 but then they're up to twice the price.
02:23 So, you still do get what you pay for, and in the case of the Frontera, I think, you get perhaps a little bit more.
02:28 This is a 4x4 vehicle.
02:30 Throwing it through bends at enormous speed is never going to be a good idea.
02:34 But, with the V6 and with the 2.2, it's quite capable.
02:37 There's more than enough power, it'll cruise very happily at, easily at motorway speeds.
02:43 And, through the corners, it's actually very controlled.
02:45 It controls its substantial body weight very well.
02:47 It doesn't move around too much.
02:49 It's all held down really quite well.
02:51 The suspension has been pretty well sorted.
02:54 It may not be fair to hark on about the car's less than illustrious predecessors,
02:58 but I'm going to do it anyway.
03:00 And face it, the previous Frontera rattleshook and fell apart at the least provocation.
03:04 Vauxhall say the new one won't, and looking at it, I think they're probably right.
03:10 On the inside, it feels substantial and well put together, though not exactly interesting, it has to be said.
03:15 The dash, particularly, is stupendously bland.
03:19 Functional, no doubt. Well laid out, no doubt.
03:21 And probably not that rattly.
03:23 But bland, definitely.
03:25 Where it does score big points is in the back.
03:28 It's cavernous. It shames cars substantially larger.
03:37 There's an enormous amount of leg space, even with the seats in the front set a fair way back.
03:41 Headroom is certainly not in short supply.
03:44 And overall, you do feel not only high up, but for once, like there's plenty of space around you.
03:48 If you're tired of climbing into 4x4s the size of houses,
03:51 only to find that inside there's as much room as a Wendy house,
03:54 this is going to come as quite a refreshing change for you.
03:57 And the good news for space doesn't end there.
04:01 At the back, this boot is enormous.
04:05 And I mean cavernous.
04:07 This split opening tailgate in a Range Rover style is very handy in the supermarket car park.
04:11 The bottom half swings out like that.
04:14 And one reason there's so much space in the boot is that the spare wheel is very sensibly being put here,
04:18 rather than inside, taking up half your useful boot space.
04:21 The new Frontera's off-road credentials seem fine.
04:26 It has a proper selection between high and low on the four-wheel drive system,
04:30 and it can be remotely switched in and out of two- and four-wheel drive.
04:34 There are two different modes for sport or for slippery conditions driving,
04:38 all of which means it is pretty capable on the rough stuff.
04:41 (music)
05:09 Where the Frontera starts to really make sense and win out against the opposition
05:12 is when you bring the price into the equation.
05:14 Bear in mind this is the top spec, top of the range, it's the V6 limited long wheelbase.
05:19 That makes it a pretty special, as we've seen, it's pretty highly specified.
05:22 And bear in mind that it feels as substantial as 4x4s,
05:26 effectively a class up as the real big boys of the 4x4 world.
05:29 And then look at the price.
05:31 For this version with an automatic gearbox, you're going to be looking at about £24,000.
05:35 £1,000 less for the manual gearbox version.
05:39 And that really is the kind of money you'd expect to pay for a lightweight 4x4
05:44 with a load of extra kit on.
05:45 Not what you'd expect to pay for something that can compete with the big boys.
05:49 That's when the Frontera really starts to win out.
05:51 And well done to Vauxhall.
05:54 It's also a car that doesn't mind getting its feet wet.
06:01 Now I'm going to bet that a Vauxhall didn't even feature on your list of cars
06:05 when you were considering what to buy.
06:07 But I want you to bear with me here.
06:09 And I'm going to be honest and up front.
06:11 I have gone way over budget.
06:13 £40,000 is the ticket price on this.
06:15 And for that, what do you get?
06:17 Well, you could say nothing more than a pumped up version of the Vauxhall Omega.
06:21 But that's not the whole story, because the easiest way to describe this car
06:25 is as a modern take on the old Lotus Carlton.
06:28 And if you remember that car, you'll know what I'm talking about.
06:31 This is a Holden, and it's Australian.
06:37 It is not, by any means, a subtle car.
06:41 In standard form, there is a 5.7 litre V8,
06:44 which belts out an enormous 340 brake horsepower.
06:48 Of course, that obviously isn't enough for some people.
06:50 This particular one is supercharged,
06:52 which takes us up to in excess 500 brake horsepower.
06:57 I'm not sure how hard it's going to appeal to the boy racer in you.
06:59 I'm not sure.
07:01 I suspect it's more for rocket-propelled businessmen
07:03 who want something that can do the job in the week,
07:05 and then at weekends, really, really scare the wife or the secretary.
07:10 OK, so, yeah, it is wildly over budget,
07:15 and the thing's probably too big and fat for your purposes anyway.
07:18 But come on, anything with a 5.7 litre, 500 brake horsepower V8 supercharged
07:26 has got to be worth a look, even if only out of interest.
07:29 I've got something like this at home, in my kitchen, only that one's white.
07:34 Still, at least it's got interesting upholstery.
07:37 Straight away, the Vauxhall feels a much more substantial car than the other two,
07:53 and it is a lot bigger. It's wider, longer.
07:56 One thing that surprises me is, yes, you do get an awful lot of space.
08:00 Quite a lot of it seems to be above my head.
08:03 Now, unless top hats come back very soon,
08:07 I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with that space.
08:19 Again, visibility is excellent in a town car. That's exactly what you want.
08:23 Also, the fact that I can gauge where every corner is means it's a doddle to park
08:28 and to get through narrow gaps, obviously not gaps as small as the Matiz or the Perodua.
08:33 But then again, think about it, an extra few inches here and there,
08:37 how many times, when it comes to parking,
08:40 does having a car that's three, four, five, six, eight inches shorter than another car
08:44 really make all the difference? Really.
08:48 I mean, the difference between a Volvo Estate and a Perodua,
08:51 yeah, that makes a difference in parking.
08:54 Between this and the Matiz? Yeah, same.
08:57 The driving experience is... well, it's not really an experience.
09:08 It's amazingly numb and very remote.
09:12 The gearboxes are a tad reluctant and the steering, well,
09:15 I've no idea which way the wheels are pointing until we start to go in a direction.
09:19 There's just absolutely no feedback, but you really can't criticise it for that.
09:23 It's not designed for that.
09:25 It certainly looks reasonably luxurious.
09:37 Perhaps luxurious is overstating it a little.
09:39 And actually, when you compare it to the Matiz, certainly,
09:42 it's got everything you need. Electric windows, electric mirrors, a CD player.
09:47 Can't have an air con next.
09:49 Where it falls down to my mind is in having any personality at all.
10:11 It is as bland as cling film.
10:14 It has nothing to say for itself whatsoever.
10:17 It has no interesting point apart from an odd amount of space above your head,
10:22 which I still don't understand.
10:39 It is again woefully slow.
10:42 It will go from 0 to 60, but you'll be old or just lose interest before it happens.
10:47 Allow half a day at least.
10:49 For the best part of seven grand in the Vauxhall Aguila,
11:00 you get a 12-valve, one-litre engine, but it's no firecracker.
11:04 60 miles an hour takes 17 and a half seconds.
11:07 On the plus side, there is quite a surprising amount of space
11:10 for what is still a very small car. You'll be able to park it anywhere.
11:14 This time, it seems, Vauxhall have sent Ruby all the way to Monte Carlo
11:24 to talk about this, the new Vauxhall Corsa.
11:27 So this is it. No doubt a few million pounds worth of investment,
11:32 the new Vauxhall Corsa.
11:34 It doesn't look a whole lot different, really, does it?
11:37 Save for this, the Vauxhall family grille.
11:40 The bumpers seem to be a little bit smoother,
11:42 and round the side there's some new rubbing strips down the side,
11:45 and hey, new wheel trims.
11:48 To be fair, there was nothing really wrong with the Corsa's shape in the first place.
11:52 It's still one of the cutest superminis around
11:54 and can hold its head up high in front of such radical rivals as Ford's car.
11:57 But where the Corsa really scores is on the inside.
12:01 It's one of the biggest interiors of any supermini, and that's worth knowing.
12:05 Now I'm six foot tall, and there are a few superminis that I can feel quite this comfortable in.
12:13 Most superminis, where there's a sunroof fitted, you lose a couple of inches of headroom.
12:17 But with this car, you've got a height-adjustable seat,
12:19 so I can take it down as low as possible,
12:21 and look, I've got about an inch to spare. Very comfortable.
12:24 What is more, there's plenty of stowage space inside, a good-sized glovebox,
12:28 I don't think I'd mind spending too much time back there either.
12:32 A decent amount of head and legroom.
12:34 Wouldn't be too uncomfortable on a long journey.
12:36 So there's plenty of room inside, with more space than, say, a Ford Fiesta or Volkswagen Polo even.
12:42 But what about the boot? That's crucial in a small car.
12:45 We know Ford's car has a minimal boot, and you can hardly get a week's shopping in there.
12:49 Look at this, I think I'll probably get a month's shopping in there.
12:52 What Vauxhall have also done is very clever.
12:54 They've put a new ratchet mechanism in this Corsa,
12:56 so with the split-fold seats you can adjust the amount of backroom,
13:00 or boot space that you've got.
13:03 Very ingenious.
13:05 So what else is new in the Corsa range?
13:08 Well, in this, the entry-level model, there's a brand-new 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder engine.
13:13 It has four valves per cylinder, and what 3-cylinders give you is a great deal of fuel economy.
13:18 There's less friction inside the engine,
13:20 so you'll be going past those petrol stations when you're used to be pulling in.
13:25 In addition to a new 1.0-litre engine under the bonnet,
13:27 there's a whole host of changes under the skin of the car.
13:30 Vauxhall have asked Lotus for their help in developing the chassis,
13:34 which in the old Corsa was well below the class standards.
13:37 Lotus's tweaks and adjustments have turned the Corsa into a fairly well-handling car,
13:42 and it now rides an awful lot better than it used to.
13:45 To put it into context, if you think of the old Corsa as riding on square wheels,
13:49 very uncomfortable.
13:51 The new one rides on octagonal wheels,
13:53 so it's a lot better, but still some way off the class best.
13:56 Whilst this engine struggles to get out of its own way,
14:00 it's pleasantly refined at speed,
14:02 and once it's up to power, the lack of performance doesn't really notice that much.
14:07 This car has got non-assisted steering,
14:10 but Vauxhall has introduced a new electric power steering with the 1.0-litre Corsa,
14:14 and in our experience, it's well worth investigating it.
14:17 In fact, it works better than the hydraulic system that you get on the bigger engine Corsas.
14:23 Like the exterior, the dash has remained pretty much unchanged.
14:26 All the dials are there, very easy to use,
14:29 they all feel quite well, and build quality is a strong point for this Super Mini.
14:33 Not changing things isn't really too bad,
14:35 because this has always been a good-looking car inside that works very well.
14:39 You've got the split-level display for the radio,
14:41 which also gives you the temperature reading,
14:43 and all the dials are very well laid out,
14:45 all the controls have a good quality feel to them,
14:47 so as Super Minis go, the look and feel of this inside is very good indeed.
14:52 One thing Vauxhall don't manage to do, despite many improvements,
14:56 is produce a gear change that shifts as fluidly as, say, a Ford's does.
15:00 This one, five-speed gearbox on the new 1.0-litre,
15:03 is still very stodgy, a little rubbery,
15:05 and if you really want to make some very swift progress, it does its best to hinder you.
15:09 Overall, Vauxhall have done a very good job with this new Corsa.
15:14 It's now a far better car than it ever was.
15:16 It rides and handles a lot better than the old car,
15:18 but it's still not quite up to the class best.
15:21 If I were to choose between this 1.0-litre car and a budget-priced Ford car,
15:25 I think I'd go for the Ford.
15:27 Its blend of style, refinement, and slightly more pace than this car,
15:31 gives it the edge for me.
15:33 It doesn't always pay to be the loudest in your class,
15:35 and just because a car's new doesn't mean it immediately has to be
15:39 the most expensive or the fastest, the biggest or the cheapest in its class.
15:43 At least, that's what Vauxhall would have us believe
15:45 when it comes to the launch of this, the new Astra Coupe,
15:48 their new entry into the ever-burgeoning lifestyle-led coupe market.
15:52 If you approach it stealthily and catch it by surprise,
15:57 particularly at the rear,
15:59 there's something of the glamorous Volvo C70 Coupe about it.
16:02 I don't know what it might be to do with the way the rear pillars
16:05 meet up with the bodywork or perhaps the shape of the glass,
16:08 but it does, and that's a good thing,
16:10 because Vauxhall are positioning their new Coupe
16:13 right in the middle of the market,
16:15 so it's neither a big glamorous coupe
16:17 nor a pocket rocket like the Ford Puma.
16:20 Don't let the rather conservatively designed exterior fool you,
16:23 because inside, they just go crazy.
16:26 There's a huge range of options to choose from.
16:28 If you go for leather, you can pick from three different colours,
16:31 or you can even have this, let's say, striking is the best way to put it,
16:35 alcantara and leather mix.
16:37 Then you can specify the colour of the centre console.
16:39 You can have this finish or a kind of bronzy one.
16:41 Then there's your dials, black or white.
16:43 Then there's surrounds on the dials.
16:45 They can be aluminium or chrome.
16:47 And there's all the bells and whistles in here, too.
16:49 We have all the toys we need to keep us entertained on a long journey,
16:51 so we've got a CD player as standard, air conditioning, of course,
16:55 and as a rather expensive optional extra,
16:57 this full-colour-screened interactive satellite navigation system.
17:01 There's certainly no shortage of kit in here.
17:03 And once you've specified it up to the way you want it,
17:05 it will probably be more or less unlike any other you meet.
17:09 (MUSIC)
17:11 There'll be three trim levels for the UK,
17:18 with the top spec reserved for the 2-litre turbo.
17:21 And good news, it comes ready boy-race-it-up for you,
17:24 with a special big chromey tailpipe adornment
17:27 and, believe it or not, coloured brake callipers,
17:30 as well as meaty 17-inch alloy wheels.
17:32 It must have been very tempting for the designers
17:36 just to take the ordinary Astra Sport chassis
17:39 and bung a nice slopey coupé body on it.
17:41 But bless 'em, they didn't. They worked a bit harder than that.
17:44 So they've modified the suspension quite a lot.
17:46 We've got firmer springs and increased damper rates, whatever that is.
17:50 We've also got a lot lower car,
17:52 so what you get is a much more coupé-like ride and drive.
17:55 Every panel of the coupé is entirely new.
17:58 The design comes courtesy of collaboration with Italian styling house Bertone,
18:03 in whose factory the car will be built.
18:06 Ah, yes, oily bits.
18:07 Well, you get a choice of three engines.
18:09 It starts with a 1.8-litre.
18:11 There's this, which is a 2.2, all-aluminium, completely new engine,
18:15 which is actually very, very strong.
18:16 It's got huge mid-range.
18:18 All the power seems to be up to and around 3,000 to 4,000 to 5,000 revs,
18:22 which is great for punting it between corners.
18:25 Then there is the top fire-breathing 2-litre turbo
18:28 with about 190-odd brake horsepower, 0-60 in something like 6.7 seconds
18:33 and a top speed of 149.
18:35 Quite fast.
18:36 The frameless doors, a real coupé styling cue,
18:39 were considered a must-have by the suits in charge.
18:42 And it may not have been easy to achieve.
18:44 It's always rather difficult getting pillarless doors to seal properly,
18:47 but it looks proper and it makes things easier when the cabriolet comes along,
18:52 which it will.
18:53 [MUSIC]
19:12 Do you know, I think they're right not to try and set the world on fire
19:15 with their new coupé.
19:16 If you want to be glamorous, buy a Fiat coupé.
19:19 If you want to zap around town at high speed, buy a Ford Puma.
19:22 If you want to be très elegant and chase the sun in the south of France,
19:25 buy a Peugeot 406 coupé.
19:27 But for punters looking for a good, solidly built,
19:30 probably very reliable and certainly very handsome coupé
19:33 from a big brand manufacturer for between 16 and 20 grand,
19:37 I reckon Vauxhall have just about got it sorted.
19:39 [MUSIC]
19:43 We're all the same.
19:44 We watch in trance as some long-haired Jesse in a velvet suit
19:47 paints some punter's walls puce on the telly in the name of interior design.
19:51 But then when we get to being cute, we head straight for the aisle marked beige.
19:55 It's the same with cars.
19:56 This is what we buy.
19:58 Okay, so the Vectra is hardly going to set your world on fire.
20:01 It's not a car you're going to have a post-op on your wall.
20:04 But it is a car used and driven by tens of thousands of people every day.
20:09 When you spend half of your life in a car,
20:11 you do start to notice even the smallest things.
20:14 So fleet buyers are a pretty demanding bunch.
20:16 No point giving the thing a pretty face
20:18 if your backside goes numb after an hour in the driver's seat
20:20 and there's nowhere to put your coffee cup.
20:23 The interior has been worked out to the tiniest degree.
20:26 Build and trim quality are improved over the outgoing model.
20:29 There's loads of adjustment for drivers to settle in for those motorway marathons.
20:33 And it manages to be extremely quiet once on the move.
20:36 On the car we tested, that 1.8-litre petrol engine is adequate, but no more.
20:41 This is a heavy car, remember.
20:43 But once you've got it up to speed, everything's fine in the cruise.
20:46 For the LS spec version, we got plenty of kit.
20:49 But then you would expect that in this sector.
20:51 Executives like toys, we all know that.
20:53 It's never going to feel like a razor-sharp racer, which is just as well.
20:57 Who wants to spend eight hours a day in a car that makes your spine ache?
21:00 It'll change direction quickly enough
21:02 and makes a good job of levelling out the tattier stretches of road.
21:06 As with all of these cars, it will lose money
21:08 as all the old fleet cars flood the market each year.
21:11 But that is good news, of course, for private buyers of used cars.
21:14 And who cares if big corporations lose their money anyway?
21:18 The old Vectra took boring to the level of an art form.
21:21 Any more boring, in fact, and it would have been entirely invisible.
21:24 So the new one didn't really have to do that much to beat it.
21:28 Vauxhall have created a much, much better car in every way, though.
21:32 Looks, ride handling and accommodation are all improved for the new Vectra.
21:36 Renault were the first two years ago.
21:38 The trend was being set in family cars by the introduction of the Scenic.
21:42 A superb yet simple idea.
21:45 Take one ordinary hatchback family car
21:48 and turn it into a high-roofed vehicle which can seat perhaps five or seven people.
21:53 And that's why the Renault Scenic has sold like hot croissants in the past two years.
21:58 540,000 built and sold,
22:01 and here in the UK they account for 42% of all Megane sales.
22:06 And most importantly, they take up no more space on the road than your average family car.
22:11 So bring on the next competitor, please, which is this.
22:14 The Vauxhall Zafira.
22:16 Now, interestingly, Vauxhall have stolen a march on their competitors like Ford and VW
22:21 with the introduction of the Zafira.
22:24 And, most importantly, over the Scenic, it seats seven people.
22:28 The flexibility of the new Zafira is amazing.
22:32 You can sit here or here.
22:35 On the second row of seats, you can sit here, here in the middle,
22:39 and as a fifth passenger, here.
22:41 But there's more.
22:43 And here's where Vauxhall steal a march on their rivals,
22:47 because this third row of seats gives you more flexibility.
22:51 You can sit here and finally here,
22:54 which should add up to one, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
22:59 Fantastic.
23:00 So the Zafira is the first genuine seven-seat mini MPV,
23:05 and what makes it interesting over its rivals
23:07 is that you don't have to mess about taking the seats out,
23:10 as in other MPVs.
23:12 You take them in, you take them out, you have to find somewhere to store them.
23:15 The seats stay permanently in here, and they're fairly easy to sort out.
23:20 First of all, to put these two back, we have to do that.
23:24 Lay that one flat there.
23:26 The same with this one here.
23:28 Lift that handle.
23:30 Lay it flat.
23:32 And then that second row of seats will just slide back.
23:40 Hey, presto.
23:42 And you've got all that load space back again.
23:44 When all the seats are up, there's really no load space at all.
23:47 But with it down, it's not bad at all.
23:50 So, can what is a genuine family car offer any sort of driving fun?
23:58 Well, actually, yes.
24:01 Now, I drove the new Astra over a year ago,
24:05 and its handling then was a complete revelation.
24:07 Superb work by Lotus engineers has made the Astra an excellent handling car.
24:12 The Zafira can't quite match that because of its higher centre of gravity,
24:16 but still makes a pretty good job of it.
24:18 So, at the moment, if you want a mini-MPV, well, there's the Scenic and this, the new Zafira.
24:23 But stand by, because lots of manufacturers are bringing out their versions.
24:27 There's the wacky Fiat Multipla, out soon.
24:30 There's also a focus-based one from Ford, a Golf-style from VW.
24:35 There's the Nissan Tino and the Mazda Primacy, all on the way.
24:39 They're handsome, they're stylish, and they're very clever.
24:42 They're the latest trend. Why not climb aboard?
24:46 Now, this is going to be a big year for Vauxhall.
24:50 It has to be with the launch of the new Astra.
24:52 General Motors chairman Jack Smith has already admitted that he's taken his eye off the ball
24:57 in terms of the European market, so the Astra really is a crucial car for them.
25:01 We got our first look at it about a year ago,
25:04 and now we get a chance to see it in the flesh and to drive it here in Austria.
25:08 And this is it. What do you think of it?
25:10 I quite like the look of it. Maybe it looks like a mini-Vectra,
25:13 but it has a new chassis, new floor pan, new suspension, and a new interior.
25:18 It is an all-new car.
25:19 Now, on the outside, I like the design. All the panels seem to fit very well,
25:24 and quality has certainly been paramount in the making of this new car.
25:28 It has a butch, slightly aggressive stance to it, but still unmistakably an Astra.
25:33 It'll come in a choice of three-door, a five-door, there's an estate,
25:37 and a mini-MPV, a la the Renault Scenic.
25:40 They're calling it the Zafira. It should be with us in about a year's time.
25:44 There are four petrol engines, a 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, and a 1.8, plus two diesels, a 1.7 and a 2-litre.
25:54 And also to follow quite shortly will be two hot versions, one perhaps even carrying the Lotus badge,
26:00 due respect to the work that Lotus engineers have put into the handling of the new Astra.
26:05 Plus, there'll be a cabriolet even further down the line.
26:08 It wouldn't have taken much to make the Astra handle, ride, and steer better,
26:13 plus the ability to stop quickly, rather than at its previous leisurely pace.
26:18 Now, the platform is totally new and will enable the Astra to come in a variety of body styles over the years to come.
26:25 It has a hydroform aluminium subframe on which the front suspension is mounted,
26:30 the coil springs, struts, dampers, and anti-roll bar.
26:33 Plus, the body shell is 80% stiffer than before,
26:37 which meant that the engineers could do away with a rear anti-roll bar.
26:41 So, the exterior of the new Astra we like, but step inside the cabin and the interior and be positively underwhelmed.
26:53 Well, it's not quite as bad as all that. Some of the early reports on this car were positively scathing about the interior, but we're not so sure.
27:00 It's not very inspiring, but everything is good and solid.
27:03 All the switchgear seems to work well and feels good.
27:06 The seats are comfortable, there's plenty of space.
27:09 There's some rather garish seat designs, which I wouldn't choose, but you might want them.
27:13 And also, maybe it's just lacking in that certain je ne sais quoi.
27:17 It needs a bit of spice. So much time was spent on the exterior that maybe the interior was forgotten about.
27:23 Now, this new Astra drives and handles like what it is, a new car, of course.
27:37 This 1.8 that I'm driving at the moment is a very free-revving car.
27:40 You put your foot down and it goes quite quickly, goes very nicely, handles well.
27:44 And General Motors went right back to the drawing board with a fresh piece of paper for this car.
27:50 That meant a new chassis, new floor pan, revised engines and a new suspension as well,
27:56 which was tuned in the end by their colleagues at Lotus, with particular preference made to the British style of roads.
28:04 And certainly the new Astra handles and drives like no Vauxhall before.
28:08 Now, the market sector that the new Astra is in is surely one of the most competitive.
28:12 There's the Peugeot 306, the Citroën Zara and, of course, now VW's new Golf.
28:17 There's the Escort and its replacement, the Focus.
28:20 Now, probably up until a few weeks ago, Vauxhall chiefs were very happy with the new Astra.
28:25 That was until the Geneva Motor Show, when all that changed and Ford unveiled their new Focus
28:33 and quite literally pulled the rug out from underneath its rivals.
28:36 Vauxhall and VW chiefs were probably stood there quaking in their pinstripe suits and lederhosen
28:42 as they looked at the radical new Focus.
28:45 And it almost makes the new Golf and this, the new Astra, look rather ordinary.
28:49 So, have Vauxhall succeeded with the new Astra?
29:17 Well, yes and no. On the negative side must be that cabin and the interior.
29:22 And rumours are that a new cabin and interior are already being worked on
29:25 and could be in the car in about a year or so's time.
29:28 And like for like, say, up against the Golf, the Astra's cabin is no match for it.
29:32 And it's no cheap car either. They're very similarly priced.
29:36 On the plus side, though, you have to say the way it looks and the way it handles makes up for it.
29:40 The engines are responsive, nimble and economical.
29:43 So what do you do? Do you wait over a year for the new Focus?
29:47 Do you wait a few months for the Golf? Or do you buy an Astra now?
29:50 Well, it's your money, it's your decision.
29:52 Me, I think I maybe just hang on a little and see how things go.
29:56 I'm sitting on the fence, I know. But make no mistake about it, this isn't a bad car.
30:01 Now, what we have here is the real fun part of driving the new Astra.
30:05 Deep in the heart of Austria, Vauxhall have closed off an airfield for us
30:10 and set up a special course to test out the dynamic capabilities of the Astra.
30:14 There's a slalom course, there's a high speed course,
30:17 and there's a long straight course.
30:19 And there's a long straight course, which is a bit of a challenge.
30:22 But it's a really fun course.
30:24 And it's a really fun course because it's a really fun course.
30:27 And it's a really fun course because it's a really fun course.
30:30 And it's a really fun course because it's a really fun course.
30:33 And there's, of course, the good old elk test that caught out the Mercedes A-Class so badly.
30:37 Hopefully it won't do the same with the new Astra. I'm sure it won't.
30:40 Let's go and try, shall we?
30:42 So first of all, there's this slalom test.
30:49 You've got to stay in the cones, of course, not knocking any of the cones off.
30:52 I'm taking it rather gently just at the moment just to get used to it.
30:55 Unlike the previous guy who took it very, very fast.
30:59 Now we're into the slalom course.
31:01 And this is in and out of these all the time, right the way through.
31:06 And we're heading now towards the brake test.
31:18 We've got to try and hit 100 kilometres an hour
31:21 before stamping on the brakes at this particular point here.
31:26 And it seems to do the job very nicely indeed.
31:32 Down to the end.
31:34 Turning it round.
31:36 Back up as a recommended speed of 60 kilometres an hour into this.
31:43 This is the good old-fashioned elk test.
31:49 Took a few cones with me along the way there, I'm afraid.
31:52 A lane change.
31:56 And finally down to the last corner.
32:04 And we go hard on the brakes in here.
32:11 Taking it fairly gently back round to the end.
32:17 [Music]
32:45 We've sold over 1.5 million Astras to date
32:48 and the car's never out of the top ten best sellers list.
32:51 Now this car represents a 1.5 billion pound investment
32:55 and we're very confident that it's going to become a number one best seller.
32:58 Small commercial vehicles.
33:09 Boring, uncomfortable, not the nicest thing to drive.
33:12 This is the new Vauxhall Combo.
33:14 Let's have a look at it, shall we?
33:16 This time Vauxhall have made a good job of the Combo.
33:20 This is a much more pleasing van.
33:22 The outside of it looks nice, the lines are nice.
33:25 It doesn't look like a car-derived van that's just come out of nowhere.
33:28 A bit more thought been put into this one.
33:30 The inside comfort is a bit better.
33:32 It's more stylish, it's more comfortable.
33:35 You can see through the windscreen a lot better.
33:37 It's a very, very deep screen on it.
33:39 It really does make driving this vehicle a pleasure.
33:43 Now we're sat in the driver's seat.
33:45 What is it like?
33:47 Very comfortable. Plenty of space here.
33:49 It does feel nice.
33:51 Not exactly what you'd expect from a small van.
33:53 So, let's go and see what it performs like on the road, shall we?
33:56 Come on, let's try.
33:58 Right, this particular vehicle's got a 1.7 turbo diesel engine in it.
34:11 And it's very responsive.
34:13 It does pick up, although there is a bit of lag between when you put your foot on the accelerator
34:18 and you can just feel that turbo coming.
34:20 Nice bit of torque again, though, certainly low down.
34:23 Now, this also has a lot of extra controls on this.
34:27 You have in this vehicle not only a radio, and it does also have a CD player,
34:33 you've also got on there sat navigation.
34:36 Now, all the controls can be got at from the steering wheel here, which is very nice.
34:42 You can bring anything up you want to, you can adjust the radio.
34:45 The trouble is, there is a lot of writing on there,
34:48 which would be very difficult to read while you were driving.
34:51 I'd suggest that you didn't try it.
34:53 The concept of a side-loading door is a very good idea.
34:57 Now, the only thing you will notice with this, the aperture's not very big.
35:01 Also, not very high.
35:03 When you're in here and you're unloading a big load, you lift up,
35:07 and I'm afraid you're going to get a very bad headache on there.
35:11 And there's also no padding or protection on the inside of that.
35:14 Not such a good idea, is it?
35:16 The cab itself is very large.
35:21 Storage space and place to put documents, there is a mass of them.
35:26 Now, the technical spec of this particular vehicle, which is the 1.7 DTI.
35:30 Now, for all you petrolheads out there, this particular vehicle has 165 pounds,
35:35 newton metres, at 1800 rpm.
35:38 Now, that's pretty impressive for a small engine like this.
35:41 You've got no cam bells to worry about, very cost-effective engine.
35:45 It also comes, as we've said, in dual fuel, diesel and petrol.
35:48 So, if you're looking for economy, think about it.
35:52 Okay, we've looked over the vehicle, we've road-tested the vehicle,
35:55 so what do we think of it overhaul?
35:57 It's a very nice little package.
35:59 Now, one or two problems we found out, also on the road test.
36:03 If you're very tall, you're going to have problems with the steering wheel.
36:06 It rubs right across the top of your leg,
36:08 there's no adjustment whatsoever on that steering column.
36:11 Secondly, which we find a very funny thing, on the passenger seat,
36:14 it doesn't slide backwards and forwards.
36:16 The back of it will fold down, plenty of space,
36:19 if you haven't got the cage in there, for carrying goods,
36:21 but the seat doesn't move.
36:23 But overall, the vehicle isn't bad at all.
36:26 It's economical, comes in petrol, diesel and in LPG, straight from the factory.
36:31 And really, it's not a bad colour, is it?
36:34 Okay, this is it. Ladies and gentlemen, brace yourselves, be ready,
36:37 because here it is, the new Vauxhall Vectra.
36:40 Look, it's got...
36:42 And then, the way the...
36:44 Well, okay. Vauxhall actually say there's 2,500 changes to parts in this car.
36:49 Small parts, obviously.
36:51 The headlights, new. Bumpers have actually been revised.
36:54 In fact, if we follow from the grille back here, this has been changed.
36:57 Bigger wheels have been put in. Some of these mouldings have been changed.
37:00 Actually, there's quite a lot. New rear tail lamps as well.
37:03 In fact, do you remember when the new Astra came out,
37:06 and we all said, "Oh, it looks a bit like the Vectra."
37:08 Well, the new Vectra looks a bit like the new Astra.
37:10 So there's a kind of family thing going on here.
37:13 But there's one acid test that we have to do.
37:16 And it starts here, and it's with this.
37:19 The hook. Basic.
37:20 Most people are going to spend most of their time in these cars,
37:23 with their jacket hanging up.
37:26 Of course, Mr. or Mrs. Rep is going to have a much posher jacket than mine.
37:29 We've got a hook and... Eureka! It works.
37:33 Then... there's something else equally, if not even more important.
37:38 These cars do millions of miles, millions of them.
37:41 And so, we've got to be comfortable.
37:44 And, uh... I'm not.
37:47 Problem is, they've introduced lumbar support to all of the seats in all of the cars.
37:50 And there's too much of it. My back's being pushed out.
37:53 And even though I'm only a little chap, I'm not denying it.
37:56 The seat squab is very short.
37:58 So even my little legs come over the edge of it.
38:00 For anybody who's of substantial height,
38:02 they're going to be running out of seat well before they run out of leg.
38:05 If you see what I mean.
38:07 Mind you, once you've settled in and got as comfortable as you can,
38:09 you've got to try the thing out on the road.
38:11 They're going to spend an awful lot of their time there.
38:15 (ENGINE REVS)
38:17 There's no denying it. Vauxhall are very clever.
38:22 In that they managed to engineer something
38:24 competently familiar about all their cars.
38:27 Get into any Vauxhall, and you'll feel instantly at home.
38:30 And the new Vectra is a great example.
38:32 The controls are generally all in the same sort of layout.
38:35 So you've got your lights down here on the right.
38:37 Heated controls, just the three dials down here on the left.
38:40 Ergonomically, it all makes quite a lot of sense.
38:42 On the subject of ergonomics,
38:44 there is one problem that I certainly have with a car.
38:47 Maybe that's because I'm not the tallest of individuals.
38:49 And that's with the positioning of the gear lever.
38:52 When it's combined with this handy elbow rest,
38:55 the gear lever is quite a long way back.
38:57 And I've got to be changing gear like this.
38:59 It's not particularly easy, and it doesn't make for slick gear changes.
39:03 We're told that the steering has been quickened,
39:05 that the response is now quicker.
39:07 I don't think that means the rack is a great deal quicker
39:09 in terms of lock to lock.
39:11 It does mean that your input gets to the wheels much more quickly.
39:14 Having said that, I don't think the information from the wheels
39:16 comes back to you more quickly.
39:18 If anything, the controls all do feel rather remote.
39:21 That includes the throttle and the brakes as well.
39:24 You do feel that whatever's going on is going on somewhere else.
39:27 You claim to have made 2,500 changes.
39:40 It doesn't look like there's 2,500 changes.
39:42 That's right, but that's actually not the most important thing
39:45 that you can see all the changes.
39:47 What really is important are the improvements we've made
39:49 under the Skinner to Vectra.
39:51 And the number one for us clearly is ride and handling.
39:53 Ride and handling really is an area where we feel
39:56 we've made great improvements.
39:58 And now think that we have a car which is great fun to drive,
40:02 but also comfortable to drive,
40:05 so therefore satisfies the needs that our customers have.
40:09 When you have a car that sells in the kind of volume that Vectra does,
40:12 and obviously that's why it's important to you,
40:14 because of the number of cars sold,
40:16 to what extent does that affect the way you make changes to it?
40:20 Is it a case of if it ain't broke, don't fix it?
40:23 It's less that, but what the challenge obviously is, as you say,
40:27 is you need to make sure that the changes you do make
40:30 appeal to a lot of people.
40:32 And these people don't necessarily lead the same lives,
40:34 therefore don't necessarily have the same requirements to the car.
40:37 So it's a challenging task for us to redesign the car,
40:42 but we feel that we've managed to come up with a very, very good solution,
40:46 and the customers will tell us whether we're right.
40:48 It could also be said that just the look of it,
40:50 it does look a bit more like the new Astra now.
40:52 This presumably is the new family look for you.
40:55 I'm actually surprised that you say that,
40:57 because I feel that particularly the front,
41:00 that's similar to the Astra,
41:02 but does not have all the styling cues the Astra has.
41:05 The most dramatic ones that we've made to the Vectra
41:08 are actually at the rear end, where we try to make the look,
41:12 and I think we succeeded in that, more substantial and to give it more presence,
41:16 but also to give it a bit more of a premium, upmarket look.
41:20 Wow, it was the drive of my life!
41:28 It was... well, no, it's not.
41:30 It's boring, it's bland, but to shout at the Vectra for being boring
41:33 would be like criticising a maths textbook for not being a riveting read.
41:37 That's not what it sets out to do.
41:39 A car like this has been honed over millions and millions and millions of miles driven,
41:44 and so you end up with... well, this.
41:47 It's not a bad car. The changes that have been made are worthwhile.
41:50 They might not be the most scintillating of changes, but they're a worthwhile effort.
41:54 There are problems in that cabin.
41:56 The seats are too uncomfortable, and they got worse,
41:59 and that gear change, frankly, became a nightmare after not very long at all.
42:03 Apart from that, well, it's a Vectra. It's very good at being a Vectra.
42:08 So perhaps the trade-off is the Vectra.
42:11 Now, a sporty Vectra isn't a new thing to Vauxhall,
42:14 but a sporty Vectra that can deliver what its badges suggest is,
42:18 as the last models were a far from thrilling ride.
42:21 Well, as Vauxhall's intensive advertising campaign has been telling us for the last few months,
42:25 this is an all-new Vectra, and it has to be said that men and motors were very impressed
42:29 with the 2.2 CDX model we tested on MotorWeek at the beginning of the year.
42:34 Now, I'm not so sure about the front end of the new car,
42:37 but the rest does look great and makes the Vectra seem altogether more grown up.
42:42 As this is the SRI, we get bigger alloy wheels, twin chrome tailpipes,
42:47 and, of course, that top-of-the-range 3.2-litre V6,
42:50 which is not only powerful, but has a good amount of torque.
42:53 To keep all that power where it's needed, the SRI also has traction control
42:57 and electronic stability units fitted.
43:00 Now, that classy exterior is taken into the cabin,
43:03 which really is well put together and feels very solid.
43:06 And if it's gadgets you like, well, this has got a lot more than the Subaru.
43:10 Now, of the three test cars, the Vectra was probably the one I was least looking forward to driving.
43:21 You get the feeling that you get in one of these and you hang your jacket up in the back and head to your sales meeting.
43:26 But I have to say, after a few minutes, I've been not pleasantly surprised.
43:30 This is something quite different from Vectra.
43:32 Now, OK, it doesn't have the performance of the Subaru,
43:35 but it does have a very sporty feel to it and that much stiffer chassis.
43:39 It's something that Vauxhall have really been working on.
43:41 They've stiffened it up and made it a lot more responsive and sporty, and it works.
43:46 Certainly, you've got a much better handling car.
43:49 Now, to keep you on the road, it has all the gizmos,
43:52 like electronic stability control and traction control.
43:56 But you need it because compared to the four-wheel drive of the Subaru,
43:59 all the power is coming out of the front-wheel drive here on the Vectra.
44:03 Now, the one thing with high-powered front-wheel drive cars
44:06 is they tend to get a little bit skittish when they get on uneven surfaces.
44:10 But the Vectra seems to hold its own very well.
44:13 It's very composed on the road, and that's a testament to this brand-new chassis that they've got.
44:18 Well, for all the stick that the last Vectra got, the new one deserves as much in praise.
44:23 It really is a nice car to drive, and the SRI format,
44:26 you do feel enticed by the B-roads rather than being put off by them.
44:30 As for fuel economy, well, the V6 engine isn't that much more thirsty
44:37 than the 2.2 four-cylinder at 28 to the gallon.
44:40 But, of course, those figures will drop dramatically
44:43 if the Vectra is driven hard for long periods of time.
44:47 And, like the Subaru, it has an attractive price tag when you look at all the kit you get.
44:52 I'm actually more impressed with the Vectra than I thought I might be.
44:58 And though it can't compete with the Subaru for performance,
45:01 it certainly has a sporty feel to it,
45:03 and its looks I think will appeal to more people than the Subaru's.
45:06 And the more I look at the Subaru, it's pretty ugly.
45:09 But what isn't ugly is the price of both cars, both under 21 grand.
45:14 Now, on this programme, when it comes to suggesting alternative cars,
45:18 we're usually very good about money.
45:20 We don't get cheeky and start pushing you over budget.
45:23 But just this once, I want to, because this is really special.
45:28 It's a Vauxhall VX220.
45:32 It's on a Y-plate, but it's an X-demo.
45:34 It's basically brand new with under 200 miles on the clock.
45:37 And it is 18,000, which is, I know, three grand over your budget,
45:41 but it is very special.
45:42 Whereas the other three cars are lovely little roadsters.
45:45 This is every inch a proper sports car.
45:48 In case you don't know already,
45:50 the VX220 is basically a Lotus Elise underneath,
45:54 re-bodied in what many consider to be a far prettier shape.
45:58 Its 2.2-litre Vauxhall engine is mounted in the middle,
46:01 and it is designed to be the closest thing you'll get to a race car on the road.
46:05 Above all else, it is a proper, no-compromises sports car.
46:09 Well, there's not a lot, but there is some luggage space.
46:13 I mean, there's room if you're off for a weekend,
46:15 for you and a pair of socks and pants, I suppose.
46:18 But it's not about this, anyway.
46:20 It's about this bit, the engine, and it's very good at that.
46:23 Besides, believe it or not, there are actually sports cars out there
46:27 with less luggage space than this.
46:29 Incredible. I mean, it's practically an estate car.
46:32 Thing is, you are going to have to accept that even though you are spending more money,
46:38 you're going to get less.
46:40 I mean, there's no stereo, no power-assisted steering,
46:43 no electric windows, no air conditioning.
46:46 Not very much at all, really.
46:48 In fact, it's not even easy to clamber into and out of,
46:51 and it's certainly not a dignified process.
46:54 But...
46:56 Oh, once you're in, even stationary, it feels exactly right.
47:01 Pin sharp, a sports car.
47:04 Get the thing going and...
47:07 It's the real thing. This is not a toy.
47:10 These all have really beaten off the competition
47:12 in the mass-market executive car sector.
47:15 The Amiga is one of the most popular-selling cars in Britain,
47:20 and it's seen off the likes of the Scorpio, the Rover 800,
47:23 although you still can get the Rover 800, but who buys those these days?
47:27 And other cars as well in that executive sector.
47:29 This is the newly restyled Amiga, and this is the top-of-the-range Elite.
47:33 It's very similar to the Amiga that was originally launched,
47:36 very few changes, just one or two minor changes at the front, the grille,
47:39 and at the rear. Interior's been changed a bit.
47:42 This is the Elite Amiga. This will cost you over £30,000,
47:47 which, to me, is rather expensive for a Vauxhall.
47:51 Now, the Amiga range starts at just under £20,000,
47:54 rising to just over £30,000, which is the price of this Elite estate.
47:59 But you do get everything on it. It's very well-equipped.
48:02 Leather upholstery, electric memory seats, climate control.
48:05 There's a satellite navigation system in there and a quality sound system.
48:09 You name it, it's got everything on it.
48:11 But would you really spend that sort of money on a Vauxhall?
48:15 You see, the problem for me about this car is this badge at the back,
48:19 the Vauxhall griffin.
48:21 It worries me, spending this sort of money on a car.
48:24 I mean, let's face it, not many private buyers
48:26 would spend this sort of money on a Vauxhall.
48:28 If it was your money, you'd put it into a BMW, a Mercedes, an Audi,
48:33 a Jaguar, perhaps. Would you really spend £30,000 on this car,
48:37 which perhaps in a couple of years' time is going to be worth
48:41 maybe half, maybe even less of what you originally spent on it?
48:45 And that, I think, is Vauxhall's main problem.
48:48 It's a fleet car.
48:49 It's not a prestige car in the terms of the prestige manufacturers
48:53 that we know and love.
48:54 It's a fleet car. You see these whizzing up and down the motorways.
48:57 It's a very comfortable car. There's bags of room.
49:01 Look at that. Plenty of room to get all your luggage in for the back.
49:05 Take the kids away, the dog in the back, the kitchen sink.
49:08 Who knows what else? You can do it in a car like this.
49:11 So, impressions of the Amiga.
49:14 Well, it's a very comfortable, very luxurious car to drive in,
49:17 and particularly well-suited really for motorway cruising.
49:21 It's great cruising on the motorway at 70 miles an hour or so,
49:25 maybe a little faster from time to time.
49:27 What it isn't so great at, we think, is high-speed driving,
49:31 perhaps down country lanes, really pushing it hard.
49:34 There's a lot of body roll there.
49:36 The suspension is very soft, and it tends to wallow a bit.
49:39 In fact, somebody who had this car over the weekend,
49:42 they took their kids out in it, and they were nearly all sick in it,
49:45 which doesn't really bear well for what is a very expensive car.
49:48 So that doesn't impress too much.
49:50 I think particularly the V6 3-litre engine in this Amiga Elite
49:54 is a little bit harsh when you push it hard.
49:56 It's got a sport button on this automatic gearbox,
49:59 which is great for getting going very, very fast, believe me,
50:02 but it does sound a bit harsh,
50:04 and perhaps the engine could have been dampened down a little bit
50:07 with more noise insulation to make that better.
50:10 The engine in the Elite is a 3-litre V6,
50:13 which, as I mentioned, sounds a little bit harsh at times when you push it hard.
50:16 204 brake horsepower, so there's plenty of power there,
50:19 0-60 time is about 8, 9 seconds,
50:22 and a top speed of 140 miles an hour,
50:24 so it's certainly quick enough if you can ever use that sort of speed on the autobahn, for instance.
50:28 One thing I wasn't very impressed with, though,
50:31 was the fuel consumption of the car.
50:33 According to the computer here in the Amiga,
50:36 it tells me that we were only getting an average of about 24 to the gallon
50:40 over a touring route, which seems a bit thirsty for this sort of car.
50:44 It should be producing perhaps 30 or so.
50:47 24 sounds rather a lot to me.
50:50 So what's the gadget count on the Amiga Elite?
50:53 Well, we ran out when we counted up to about 333.
50:56 There are so many gadgets on the car.
50:58 There's Traffic Master, which tells you if there are traffic problems coming up ahead.
51:03 However, the button and the indicator for the Traffic Master
51:06 is hidden down here on my right-hand side, out of the way, and you can't really see it.
51:11 And sometimes it's a little bit frightening when you press the button and this voice jumps...
51:14 "10-6-0-2, Westland, traffic flowing freely."
51:18 There we are. A voice jumps at you, telling you what's happening.
51:21 Also, it's got Karen Phillips Navigation System on it,
51:25 which, again, is a little bit obscure.
51:27 The screen for it's down here, out of the way,
51:30 and it takes a bit of a while to program it up,
51:33 and really you need to be stopped to have programmed it in.
51:36 And I still prefer the versions that have a complete map
51:39 where you can actually see what you're going,
51:41 whereas just entering a location that you want to go to
51:44 and the car will point you in the right direction, hopefully anyway.
51:47 What else has it got on it?
51:48 Well, it's got a very impressive computer system
51:51 that gives you average fuel consumption, instant fuel consumption,
51:55 how much range you've got on your tank of petrol if you're driving at a particular speed,
51:59 and a countdown stopwatch, things like that.
52:01 All sorts of stuff on it.
52:03 Good sound system, Bose sound system in it as well.
52:06 Very, very gadget-laden car. Plenty to go at.
52:10 So, my final impressions of the Vauxhall Amiga,
52:12 the Elite version that we've had on test.
52:14 It's a very good, it's a very competent car.
52:18 It has some concerns, though, particularly about the driving position,
52:22 and a lot of owners of Amigas have complained
52:25 that the front seats lack support and are not very comfortable,
52:29 and there are some concerns over that.
52:31 Also, the cost of a car like this, £30,000 plus.
52:35 As a private buyer, surely you wouldn't put your money into this.
52:38 You'd go for a more respected luxury brand than a Vauxhall.
52:42 You'd go looking for a good second-hand version of an Amiga,
52:46 which can be picked up at many good Vauxhall dealers or independent dealers,
52:50 all the car supermarkets that are springing up all over the place these days.
52:53 And particularly the lower-end Amiga range is very, very good value for money indeed.
52:58 Prices start at about £12,000 for an N-reg Amiga,
53:01 which is not bad for a quality executive express.
53:04 We wonder what Vauxhall are going to replace this car with eventually,
53:07 because it's getting close, probably, to the end of its shelf life.
53:10 And rather interestingly as well, in America, the Amiga in this shape is badged as a Cadillac.
53:16 Now, in America, the Cadillac, of course, is a brand of luxury,
53:19 and it's interesting to see that Vauxhall have brought the Cadillac
53:22 across from the States to Britain in the shape and form of the new Seville,
53:26 which is not a replacement for the Amiga in no shape or form,
53:29 because it's very much more expensive.
53:31 But it should be interesting to see how Vauxhall are going to cope
53:34 with the introduction of a new model to replace the Amiga.
53:37 Amazing, isn't it, how things come back round in fashion again.
53:40 No sooner have you mothballed your favourite tank top,
53:43 than you find it's very much de rigueur down at your local boozer.
53:46 There is even a rumour that the same goes for holidays,
53:49 and that canal boat trips will be very much the thing to be seen doing next year,
53:53 though, er, I can't see it myself.
53:56 The same rules apply to cars, though, and the hot hatch,
53:58 which disappeared in the late '80s, killed off by cruel insurance,
54:02 is enjoying quite a strong resurgence.
54:05 Now, we have spoken about this before on the programme,
54:07 and we've seen some of the latest newcomers, such as the Saxo VTS,
54:11 but what about the old stages, the real old hot hatches we remember from our youth?
54:15 Well, Ford's XR3i may be long dead and buried,
54:18 but Vauxhall would say they've never been away with hot versions of their Astra,
54:22 and this, the SXI, is the latest.
54:25 (music)
54:28 In the Astra's various incarnations, it's gone from very boxy,
54:39 through being swoopy, then to the decidedly middle-of-the-road Mk3,
54:43 ending up now in a combination of straight and curved lines,
54:47 in what is probably the most resolved and grown-up design yet.
54:50 Whilst the exterior, if admittedly rather conservative, is finished and complete,
54:55 the interior, well, frankly, it's a bit of a disappointment.
54:58 Dull and rather boring. Best ignored.
55:01 Now, the previous version of the Astra may have been as sophisticated
55:04 as an Australian football team's annual Christmas party,
55:07 but the new one is a whole new kettle of fish.
55:10 As you'd expect, that's mainly because the handling has been tweaked by Lotus,
55:14 which explains why it handles, well, really, so well.
55:17 Given that it's up against the likes of the Ford Focus,
55:20 which in particular has a reputation for handling very nicely,
55:23 thank you, it's going to have to perform.
55:25 And it does deliver. It's very, very pliable, very comfortable to drive.
55:29 It doesn't feel threatening or challenging.
55:31 But as soon as you start to push it, you recognise it's actually got what it takes.
55:35 Start to push it hard through any kind of corner,
55:37 and you just know it's going to deliver.
55:39 It's very communicative. There's plenty of feel through the steering.
55:42 And as soon as you feel it start to break away and strain the grid,
55:45 if you lift off, you'll get that pre-programmed lift-off understeer,
55:49 which basically means you can feel the back end start to come round
55:52 in a very controlled manner, and the car turns in evenly into the corner.
55:56 As soon as you apply the power again, it neutralises and balances itself.
55:59 The result of that is it's very easy to drive fast on the limit
56:03 and feel it just drifting nice and controllably.
56:06 In normal daily life, though, what you get is a comfortable, shoppable car.
56:10 Whilst the steering and handling are perfectly acceptable for the class,
56:14 the brakes are a bit of a letdown.
56:16 There's very little feel at the pedal, and it's very easy to lock a wheel.
56:20 This SXI has the 1.8-litre engine, which is perfectly acceptable.
56:24 It makes a great noise when you start to push it.
56:27 Most of the power is in the middle of the range.
56:29 It's not about top-end thrashing around at high engine speeds.
56:32 It costs about £13,695 for this car.
56:35 Or for £13,695, you can have the 1.6-litre version.
56:40 Same price. So I guess you're going to go for the 1.8.
56:44 (MUSIC)
56:47 If you like your hatchbacks prepared the way I favour my curries,
56:58 warm but not too hot, then you're spoiled for choice at the moment
57:01 because that's the way the market seems to be going.
57:04 Maybe it's a result of us all getting older and more sensible.
57:07 So if you've got the Tindaloo that is perhaps the Saxo VTS
57:11 or the hot new Clio Sport, maybe the other end of the scale
57:14 is the rather overweight Golf GTI. That would be a Corma.
57:18 This then lies somewhere in the middle, a sort of Vauxhall Rogan Josh.
57:22 And as that, it makes a lot of sense.
57:25 (MUSIC)
57:29 (MUSIC)
57:32 (MUSIC)
57:35 [BLANK_AUDIO]