Tuesday, March 17, 2009

The Vauxhall Van Range – A Great Alternative to the Transit

In recent years there was an enduring advertising campaign that stated, entirely inaccurately, that the Ford Transit was the backbone of Britain. Despite being a geological and geographical lie, one can’t deny the impact the Ford Transit had on businesses the length and breadth of Britain since it’s unveiling in 1965. The Ford Transit became so popular ‘Transit’ has evolved beyond a type of vehicle and has now become part of our lexicon. Many car manufacturers have tried in vain to get a piece of the lucrative white van man market, but have so far failed to make a solid, resounding impact. In recent years Vauxhall have thrown their hat into the ring and have been gaining favourable reviews from the automotive press. The question is; how do go about toppling the mighty Transit?

On paper, the people at Vauxhall have made a good start, currently offering five different models in their van range. The choices are Movano, Vivaro, Combo, Astravan and finally the Corsavan. The Movano is the daddy of the range, boasting a range of engines from 1.9 CDTi 82 bhp, right through to 3.0 CDTi 136 bhp. The larger engines all manage around 30 mpg, which isn’t too shabby in comparison with the competition.

Part of the Transit’s popularity came from its iconic looks, which have been altered over the years, but have remained recognisable as part of the fine Ford fleet. This is where Vauxhall’s efforts may falter slightly. The Movano and Vivaro, though both spacious and the very essence of practicality, lack any kind of aesthetic pleasure. To be completely honest, in red, the Movano looks a bit like Russ Abbott wearing a jimmy wig. The Vivaro, however, has a slightly confusing space-age design that is quite hard to describe. It is difficult to ascertain what Vauxhall were attempting to achieve with the Vivaro’s sloping windscreen and oddly shaped front-bumper and grill. First impressions suggest the vehicle was designed by Ming the Merciless.

That said, van drivers aren’t usually pieces of artwork themselves, so perhaps looks aren’t as paramount a concern as they are for your average car driver. What is important is practicality and performance; this is where the Vauxhall range really starts to impress. The Vivaro’s handling is excellent, even when carrying a heavy load and the driver and passenger comfort is superb for a van. The Vivaro’s turbo diesel engine uses a rail injection system that makes the van a considerably speedy mover as well.

The Vivaro, in particular, seems to be the van of choice from the Vauxhall range, having won the “Commercial Motors testers’ choice” award for 2004 and 2005. So the designers and engineers must be doing something right.

There is a sense of inevitability about attempting to infiltrate a market as sewn up as the one the Transit dominates. You can’t help but feel that the David and Goliath mentality will just result in thousands of unsold units sat in an industrial car park somewhere. This is a shame though, as Vauxhall have engineered genuinely good vans that deserve to command a larger proportion of the commercial vehicle market. It is unlikely that they will be able to knock the Transit off its perch (Ford had a 20 year head start after all), but with vehicles of this quality, Vauxhall should be able to at least rattle a few feathers.

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