Vauxhall
With a history that dates well back into the 1800s, Vauxhall is a British manufacturer that produced its first car in 1903. It still makes cars in this country, and the top selling Astra is built at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire. A strong range of family friendly vehicles, from the Corsa supermini to the Antara SUV, ensures that Vauxhalls are a common sight on our roads.
Vauxhall Adam
The Vauxhall Adam is a breath of fresh air for the British car maker. It marks Vauxhall's entry into the stylish city car class, and is designed to rival models such as the Fiat 500, MINI and Citroen DS3. To that end, the Adam comes with a massive list of optional extras so that buyers can personalise their cars to their own tastes. However, Vauxhall is offering this service at competitive prices, with the range starting at less than £12,000.
Vauxhall Agila
The Agila city car is built for Vauxhall by Japanese firm Suzuki, which produces its own version called the Splash. Both cars share broadly similar looks, including the tall body that creates lots of headroom and a spacious feel for the cabin. Practicality is boosted thanks to rear seats that fold flat, offering lots of luggage space. There are three engines to choose from, and the Agila isn’t bad to drive. The car's main problem is that Suzuki's Splash is cheaper and better equipped.
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Vauxhall Ampera
The hybrid Vauxhall Ampera looks radical, and it has some radical technology beneath the skin. It's described by Vauxhall as a "range extending electric vehicle". That means the wheels are turned by an electric motor, but a small 1.4-litre petrol generator supplies the motor with electricity when the battery runs flat. So unlike conventional electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf, the Ampera doesn't have a limited range. In fact, the Ampera can also go a lot further than a conventional car between fuel stops. Inside, the cabin has a futuristic look similar to that of the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius thanks to its attractive wraparound dash and LCD centre console, but quality is a major step ahead.
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Vauxhall Antara
The Antara is Vauxhall's rival to the Toyota RAV4 and Hyundai ix35, and is the spiritual replacement to the Frontera, which went out of production in 2003. It's stylish inside and out, and now comes with Vauxhall's 100,000-mile Lifetime Warranty. However, the diesel engine is noisy and clattery, doesn’t offer that much power, and its handling isn’t as precise as rivals. The boot is on the small side, too.
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Vauxhall Astra
The new Astra features a quality and solidity that's right up there with the Volkswagen Golf, especially in its impressive interior. On the road it's comfortable, and even rivals the Ford Focus. As a range, the Astra will be a very strong contender in the family hatchback segment - there is a huge amount of choice. The practical estate and sporty three-door GTC coupe model help to extend the appeal of Vauxhall's latest family hatcback.
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Vauxhall Cascada
Vauxhall's stylish four-seater convertible it pitched as a cheaper alternative to the Audi A5 cabriolet, which the entry-level Cascada undercuts by £8,000. The equipment list includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED tail-lamps and USB connectivity as standard. It also sports Vauxhall's HiPerStrut front suspension system, which is used in he high-performance Astra VXR. The convertible's fabric roof opens electronically in 17 seconds at speeds up to 30mph. There are two equipment levels to choose from, SE and the range-topping Elite, which adds leather upholstery, heated seats and steering wheel, plus front foglamps. The engine range includes two petrol and two diesels, with a 193bhp bi-turbo diesel topping the range, which can power the Cascada from 0-60mph in 8.9 seconds, while returning 54.3mpg and emitting 138 g/km of CO2.
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Vauxhall Corsa
The Vauxhall Corsa rivals the Renault Clio and Ford Fiesta. It looks best in three-door guise, but there is a five-door version if you need extra practicality, and all models get a high-quality interior. A wide range of engines and trims give buyers on every budget a choice, while the large number of Vauxhall dealers makes finding a local garage easy. The three-door line-up is capped by the racy VXR model, which delivers spectacular performance to match its racy looks.
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Vauxhall Insignia
The Vauxhall Insignia banished the ‘decent but dull’ image of its family car predecessor, the Vectra. It's available as a hatchback, saloon or Sports Tourer estate, and each features sleek styling, much improved interior quality and more comfort than before. Headroom is tight in the rear of the hatchback and saloon, but boot space is good. The Insignia is better to drive than the car it replaced, and there's a good choice of petrol and diesel engines. A high-performance four-wheel drive VXR model that's designed to compete with the Audi S4 is also available.
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Vauxhall Meriva
The Vauxhall Meriva is a practical and innovative mini-MPV. Highlights include the car's party-piece doors which are hinged at the rear, and open barn-door style to provide superb access to the cabin. The Flex5 seats slide forwards, backwards and side-to-side to benefit luggage space or passenger comfort, depending on what is required. Despite the launch of a new entry level car, the Meriva isn’t cheap, but it also features a high-class interior to justify its price tag.
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Vauxhall Mokka
The Vauxhall Mokka is a brand new model in Vauxhall's line-up, designed to compete against the Nissan Juke and Skoda Yeti in the compact 4x4 or supermini SUV class. The Mokka's chunky styling takes inspiration from the Corsa and Astra, featuring raised suspension and rugged-looking roof bars. It's available in two and four-wheel drive format, boasts a decent size boot and even comes with Hill Desecnt Control, should its owners wish to venture off-road.
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Vauxhall VXR8
The Vauxhall VXR8 isn't for the faint hearted. It's a big four-door saloon that offers performance to rival the sportiest models from Audi, Mercedes and BMW, but for less money. It's based on the Holden Commodore from Australia and is powered by a big V8 engine from the Chevrolet Corvette. Power goes to the rear wheels, but the car's chassis is crude compared to European rivals, and while it's fast in a straight line, it's easy to break traction in the corners. That's entertaining on the track, but thankfully electronic stability control keeps everything in check on the road, especially in the wet.
Vauxhall Zafira
The Zafira firmly established Vauxhall as a major player in the MPV market, and with good reason. Practical and roomy, comfortable and good to drive, the Zafira is packed with family friendly features and boasts a versatile cabin and generous boot. All versions offer seven-seats, which also fold flat to the floor to liberate extra stowage space. Clever features like cubbyholes in the roof and a keyless entry system have been added, and with a new model on the way in late 2011, decent discounts are available.
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Vauxhall Zafira Tourer
The Vauxhall Zafira Tourer is positioned above the Zafira, and features a superior quality interior plus further development of the exisiting Flex7, seven-seater layout. The exterior design is similar to that of the Astra, Insignia and Ampera electric car. Entry-level ES models are well equipped with air conditioning, cruise control, seven air bags and MP3/aux-in connections. The range includes Exclusiv, SRi, SE and Elite trims.
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