Vauxhall
Opel’s Antwerp plant in Belgium to close by end of 2010
General Motors has announced that Opel’s Belgian factory in Antwerp will be shut down by end of the year. General Motors revealed that in order to reduce overcapacity and to ensure a brighter future for the brand, Opel’s production has to be cut by nearly 20%. The American giant will also work on restructuring its European operations and both Opel and Vauxhall will be affected. General Motors will undertake measures like capacity reductions, job redundancies and labor cost reductions.
New Vauxhall Meriva revealed via leaked images
At first glance you may find nothing unusual about the mini MPV in the image above but if you look closer then you will notice rear suicide doors and this is not a concept car, in fact it is a production vehicle. Its the Vauxhall Meriva that is based on the concept that was showcased at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show.
The suicide doors are called FlexDoors and they can be opened at an angle of almost 90 degrees and they can only be opened while the vehicle is stationary. Since what we have are leaked images only, juicer details are scarce at this point.
But we do know that the FlexSpace system that is featured on the outgoing model has been updated to improve space usage. There is also something called the FlexRail that features a rail above the centre console where storage bins are placed. These bins can slide so both front and rear passengers can use them.
Rumored to be based on the same platform that underpins other vehicles like the Astra and and Zafira, the Meriva is expected to be motivated with various engines from the Astra range with power output ranging between 74hp and 138hp. The new Vauxhall Meriva is slated for a Geneva 2010 reveal in March and prices should start from around £13,500 in the UK. Continue reading to view all the leaked images in full high-res glory. Read the rest of this entry.
Chevrolet Volt and Vauxhall Ampera to hit the UK by 2012
Apparently, Chevrolet’s Volt will be offered in the UK in 2012, along side Vauxhall’s version of it, called the Ampera. At first, only one version was supposed to be offered in the UK, but with the sale of Opel/Vauxhall, the situation is now different.
However, both models will feature different specifications, although both will share the same powertrain. Vauxhall’s version will feature a more European-like design, and the Volt will be slightly cheaper, with a shorter equipment list.
Both models will be powered by an electric motor which will work hand in hand with a range extending small displacement combustion engine. The lithium ion battery pack (chargeable via plug-in) will power the electric motor for at least 60 kilometers, after which, the combustion engine will take over. According to Autocar, both models should be priced around £25,000.
Vauxhall Trixx – Fully electric town car
The Trixx was introduced to the world some years ago as a concept car, now AutoExpress UK has confirmed that the 2 + 1 car, that would rival the Toyota iQ, will go into production. In Vauxhall guise, the Trixx will feature the same powertrain that will be housed in the first Ampera.
Due to space constraints and weight saving measures the 1.4-liter engine used to expand the Ampera’s mileage will be ditched for a full blown electric powertrain. This will mean that it will run only 90 miles till the next charge up, as opposed to the Ampera which can go for 300 miles.
The problems being faced with the Trixx at the moment is its cost for production as according to AE, the lithium ion Batteries alone will cost £8000. This will bring up the total price of the car, which can see people being put off by the overall price.
Vauxhall might opt to lease the engines when it does come into production, which would mean you would buy everything apart from the engine which will still be owned by Vauxhall. Read the rest of this entry.
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2009 Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer: Quick Drive in the U.K!
Our man in the UK managed to get behind the wheel of a Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer recently. Continue reading to check out his findings! The Editor.
It is said that there are six degrees of separation between everyone on this planet, and that hasn’t been as clear as when I test drove the new Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer. My connection was to the pint-sized host of a popular car show, that all of you will know. Vauxhall offers a few engine options for the Vauxhall Insignia, the most interesting would be the 2.0 CDTi ECOTEC diesel engine and next up on the list would be the range topping 2.8-liter V6 turbo which is good for 260PS.
The V6 wasn’t available for the day as I was told, that it had to be sent back to the shop for mending or something along those lines, but I later read an article by this same host (with a rodent-like nickname), reviewing the 2.8-liter V6 turbo, which by the way is the only one in the GM press fleet. There you go, my six degrees of separation. Interestingly enough, we the common people as he described us, got to test out the cars that were more relevant to the market which is the 2.0 CDTi ECOTEC, along with the 1.6 TURBO ECOTEC.
I guess its commendable of a company that is really focusing on restructuring their organization not to give into pressure by big (as big as they are in the UK) TV stars. While I write this, Vauxhall has also announced that they will be pulling out of the British Touring Car Championship in 2010, which doesn’t come as a surprise. As successful as Vauxhall is in the championship, the racing world is a black hole for cash thus it was another smart move, as did Honda, to concentrate on producing cars of the future. By now you could probably tell that I’m slightly in favor of that griffin-like animal holding of a flag that says V, (or an electric bolt going through a circle for our European readers), because they have been producing cars that have been decent looking and affordable for some time now. Continue reading for the rest of the report and to view an image gallery. Read the rest of this entry.
Vauxhall Insignia VXR: Official details and images
It’s finally here after all the deliberation and spy shots, the official photos of the new Vauxhall Insignia VXR are here. Fans of the Insignia and VXR will like the new beefed up version of the performance version of the model, with a 325PS 2.8-litre V6 Turbo ECOTEC engine. The new engine features a new twin-scroll turbocharger and variable valve control which results in quick throttle response. This gives it an incredible acceleration point of 0 to 60 in 5.8 seconds which goes on to reach a limited top speed of 155mph.
For the first time a VXR features a 4X4 system to further distribute out the 325PS between all four wheels which is boosted by the fact that the new chassis has had rigorous test programme at the infamous Nurburgring circuit. Ride and handling is helped by the new ‘HiPerStrut’ (High Performance Strut) front suspension system and an adaptive 4X4 with electronic Limited Slip Differential (eLSD) which works in tandem to reduce torque steer to a quiet note. The other benefit with a system that incorporates a 4X4 system would be the fact that the car will maintain negative camber during cornering improving grip in most conditions.
The new Insignia design is a popular choice among many, as it gives a touch of class and refinement without the exorbitant price tag. The same styling cues have been followed in the new model along with touches to make it more VXR-ish. The Insignia will be both available as a hatchback and a sports tourer (estate) which will feature spoiler on the hatchback and saloons. Recaro seats are lined in the interior with typical VXR standards, such as the VXR brand labeled on the steering wheel and gear knob and VXR sill plates and a black headlining.
The colours each car can be customized to will be it either Arden Blue, Power Red, Carbon Flash Black, Silver Lake, Olympic White or Technical Grey . Sales are set to start at the start of summer and will go head to head with main rivals such as Audi’s 328bhp S4. Only time will tell who will win this one as prices will be out soon. Continue reading to view an image gallery. Read the rest of this entry.
Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst S Edition- here to whoop the Germans at their own game
V8’s seem to ring in the ears of many as the perfect or the most common form of performance engine, be it a big American V8 available in the Mustang or under German guises such as the BMW M3. If we take the former as an example, the Mustang symbolizes big brutish muscle cars meant to produce an exponential amount of horsepower without thought to anyone or anything else in the world and what most encapsulates that in the real world is the Vauxhall VXR8.
Producing 411 bhp at 6500rpm in the standard model the 6.0 litre V8 is a bargain at only £35,240, where as the only thing that resembles this package in another car would be the BMW M3, but that is around £50,000, nearly 20k more. Albeit you do get much more German refineries for the money, but if you’re buying this car you’ll appreciate how much you’ll be saving as you are not in need of German embellishments.
Enter the new contender, say hello to the Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst S edition. With the addition of the Walkinshaw Performance 122 Supercharger, power output has been increased to a whopping 572 horsepower. If we we’re to make a comparison towards any other 4 door saloon with that much power it will be the RS6 at 580 horses. The only thing that you should know is that the RS6 is at the top end of £70 000. Continue reading for the rest of the report and to view an image gallery. Read the rest of this entry.
Ampera revealed for the European Market.
GM has unveiled the new Ampera officially, at the Geneva motor show so get ready to save the environment. The new Ampera is a fully electric vehicle that will run 40 miles by using just electricity from it’s fully charged 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery and will be the first electrically driven automobile with zero-emission capability in Europe that’s suitable for everyday driving so says GM.
Read on for more pictures Read the rest of this entry.
