Vauxhall FLV

Axe falls on Vauxhall FLV

The FLV crossover will likely never see the light of day, but Vauxhall has good news for saloon buyers

Auto Express Car Reviews

Boldly styled car got poor reception from prospective buyers

By Ross Pinnock

21st August 2007

They're swinging the axe at Vauxhall! The firm’s much anticipated Omega replacement has been canned after getting a lukewarm reception from potential customers.

the firm built a mock-up of the new car to show to prospective buyers – but they didn’t like it
According to our sources, the firm built a mock-up of the new car to show to prospective buyers – but they didn’t like it. Rather than being a traditional big executive saloon, the Future Large Vehicle (FLV) was believed to be similar to luxury MPVs such as Mercedes’ R-Class.

However, the proposal was reportedly panned by British customer clinics, leading bosses to shelve the entire project. The FLV featured a raised stance and borrowed the clever Flex7 seating layout from the Zafira compact MPV. A four-wheel-drive version was also planned, but neither is likely to ever see the light of day.

There’s good news for buyers who want a large Vauxhall, though, as the new Vectra replacement is expected to match the super-sized Ford Mondeo for space when it arrives next year. The name of the car is yet to be confirmed, but we can reveal its official codename for the first time – the 3,700. The production-ready version will be unveiled at the 2008 British International Motor Show in London.