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Vauxhall's Fresh Vectra Is Ahead By A Nose

All that's missing is the badge! Exclusive pictures in this week's Auto Express magazine are the first glimpse of the revised Vectra, complete with a new nose lifted straight from the Astra. A raft of cosmetic upgrades and technical changes will appear, designed to rejuvenate sales of the family Vauxhall.

By Chris Thorp

02nd February 2005

The only part of the test car which remains disguised is the headlamps. Underneath the stickers, new lights and a reshaped bonnet - as we revealed in issue 840 - bring the Vectra's shape up to date. Completing the sharper-looking nose is a new bumper, a sporty front airdam and foglamps. At the rear, the changes are more subtle, but include smoked tail-lamp lenses.

The interior is also getting a makeover. Higher-quality plastics now feature, as do new seat trims and a redesigned instrument cluster. But the fresh look isn't the only revision meant to help boost the Vectra's appeal - the driving dynamics have been revamped, too.

Vauxhall's engineers have worked on the car's suspension settings in a bid to provide a sportier feel on twisty roads, but without compromising the Vectra's excellent motorway ride.

Under the bonnet, the 1.8-litre engine which powers entry-level models will be replaced by a new 1.8 Twinport unit. The maker claims this offers greater mid-range punch and lower emissions. In addition, the current 210bhp 3.2-litre V6 powerplant will be dropped in favour of a new turbocharged 2.8-litre engine. It will be available in two versions; either a low-pressure turbo with 220bhp, which will be mated to an automatic gearbox, or a high-power 250bhp variant, which will appear in range-topping VXR trim, due in 2006. Insiders say the hot model will be capable of 160mph.

The Vectra's diesel line-up will be enhanced, too. The current entry-level 2.0 DTI is set to be replaced by a low-powered version of the firm's efficient 1.9-litre common-rail CDTI oil-burner. Amazingly for such an important car, the revised Vectra will not appear on the Vauxhall stand at next month's Geneva Motor Show. Instead, the star will be the all-new Zafira compact people carrier. The Vectra is set to be officially launched later in the spring, with the first right-hand-drive models arriving in UK showrooms by September.

The family saloon will be closely followed by a facelifted version of the company's Signum executive model, which is based on the same platform.

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