New Vauxhall Vivaro van revealed and it will be built in Luton
The all-new British-built Vauxhall Vivaro van secures 1,250 jobs at the brand’s manufacturing plant in Luton
This is the all-new Vauxhall Vivaro. To be built in Vauxhall’s plant in Luton, deliveries will commence in summer this year.
Based on PSA Group’s EMP2 platform (shared with the Toyota ProAce and Peugeot Expert), the latest Vivaro will have a payload of 1,400kg and a towing capacity of 2,500kg, which is a respective 200kg and 500kg more than its predecessor.
A choice of three body styles will also be available, including a panel van, a crew cab for up to six occupants and a platform chassis.
The all-new Vivaro is available in either short or long wheel-base, with the larger model bearing a maximum load capacity of 6.6 cubic metres (233 cubic feet). Thanks to a load-through flap under the passenger seat, objects up to 4.02m (13ft 2in) long can be transported in the long wheel-base version.
Technology-wise, the new Vivaro gets a head-up display, a new traction control system, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, a driver drowsiness alert, forward collision assist and automatic emergency braking.
Other updates over the previous Vivaro include optional automatic sliding doors (operated by kicking your foot under the van’s sills), a seven-inch infotainment system, parking sensors, an optional rear-view camera and an optional work-site set-up with higher ground clearance and underbody protection.
Vauxhall is yet to announce the new Vivaro’s engine-range, but we expect they’ll be the same as the Toyota ProAce and Peugeot Expert. This means, depending on the wheelbase, you’ll get the choice of a 94bhp 1.6-litre diesel, a 118bhp 2.0-litre diesel or a 178bhp 2.0-litre diesel.
Prices for the new Vivaro are yet to be announced but, seeing as how it’ll be almost identical to the ProAce and Expert, we expect it to cost around the same. Short wheelbase low-end models should start at around £20,000, rising to around £30,000 for the range-topping longer wheelbase versions.
What are your thoughts on the new Vauxhall Vivaro van? Let us know in the comments section below…
