subject: Vauxhall Vivaro: Trafics Twin Brother In Uk [print this page] Vauxhall Vivaro: Trafics Twin Brother In UK
Built by consortium of GM Europe, Nissan and Renault, this lightweight people carrier was launched in Britain under Vauxhall badge. Though GM produces it in their Luton facility, Vivaro is by no means British, at best it can be classified as a French-American car being built in UK. Despite its mixed lineage, its been among the top selling mid size vans in UK. Thats a tremendous feat considering that Nissan Primastar and Renault Trafic can also be found in same market, which are essentially similar vehicles.
As of 2006 Vauxhall Vivaro engine is a 2.0 litre, turbo charged diesel engine based on CDTi technology. The initial Vivaros were offered with either petrol or diesel engines. The 2.0 litre diesel engine, introduced in 2006, has two variants, one producing 89 bhp and the other one produces 113 bhp. Vauxhall refrained from introducing bigger petrol engines because of strict Co2 emission regulations in UK, this approach massively reduced running cost of Vivaro and brought it in lower tax bracket.
For over a decade Renaults Trafic garnered acclaim for its curvy design and agile handling in European market. Same goes for Vauxhall Vivaro as the main differentiating factor between Trafic and Vivaro is their name plate. Vivaro offers same versatility, as that of Trafic, it can be used as a family van in 9 seat configuration, as a loader/ pickup van with or without roof and even as a medium sized passenger van. Apart from its versatility, Vivaros design, equipment, space (whether for transporting men or material) and economical running cost are key factors that contributed towards its success for such a long tenure. Though Fords hard core fans often criticize Vivaro for being too delicate as it needs proper, periodic servicing and maintenance to be reliable, unlike Ford Transit, it occasionally outruns Transit in average active lifespan and customer satisfaction charts.
Since Vivaro is officially launched under Vauxhall brand in UK, though Renault traffic and Nissan Primstars can also be found on roads, so it was Vauxhall Vivaro that won the Professional Van award in 2006. Unlike its European counterpart, Vivaro suffered from few reliability issues, mainly related to transmission and steering, but considering below average reliability of its main competitors from Ford and VW along with its lower running and maintenance cost (more financing and service contracts available in UK), it is still the preferred choice in mid-size van category in Britain.
