Photo: Vauxhall
From 1963 to 1979, Vauxhall manufactured over a million and a half Viva small family cars. Other than the atrocity known as the Morris Minor and the Ford Anglia, the British motorist didn’t have any other choices. In a nutshell, the old school Viva wasn’t exactly a competent family saloon.
Even Elvis Costello’s “The Beat” has a tongue-in-cheek reference to how proud Viva owners were: “I’ve been a bad boy with the standard leader, my neighbor’s revving up his Vauxhall Viva.” Happily, however, the 2015 Viva doesn’t have anything in common with the old model.
Other than the name and badge, the modern Viva does a lot of things a lot better than the original. I know that this is just a 2015 Opel Karl (and 2016 Chevrolet Spark) dressed in British clothes, but it offers great value for money at just £7,995 RRP.
There’s a 1-liter three-banger churning 75 PS, a five-speed manual transmission, 15-inch wheels, electrically operated front windows and mirrors, joined by a tire pressure monitoring system, ESP, Lane Departure Warning and cruise control.
To boot, this entry-level model comes with a basic audio system, steering wheel-mounted buttons, ISOFIX child seat restraint system and an array of airbags. Being a family-oriented mini-MPV, the Viva has been specifically designed to be extremely safe.
If you want air conditioning, that’ll be £8,490 for the mid-range Vauxhall Viva SE A/C. If you though that the range-topping SL (£9,495) adds a touchscreen infotainment system and the same goodies you can find on the Opel Karl, tough luck. That’s an optional extra, as are the heated seats and rear-park assist.
Then again, we all have a smartphone with an Internet connection and Google Maps installed. Therefore, city dwelling won’t be a biggie for the touchscreen infotainment-less Vauxhall Viva buyers.
Other than the name and badge, the modern Viva does a lot of things a lot better than the original. I know that this is just a 2015 Opel Karl (and 2016 Chevrolet Spark) dressed in British clothes, but it offers great value for money at just £7,995 RRP.
There’s a 1-liter three-banger churning 75 PS, a five-speed manual transmission, 15-inch wheels, electrically operated front windows and mirrors, joined by a tire pressure monitoring system, ESP, Lane Departure Warning and cruise control.
To boot, this entry-level model comes with a basic audio system, steering wheel-mounted buttons, ISOFIX child seat restraint system and an array of airbags. Being a family-oriented mini-MPV, the Viva has been specifically designed to be extremely safe.
If you want air conditioning, that’ll be £8,490 for the mid-range Vauxhall Viva SE A/C. If you though that the range-topping SL (£9,495) adds a touchscreen infotainment system and the same goodies you can find on the Opel Karl, tough luck. That’s an optional extra, as are the heated seats and rear-park assist.
Then again, we all have a smartphone with an Internet connection and Google Maps installed. Therefore, city dwelling won’t be a biggie for the touchscreen infotainment-less Vauxhall Viva buyers.
Google News