Jeremy Clarkson is a hard man to please -at least that's what Opel people are saying about him vis-à-vis their new Vectra which will be in Irish showrooms in June or July. We remember him reviewing its predecessor on television.
He began by indicating boredom, saying: "I have four minutes to talk about this car and it's going to be difficult. I really don't know what I'm going to say. Now I'm down to three minutes and 55 seconds." Mr Clarkson, we understand, isn't greatly enthused my the new car either. It's time then for us to take a fresh or independent look dealing with the facts and how new Vectra compares with its rivals.
For a start, it is a four-door saloon that is four inches longer, more spacious and better equipped than the current Vectra. By the time it goes on sale here, there should also be a five-door hatchback. The entry-level Irish price is €23,950 compared with €22,834. But the comparison isn't like with like because the new range starts off with a 1.8 litre petrol engine while the old Vectra entered the market with a 1.6 litre unit.
Other engines in the Vectra line-up are 2.2 and 3.2 litre petrol and 2.0 and 2.2 litre diesel. All are available with manual or automatic transmissions.
Vectra is competing in the toughest sector of the motor industry. Many of its customers will be fleet buyers looking for the best possible deal. They have no shortage of competitors to look at either. In the past 18 months we have seen the launch of a new Ford Mondeo, Renault Laguna, and Citroën C5. The exciting-looking new Nissan Primera has just gone on sale here and Nissan is claiming a major advantage on the Irish scene by still having a 1.6 engine, unlike the new Vectra.
The Vectra, like the Mondeo, has a distinctly Teutonic flavour, being designed to match the tidy lines and furnishings of the Volkswagen Passat, which set the standard for these family and business cars in Europe. The French approach of Renault and Citroën is plusher, more living room then office. The new Primera is daringly different inside and out, a quantum leap from the old model.
Those Irish drivers who have the current Vectra as their steed, will be delighted, even amazed, by the improvements. The facia is soft to the touch, the materials are of higher quality and switches work with a new precision. (The indicator stalk is a frustrating exception.) Confidence and comfort are the on-the-road attributes which Opel engineers feel sum up the new Vectra best. There are innovative touches like rear seats that are higher than the front ones (to give a better view since the car's waistline is also higher than before). Storage space in the front is a bit scarce but the boot is huge and cavernous.
WITH the Vectra comes General Motors' new Epsilon floorpan which is also destined to launch a new generation of Saabs, a couple of General Motors American models, the Vectra estate and the Signum executive MPV.
Finally to Mr Clarkson again. He turned up at the launch in the UK where it is of course, the Vauxhall Vectra. "It's dull and dreary" he scowled. "A lot worse than the VW Passat and I don't even like the Passat." He actually doesn't like most cars on his own admission, especially those with huge sales commercially. Opel should take comfort!