Vauxhall Vectra takes control of the sales charts

It was developed in Britain for British drivers – and it looks like buyers are voting with their wallets as the New Vectra makes its first appearance in Vauxhall showrooms this week.

Over 7,000 orders for New Vectra were taken before the official on sale date of 1 October, with more than half of those featuring Vauxhall’s highly-acclaimed 1.9-litre CDTi diesel engines.

The orders were received even before the airing of a new high-profile media advertising campaign, featuring top football referee Pierluigi Collina.

Vauxhall’s Group Product Manager for Vectra and Signum, Stuart Harris, said: "We’re delighted that the car has been so well received by the press and the public alike. It’s a real testament to the hard work of Vauxhall’s engineers, as buyers are getting the message that this is a car exclusively designed to appeal to UK buyers.

"With great dynamics, stylish design and tremendous value for money, it’s easy to see how New Vectra was destined to become a success."

From the outset, New Vectra was specifically designed to provide the best mix of comfort and driver feel on British roads. Unlike most rivals, which use a pan-European compromise in their handling characteristics, every New Vectra sold has been specifically created to cope with the rigours of driving in Britain.

Simon Johnson, Vehicle Dynamics Manager at the Vauxhall Engineering Centre in Millbrook, Bedfordshire, was the man in charge of tailoring New Vectra to the UK market. He said: "Our brief was to make the car much more fun to drive in all conditions, and has been made with no loss in ride quality and refinement. It is going to be a fundamental part of all future development programmes."

But it’s not just New Vectra’s stylish design and impressive driving dynamics appeal that are wooing buyers away from other marques. On-the-road prices start at just £14,750 for the impressively equipped Exclusiv model, complete with Vauxhall’s innovative ‘Structure’ wheels that offer all of the style of alloys with none of the expense.
The sales boost comes as Vauxhall enjoys one of its most exciting years on record, with a host of new products in showrooms. New Astra, Astra Sport Hatch, New Zafira, Astra VXR and now New Vectra and Signum, along with the imminent New Vectra VXR are helping give the brand greater appeal than ever. A host of new model launches are planned for 2006, including the sharp and stylish Astra TwinTop coupe-convertible, previewed at the Frankfurt Motor Show last month.