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First Drive Review: Vauxhall Viva 2015

Image of Alisdair Suttie
Author: | Updated: 01 Jun 2015 15:40

The Vauxhall Viva revives a famous name from the firm’s past and Vauxhall hopes the new car will also enjoy the solid sales success of the 1960s original.

Where the Viva of 50 years ago was hardly at the cutting edge of small car design, being a rear-wheel-drive three-box saloon in a world that had already embraced the front-drive Mini, the new Viva is bang on for its class. Up against the likes of the Hyundai i10 and Suzuki Celerio, the Viva has two key strings to its bow: value for money and cabin space.

Vauxhall Viva Blue Front Static

Keenly priced

We’ll come to cabin space in a moment, but let’s deal with the money side first. In a sector that is incredibly price sensitive, Vauxhall has pitched the Viva very keenly, with retail prices from £7,995 for the SE and £9,495 for the upscale SL. We’re still waiting to see how lease deals will pan out for the Viva, but Vauxhall says it will be very competitively set.

Pricing the Viva at the sharp end of the sector does not mean Vauxhall is skimping on the equipment for the Viva. There is no bargain basement trim level here just to get a low entry price. Instead, the SE comes with cruise control, lane departure warning, six airbags and front fog lights with cornering function as standard. Move on up to the SL and you gain climate control, alloy wheels and Bluetooth connection.

Vauxhall reckons 60% of its Viva customers will stick with the SE trim, but we suspect the generosity of the SL will tempt plenty into spending the extra. This makes sense if you want air conditioning as this is not included with the base SE and adds £495 to the price.

Vauxhall Viva Blue Rear Static

Happy to be worked hard

All Vivas share the same 74bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, with the Ecoflex model offering 65.7mpg and 99g/km CO2 emissions to the 62.8mpg and 104g/km carbon dioxide output of the rest of the range. A five-speed manual gearbox is the usual transmission, but Vauxhall will offer its automated manual from the start of 2016.

The manual ’box has a light, accurate shift that complements the easy way the Viva drives. Its compact exterior dimensions mean parking is a hassle-free experience, while vision from the driver’s seat is generally good in all directions.

From the relatively high-set driving position, the driver is able to plan a route well in advance, which is just as well as the Viva’s 1.0-litre engine is not the last word in muscular power. The three-cylinder engine deliver peak power at 6500rpm, so it needs to rowed along to give its best. Luckily, the engine is refined and happy to be worked hard, giving that typically thrummy three-cylinder soundtrack as it does so.

Vauxhall Viva Blue Front Dynamic

When you achieve a reasonable cruising speed, the engine will settle to a background chatter and there’s not much in the way of wind noise. A little road noise is audible, though, and it builds to a level that is disappointing at motorway speeds when a Volkswagen Up is still impressively hushed.

Comfortable and capable

Other than this, the Viva does nothing to blot its driving book. It handles with the same agility and confidence as the Corsa on which it’s based. The steering is light yet direct and the Viva shows its UK-specific set-up in the way it copes very well with potholes and ridges. This makes it easily one of the most comfortable and capable cars in its class when it comes to tackling longer journeys.

And that brings us to the second of the Viva’s key strengths: interior space. Thanks to the wheel-at-each-corner ethos of the Viva and its squared-off rear end style, it delivers more than enough cabin space for four adults while still leaving enough room for 208-litres of luggage space. That might be less than a VW Up’s, but it’s still plenty useful in a small car.

Vauxhall Viva Blue Interior

Vauxhall has also done well to give the Viva’s simple cabin just enough flair to lift it above most rivals. Some of the plastics feel a little hard to the touch, but we can forgive that in this price pool and because the Viva’s dash is clean-lined and easy to navigate.

The verdict

This simple approach sums up the Viva and it’s one that should play well with many buyers in this corner of the small car market. While not being the last word in high style or dynamic flourish, the Viva works well as a comfortable, spacious small car with low running costs. Should it benefit from some of the other engines used in the Corsa, notably the small turbo petrols, the Viva could be a more impressive small car for its time.

Vauxhall Viva Blue Rear Dynamic

Vital stats

Length: 3,675mm
Width: 1,595mm
Height: 1,485mm
Wheelbase: 2,385mm
Boot space: 206 / 1013 litres
Engine: 1.0-litre petrol (74bhp)
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Trims: SE (£7,995), SE EcoFLex (£8,170), SL (£9,495) 
0-62mph: 13.1s
Top speed: 106mph
Fuel economy: 62.8mpg (EcoFlex 65.7mpg)
CO2 emissions: 104g/km (EcoFlex 99g/km)
Rivals: Hyundai i10, VW Up!, Seat Mii, Skoda Citigo, Citroen C1, Peugeot 108, Toyota Aygo, Kia Picanto, Suzuki Celerio

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