Vauxhall commercial vehicles: the automatic choice!

A pair of new clutchless transmissions have joined the Vauxhall Commercial Vehicles line-up, further broadening the appeal of the brand that provides the wheels of business in Britain.

The Combo 1.3 CDTi Easytronic and Vivaro 2.0 CDTi Tecshift complement existing two-pedal transmissions in Vauxhall’s portfolio, which include an automatic version of Astravan, a 2.5-litre Vivaro Tecshift and a Movano Tecshift.

Built at GM’s manufacturing plant in Luton,  Beds – where more vans are built than anywhere else in Britain – the Vivaro 2.0 CDTi Tecshift is a key new model, as it allows customers to take advantage of the two-pedal transmission at a lower price point than before, when it was only offered on 2.5-litre models.

Available with the 115PS version of Vivaro’s Euro IV-compliant 2.0-litre commonrail diesel engine, the six-speed transmission allows both automatic and manually-operated changes. It is available as an £800 option on all 115PS Vivaros, meaning the entry level 2700 standard roof SWB panel van costs £15,590 ex VAT.

The Combo Easytronic takes advantage of Vauxhall’s acclaimed semi-automatic gearbox, pioneered on the Corsa, Meriva and Astra car range. Coupled to the Combo’s award-winning 1.3-litre 75PS CDTi engine, the system offers either a fully automatic mode, or a set-up where gears can be individually selected electronically.  Offered as a standalone model, the Combo Easytronic costs from £10,665 ex VAT, rising to £11,665 for the five-seater crew van model.

By offering more automatic transmission options, Vauxhall has broadened the appeal of its LCV range even further, in response to the demands of both fleet and retail customers.

Vauxhall Commercial Vehicles brand manager, Steve Bryant, said: “We constantly monitor the LCV market and respond by introducing new models as and when the market demands. We have identified an increased interest in non-manual transmissions from our customers, and these latest introductions satisfy a small yet very important pocket of demand.”

The new models add further to Vauxhall’s strength in the European LCV market. The UK is currently GM’s biggest market in Europe for commercial vehicles, with almost 40,000 new vans registered between January and September 2007, while the GM plant at Luton is building more vans than ever before, with over 90,000 units forecast for 2007. This summer, the plant produced its 500,000th van since the introduction of the Vivaro platform in 2001.