Last night I saw Vauxhall's new Viva for the first time, at an event where GM Europe chief Karl-Thomas Neumann also revealed that GM's class-best Onstar connectivity package (7m US and Chinese customers so far; turns your car into a 4G hotspot) would be in many 2016 Vauxhalls from mid-year. It'll be in every new Astra from October.
I reckon Viva may well the most appealing of GM's three-small-car offerings. It looks terrific. The packaging' s usually good for a 3.7m car (reminds you of Hyundai's excellent i10), and because the range is refreshingly uncluttered - two models, SE and SL - pricing all about affordability. Starts at £7995 and ends around £11k when you've fitted every one of a meagre collection of options. And the car's Korean-built, so you can trust the quality. The engine is a 75hp, non-turbo version of GM's sweet and compact 1.0 triple, with five-speed 'box, which I just know is going to be one of those packages you can give full beans, most of the time, and enjoy it because it'll deliver modern economy levels.
Pricing isn't all set, but Vauxhall boss Tim Tozer is promising a £99/month PCP. Buy one on Saturday afternoon and be happy...
Read more Geneva motor show news
Get the latest car news, reviews and galleries from Autocar direct to your inbox every week. Enter your email address below:
Join the debate
Add your comment
viva size
Depends on how you define "small"
very true
.
Bit wrong there, mate
And the name Viva has been used on many different GM cars in the intervening years. Daewoo build decent quality basic no frill cars - see the Barinas they've sold here in huge numbers over the last 10 years and this'll be the same.
Their USP is averageness and they're exceptional at it.