Vauxhall

Vauxhall/Opel’s first electric car - the Ampera - was a fiasco. While it started strong on the market, by the end of 2015 only 200 units a year were being sold. Now, the company hopes that the success will come by using electric powertrain on names with tradition on the market.

Now in its eighth generation, the Astra will be offered for the first time with an electric powertrain. Called Astra-e, the electric version will go on sale in 2023 and will be offered in both hatchback and station wagon versions.

Opel (or Vauxhall in the U.K.) is refreshing the Crossland crossover, which now drops the X from its previous name (Crossland X) and puts on a face inspired by the new Mokka - which also dropped the X with the new generation.

That front end design is called Opel Visor and we expect it to pop up on other future products coming from the PSA-owned brand. Here’s what the facelifted Crossland has to offer.

Opel/Vauxhall’s first all-electric SUV is called Mokka-e and comes with a radical design that’s far from what the Mokka has been showing since its inception.

Aided by the fusion with the PSA Group, the Germans seem to have finally found a direction for their future lineup, both design- and powertrain-wise, at least as electrification is concerned. Here’s all you need to know about the new Opel Mokka-e.

Nobody really knows how often Santa upgrades his sleigh, but what if he wanted to shop for a new model altogether? Well, over the past five or six years, publications like Car Magazine have challenged automakers to design a new sleigh for Santa. Automakers like Bentley, Land Rover, and even Vauxhall have designed new sleighs for Santa in the past, so needless to say, Santa has had a lot to choose from.

I don’t recall seeing any designs last year, and have only seen one this year. But, when you consider the long list of available sleighs at his disposal, there are still at least a few on standby, just waiting to be plucked from some secret, magical garage that is undoubtedly located somewhere at the North Pole.

Since we haven’t seen too many fresh designs for the 2015, I decided to revisit a few of the sleighs created in the years past. Most of the sleighs are exotic, or out of this world – and one even looks like a fighter jet – but why wouldn’t Santa take advantage of all the latest technology? You may have seen one or two of the designs in the past, but it’s always fun to revisit things like this during the holidays. Which of the following sleighs do you think Santa is going to use this year?

Vauxhall’s performance sub-brand, VXR, may eventually come out of solitude in the future. Although the company has been focusing on the GSi badge lately, the VXR hasn’t been killed off. Now that almost all automakers are making performance-oriented electric cars, Vauxhall could go ahead and slap its cars with the VXR badge.

Whether you call it the Vauxhall Corsa GSi or the Opel Corsa GSi, one thing is for certain - the Corsa GSi is one zippy concoction made to make a lot of bang for not a lot of buck. Available in mainland Europe as Opel and in the U.K. as the Vauxhall, the Corsa GSi packs a tiny, 1.4-liter turbocharged, engine, enough power to surge to 62 mph in less than 9 seconds and, with a proper amount of sporty features honed by the OPC, enough character to make you happy.

The Vauxhall GT X Experimental is a concept car that previews the company’s next-generation design language. The same cues will be used by sister company Opel in the 2020s.

It’s been a while since the British company that produces rebadged Opel and Chevrolet models made headlines. Barely known outside the United Kingdom, Vauxhall usually only made the news when it rolled out performance-rated models equipped with the "VXR" badge. Come 2018, and the Brits came into the spotlight with an original concept car. It’s called the GT X Experimental, and it’s a tiny, four-meter-long EV that combined styling characteristics of compact SUVs, hatchbacks, and coupes. It’s also the brand’s first semi-autonomous vehicle.

The Crossover fever has spread all across the world, and it’s not just the sedans that are facing the brunt. According to Autocar, the Zafira Tourer and Astra GTC are the latest cars to get phased out. Although they are being discontinued in the U.K for now, we are sure it will be eliminated completely very soon.

In an ever-growing market where customers want something new literally every day, you either adapt, or you perish. Guess Vauxhall chose the second option. As reported by Telegraph, Vauxhall and Opel are terminating the contracts of all 326 dealerships in Britain as they battle to deal with plunging sales and a changing market. Yes, all of them! Read on to know more:

We’ve known for a while that PSA was planning to invade the U.S. auto market and it has, in fact, already done so by kicking off its Free2Move mobility platform in Seattle last year. And, more recently – back in January of 2019 – PSA announced that it had chosen Atlanta, Georgia as it’s home away from home. The next move is adding certain PSA models to various car-sharing services, but PSA has reportedly already chosen what brand it will begin selling in the U.S. first, but we’re not privy to the information quite yet.

Reuters is reporting that PSA Group now wants GM to refund nearly half, or about $700 million of the $1.353 billion it paid to the U.S. Automaker last July for the acquisition of Opel and Vauxhall. The report comes with claims that GM failed to disclose just how badly Opel and Vauxhall would miss hitting emissions targets set by the European Union for 2021 and beyond. PSA, which includes brands like Peugeot and Citroen, says it was misled and is owed this refund as the acquisition of brands that fall so far from 2021 emissions targets will cause it to incur significantly more fines than previously expected. GM claims that it provided “substantial information” and that “PSA undertook a robust due diligence process” that included “their employees, many experts, and lawyers.”

Want to know more? Keep reading to learn about the change to EU emissions rules in 2021 and what kind of fines PSA is looking at over the Opel and Vauxhall Acquisition.

These days, it can be a little tricky figuring out when something is real and when someone is just messing with you. Sometimes it’s obvious, but other circumstances warrant a careful second look. That’s doubly the case on April 1st. Of course, the auto industry loves chain yanking, but when you have 1,500-horsepower production cars and Maserati SUVs running around, it’s always a good idea to double check. But don’t worry – we found the best automotive April Fools’ pranks, and we assembled them all right here for you in this recap.

Included is a driverless RV, a pair of highly desirable Minis, a kinetically powered Vauxhall, a very expressive Honda, a smoke machine Nissan cargo van, and Lexus’ latest interior upgrade, not to mention the hottest minivan to ever grace a suburban driveway. In fact, looking over a few of these “jokes,” I can’t help but see some excellent real-world applications…

Continue reading for a recap of April Fools’ 2016.

In a world where we are constantly trying to lower our dependency on fossil fuels and lower vehicle emissions as much as possible, at least one manufacturer is putting its best foot forward. After several years of research and development, Vauxhall has announced a new variation of the Vauxhall Adam, dubbed the Vauxhall Adam C. The C in the name stands for “clockwork,” and there is a good reason for that. The Adam C doesn’t have an engine or an electric motor. It doesn’t even have a battery.

What it does have, is a state-of-the-art kinetic mechanism that is used to propel and power the Adam C with a renewable energy source: You. Basically, the Adam C uses an enlarged kinetic system similar to that of wind-up watches. A removable knob is plugged into the back of the vehicle, and winding it for just 15 minutes will give the Adam C full power for up to 125 miles. This also provides the electrical energy needed to run things like onboard infotainment system.

Mick Cannical, Vauxhall’s Chief Kinetics Engineer, said, “This game-changing technology stands to revolutionize the way we drive. We’ve paved the way towards a future of wind-ups. Improving the customer experience is a priority to us and given that the average Brit drives less than 35 miles every day, we estimate the model will appeal to over two-thirds of the population. We expect the growth to be exponential.”

Continue reading for the full story.

When it comes to pickup trucks, the U.S. is arguably the world’s largest consumer. However, North America misses one of the coolest commercial vehicles in the world: the Holden Ute. Also available in supercharged guise as the Maloo R8 LSA in Australia, the Ute has long been a forbidden fruit in America, despite rumors that GM may import it as a rebadged Chevrolet El Camino. And, with Holden set to cease all manufacturing in 2016, the Ute will pass into the history books without setting wheels in the U.S. Not the same can be said about the U.K. though, which just received a batch of Maloo LSAs wearing the local Vauxhall badge.

Lucky bastards!

The Ute isn’t actually new on British roads. Enthusiasts already had access to a version powered by the V-8 LS3, but that engine is now being replaced by a more potent LSA, which first debuted in the U.K. in the VXR8 GTS sedan.

But the Maloo LSA is about more than just a powerful drivetrain. The two-door utility also benefits from new styling upgrades and new standard equipment. Pricing is similar to the VXR8 GTS, which makes it pretty affordable for a performance car. And, although it’s among the most expensive commercial vehicles available in the U.K., it’s definitely the fastest and the most powerful. Keep reading to find out more.

Continue reading to learn more about the Vauxhall Maloo LSA.

When it comes to muscle cars, the U.S. is arguably home to the greatest machines ever created. It’s here that the muscle car was born in the 1960s and revived decades later at the end of the Malaise Era. The offerings might not be as varied as they were back in the day, but there are quite a few choices from Ford, GM, and Chrysler. The range now even includes a couple of muscle sedans, with the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat being the most powerful such model to ever come from Detroit. But Europe has its very own Australian muscle in the form of the Vauxhall VXR8 GTS.

Holden-badged muscle cars have caused U.S. enthusiasts a lot of frustration lately, despite GM importing the latest-generation 2010 Holden Commodore with a Chevrolet SS badge. The General said no to the awesome 2013 HSV Gen-F GTS and rejected an El Camino revival based on the Holden Ute and its beefed-up, 2015 HSV GTS Maloo counterpart. Sadly, that’s not going to happen in the future as Holden is about to shut down all Australian manufacturing by 2017.

Meanwhile, gearheads from Down Under will continue to enjoy their Holdens and HSVs, while the British will get to drive around in the Vauxhall VXR8 GTS, a rebadged version of the HSV Gen-F GTS.

Continue reading to learn more about the Vauxhall VXR8 GTS.

The Opel Corsa has been around since 1982 as one of Vauxhall and Opel’s most popular models. For 2015, the Corsa saw its fifth-generation redesign that helped it obtain a much more modern appearance compared to the outgoing model. Up front, there is now a single grille that is the same shape as the low-sitting air dam on the previous model. Down below the grille, there is a small opening above a lip that runs along the bottom side of the fascia. The headlights have been pushed a little farther toward the center of the car. The sides haven’t been changed much, but now feature a few new character lines. Inside, the Corsa got the attention it deserved and features a dual-gauge instrument cluster with a small display in the middle and a fairly large infotainment screen in the center stack. The car is in the supermini class, so there isn’t exactly a lot of room, but the cabin is still pretty inviting. The big news in the drivetrain department is the new 1.0-liter, Ecotec, three-cylinder that delivers 89 or 113 horsepower.

As you’ll see as you read our detailed review below, the new Corsa is finally in-line with competitors like the Ford Fiesta. It’s now sportier and looks like it is pretty fast for its class. The new styling of the fascias and side skirts give it the sporty appearance that people love, while the smaller engines provide decent horsepower with acceptable fuel economy and low emissions. With that said, there is a lot more about the Corsa than what I’ve said here, so check out the full review and let us know what you think.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2015 Vauxhall Corsa

Holden is considered somewhat of an exotic brand, mostly because its vehicles aren’t made available in Europe or the United States. Save for a few exceptions, such as the VE Commodore-based Pontiac G8 and Chevy SS, Holdens mainly remained on Australian soil and a few surrounding countries.

And that has caused some frustration with U.S. enthusiasts, especially among those that were hoping for General Motors to revive the Chevy El Camino by importing the Holden Ute. That didn’t happen, but GM eventually brought the Commodore Stateside last year as the Chevrolet SS.

The Detroit giant also imported the Australian sedan to the United Kingdom for its Vauxhall brand, but, unlike North America, the Brits got the angrier, HSV-prepped version of the Commodore. Sold under the VXR8 GTS name, the high-performance sedan is being marketed as a competitor for the more popular BMW M5 and the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG.

And judging by the numbers, the Vauxhall is an impressive machine, with 577 horsepower and 564 pound-feet of torque coming out of a supercharged, 6.2-liter, V-8 engine. That’s more than what the BMW M5 Competition Package gets under the hood, but is it enough for the rebadged Holden to take on one of Germany’s finest sedan?

The folks over at Autocar embarked on a mission to find out and put both vehicles through handling and rolling start drag race tests with Steve Sutcliffe behind the wheel. Who won? Well, you’ll just have to hit the play button to find out.

The Vauxhall VXR8 doesn’t get nearly the same amount of love as the Audi RS6 Avant, or any of the equally powerful German estate models. But completely dismissing the VXR8 isn’t fair to the Vauxhall, something EVO found out first-hand during a recent comparison run between the two.

It goes without saying that high-performance estate models don’t get any better than the RS6 Avant. Audi is one of the pioneers of the segment and the latest RS6 Avant holds true to all of Ingolstadt’s capabilities in building a car that still runs incredibly despite carrying all that weight.

Ultimately, EVO found the RS6 Avant impressive given the standards Audi has set for it. But it didn’t possess the kind of "fun" EVO wanted out of its, which is saying something. The 1:26.5 lap time of the RS6 was impressive in a lot of ways, and certainly much faster than the 1:29.9 seconds the VXR8 pulled out of its hat.

But as far as entertainment value was concerned, Evo gave the nod to the Vauxhall not so much because its more fun to drive, but because you get a whole lot of raised heartbeats doing so. Audi has always been about efficiency, and it’s no different with the RS6 Avant.