This year will see VIVA, Vauxhall’s all-new five-door entry-level model, arrive on the roads around Beverley.
In celebration, Evans Halshaw is taking a trip down memory lane to look back at the model’s first incarnation whilst acknowledging the awe-inspiring design, performance and technology of the upcoming arrival bearing the same name.
Vauxhall recently released the first official pictures of the latest five-seater addition to its small car range, which will be joining the fashionable ADAM and popular Corsa supermini when it arrives in the spring.
Aron Brown, Dealer Principal at the dealership on Swinemoor Lane, comments: “With a name that pays homage to Vauxhall’s original Viva, which was produced from 1963 to 1979, the all-new VIVA shares the original’s philosophy of clean lines, durability and practicality.”
Looking back…
Launched in 1963, the Viva HA was the smallest-engined car that Vauxhall had made since before the First World War, and was known for being strong, reliable, spacious and inexpensive to run.
The HA went into production in Luton in 1963 and was the first car to be manufactured at Vauxhall’s plant in Ellesmere Port. Production of the HA ran until 1966 and over 300,000 units were built.
Customers at the time had a choice of two models; a basic saloon and a De-Luxe model, which was distinguished by a chrome strip along the side of the car. A short while after, in 1965, the SL and SL90 versions were introduced, and sported a slightly different grille, a colour flash along the side and triple rear lights.
Vauxhall then went on to produce the Viva HB, which had a fresh approach to styling and sold over half a million units in four years. The Viva HC came next and was larger with an inch extra in wheelbase, length and width. The HC spawned two well-known performance derivatives; the Magnum and the Firenza.
…To the future
Step forward over three decades and the new VIVA, which goes on sale in spring, has been truly designed for modern, everyday life, offering practicality and exceptional attention to detail.
Upon its arrival, it will be the latest model in the range to display Vauxhall’s sculptured, precise design cues, including strong feature lines swooping down the sides, a signature ‘blade’ slicing through the doors and a distinctive winged chrome bar that presents the manufacturer’s badge.
Today’s customers of the VIVA will be able to choose from ten exterior paint colours and a variety of 14- to 16-inch wheels.
When it comes to power and performance, the VIVA will be the latest Vauxhall to feature its new 1.0-litre three-cylinder ECOTEC engine. Specially-developed for VIVA, the 75PS powertrain will be smooth, punchy and efficient, and mated to a slick five-speed transmission.
VIVA’s chassis and steering have been developed to provide exceptional safety and class-leading comfort, too.
VIVA will have its finger well and truly on the button. The model will come fully-connected thanks to Vauxhall’s IntelliLink infotainment system, which will allow seamless integration of Apple iOS and Android devices.
A feature that VIVA will share with its ADAM and Corsa cohorts is ‘City mode’, which reduces steering effort at the push of a button. Park Assist alerts the driver to obstacles whilst parking, plus there’s optional cruise control, sunroof, fog lights, heated front seats and heated steering wheel.
Aron Brown adds: “Available to order later this year at an extremely attractive price point, VIVA promises to give Vauxhall an unrivalled position in the small car market. We look forward to the arrival of what we are confident will be a real head-turner, not to mention a game-changer!”
For details about the VIVA, and any other models in the Vauxhall range, please contact the team at Evans Halshaw by visiting the dealership at Swinemoor Lane, Beverley, HU17 0LJ, or by calling 01482 862 801. Discover more about the retailer online at www.evanshalshaw.com/vauxhall.
