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Being a true pioneer in the car industry is a mixed bag.

When a car maker puts themselves out there with a new model or innovation, green or otherwise, anything less than perfection off the block and the hammer falls. Kudos received from any genuinely trailblazing ideas get tempered quickly by the harsh reality of consumer review mags and newspapers which invariably pick to pieces other details… (’great mileage!’, ‘low emissions!’, ‘efficient design!’ – plain interior?? - 2 stars, of 5).

Sound familiar? It’s rare when an innovative car such as the 2009 Vauxhall Astra EcoFLEX gets the accolades it deserves for having its priorities in order.

That’s exactly what has happened with the new Astra. This month, London’s Telegraph newspaper review team put Vauxhall’s newest EcoFLEX offering under the microscope. They looked it over; kicked the tires, played with the dials, drove it on busy city streets and let it loose on the motorway - and it is quite apparent they liked what they saw.

A few direct quotes from the telegraph.co.uk review:

“…the driving ergonomics are brilliant, with a low-slung, chunky gearlever providing short, neat changes between the six ratios and a small, responsive steering wheel. The chassis has been lowered and feels firmly planted through corners, with the nose swift to change direction.”

“…the engine is a sweet thing. I was expecting a lot of noise and diesel vibration to be transmitted into the cabin, on the assumption that much of the insulation would be taken out to save weight, but it positively purred at idle. On the go, a squeeze of the throttle releases a strong spurt of acceleration and it’s so much fun you don’t notice how quickly the power delivery dips as the revs continue to rise.”

“…the figures speak for themselves: carbon emissions of 119g/km put the car into tax band B (VED costs £35 a year) and it has an EU Urban fuel consumption rating of 50.4mpg. In return you get a maximum 108bhp and 191lb ft of torque, which doesn’t sound like much, but I was astounded at how much fun the Astra was to drive.”

“…it’s entertaining around town and, all the while, you’re getting about 50 miles to the gallon. This is clever engineering, so toes and fingers should be crossed that the future of Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port factory is secure. The company is producing some very good cars at the moment - the Insignia (Car of the Year), the terrific Corsa and the sweet-looking Agila, for instance - and the Astra EcoFLEX is another to add to the list.”

They even liked the interior.

“…interior came as a pleasant surprise”

With the interior passed, you know you’re on to a good thing.

It’s official - the 2009 Astra EcoFLEX is a winner. Check out the full review on the Telegraph.co.uk 2009 Astra EcoFLEX Review and Vauxhall.co.uk virtual showroom for the full line of Vauxhall’s EcoFLEX cars.

Source: Telegraph.co.uk Motoring page | Vauxhall.co.uk

Let the debate begin.

Today’s question in the ‘Desert Island’ series, we ask the age old question - if you could only choose one (1) - which reasonably priced car manufacturer would you take (imagine: on a desert island / to dinner with you / in a cage fight / wherever).

You know what we’re on about.

Just one. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Consideration has to be given to the entire line of cars within the manufacturer’s fleet. From the bottom feeders (ie. lower priced models) up through their very best. When you make your choice, remember, you get them all, good and bad. The idea of today’s debate is to find the one economy car manufacturer that shines across the entire range. Or, at least stays away from that one truly unsightly blemish, the one car in the entire line that looks like it’s been set on fire and put out with a chain. Or should do.

I’m looking at you, Picasso.

When you think about it, they all have ‘that ONE pig ugly car’, don’t they. Some, like Citroen, have plenty of mingers to choose from. Others are let down by that one model so very bad that the whole line is tainted. Pick Volkswagen and yes, you get the Golf, the new Beetle and the Passat. But you also get the new Rabbit. Are YOU going to drive the new Rabbit? Thought not. For purposes of THIS debate, consider Volkswagen ‘nicht gut’.

Toyota surely have some lovely cars in their fleet. They also have the Verso, the Yaris and across the board the worst set of car model names of any manufacturer in automotive history. Avensis, anyone? Sorry, Toyota.

Mitsubishi? Some of the best looking vehicles on the road, without doubt. And, a mini-van straight out of 1989 in the Grandis. What it lacks in Grand, it makes up for in Diss.

Sayanora.

Our American cousins from Ford excel at truck manufacturing and lay claim to many fine car models as well. With 2009 offerings like the Kuga (Cougar, spelled in American?) on the way, it looks like they’ve just given up now. The end is nigh. Ford, may you rest in peace.

Volvo. Volvo, yes! Decent looking cars. Maybe plain, but nothing horrendous. Wait, they make the V50 Tank/Wagon thing, don’t they? Scratch Volvo.

In this debate - one weak link lets down the entire family. Maybe your parents were right after all.
It’s hard to argue with Jeremy Clarkson and the UK Top Gear team. In an episode last season they gave some serious, intelligent, well thought out discussion to the issue (1 minute, 30 seconds to be exact).

And who did they pick?

They came up with Vauxhall.

Vauxhall?

TOP GEAR UK VAUXHALL REVIEW

Don’t sound so surprised (to our North American friends, visit - Vauxhall.co.uk). Vauxhall has come a long, long way in their design recently. In fact, they now have to be considered across the board the best looking car manufacturer. And if Jeremy Clarkson says so, it has to be right doesn’t it? Are YOU going to take issue with the biggest petrol-head in Europe, a man revered, a man with such gravitas he was put forward by 475,000 Facebook members to become Prime Minister of England?

Maybe we’ve gone too far, but take a look at each model in the Vauxhall range individually and you’ll see Clarkson has a point. The entire 2009 Vauxhall line is solid, top to bottom. Let’s take a closer look…

We’ll start with what’s bound to be the most contentious pick first. The Meriva. While admittedly not possessing the Hollywood good looks of some of its stable mates - let’s face it, it’s no Berlingo.

The Corsa is, well, the Corsa. Like most of the girls you used to date - not SUPER attractive, but small and light enough that you can get away with it. Maybe a bit more popular than your girlfriends tended to be though.

The Vauxhall Antara. If not the best looking SUV in its price range, we welcome your opinion to what you think might be. Pretty.

The Corsavan? Automobile review website WhatVan.co.uk just awarded the Vauxhall Corsavan “Small Van of the Year”. Small vans have never been so popular and according to ‘What Van?’, Corsavan is the best of the lot. Nice going, Corsavan.

The design of the Agila and Astra easily hold their own against the competition, and the Tigra, VXR and New Insignia are undeniably some of the best looking cars in the world, at any price.

All in all, the author sees no reason to veer from PM (to be) Clarkson’s view that Vauxhall has ‘no mingers’ in the range. And you? What’s your input… agree? Disagree?

Digg?

Who’s on the desert island with YOU?

Let the debate begin. We’ve stated our case. State yours below!

1970 Vauxhall SRV

The Vauxhall SRV (Styling Research Vehicle) was a 1970 concept vehicle designed by Vauxhall Motors. Never intended for production, the car was an attempt to raise Vauxhall’s profile and image, while providing a platform for researching some unusual design concepts.

1970 Nissan 270x

The 270x concept was introduced at the Tokyo Motorshow in 1970. The aggressive style was not matched with its performance - the base mechanicals were from the Nissan E10 Cherry. The Cherry’s 1171cc motor was slope mounted into a FWD design in which the exhaust system exited the back in order to conform to the sloping design.

1973 Chevrolet Aerovette

The interior was more fully engineered than the typical concept car, another indication that the Aerovette was indeed a serious production prospect. The Aerovette displayed a strongly triangulated “mound” shape, balanced proportions, and artful surface detailing. “Gullwing” doors harked back to the original Mercedes 300SL coupe but were articulated for easier operation in tight parking spots.

1970 Ferrari 512 S Modulo

The Ferrari 512 S Modulo is a concept car designed by coach maker Pininfarina, unveiled at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show. The Modulo was the last in a series of studies. The concept car has an extremely low body with a Canopy-style roof that slides forward to permit entry to the cabin. All four wheels are partly covered. Another special feature of the design consists of twenty-four holes in the engine cover that reveal the Ferrari V12 engine.

1970 Porsche Tapiro

The Porsche Tapiro was designed legendary designer Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1970. It was based on the Porsche 914/6 platform and featured a mid mounted 2.4 litre flat 6 cylinder Porsche engine, giving 220 bhp and 7200 rpm. Like so many concept cars of the time, it had gullwing doors and the profile of the windscreen was almost the same angle as the bonnet. In recognition of his talent, Giurgiaro was awarded the Car Designer of the Century by the Global Automotive Elections Foundation.

1972 E25 BMW Turbo

The E25 BMW TURBO prototype was built as a celebration for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. The car had a Turbo fitted 1,990cc BMW 4 cylinder engine. The car weighed just 980kg and featured gullwing doors and an ergonomically considered interior. Safety was another consideration in its design, with an integrated passenger roll-cage, crash safe deformable structures front and rear of the car and a collapsible steering column, thanks to 3 universal joints. Only 2 E25 cars were ever built.

1978 Vauxhall Equus

The Equus was the last concept car designed for Vauxhall under the guidance of Wayne Cherry, who was at the time head of European design for General Motors. After the Equus, Vauxhall did not resume producing show cars again until 2003. The Equus was an elegant but simple two-passenger roadster design based on the Panther Lima chassis - a typical, hand-built British roadster, featuring a Vauxhall drive train.

SOURCE: Conceptcarz.com | Vauxhall.co.uk