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New Opel Vivaro and Opel Movano: Enhanced to Meet New Challenges Review

June 2006
Filed under: OPEL Car News | OPEL Headlines

· Premiere at Hanover Commercial Vehicle Show - orders can be placed from this summer
· Fresh Opel Vivaro face highlights new technology and equipment
· All Opel engines meet Euro 4 standard, 2.5 CDTI with diesel particulate filter as standard
· New Opel Vivaro dropside variants – also in low-floor design
· New comfort and styling options for passenger bus “Tour”
· Opel Movano with new engines, enhanced interior and ESPPlus

Rüsselsheim (2006-06-01) -- Opel is strengthening its position in the growing 2.8 to 3.5-ton gross weight segment of the light commercial vehicle market with new versions of the Vivaro and Movano. In 1999, Opel made a strong entry into this segment with the Movano, followed by the Vivaro in 2001. Since then, Opel commercial vehicle registrations have doubled from almost 80,000 in 2001 to around 160,000. Both new models make their debut in September at the Commercial Vehicle IAA in Hanover, with orders for the Vivaro being accepted from the beginning of July, and from mid-August for the Movano.

The new Vivaro: In addition to new technology and equipment, the Vivaro also boasts a new, fresh face. The second Vivaro generation is immediately recognizable with its new headlamp graphics, chrome strip on the redesigned radiator grille and new tail lamps.

Vivaro: Fresh face, dropside versions, new engines and equipment

In addition to new technology and equipment, the Vivaro also boasts a new, fresh face. Carefully refined details increase the successful model’s functionality and resale value. The second Vivaro generation, with its distinctive “Jumbo roof” driver’s cab is immediately recognizable with its new headlamp graphics, chrome strip on the redesigned radiator grille and new tail lamps. These new features highlight the Opel Vivaro’s appeal to customers who focus not only on practicality, but also on style. With the addition of two dropside versions, there are now two wheelbases, two roof heights, and five body variants available. The equipment range includes a host of new features such as Park Pilot, and light and rain sensors (options).

Other new additions are two common-rail turbo-diesel engines with 2.0-liter displacement. All Vivaro power units meet the Euro 4 emissions standard, and the most powerful, the modified 2.5 CDTI, is fitted with a maintenance-free Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) as standard. A six-speed gearbox in the front-wheel drive Vivaro transmits the increased torque of the diesel engines and the power of the 2.0 16V gasoline model.

New Opel Vivaro


A high level of active safety and suspension comfort is provided by the Vivaro’s proven front-wheel drive chassis with McPherson independent front suspension and lightweight torsion beam rear axle. The brake system is top in this category, with disk brakes all around (internally ventilated in front) and a four-channel anti-lock braking system with electronic brake force distribution. In the new Vivaro brake assist completes the standard safety package. The high degree of safety can be enhanced by the optional Electronic Stability Program ESPPlus.


Dynamic front highlights typical Opel characteristics

The Vivaro’s unique, distinctive design has made a mark in the 2.8-ton van class. Customers appreciate the characteristic domed “Jumbo roof”, which creates a sense of spaciousness, and makes getting in and out of the vehicle easier – especially important for a vehicle used for stop-and-go delivery. Opel has moved forward with the Vivaro’s original technical concept, and further developed it with specific visual elements: the newly-designed almond-shaped headlamps with integrated turn indicators, and dominant chrome beam with Opel logo on the distinctively shaped radiator grille clearly identify the Vivaro as a member of the Opel family. The lines rising to the side windows over the robust bumper and the flared wheelarches underline the Vivaro’s dynamic looks, which are rounded off by newly-designed tail lamps in clear glass.

New Opel Vivaro


Best-selling engines with more displacement, power and performance

The new Vivaro is also enhanced with numerous technical modifications and additions. The completely revised engine range consists of three common-rail turbo-diesels and one 2.0-liter gasoline engine, which all meet the Euro 4 emissions standard. The best-selling engines with 1.9-liter displacement (60 kW/82 hp and 74 kW/100 hp) are replaced by two new 2.0 CDTI (66 kW/90 hp and 85 kW/115 hp) units. They offer higher performance with practically the same fuel consumption and – more importantly for fleet management operation – up to 26 percent more pulling power than their predecessors (torque increases from 190 to 240 Nm and from 240 to 290 Nm respectively). With 10 hp and 10 Nm more, the 2.5 CDTI (107 kW/145 hp, 320 Nm) is the right choice for those who make regular journeys with a maximum payload. The top-of-the-line engine will come with a maintenance-free diesel particulate filter as standard, when sales start in October 2006.

It is also available with an automated Tecshift six-speed manual transmission, which can save up to six percent fuel and makes daily driving in city traffic much easier. Specially developed for the increased power, the six-speed manual gearbox is also standard and for the gasoline engine (88 kW/120 hp), which is the ideal alternative for operation with low annual mileage.


Variety of variants for transport and leisure time

The new edition of the Vivaro is available in an even greater number of variants. The previous range – the “Combi” with two or three rows of seats, the “Tour” passenger bus with seven or eight seats, the “Life” family and leisure van with high-comfort equipment, and the panel van with two wheelbases, roof heights, and a 2.7 or 2.9-ton gross vehicle weight – is expanded by two dropside variants. The low-floor design version is especially suited for transporting heavy and bulky goods as it has a load-area height of only 640 millimeters, a unique feature in this segment. The completely flat platform can transport up to four euro pallets, while the normal load floor version provides additional underfloor storage compartments for tools and small items. Thanks to vertical frame fixtures on the three folding walls, the payload of up to 1050 kilograms (normal version: 900 kg) can be easily protected from the weather by a tarpaulin.


Comfortable interior atmosphere for professionals

Opel has made its bestseller even more attractive with an enhanced interior, new standard safety elements such as brake assist, as well as additional comfort and styling options. Fresh upholstery, fabrics and – depending on the model – matt chrome door handles, gear knob and chrome-ringed speedometer make for a pleasant and at the same time business-like atmosphere. The cockpit has a clearly arranged instrument panel, which can be equipped with a double or single DIN format infotainment system. Such extras as the cruise control and passenger airbag which can be deactivated are especially useful depending on how the vehicle is used. Other useful components for retrofit customers include the additional battery and the CAN connection module, which provides access to the CAN bus data.

Customers who are especially keen on appearances can further enhance their Vivaro with new 16-inch alloy rims and a wide choice of color-keyed exterior extras. The Life, which serves equally well as a company van or a versatile family and leisure vehicle, and the Tour people carrier both feature improved standard heating in the passenger compartment. The Life boasts new interior trim with improved surface feel as well comfort-optimized chassis and suspension tuning.


Vivaro success story: Pacesetter in high-growth segment

The particular strengths of the unique, eye-catching Vivaro – economy and power, operating comfort and reliability, functionality and versatility – have led to continually increasing market enthusiasm. In its first full year of sales in 2002, 5600 units of the 2.8-ton van were sold in Germany, and just over 30,000 in Europe. Through 2005, these figures increased to 10,500 (Germany) and 63,000 (Europe), also thanks to the expanded product range with the Life, Tour and panel van with high roof variants. This represents a jump of 87.5 percent in Germany and 110 percent in Europe. With these increases, the Vivaro – recently named “Van of the Year 2006” in the United Kingdom – set a much faster pace than the 2.8-ton segment itself, which grew 12 percent in Germany and just under 30 percent in Europe from 2002 to 2005. Alain Visser, Opel’s Executive Director Sales, Marketing and Service, expects further sales growth in 2006: “Following extensive market analyses, we were confident that the first-generation Vivaro, with its novel, daring vehicle concept, would meet with customer acceptance. Now we know that it is a real winner. With its comprehensive update, the Vivaro goes from strength to strength, as seen in the first four months of 2006, when it’s sales again increased by over 15 percent throughout Europe.”


Movano: More power with enhanced engines and transmissions

The Opel Movano cuts a fine figure in the 2.8 to 3.5-ton gross vehicle weight van class, with attractive design, a high level of seating comfort and outstanding ergonomics, along with its qualities as a robust and economical load or people carrier.

The 2007 Movano presents itself with a new, clearly structured engine range based on the 2.5 CDTI. Just like the Vivaro, the Movano benefits from the enhanced engines – which all comply with the Euro 4 emissions standard – and transmissions: the three 2.5-liter common-rail turbo-diesels are now more powerful, beginning with the 74 kW/100 hp entry-level unit (previously 73 kW/99 hp), to the 88 kW/120 hp engine (previously 84 kW/115 hp) with 300 Nm, up to the top-of-the-line 107 kW/145 hp with 320 Nm, which replaces the 3.0 CDTI with 100 kW/136 hp. The enhanced six-speed manual transmission handles this power just as smoothly as the optional automatic Tecshift, which is initially offered for the 100-hp entry-level version and the 120 hp engine. The maintenance-free diesel particulate filter is optional with the 120 hp 2.5 CDTI and comes standard with the 145 hp model. ESPPlus is a new safety option for the panel van and Combi.

Movano owners will appreciate the additional storage possibilities in the interior: with the exception of the 16-seat bus, all variants feature two roof compartments as wide as the windshield and a storage box in the center console.


Source: Opel

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