Old dog Vauxhall Vivaro still delivers

Vauxhall has a lot to thank Renault for. Before the former rebadged the French marque’s Trafic as its own Vivaro in the late 1990s, it had been floundering in the market with the rather indifferent Japanese Isuzu it produced with a Vauxhall Mini badge on it. But with Vivaro, Vauxhall had something with which to woo businesses away from the Ford Transit once more.

Don’t think that Vivaro is merely a Renault under a British name though. Due for replacement in 2013, it’s to the design’s credit that this van doesn’t feel a decade old. Performance, from the three common rail diesels via standard six-speed transmissions, is strong. The most recent addition to the range is the Ecoflex - an emissions-friendly option on the 2-litre diesel in both 90bhp and 115bhp forms. It cuts CO2 emissions down to 185 g/km, chiefly by limiting top speed to 62mph.

The cut in speed sounds purgatory, but in typical driving conditions is not such a real hardship, as acceleration and pull from the higher output tune (214lbft), even when fully laden, is unhindered.

Trafic was one of the first front-wheel drive vans and remains one of the nicest to drive. The driver is well catered for; driving position is comfortable, cabin space uncluttered and there’s ample storage and cup holder provisions. With a standard spec boasting electric windows, mirrors and doors, plus steering wheel operated CD, the Vivaro is as well-equipped as many cars and feels as refined, thanks to low noise levels and a compliant ride even when unladen.

The original Trafic boasted the lowest load deck height in the business back in the 1980s and even now it’s comfortably under two foot from the ground. The wheel boxes are set nicely back and don’t intrude duly, while there are ample tie-down points with dedicated load packs available as an option. Even our standard height Vivaro takes 5.3 cu.m of cargo and a payload of 1100kg, making it ideal for a wide variety of traders who want a smart, well-built and finished van with prices starting from £16,875 (Ecoflex £ 18,943).

The basic design has proven fairly robust over the past decade, and comes with a 3 year/100,000 mile warranty as standard. For 2012 a diesel particulate filter is fitted to further cut emissions, while the Ecoflex should be even more frugal in use thanks to a new aerodynamic body kit, lower rolling resistance tyres and altered gear ratios.

Of course the beauty of buying Vauxhall is the wide dealer base for service and repair work; it operates the award-winning Network Q, one of the most trusted Approved Used programmes for cars and light vans,

Apart from some gearbox and suspension woes, the main beef is tlikely to be the engine electronics, plus the chance that rain water seeps down on to the engine rusting the diesel injectors and, leading to a possible repair bill of £2000.

Other than this you can buy a new or second-hand Vivaro and reckon you’ve done well out of the deal.