PARIS - Vauxhall uses France to launch the Mokka X & Zafira, and the world Premiere of the Viva Rocks & Ampera-e

• VIVA ROCKS to make world premiere at Paris Motor Show (1^st – 16^th October)
• New Mokka X stars in Paris ahead of UK dealer launch next month
• New Zafira Tourer debuts with new infotainment and cockpit
• New Ampera-e hints at Vauxhall’s electric future

Vauxhall premiered the VIVA ROCKS and revealed new versions of two class-leading models at the 2016 Paris Motor Show today. VIVA ROCKS will arrive in showrooms next year while the new Mokka X and Zafira Tourer appeared ahead of their dealer launch next month.

Vauxhall also provided a clear signal about its future commitment to electric vehicles with the ground-breaking Ampera-e being readied for UK evaluation early in 2017.

COME ON VAUXHALL IF YOU ARE PUTTING THE VAUXHALL BADGE ON THE CAR YOU COULD AT LEAST CHANGE THE NAME FROM KARL TO VIVA - LOOKS CHEAP AND TACKY AND YOU CAN DO FAR BETTER.

VIVA ROCKS

Vauxhall unveiled the new VIVA ROCKS at the 2016 Paris Motor Show today. Arriving in showrooms next summer, the VIVA ROCKS features a raised ride height with rugged body cladding, a robust new interior and the latest connectivity including OnStar and R 4.0 IntelliLink.

The new model, which celebrates its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show (Booth 501, Hall 5-2; 1^st – 16^thOctober), features many design cues typically found on larger SUV models, such as an increased ride height that enables better visibility and improved response to uneven surfaces – such as country lanes or potholes. Ideally suited to city conditions, VIVA ROCKS gives occupants excellent connectivity, while retaining the practicality of the Vauxhall VIVA with five doors, five seats, compact dimensions and a luggage capacity in excess of 1,000 litres.

Clever design tweaks set the VIVA ROCKS apart from its A-segment rivals, as well as from its tamer, well-established, sibling. Silver roof rails, rugged front (including fog lights) and rear bumpers with integrated skid pads, muscular wheel arches, and unique 15-inch bi-colour look alloy wheels, all ensure that the new model has a distinctive edge, yet simultaneously keeps enough features to retain the VIVA’s dynamic, sporty appearance.

On the inside, VIVA ROCKS gets a new interior with sophisticated touches throughout. The optional R 4.0 IntelliLink system brings the world of smartphones to the VIVA ROCKS via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, also providing navigation through Apple Maps or Google Maps. Alternatively, Navi 4.0 IntelliLink offers an integrated navigation system.

The connectivity offering of the VIVA ROCKS is completed with the availability of Vauxhall’s personal connectivity and service assistant, Vauxhall OnStar, making it among the best connected A-segment cars on the market.

The updated exterior and stylish interior are not all the VIVA ROCKS has to offer though, giving the same high levels of practicality, comfort and safety provided in the Vauxhall VIVA. Five doors guarantee convenient access to the front and rear seats, which can be folded down to give the VIVA ROCKS an impressive luggage capacity of 1,013 litres. The ‘City’ driving mode reduces steering effort to assist with tight manoeuvres in heavy city traffic, with cruise control supporting speed management. Additional features that support the driver include Park Assist, which makes parking safer and easier.

MOKKA X

Vauxhall’s new Mokka X, which reaches UK showrooms in October, appeared at the 2016 Paris Motor Show today with a fresh interior and exterior design, a new powertrain and featuring OnStar and Apple CarPlay.

With over half a million sold in Europe and nearly 100,000 in the UK, Mokka has seen huge success since its launch in 2012. The Mokka’s compact size (4.28m long), sporty looks and elevated seating position having wowed customers looking for an affordable SUV.

Incorporating cues from Vauxhall’s new design philosophy, the new Mokka X is the first model to introduce the “X” segment identifier for future Vauxhall SUV and crossover vehicles.

The Mokka X’s bold new look is thanks to work carried out by a design team led by Brit Mark Adams. Its new front treatment is aligned with Vauxhall’s new design philosophy including a wing-shaped horizontal front grille and the dominant, sharp double-wing signature of the LED daytime running lights. At the rear is another double wing signature highlighted in the tail lamps, with LED technology an option. Vibrant new colours such as ‘Amber Orange’ and ‘Lava Red’ are also available. On the inside, the Mokka X has a completely new dashboard inspired by the new Astra.

After introducing the much-lauded 1.6-litre ‘Whisper Diesel’ engine last year, the Mokka range is now extended further to include a new generation 1.4-litre Direct Injection Turbo (152PS) petrol unit which first appeared in the Astra. With a six-speed automatic transmission, adaptive all-wheel drive and start/stop, this Mokka achieves 43.5mpg* and CO2 emissions of 150g/km*.

In addition to the AWD system, Vauxhall engineers have once again made innovative technology available to a broad group of customers by introducing LED Adaptive Forward Lighting headlamps. The new AFL LED system adapts the headlights’ lighting patterns automatically to the driving situation so that the best possible light performance is given without dazzling other road users.

ZAFIRA TOURER

The new Vauxhall Zafira Tourer made its show debut in Paris, demonstrating a unique blend of exceptional versatility and optimum comfort. Its flexibility makes it an ideal choice for families and professionals who need a spacious and versatile vehicle for travelling long distances in high comfort.

The new model will be in showrooms from October across the UK, priced from £18,615 on-the-road. New Zafira Tourer comes with an attractive new exterior and interior that emphasises its spacious design and outstanding in-car connectivity. The latest model comes with all the well-known virtues of its predecessor such as the Flex7 seating system, ergonomically-certified AGR front seats, the Flex-Fix bicycle carrier and FlexRide adaptive damping. The new Zafira Tourer range includes Design, Energy, SRi, SRi Nav, SE, Tech Line, Elite and Elite Nav trim levels.

The latest generation Vauxhall IntelliLink infotainment systems with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and OnStar, including 4G/LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, ensure the Zafira Tourer offers optimum connectivity while on the road. Vauxhall has also introducing full LED Adaptive Forward Lighting headlamps to the Zafira Tourer range.

AMPERA-E

The new Ampera-e electric car, premiered at the Paris Motor Show today, will be evaluated in the UK by Vauxhall with the possibility of right-hand-drive models being produced in a future generation.

Due to be sold by Vauxhall’s sister company, Opel, from 2017 with left-hand-drive, the Ampera-e has a class-leading pure electrical range that can exceed 250 miles without recharging (purely electrical range measured, based on the New European Driving Cycle, or NEDC, in km: > 400; provisional figure). However, even taking into account the real world impact of driving style, road and weather conditions, the car can still achieve a range of over 185 miles under average, every day conditions.

‘Vauxhall is committed to having a future EV presence in its range,’ said Rory Harvey, Vauxhall’s Chairman and Managing Director. ‘The technology which underpins the new Ampera-e is of great interest to us, and we will be evaluating LHD cars from next spring and demonstrating them to clients. The fact that Ampera-e is not an eco-luxury or second car for customers broadens its appeal greatly, but it’s obviously vital that the car we sell in our market is right-hand-drive, and that won’t be available in the current generation.’

The class-leading range of 250 miles (provisional figure measured, based on the NEDC) of the Ampera-e – which beats the maximum 186-mile NEDC range of its closest competitor, the BMW i3, fitted with its optional, large 33kWh battery – is not the only feature which will be part of Vauxhall’s appraisal. Clever integration of the ten battery modules means that the 4.17 metre-long car can accommodate five people, yet still offers a 381-litre boot. The battery package is located in the underbody and is tailored to the contours of the vehicle, with no space wasted. The battery, developed in cooperation with LG Chem, comprises 288 lithium-ion cells and has a capacity of 60 kWh.

Sports car acceleration

With maximum torque of 360Nm and power equivalent to 204PS, the Ampera-e’s standing-start and mid-range acceleration figures are on a par with many a sports car. Zero to 30mph takes a mere 3.2 seconds, while 50-75mph – a particularly important yardstick for overtaking performance – takes just 4.5 seconds (preliminary figures). Top speed is electronically limited to 93mph for the benefit of overall range.

The Ampera-e also has the ability to re-charge its batteries while being driven. To do so, the driver just eases off the accelerator in the normal ‘Drive’ mode. The Ampera-e recuperates automatically in overrun and wins back energy from the electric motor, which doubles as a generator. The motor’s braking effect is increased when the driver switches to ‘Low’ mode, therefore increasing recuperation. Furthermore, the driver can switch to ‘Regen on Demand’ for maximum energy recuperation, via a paddle at the back of the steering wheel. The drag torque is so high in ‘Low/Regen on Demand’ modes that the brake pedal need not be applied to reduce speed to a full stop in normal traffic, leaving the Ampera-e to be safely controlled by the accelerator (naturally, the brake pedal still needs to be applied in an emergency).

Initial vehicle simulation models show that drivers can increase the range by up to five per cent compared with ‘Drive’ mode, when applying ‘One Pedal Driving’ with the corresponding full recuperation in dense city stop/go traffic.

Fully connected with OnStar and smartphone integration

The Ampera-e has both the latest generation IntelliLink infotainment and OnStar on board, with the award-winning connectivity and service assistant offering a powerful WiFi hotspot for up to seven devices (depending on market). The Apple CarPlay- and Android Auto-compatible IntelliLink systems bring the world of smartphones into the Ampera-e, allowing passengers complete access to their favourite music, or the luxury of streaming movies.