GENEVA - Vauxhall has a lot to be happy about at the 85th Geneva Show.

ONSTAR MAKES EUROPEAN DEBUT AT GENEVA

• Vauxhall OnStar to launch in the UK this year
• Wi-Fi hotspot for up to seven devices
• Emergency response notification if airbags deploy
• Stolen vehicle tracker technology to assist Police
• 24/7 European service centre based in Luton, Beds
• Free trial period: no charge for OnStar and WiFi for 12 months

NEW VIVA JOINS VAUXHALL’S SMALL CAR FAMILY

• Arriving in showrooms in summer priced from £7,995 OTR
• Specially-developed 1.0-litre ECOTEC (75PS) powertrain
• Comfortable and practical with room for up to five people
• IntelliLink connectivity for seamless smartphone integration
• Completes small car family offering unrivalled levels of variety for buyers

VAUXHALL UNLEASHES NEW CORSA VXR AT GENEVA

• 205PS and up to 280Nm from powerful 1.6-litre turbocharged engine
• 0-60mph in 6.8 seconds; top speed 143mph
• Bespoke Koni dampers with adaptive tech standard
• Performance pack including Drexler LSD available as option
• In UK showrooms from May

ONSTAR MAKES EUROPEAN DEBUT AT GENEVA

• Vauxhall OnStar to launch in the UK this year
• Wi-Fi hotspot for up to seven devices
• Emergency response notification if airbags deploy
• Stolen vehicle tracker technology to assist Police
• 24/7 European service centre based in Luton, Beds
• Free trial period: no charge for OnStar and WiFi for 12 months

Vauxhall will preview OnStar at today’s Geneva Motor Show, showcasing its comprehensive package, which includes a high-speed 4G LTE mobile network, emergency response notification and stolen vehicle tracker.   Vauxhall OnStar will be offered on selected Vauxhall passenger cars from October 2015.  The full suite of Vauxhall OnStar services will be provided free for a 12month trial period and thereafter for an annual subscription fee.

Globally, OnStar is the leading provider of connected safety and security solutions, value-added mobility services and advanced information technology in the automobile industry. It connects around seven million customers in the United States, Canada, China and Mexico with features including 4G LTE connection, emergency services and smartphone remote control.

Vauxhall/Opel OnStar will be available in the UK from launch, as well as 13 other markets across Europe, including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. The European service centre will be in Luton, Bedfordshire.

“With OnStar, Vauxhall is bringing the latest connectivity technology to a wider audience,” said Tim Tozer, Vauxhall’s Chairman and Managing Director. “OnStar will make driving safer as well as offering new innovations in infotainment and telematics. And best of all, the system will be free to customers for the first year of ownership.”

Wi-Fi hotspot for up to seven devices

With OnStar, each Vauxhall becomes a powerful, mobile Wi-Fi hotspot giving access to apps and services that require a high-speed mobile or data connection. Up to seven mobile devices can be connected simultaneously. Passengers will be able to stay in touch with family and friends via social media, play games, stream movies or watch TV via their favourite app or to work while away from the office.

Emergency response and roadside assistance

If an airbag deploys, OnStar will be alerted automatically and an advisor will then contact the vehicle to determine whether help is required. If there is no response, emergency services are immediately sent to the vehicle.

Available 24/7 and 365 days a year, OnStar Advisors are located at the OnStar service centre in Luton. At a push of an SOS button, OnStar users can request assistance whenever they deem it necessary, for example, if they witness an accident. The OnStar buttons will be located in the overhead centre console or the rear-view mirror on some cars.

The new system also includes roadside assistance services making being stranded with a flat tyre or an empty fuel tank a thing of the past. A call to the OnStar team will ensure that users will receive help as quickly as possible.

Remote connection with OnStar smartphone app

Smartphone users will be able to connect to their vehicle remotely with the OnStar smartphone app enabling them to:

• Contact OnStar from anywhere
• Call up important vehicle data such as oil life or tyre pressure
• Remotely lock or unlock the car
• Locate the car online
• Honk the horn and flash the lights
• Quickly download destinations to the in-car navigation system
• Easily manage the vehicle’s built-in Wi-Fi hotspot settings

Rapid vehicle recovery

OnStar will be able to assist vehicle owners and police if a vehicle with the system is stolen. The stolen vehicle assistance will enable OnStar to work closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure that the car is recovered quickly and safely and returned to its rightful owner. Remote ignition block will allow OnStar to send a remote signal to the vehicle that blocks the engine from starting once it has been reported stolen.

Up-to-date with monthly diagnostics

OnStar can also provide subscribers with a monthly vehicle diagnostics email with the most important vehicle data and information. A diagnostics check can be requested at any time at the push of a button, providing peace of mind before setting off on a longer journey.

European customers in complete control

Subscribers will be in complete control of their data and the services they receive. Before the services are activated they will have to agree to the terms and conditions. They will be able to choose whether they want to reveal their current location – at a push of the Privacy Button their position will be masked. However, no matter whether the location is masked/unmasked, OnStar will not be used to monitor its user but will solely offer services. In case of an airbag deployment, OnStar will by default override the mask functionality so that emergency services can be dispatched to the exact location as quickly as possible.

NEW VIVA JOINS VAUXHALL’S SMALL CAR FAMILY

• Arriving in showrooms in summer priced from £7,995 OTR
• Specially-developed 1.0-litre ECOTEC (75PS) powertrain
• Comfortable and practical with room for up to five people
• IntelliLink connectivity for seamless smartphone integration
• Completes small car family offering unrivalled levels of variety for buyers

Vauxhall’s all-new five-door entry-level model VIVA has received its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show today.

Arriving in summer, the VIVA will be the latest addition to Vauxhall’s compact car range, joining ADAM and Corsa. Despite all sitting in the same sector, each model in the Vauxhall small-car family is well defined in terms of its dimensions, design, range-breadth and choice of equipment and powertrains.

The Viva will be priced from £7,995, making it the entry-ticket to Vauxhall ownership. While its range will be considerably smaller than that of the Corsa or ADAM, and only one 1.0-litre engine will be available from launch, the VIVA’s exceptional build quality and packaging will appeal to buyers looking for value, simplicity and a high degree of functionality.

In contrast, the Corsa and ADAM offer a different buying proposition. The New Corsa range starts from £8,995 and has nine different trims and nine engine variants. Even the entry-level Sting model (available in either 3- or 5-door body styles) has a comprehensive list of standard equipment, including: Bluetooth connectivity, 16-inch white alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, heated windscreen, hill start assist and six airbags. It also gets power-assisted steering, cruise control, CD/MP3 CD player/stereo radio and aux-in socket, USB connection with iPod control and six speakers.

Sitting at the top of Vauxhall’s small-car range is the ADAM, priced from £11,445 on-the road. ADAM is aimed at buyers after a stylish and fashionable small car, and one that can be personalised like no other on the market. Over a million trim and engine combinations are available, based around five platforms – JAM, GLAM, SLAM, GRAND SLAM and ROCKS – and five powertrains.

Never before have buyers in the small car sector had so much choice and variety offered by a single manufacturer.

VIVA Design

With a name that pays homage to Vauxhall’s original Viva made from 1963 to 1979, the all-new VIVA shares the original’s philosophy of clean lines, durability and practicality.  It is designed for modern, everyday life and at 3.68 metres long is practical and spacious providing more than enough room for up to five people.

VIVA is the latest model in the range to display Vauxhall’s sculptured, precise design philosophy. Three strong feature lines swoop down the sides with the signature ‘blade’, seen previously on Insignia and GTC among others, slicing through the doors. The two others run through the front and rear door handles. The VIVA’s front end features a distinctive winged chrome bar that presents the Griffin badge.

VIVA will be available in ten exterior paint colours with a variety of 14- to 16-inch wheels.

VIVA Powertrain and Chassis

After first appearing in the ADAM ROCKS AIR and subsequently the New Corsa, VIVA is the latest Vauxhall to feature its new 1.0-litre three-cylinder ECOTEC engine.  Specially-developed for VIVA, this 75PS powertrain is smooth, punchy and efficient, and is mated to a slick five-speed transmission. When equipped with an optional ecoFLEX package, consisting of a front spoiler lip and roof spoiler and low rolling resistance tyres, VIVA achieves 99g/km and 66mpg combined.

VIVA’s chassis and steering have been developed to provide exceptional safety and class-leading comfort.

VIVA Equipment and Practicality

Like its stablemates ADAM and Corsa, VIVA is fully-connected thanks to the IntelliLink infotainment system, which allows seamless integration of Apple iOS and Android devices.

It’s also equipped with ESP featuring traction control, ABS with Electronic Brake-Force Distribution and Hill Start Assist, which prevents the car from rolling back when starting on a slope.  Further safety options can be selected including Lane Departure Warning.

Another feature that VIVA shares with ADAM and Corsa 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.

“Short, crisp and full of character, Vauxhall’s new entry-level model is a proper small car and will hold great appeal in this rapidly growing sector,” said Tim Tozer, Vauxhall’s Chairman and Managing Director. “On sale later this year at an extremely attractive price point, VIVA joins new Corsa and ADAM in a compelling small car portfolio, giving Vauxhall an unrivalled position in the small car market.”

VAUXHALL UNLEASHES NEW CORSA VXR AT GENEVA

• 205PS and up to 280Nm from powerful 1.6-litre turbocharged engine
• 0-60mph in 6.8 seconds; top speed 143mph
• Bespoke Koni dampers with adaptive tech standard
• Performance pack including Drexler LSD available as option
• In UK showrooms from May

Vauxhall has revealed the new Corsa VXR, its ultra-powerful small hot-hatch, at the Geneva Motor Show today.

Benefiting from the significant revisions in technology, interior/exterior design and chassis showcased in the recently launched New Corsa, the VXR is set to raise the bar for small, fast hatchbacks when it appears in UK showrooms in May.

Headline performance figures are 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 143mph – quicker than the outgoing car, but more importantly the VXR produces its 245Nm of torque from lower revs (between 1,900rpm and 5,800rpm, compared with 2,250rpm to 5,500rpm for the outgoing Nürburgring and ClubSport models). This makes the VXR a potent performer between 50-75mph, which it can dispatch in just 6.6 seconds in fifth gear.

An overboost facility provides an additional 35Nm of torque, ideal for swift and safe overtaking. Maximum power from its 1.6-litre turbocharged engine is 205PS, while the Corsa VXR achieves 37.7mpg on the combined cycle with C02 emissions of 174g/km.

As before, power is delivered to the front wheels via a second-generation six-speed transmission with a short, fluid gearchange.

Vauxhall has worked closely with damper-supplier, Koni, to develop a new technology, known as Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) for the new Corsa VXR. FSD allows damping forces to adapt to the car’s movements, ensuring that body control is maintained when the car is driven fast, but ride quality is optimised at lower speeds. In addition, the car’s ride height has been lowered by 10mm all round.

For the first time, Vauxhall is offering a two-stage switchable electronic stability programme (ESP) and traction control (TC) with the Corsa VXR. In Competition Mode the traction control is inactive, while the ESP is relaxed to allow less intervention. For track use, the ESP can be fully disabled.

Revisions have been made to the new Corsa VXR’s steering, making it more direct and precise, with improved feedback through the wheel. Michelin 215/45 R17 tyres are standard, as are 308mm front brake discs.

Standard bi-xenon lighting and a choice of six exterior colours help the new Corsa VXR stand out in its class. An aggressive new front-end design features large air intakes and an aluminium-framed opening below the headlights. A small scoop is located below the bonnet and side-sill extensions enhance the Corsa VXR’s performance credentials still further. At the rear, a rear spoiler provides meaningful downforce over the back axle, and twin Remus exhaust pipes further distinguish it from regular Corsas.

Six exterior colours – including Flash Blue, which is unique to the Corsa VXR – are available for the Corsa VXR. The car’s cabin has standard Recaro seats, a leather, flat-bottomed steering wheel, sports pedals, as well as a VXR gear-lever and instruments. A heated front windscreen and Intellilink connectivity for Apple iOS and Android smartphones are also standard.

Performance Package

For Corsa VXR customers keen to enhance their car’s dynamics still further, Vauxhall is offering an optional Performance Package, which includes certain features previously seen in the outgoing Nürburgring and ClubSport models. Highlights include a Drexler limited-slip differential, larger 330mm-diameter Brembo front brake discs, 18-inch alloy wheels and more focused FSD damper settings.