When multiple vehicles are created from a badge-engineering process which is restricted to minor differences, the most effective way to avoid stealing sales from each other is to offer each one on different markets – like what FCA does with Dodge Journey and Fiat Freemont, for instance. The silver-medal strategy, in turn, is to give each one a different focus. This one is harder to perform because it’s much more complex: differing too much turns them more expensive than what was convenient, which changing too little makes it better to offer only one model. Nevertheless, this path is still capable of giving interesting results, and it’s what Renault and Opel seem to have done with their brand new vans.
Vivaro intends to be the upscale variation of them, in order to seek high-luxury transporting companies. The only front part it shares with Trafic seems to be the headlights, which is a great strategy because each automaker gets much more freedom to adapt the car to its own design language. This is why Vivaro resembles other Opels more than ever. Everything takes the attention to the main grille, whose expressive size aids to an imponent look. The chrome accents add a touch of sophistication, while using the lower elements in much smaller sizes manages to avoid the entire section to look too heavy. The sides have a strong crease once again intended to remind of other Opels, but both them and the rear never vary too much on a commercial van.
There will be lots of dimension options from which to choose, just like the outgoing car’s. Your new Vivaro can come in crew van, Combi (cargo and passengers), minibus and panel van. The latter offers two sizes of height and of length, but both are around 22-cm longer than the respective old ones. Besides, any special needs can be taken to Opel’s conversion center, which works very similar to Renault’s: you can customize the van with the specific equipment for particular uses. In Opel’s words, Vivaro can be “a robust van, a representative business vehicle or a comfortable large-capacity car”. It’ll offer five solid and six metallic colors, with additional options for the aforementioned specific-use units.
Just like Trafic, Opel’s van received impressive improvements on downsizing technologies, which is extremely important for a commercial vehicle. There will be only two 1.6L engine options, both using diesel and turbo: the first one is a CDTI, but all the spotlights will go to the Bi-Turbo CDTI. This one boasts sequential turbocharging and a twin-cooler system in order to beat the 16.6-kpl consumption mark. Vivaro accounts for around 10% of its category’s sales in Europe, and gets close to have 50,000 units sold annually. It’ll be produced at GM’s British plant of Luton and, just like most Opel vehicles, it’ll be offered in United Kingdom under the Vauxhall brand.