07 Mar 07
If they'd come straight out and said 'we're making it', GM couldn't have made its intentions clearer. The company's European Vauxhall/Opel division is working on the replacement for the Vectra to make it sportier and more exciting looking, and this Grand Touring Coupe concept is a very strong indication of the direction it's taking.
'You have seen a number of our recent concept cars become reality,' said GM Europe vice-president for engineering Hans Demant, citing the earlier GTC Geneve and Antara GTC show cars. 'This car is a confident ambassador for the brand and could play a similar role for us, previewing the engineering and design cues of our next generation of Vauxhall and Opel products.'
The GTC's an aerodynamic two-door four-seater, and an obvious proposal for a rival to the Peugeot 407 Coupe and upcoming Renault Laguna coupe. It's powered by a 300bhp/295lb-ft turbocharged version of the Holden 2.8-litre V6 petrol engine, with four-wheel drive and six-speed manual transmission. Projected performance figures are a top speed of 155mph and 0-60mph in around six seconds, and there's a new version of the IDS-Plus chassis management system which works with the four-wheel-drive powertrain to give a rear-biased handling system under most conditions and divert torque to the front axle if things get slippery.
The GTC shows off a four-seat variant of the Flex7 system as used in the Zafira. The rear seats fold in a one-touch remote control operation to create a large, flat load bay area with up to 1,020 litres of cargo capacity and a neat luggage cover. Should you need to carry rear-seat passengers, they'll be comfy, as the low-set seats mean plenty of headroom, and while the car's dimensions are around the class average, its long 2,737mm wheelbase makes for plenty of cabin space.
The cabin - with a dark upper wraparound dash section and lighter-coloured lower level - is finished in the requisite glossy piano-black wood (rapidly replacing traditional grained woods as top-spec signifiers) with matt black and aluminium details, with red-lit instruments and red stitching on the upholstery. Features include hard-drive sat nav with a handy rotating control and an automatic parking brake.
If the mainstream new Vectra saloons, hatches and estates look like this concept, they'll certainly be strong competition for the handsome new Mondeo. A different proposition, though: while the Ford is relatively simple and minimalist in its design, the GTC hints that the Vectra will continue to be a little more cluttered. The tail end bears a clear resemblance to the latest Astra and Corsa, but the front grille is rather Euro-Cadillac and the headlights look as if they've been borrowed from the back end of a Saab 9-3 SportWagon. Still, even if the Vauxhall/Opel design strategy seems a little confused, this is nonetheless an attractive vehicle - and one which looks considerably more interesting than the underwhelming Audi A5 displayed on the other side of the Geneva hall.
The new Vectra range is scheduled for next year, and it's expected to include a crossover similar to 2003's Insignia concept, to replace the Signum. The range will also no doubt eventually include the new GM high-performance diesel engine: a 250bhp, 406lb-ft 2.9-litre V6, which will appear first in the Cadillac CTS in 2009. This compact, lightweight engine, which uses GM's new combustion control system, a particulate filter and ceramic piezo injection, will meet upcoming Euro 5 emissions legislation and can be used in a variety of front- and four-wheel-drive vehicles, installed either longitudinally or transversely.
It has been developed in co-operation with Italian diesel specialists VM Motori, and will be built in Cento, Italy. The combustion control system will also be used in smaller GM diesel engines of the near future.
