Vauxhall brings back the Viva! Baby Vaux revives old name

By Tim Pollard

Motor Industry

01 September 2014 11:53

The Vauxhall Viva is back! Vauxhall and its continental sister Opel is poised to announce a new small car to slot beneath the Corsa and it’ll revive the historic Viva badge in the UK, CAR understands.

The original Vauxhall Viva was popular in the UK through three generations - the HA, HB and HC series - up until its demise in 1979. Luton clearly believes there’s a residual fondness for the name, which will be applied to the smallest car in its range.

However, continental versions will likely wear a different name. At least it avoids a naff-for-Brits name like the Adam again.

Freed of the shackles of Chevrolet cannibalising its own sales, GM Europe (GME) is planning a compact city car to complement the Adam mini-slicker and Corsa regular supermini.

GME has already announced that it’s withdrawing Chevrolet from European sales from 2015, to allow it to concentrate on its core Vauxhall and Opel brands.

Insiders admit that it was crazy having an in-house rival selling to-all-intents-and-purposes identical models in the same marketplace at prices thousands of pounds cheaper. Now Vauxhall can plunder the budget end of the market itself.

CAR understands that the name of the new small car will be announced at the Paris motor show 2014, and we’ll see the finished car at the Geneva show in spring 2015.

It is expected to use the running gear of the Chevrolet Spark, but wrapped in a Vauxhall/Opel body. Three- and four-cylinder engines are likely, stretching from 1.0 to 1.4 litres in capacity and driving the front wheels.

Expect keen prices to pitch the Viva against the bargain end of the market. That’s you, Dacia.

By Tim Pollard