5:12 pm, May 12, 2011
Vauxhall hasn’t hit 4×4 success since the Frontera. The Antara is charged with changing that, reports James Batchelor
WHAT IS IT?
After four years spent on the sidelines, the new Antara is Vauxhall’s second chance at this hugely fashionable sector. So it sports a new, more aggressive and dynamic face, numerous ‘underneath’ parts while inside a new console completes the changes. In its four-year life, Vauxhall only managed to shift 1,000 units a year of the outgoing Antara; now the new model is charged with achieving sales of 3,000 units per year. A tough job, so is it up to it?
WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET
Two new diesel engines – a 2.2-litre available in 161bhp and 182bhp guises. Both have plenty of torque at 350Nm and 400Nm respectively and both are smooth, quiet and refined. Diesel is the only engine because Vauxhall felt it was the best for the Antara’s target market of family buyers. Just like the Captiva.
WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?
There are four trims and even the basic, £19,995 Exclusiv FWD model is decently equipped. It comes with hill descent control, 17-inch alloys, air conditioning, electric parking brake, MP3 with AUX-In, leather steering wheel, and heated and powered mirrors. The top-of-the-range costs £26,905 for the 182bhp 4×4 SE and gets sat nav among other extras.
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?
In a word? Unremarkable. The chassis changes can be felt though, with sharper steering, more controlled body-roll and less understeer. Overall on the road the Antara is easy to drive; only loud tyre roar and the new six- speed manual ‘box proving stubborn sometimes marring the drive. It’s quite competent off-road too – even a rutted and snowy Scottish forest wasn’t a problem for the 4×4 version.
WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK OF IT?
Auto Express felt that the new Antara ‘doesn’t do enough to stand out in an increasingly tough sector’ while Autocar said that while the new Antara is better than the old model, ‘this is really a Chevrolet Captiva and not worthy of the standards set by the latest European-engineered Vauxhalls – nor the best of the opposition’.
WHT DO WE THINK OF IT?
There’s no doubt that Vauxhall is doing its best to spark some new life into the Antara. The changes underneath are generally successful but giving the car a new grille and ‘aerodynamic-enhancing styling’ isn’t enough to make buyers recognise it’s a new model. Sadly the Antara is unremarkable and its sister car – the Chevrolet Captiva
is a better package for lifestyle family buyers.
