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« I I . I 1 C O , A p r i l ■ M B a M n B a a a M m a — B — — i the premier paper for buying and selling in the ribble valley j'j J £ / / D i i J jxJ £3


imuiihHia of cars for sale inside


YOUR ESSENTIAL GUllDE TO THE LOCAL MOTORING MARKET Suzuki is Europe’s fop . . . i, . r -


;,?right);;LVitani;rJimny'andsmall commer^ cials leapt ahead by .'39 percent last-year.-s


». . _,- SuzuM’s Grand Vitara(pictured; -■ - - l ' ' r l < -■> •_ < 5 ^Europe? Suzi,-that’s who^Salesbf: * like-Tbyota, Subaru and Mitsubishi. I-.,-;-;;;i ‘H O4 sells j the ;:most 4x4s;';in


-^iThe'dramatic.uptunTmeunt-.combined; Suzuki sales were nearly 20,000 more than


ahead of established off-roader specialists. - , S c I s. - i .1 t


‘ -- ■Suzuki says the secret of it success in Europe, where it sold 78,200 4x4s in l999,- ;,is unique:styling; ■


• the Land Royer Freelander range; and well: - ;


capable all-terrain-performance ail’d,, with, prices starting at less than £10,000 in the. UK,-1 unbeatable value for money.1 - r. * •,


excellent specif ication,,


say it was elegant. And that is why, at first glance, you


cracking drive. But even its biggest fans would not


T


wonder if the sleek and menacing Bertone-styled Astra Coupe has any­ thing in common with the erstwhile


rep-mobile. Here is a car that could wear any


some of the most beautiful sports cars ever created has dressed the Vauxhall with a crisp body and slippery, sweep­ ing roof. The doors are frameless, to enhance the impression of length, and the end result is a profile that is guar­ anteed to catch the eye. The roofline is an inch and a half


lower than the standard Astra hatch­ back and the car is more than two inches longer, even though it sits on the same platform. In some respects it resembles the


badge and be convincing. It sits dar­ ingly low and the Bertone motif is emblazoned boldly for full effect. The styling house responsible for


HE new Astra has a lot going for it. I t’s solid, chunky, highly practical and, best of all, a


Calibra, Vauxhall’s coupe-twist on the old Cavalier that was Britain’s most popular sports car for a time in the early 1990s. Calibra’s main fault was that its


a boot that can swallow a whacking 460 litres of luggage, the same as the Astra saloon. So there is room enough for four


interior was lifted almost straight from the rather utilitarian Cavalier. The lesson has evidently been learned because the new Coupe’s cabin bears little resemblance to the Astra.


Coupe and can be finished in a daring combination of leather and Alcan- tara-suede. Customers will be able to select their own interior colour schemes and they will be able to choose between grey or bronze metal­ lic finish to the console and white or black instrument dials. Bewilderingly there will be 100 dif­


ferent permutations for interior trim. Interior dimensions are identical to


topped by a digital information screen which comes into play if satellite nav­ igation is fitted. Seats are bucket style, unique to the


The centre column is dominant,


the Astra hatchback, which means rear head and leg room is much bet­ ter than some of the rival coupes and


Now there is a 206 van


ably, with none of the low-speed chop­ piness that traditionally accompanies firmly sprung, short-wheelbase sports cars.


with excellent roadholding and pre­ dictable manners, but it is not as fluid as some coupes which are developed from scratch as sports cars. Sporty driving is hampered slightly by the gearbox, which can be notchy and the gear change itself is too slow. On the other hand, it rides comfort­


the Coupe, but has not been enhanced further even though the suspension is slightly firmer. The result is a well-balanced car


Astra will know that the Lotus-tuned chassis and suspension deliver some of the most enjoyable handling in the medium car sector. The driving experience transfers to


Anyone who has driven the latest


, I t has just gone on sale at £8,000 plus VAT, with a 70 b.h.p.; non-turbo 1.9 litre diesel engine.


Ps kEUGEOT’s 206 Van is the only


Load capacity is more th an a cubic; -metre and the payload is rated a t 525


^car-derived van being built-in; Britain.


adults and plenty of space for the average family to contemplate a tour­ ing holiday.


choice of three engines -lthen.8 litre, 16-valve currently fitted in the Astra, an all-new 2.2 litre, 16-valve and a range topping 2.0 Turbo which will be introduced in the autumn.


The Coupe will be available with a


commendably quiet and lively enough. It sprints to 60 m.p.h. in 8.5 seconds and has a top speed of 137 m.p.h.


I drove the 2.2 version, which was If you want blistering performance


you will have to wait for the Turbo. It can hit 60 m.p.h. in just 6.7 seconds, which is fast enough to see it challeng­ ing the larger, more expensive sports coupes like the Peugeot 406 Coupe, Honda Prelude and Toyota Celica.


Coupe’s more natural rivals will be the Renault Megane Coupe and Citroen Xsara Coupe and it is at least as able and well equipped as them.


Judged on size alone, the Astra


senger airbags, anti-lock brakes, active head restraints, air condition­ ing, CD player, remote central locking and traction control.


kilos, with a 50in. length between back door and the bulkhead.


-with a height adjustable wheel;-and a pollen filter.


Equipment includes a driver’s airbag, tinted glass, immobiliser,-power steering


■ Top speed is listed a t 100 m.p.h., with fuel economy of 45 m.p.g. plus attainable.,.


All models get driver and front pas­ Mini boxes are coming FREDERIC MANBY previews the new mini people carrier, the Vauxhall Agila


grow on you. Sales of this type of vehicle are rising, and the


V


AUXHALL dubs the Agila a mini people carrier, or MPC. It looks like a small van with windows, but believe me, it will


Agila’s versatility, manoeuvrability, cheap run­ ning and quirky looks could appeal. Note, though, that it seats only four. Agila, which will go in sale in June at a price


cloned updates of the Wagon R. There are minor detail changes between


of around £7,000, is built at a 172 acre, £300 million factory in Gliwice, Poland. The entry model has Vauxhall’s 57.2 brake horse power, three-cylinder, 12-valve, one litre engine. Top speed is a sensible 89 m.p.h., with a combined fuel consumption figure of 45 miles a gallon, and 0-60 in a relaxed 17.5 seconds. The option is the 74 b.h.p., 1.2 litre, 16-valve


version, which is capable of 97 m.p.h. and 43 m.p.g. Its 0-60 time is 12.5 seconds. Both engines have hollow cam and crank shafts, and the 3.5 lb of weight thus saved gives faster response. They have electronic throttles. Unfortunately for such an obvious town car, nei­ ther engine can be had with automatic gears. The Agila is Vauxhall &


Opel’s version of Suzuki’s Wagon R+. Through General Motors the European compa­ nies own 10 per cent of Suzuki and since the mid-1990s they have been planning these


Vauxhall and Suzuki, but the principal differ­ ence is under the bonnet, with both companies using their own motors. Vauxhall-Opel led on the chassis and suspension, and for Europe all models have identical set-ups, so the only differ­ ences should be felt in the engines and gear boxes. Like the Suzuki WagonR+, the Agila has electric power steering and 14in. wheels.


which includes a driver’s airbag, electric mirrors, and a split-fold rear seat, but ABS brakes, alloy wheels, electric front windows, central locking, a front passenger airbag, child-seat mounts, manually-opened sunroof, and roof rails are options.


There is a one-trim standard specification, j


\ QUALITY USED CARS WITH


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RETAIL PRICES


OUR OFFERS JUST GET BETTER AND BETTER! PLUS


FIESTAs ESCORTS CORSAs MONDEOs VECTRAs PEUGEOT 106s CLEOs PEUGEOT 306s V'J S


SAXOs ALMERAs PRIMERAs XANTlAs ZXs etc, etc


PLUS THE FOLLOWING RETAIL BENEFITS: ■ 3 MONTHS MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN INSURANCE


■ FULL SERVICE PRIOR TO FREE DELIVERY ■ H.P.I. HISTORY CHECK ■ VMC MILEAGE CHECK ■ SPECIAL RATE 7.9% FINANCE AVAILABLE'


Farrimond Walker i ( ' A fTrade Price is the price that Walker Farrimond would sell a retail vehicle to the trade for. Please note Trade Sales will be limited to one vehicle per Trade company per week Written quotations on request. Subject to status


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