Price: £7,995
Engine: 1-litre three-cylinder, 75bhp
0-60mph: 13.1 seconds
MPG: 62.8
Top speed: 106mph
Remember your first car? Mine was an orange Renault 5. Moss grew in its window sills and rust spread from the corner of its grille like a nasty outbreak of a cold sore. It had no heating, no stereo and we’d have had no chance of surviving a crash. But we loved it. My wife actually wept when it was finally towed to that great scrapyard in the sky.
First cars aren’t like that any more. They are safe and warm and have lights and windscreen wipers that actually work, they even have extras such as cruise control, fog lights and issue lane-departure warnings. It’s a disgrace! How will our children ever learn to entertain themselves without spending long cold nights shivering on the hard shoulder waiting to be rescued? Today they get to drive cars like this cheerful new Vauxhall Viva.
It takes its name from the original saloon that was launched in 1963: the definitive biscuit box on wheels, its straight edges and minimal design mean it has become a collectible classic. That car was built in Luton; this one is put together in Korea. But it has been designed in Europe – across the Channel it’s called the Karl, which reminds me of those people who give their dogs with human names. (We have a Mark and a Dave in our park, one’s a Spaniel, the other a Staffy.)
The big selling point of this little car is its price – £7,995. For what you get that is incredible value. But if you are young, and this is your first car, that is still a large sum. And if you are much older, and this is your last car, you’ll also worry about the price. But in both cases you’ll be very pleased.
The Viva is roomy, well made and a pleasure to drive. The back seats get their own doors, which isn’t something you take for granted in this class. Its lines are nicely curved and it has strongly styled lights which wrap around the grille. It’s impressive – and looks every bit as good as the Fiesta, which is easily the best-selling car in this category. Vauxhall is proud of the Viva’s sculptured new looks and plans to roll them out across all its cars.
For me – and this may not be a factor you worry about when buying a car – the Viva looks happy. It’s got a cheeky smile and seems ready to accompany you on your adventures.
It comes with a 1-litre engine, which produces 75bhp. The original Viva also had a 1-litre engine but only produced 44bhp. This new one is a clean-burning 3-cylinder job, which does an excellent 66 miles to the gallon: double what that 1963 car achieved.
On the open road it’s not as whinny and lurchy as some small engines, but where dinky cars come into their own is in the city, and the Viva with its light steering and nippy acceleration is all up for a bit of ducking and diving with its precise steering.
It’s amazing what you can get for £8,000 – but then my Renault 5 only cost £15. It was worth every penny.
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter at @MartinLove166
