Vauxhall Vivaro GS returns to give British-built van a sporty makeover
GS trim is now available on the diesel and pure-electric versions of Vauxhall’s medium-size panel van
The Vauxhall Vivaro and Vivaro Electric are once again available to order in GS trim, giving the medium-size panel van sportier looks and a racier interior treatment to help it stand out on the building site.
Vauxhall’s rival to the Ford Transit Custom received a significant facelift last year, which included a much sharper front-end design. GS trim builds on that by adding a front lip spoiler, new side skirts, a redesigned rear bumper, a prominent roof spoiler and a set of black 18-inch alloy wheels fitted with high-load capacity tyres from Nankang. There’s also a choice of two premium paint colours: Quartz Silver and Mercury Grey.
Inside, GS trim vans get ‘eco-leather’ seats with red contrast stitching and embossed GS logos, and perforations to provide ventilation – a welcome touch sure to make long motorway hauls more comfortable. As the Vivaro will be a workhorse to many, the seat material was selected in part because of its durability and resistance to tearing.
Every Vivaro already has a 10-inch instrument display and a 10-inch central touchscreen, sat-nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, load-through bulkhead and centre seat that can fold flat to provide a handy workspace.
GS trim adds the Comfort Pack, which includes dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start and a wireless smartphone charging pad. There’s also a heated leather steering wheel, heated driver’s seat and thorax side airbags as part of the Winter Pack. A 180-degree parking camera and blind spot detection also feature.
The new Vivaro GS starts from £39,990 (excluding VAT) and is available as either a regular panel van or six-seater double cab. These get a 2.0-litre diesel that produces 143bhp when equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox, or 177bhp if you upgrade to the eight-speed automatic.
Meanwhile the Vivaro Electric GS costs from £48,940 (excluding VAT and with the Government’s plug-in van grant applied). The EV is powered by a 75kWh battery and 134bhp electric motor that provide up to 209 miles of range. With a maximum charging speed of 100kW, a 5-80 per cent rapid top-up takes 45 minutes.
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