Price rise for Vectra

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

The new Holden Vectra sedan and hatchback will cost more than the cars they replace when they go on sale in New Zealand in May.

The 2003 range was launched in Australia the other day, priced in the case of the entry level sedan at about A$9000 more than the outgoing car.

Holden Australia said that the rise in price followed the "massive uprating of specification" of the Vectra, including anti-lock brakes, traction control, electronic brakeforce distribution, cornering brake control and emergency brakeforce distribution as standard equipment. Each of the above helps prevent the careless driver from going backwards through a hedge.

Included in the retail price across the range is dual front and side passenger airbags, eight-way adjustable driver's seat, nine-speaker CD sound system, remote audio controls on the height and reach adjustable steering wheel, cruise control, remote central locking, power windows, alloy wheels and air-conditioning.

The Vectra is built in Europe by General Motors subsidiary Opel and is rebadged as a Holden for Australia and New Zealand. It sells as the Vauxhall Vectra in Britain.

Vectra prices in New Zealand won't be released for another six weeks or so and are not expected to mirror the surprising jump across the ditch.

But the range will certainly be dearer model-for-model than the outgoing line-up. The entry-level Vectra is now priced at around $36,000. The new base model will likely be $39,990. Similarly, the premium Vectra will cost well into $50k.

New Zealand motoring writers were to drive the new line-up at the launch in northern New South Wales on Thursday.

But the hightened war footing in Iraq forced Holden to cancel flight bookings and postpone the New Zealand part of the launch.

Said the company's public affairs manager Aalbert van Ham: "The first concern in any company activity is the security and safety of its participants. As a consequence of the situation in Iraq, we chose to defer the activity."

The new Holden Vectra is called the ZC range and comes in two body styles, two transmissions and two engine sizes.

It starts with the CDi sedan and hatch, powered by a 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine producing 108kW at 5600rpm and 203Nm of torque at 4000rpm and mated to a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic gearbox. Output is up 4kW and 3Nm on the outgoing car.

Next in the line-up is the manual CDX hatchback, powered by a 3.2-litre V6 producing 155kW at 6200rpm and 300Nm at 3800rpm, up a substantial 30kW and 50Nm over the old 2.5-litre V6.

The premium model is the CDXi hatchback, powered by the same 3.2-litre engine but offering an automatic gearbox with "Active Select" manual mode.

The Vectra sits on GM's front-wheel-drive Epsilon platform, which also underpins the new Saab 9-3.

The four-door sedan and five-door hatchback are 101mm longer overall than the old Vectra. The wheelbase in the new model is also 60mm longer.

Holden says the new sedan and hatch bodies are considerably stronger than the old car but that the extensive use of aluminium and other lightweight materials has kept weight growth to a minimum.

* Demand in Australia and New Zealand for the Holden Commdore would make up for any disruption in exports caused by a war in Iraq, says Holden's chairman and managing director Peter Hanenberger.

Holden Australia exports upwards of 15,000 left-hand-drive Commodores to the Middle East each year, where they are badged Chevrolets.

Hanenberger, speaking at the Australian launch of the Vectra, said that if the cars were not shipped, overall sales would not be affected because of Down Under demand.