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Vauxhall Antara
Car Review
Vauxhall Antara
The Vauxhall Antara is a Sport Utility Vehicle that is designed to spend most of its time on the road rather than ploughing through the countryside.
It offers neat styling and excellent build quality while also being competitively priced.
Vauxhall Antara Car Review Summary
The Antara is Vauxhall's response to the spate of compact soft-roaders launched in the last few years that have proved to be incredibly popular.
It is good looking inside and out and poses a serious threat to the likes of Toyota's RAV 4 and the Honda CR-V.
It may have a Vauxhall badge but the Antara is actually built in Korea and is a sister car to the Chevrolet Captiva. The two cars share similar styling traits but the Vauxhall version is perhaps a little more upmarket.
The Vauxhall Antara is powered by a 2.0 litre CDTi turbodiesel engine that offers the combination of good performance and a smoothness cars in this class sometimes lack.
Practicality
The Vauxhall Antara’s interior is spacious boasting a boot that is able to cope with a family’s luggage requirements for a holiday as well as offering rear seat passengers a decent amount of leg room.
It’s a neat trick to pull off and the Antara manages it with ease. There’s also lots of head and shoulder room plus a reclining seat back and flat floor to ensure the comfort of those in the back. The Antara is also easy to get into and out of.
The Antara is solidly constructed so should be able to handle anything that the kids can come up with. Good quality and hard wearing materials are used in the cabin which also offers neat looking switchgear and instruments that are easy to use.
For an SUV the Antara is remarkably cheap to run as the diesel engine in particular offers good fuel economy while depreciation and servicing costs should be relatively low.
The Vauxhall Antara’s driving position is elevated ensuring the driver has excellent visibility although one minor quibble is it’s hard to judge where the steeply sloping bonnet ends. There’s a good range of adjustment for the seats and steering wheel so drivers of all shapes and sizes should be able to get comfortable.
Vauxhall Antara
Life Style
It is unlikely the Vauxhall Antara will cause people to stop and stare as it passes by, but for a compact SUV it is good to look at and the front end especially ensures the car has a decent road presence. The interior is smart too as metallic inserts and circular air vents give the cabin a sporty feel. Soft-touch plastics and Vauxhall’s commitment to a fine fit and finish also create a classy impression.
The Antara is easy to get along with offering a drive that is composed and inoffensive.
There are good levels grip that allow the Antara to cope with tight and twisty country lanes while cruising on a motorway is anything but a chore.
Decent body control means the Antara handles more sharply than some rivals and the steering gives the driver a decent feel for what is happening on the road.
A hill descent system is fitted as standard, while diesel models feature a self-levelling rear suspension.
As far as the environment is concerned the Vauxhall Antara is about as close to a green SUV as you are going to get - especially when fitted with the economical diesel engine.
Vauxhall Antara
Security and Safety
The Vauxhall Antara is well equipped to deter thieves as it is fitted with deadlocks and has a visible VIN plus locking wheelnuts as well as the usual alarm and immobiliser.
Safety features on the Antara include a stability control system as standard plus front, side and curtain airbags fitted as standard.
The Finishing Touches
The Vauxhall Antara’s standard audio package boasts a decent sound quality and good reproduction throughout the cabin. Satellite navigation is optional on the entry level model and is based on the same system found in other Vauxhalls.
The Antara has two trim levels - Exclusiv and SE. Exclusiv models offer front foglights, air conditioning, heated front seats, a CD player with MP3 inputs, 18-inch alloy wheels and tinted rear glass. Step up to the SE trim and satellite navigation is added as is Bluetooth phone connectivity, xenon headlights with washers, part-leather upholstery, automatic headlights and wipers, and an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat.
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