WHEN Vauxhall announced its new Vectra it made no bones about the fact that it intended to take the crown in the medium size car sector.
The car giant was not slow in putting its money where its mouth was, and completely modernised its Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire at a cost of £200 million to build the car.
The history of the Vectra model demanded that the newcomer had to be right, and with the massive increase in diesel sales the diesel Vectras, particularly, had to be spot on.
The 2.2-litre turbo diesel Elegance model I tested proves that the company did get it right - well, almost.
With maximum engine torque (pulling power) available from just 1,500 revs this Vectra pulls well across the whole rev range and is impressively smooth. In fact at motorway speeds and above it is amazingly smooth and impossible to tell that you are actually driving a diesel.
My only disappointment is in the car's acceleration from standstill which seems decidedly lacking, despite the claimed 0-62 mph time of 10.5 seconds.
Once into second gear things started to fall into place, but first gear acceleration left me struggling a few times as I tried to slot into fast moving traffic.
In sharp contrast the handling of the car leaves nothing to be desired and is a vast improvement over its predecessor. Corners can be taken at speed and without any nasty surprises, this Vectra easily taking everything in its stride.
The ride too is good, with a firm but comfortable suspension smoothing out any undulations like a much more expensive model.
Inside the new Vectra offers plenty of shoulder room and generally feels a much larger car than the old model. Wood effect decor, chrome sill plates and leather steering wheel and gear knob all give the Elegance a touch of one-upmanship over the LS model.
I am not sure about the new-style indicator switches, however, which are heavily spring loaded and seem to cancel all to easily.
Despite being a mid-range model the Elegance is surprisingly well equipped. Standard features include air conditioning, cruise control, stereo radio cassette player with four disc CD autochanger, ABS, on-board computer, rain-sensitive wipers and driver, side and curtain airbags.
The new Vectra has certainly moved up-market. The finish is excellent, it feels far more solid and now has a real quality air about it.
Existing Vectra owners who are unsure about the radical change in the looks of the new car should take one for a test drive - they will be surprised at the step up.
FAST FACTS
Vauxhall Vectra 2.2DTi Elegance
Price: £17,595
Mechanical: 123bhp, 2,172cc turbodiesel engine driving front wheels via five-speed manual gearbox
Max speed: 128 mph
0-60mph: 10.5 secs
Combined mpg: 43.5
Insurance group: 8E
CO2 emissions: 176g/km
BiK rating: 20%
Warranty: 3 yrs/ 60,000 miles; 10 yrs anti-rust