2009 Vauxhall Agila

The New Vauxhall Agila – Flex in the city!

• Vauxhall's new city car offers funky good looks and huge practicality
• Five doors, five seats, 1,050 litres of luggage space – no compromises!
• Low emissions and running costs
• Diesel and automatic options for the first time

If you're looking to add a bit of spice to your Flex life, then Vauxhall's New Agila should be the first item on your shopping list!

The latest addition to Vauxhall's stylish, dynamic and versatile model range goes on sale in Spring 2008, and brings with it new levels of style and flexibility to urban motorists.

It was designed from the outset to offer all of the desirability that urban motorists require, without any compromise in terms of its practicality.

'We wanted to give our smallest model considerably more charm than ever before without compromising its functionality,' says chief designer Úwe Müller. 'With its rather cheeky look and immense flexibility, the New Agila fits perfectly into the current Vauxhall model portfolio.'

At the front, the car is typically Vauxhall. Its distinctive grille, almond-shaped lamp units and trademark raised crease line mark it out as the smallest member of an incredibly stylish family, while throughout the car certain styling cues, such as the tapered front and rear bumpers, steeply raked side crease and angular window line show commonality with other models in the Vauxhall range.

The interior ambience is just as stylish as the outside, with a wide selection of colour lines and high quality materials throughout, while thoughtful touches include an ergonomically positioned gear stick and pod-mounted rev counter, angled towards the driver.

Market

The Agila is set to enter the rapidly growing small monocab market, one of the fastest growing sectors across Europe, where it accounted for over 1.1 million new registrations in 2007.

In the ÚK, almost 94,264 small monocabs were registered in 2007, and with urban dwellers under increasing pressure to downsize and reduce their carbon emissions, it's an area of the car market that is expected to go from strength to strength over the coming years.

Aimed at youthful buyers and independent females in particular, although not exclusively, New Agila competes directly with such cars as the Fiat Panda, Renault Modus, Honda Jazz and Suzuki Splash.

Its creative use of interior space, along with five doors and five three-point seatbelts in the rear mean it will appeal in particular to those buyers who want the most flexibility possible from a city car, while its impressive build quality and use of high quality materials throughout mean it also proves that a city car doesn't have to be cheaply finished to be cost-effective to own and run.

Flex Appeal


And Agila is full of thoughtful touches, too, such a FlexLoad false floor in the boot, through which an extra 35 litres of secure, hidden storage can be accessed, carrier bag shopping hooks in the load bay, extra wide door pockets and a broad, almost square tailgate aperture all adding to its practical appeal. The joy of Flex was never far from the designers' minds when turning Agila from a concept into reality.

The interior layout is such that it offers what we believe to be the best possible level of comfort in such a small package. The height-adjustable front seats (Club/Design) and tall roofline combine to give an incredible feeling of space, while the rear seat comes with three three-point seatbelts, allowing five adults to travel in safety.

Engines


New Agila will be offered with three different engines from launch – two all-alloy lightweight petrol units, plus GM's award-winning 1.3-litre CDTi.

The entry-level powerplant is a three-cylinder, 1.0-litre petrol engine based on that found in the previous generation Agila, and renowned for its free-revving, lively nature. The unit produces 65PS and 90Nm of torque, feels lively and accelerates from 0-62mph in 14.7 seconds, with a top speed of 99mph. With fuel consumption figures of up to 64.2mpg, it is also one of the most fuel efficient petrol engines available!

Moving up the engine range, the Agila 1.2i 16v has a surprisingly potent power output for its size, with 86PS and 114Nm of torque. It accelerates from 0-62mph in 12.6 seconds and has a top speed of 109mph.

Both petrol units come with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, but for the first time there is also an automatic option for Agila. Available only on the Agila 1.2i 16v, it is mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox.

Another first for New Agila is the introduction of a diesel engine, thanks to technology pioneered on other GM models. The 1.3-litre CDTi 75PS unit debuted in the popular Corsa supermini, and not only offers frugal fuel consumption of up to 70.6mpg, but also emits just 120g/km of CO2 meaning it benefits from low road tax.

Dynamics

New Agila has an inexpensive yet effective suspension layout. A new subframe at the front plays an essential part in its sharp, precise handling. The set-up uses MacPherson struts supported by A-shaped suspension arms that are much lower than those of its predecessor, allowing for the same level of ride comfort but with greater steering precision.

At the rear, the new model features a torsion bar in place of the outgoing Agila's stiff beam axle, which improves handling and ride comfort, while for even greater peace of mind ESP is offered as an option on all models.

Driver appeal is enhanced by speed-dependent power steering, which has just 3.2 turns from lock-to-lock making the car both easy to manoeuvre at parking speeds and stable while cruising. Engineers have also reduced the car's turning circle despite its wider track to an easily manageable 9.6 metres kerb-to-kerb, ideal for those tight to squeeze into parking spots.

Specs and prices

Prices range from £7,595 to £11,195, with the first cars arriving in Vauxhall retailers in late Spring 2008.

Source - Vauxhall

Market

• Small monocab segment is one of the fastest growing in the ÚK
• Over 440,000 Agilas sold in Europe since the original model's debut
• Fun and fashionable, Agila is designed to suit an active lifestyle

There was a time when cars came in one basic shape – bonnet at the front, passengers in the middle and a luggage compartment at the rear. For years, this simple formula proved effective for millions of motorists all over the world.



The Agila joins the class-leading Zafira and Meriva in the Vauxhall line-up as yet another model that maximises space and practicality, yet at the same time maintains driver appeal and a distinctive character.

It is a car designed to fit into the lifestyle of its owner without compromise, and to meet the needs of even the most demanding buyer. After all, the city car sector is one of the fastest growing sections of the ÚK car market, accounting for 94,264 registrations in 2007, while over a million urban cars found homes across Europe during the same period.



Key to the design brief were a number of considerations aimed at these target buyers. Agila had to be spacious enough when required for all the family, it needed to suit the needs of a city-dweller who also used their car for leisure or hobby purposes, hence the capacious load bay, while at the same time it needed to be compact, easy to park, lively and fun to drive.

'New Agila needed to be a real eye-catcher,' said Alain Visser, Chief Marketing Officer for Vauxhall and Opel in Europe. 'It perfectly suits urban lifestyles as it combines compact dimensions with a stylish exterior, high levels of functionality and driving fun.'

The new model is expected to contribute even further to Agila's incredible success throughout Europe, where over 440,000 examples have been sold since the outgoing model's introduction in 2000.

Source - Vauxhall

Exterior design

• New Agila – small, but perfectly formed
• Five-doors and five seats in a package less than four metres long.
• Low drag co-efficient and cheeky good looks

Just because a car is designed with function in mind, it doesn't mean it can't be attractive. For proof, you need look no further than Vauxhall's New Agila.



'We wanted to give our smallest car considerably more charm without compromising its functionality,' says Agila chief designer Úwe Müller. 'With its cheeky good looks, the New Agila fits perfectly into our current model portfolio.'

Únlike its predecessor, New Agila sports a modern, wedge-shaped profile, the rising waistline, distinctive body crease and dynamically angled side windows emphasising a styling cue first seen on Vauxhall's immensely successful Corsa, and instantly marking Agila out as the smallest member of the Vauxhall family.



A similar theme develops at the rear. The narrow, vertical tail lights feature distinctive indicator inserts, while the rear bumper tapers to a point in the same way as at the front, allowing the perfect combination of distinctive styling and straightforward practicality, as emphasised by the almost perfectly square tailgate aperture. After all, there's no point in a car being good looking, if it isn't fit for the purpose for which it was designed.

Únlike other cars popular with urban motorists, the Agila manages to combine its handsome styling with a level of practicality rarely seen in such a small package.

New Agila is also available in a range of seven vibrant new colours, including bright metallics or pearlescents such as Moroccan Blue and Lemon Grass. For a more discreet finish, Cosmic Black, Atlanta Blue and Steel Silver complete the range of optional hues, while those seeking a solid paint finish can choose from Blaze Red or Galaxy White.

Source - Vauxhall

Engines and transmissions

• Two petrol engines and one diesel on offer
• Debut for diesel in Agila
• Automatic option for the first time

New Agila will be offered with three different engines from launch – two all-alloy lightweight petrol units, plus GM's award-winning 1.3-litre CDTi.



The unit produces 65PS at 6,000rpm and 90Nm of torque at 4,800rpm, suiting its free-revving nature. In spite of its modest size and power output, the 1.0i 12v feels lively and accelerates from 0-62mph in 14.7 seconds, with a top speed of 99mph. With fuel consumption figures of up to 64.2mpg, it is also one of the most fuel efficient petrol engines available!

Moving up the engine range, the Agila 1.2i 16v has a surprisingly potent power output for its size, with 86PS available at 5,500rpm. The four-cylinder engine also produces 114Nm of torque at 4,400rpm, delivering impressive performance for a city car. It accelerates from 0-62mph in 12.3 seconds and has a top speed of 109mph, making it just as comfortable in the cut and thrust of urban traffic as it is keeping up with much larger cars on the motorway.



Another first for New Agila is the introduction of a diesel engine, thanks to technology pioneered on other GM models. The 1.3-litre CDTi 75PS unit debuted in the popular Corsa supermini, and not only offers frugal fuel consumption of up to 70.6mpg, but also emits just 120g/km of CO2 meaning it benefits from low road tax.

The 75PS peak power is available at 4,000rpm, while peak torque of 190Nm is reached at 1,750Nm.

For detailed fuel consumption figures and the CO2 output of all powerplants, see the chapter Economy and Emissions.

Source - Vauxhall

Specification and Prices

• Three trim levels, from £7,595 on-the-road
• Comprehensive levels of standard equipment
• Simple range and pricing structure

The Agila range is straightforward – there are three models and three engines, with a streamlined selection of options to keep choosing your Agila a simple process.



The next model up is the Club, which is available with all three powertrains and includes the option of automatic transmission on the 1.2i 16v engine.

In addition to the Expression trim, Club models get remote central deadlocking, a pod-mounted rev counter, a stereo-radio CD player with MP3 format, steering wheel audio controls, electric front windows, electrically-adjustable and heated body-coloured door mirrors, body-coloured door handles, silver effect interior door handles and gearknob insert, front fog lights, 15-inch steel wheels with unique trims, a 60/40 split rear seat back, a multi-function trip computer and the DualFloor luggage compartment, which incorporates a concealed section beneath the boot floor offering an extra 35-litres of space and room to stow the parcel shelf.



For those who appreciate life's little luxuries, it's fair to say that the Agila Design is one of them. Available with either the 1.2i 16v engine with auto option or the 1.3 CDTi diesel, the Design is one of the best-equipped city cars there is.

Standard equipment includes air conditioning, smart 15-inch alloy wheels dark tinted glass and a leather-bound steering wheel for the ultimate in feel good factors.

Options on all models include ESP (£400), Air conditioning (£500) on the Club model only (standard on Design) and metallic or pearlescent paint (£350).

Source - Vauxhall