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Vauxhall Antara: Test Drive (continued)
Date: 18 July 2007 | Author:
Antara - back
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The Antara looks more sporty than its boxier, off-road Toyota Rav-4, Honda CR-V, and Land Rover Freelander rivals, thanks mainly to a sloping rearmost 'D' pillar that gives it a hatchback-like angle. The Antara looks smart although, apart from that sloping rear pillar, there's very little to distinguish it from 4x4s already on sale.
Power comes from a 150PS 2.0-litre diesel, which is strong enough but lacks the refinement that might be expected. Its emissions and economy figures don't stack up against its Japanese rivals, either, with the Antara falling into a benefit-in-kind band five higher than the CR-V or Rav4 and offering in excess of 5mpg less.
Whole-life costs provider IDS Topcalc reports that Vauxhall hasn't yet been able to make a car available to them, so the RV predictions have been made without driving it and could be subject to change in the coming months. However, the RVs will need to rise significantly to make the Antara competitive, with current predictions putting it well adrift of the serious players. Expect a degree of improvement in the coming months but Honda, Land Rover and Toyota are all strong in this area; Vauxhall appears to have plenty of work to do.
Ultimately, the Vauxhall's fate comes down to costs, and both for the company and for the driver it's difficult to construct a credible case against the talented opposition it's up against. The Antara isn't a bad car, but it's let down on the CO2, mpg and depreciation fronts in a segment dominated by very good products.
