Vauxhall is to revive the Viva name of old for a new five-door entry-level car that is expected to debut at next year's Geneva Motor Show. We say Vauxhall rather than Opel as only the British entity will use the Viva name; Opel is yet to announce what its version of the car will be called.
Joining the Adam and Corsa in the popular A-segment the Viva is expected to square up to the likes of the Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto when it arrives next summer with value for money being one of its big selling points.
Opel/Vauxhall boss Karl-Thomas Neumann is known to be keen to expand into the 'budget' end of the market and it is expected that the Viva platform will spawn a compact crossover that will sit below the Mokka in the current line-up. To keep costs of the new car down it shares its underpinnings with the new Chevrolet Spark.
The new car will be available with either four or five seats and across a range of trims and equipment levels. Despite the 'extremely attractive price point' it is also said to be well specified. The original Viva was produced between 1963 and 1979 with over 1.5 million manufactured at Vauxhall's plant in Cheshire in the UK.
Anything else?
Opel is to announce its name for the Viva tomorrow (September 11) and we will update the story once the announcement is made. For those hoping that it's the new Opel Kadett: don't.