Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Vauxhall Vectra SRi
Latest addition to our long-term test fleet is a Vauxhall Vectra SRi, powered by a 150bhp, 1.9-litre diesel engine. It is with us for a year, which provides the opportunity to look in a bit more detail than usual at some of the technology in the car, the most impressive of which is undoubtedly Adaptive Forward Lighting or AFL for short. For those who bunked off physics at school, light does not bend - no matter who you are. However, by developing a system that combines swivelling lights with an additional bulb, Vauxhall has indeed made it possible to see round corners.
The aim of AFL is to make driving in the dark and in bad weather conditions easier and above all safer. According to the latest figures from Germany's Federal Statistics Bureau, more than 40 per cent of all automobile accidents resulting in death occur at night, despite the fact that there is up to 80 per cent less traffic on the road than during the day. Available on the car rental fleet?
It does this in three ways. In bends, the headlight swivel by up to +/- 15 degrees, depending on steering wheel input. At junctions and narrow bends, a turning light provides wide-angle lighting. The illumination is nearly 90 degrees to the direction of travel over a distance of around 100 ft from the car. This turning-light is designed to function only at speeds up to 30 mph so that it does not activate in situations like lane changes on the motorway. Key benefit is that dark junctions become significantly safer. Finally, at motorway speeds the light angle on dipped beam rises slightly, illuminating the road ahead for a greater distance.
Before I tried the system I was naturally sceptical and while it is an expensive £850 optional extra, it comes into the 'wouldn't be without it' category as of now.
ROSS DURKIN
VAUXHALL VECTRA SRI 1.9 CDTI 5DROTR Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£19,665Max power . . . . . . . . . . . .150bhp @ 4,000rpmMax torque . . . . . . . . . . . .232lb.ft @ 2,000rpm0-62mph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8.8 secsTop speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135mphCombined MPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47.9mpgCO2 emissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 g/km
The aim of AFL is to make driving in the dark and in bad weather conditions easier and above all safer. According to the latest figures from Germany's Federal Statistics Bureau, more than 40 per cent of all automobile accidents resulting in death occur at night, despite the fact that there is up to 80 per cent less traffic on the road than during the day. Available on the car rental fleet?
It does this in three ways. In bends, the headlight swivel by up to +/- 15 degrees, depending on steering wheel input. At junctions and narrow bends, a turning light provides wide-angle lighting. The illumination is nearly 90 degrees to the direction of travel over a distance of around 100 ft from the car. This turning-light is designed to function only at speeds up to 30 mph so that it does not activate in situations like lane changes on the motorway. Key benefit is that dark junctions become significantly safer. Finally, at motorway speeds the light angle on dipped beam rises slightly, illuminating the road ahead for a greater distance.
Before I tried the system I was naturally sceptical and while it is an expensive £850 optional extra, it comes into the 'wouldn't be without it' category as of now.
ROSS DURKIN
VAUXHALL VECTRA SRI 1.9 CDTI 5DROTR Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£19,665Max power . . . . . . . . . . . .150bhp @ 4,000rpmMax torque . . . . . . . . . . . .232lb.ft @ 2,000rpm0-62mph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8.8 secsTop speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135mphCombined MPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47.9mpgCO2 emissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 g/km
# posted by Liz Laurie @ 9:41 AM 
