Astramax gets the axe
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• Vauxhall has axed the Astramax van, its Escort challenger, and will launch two new Corsa-based vans next year. Astramax production at GM's Portuguese plant ceases this month. The van's high-cube replacement— based on the Vauxhall Corsa will not begin production until January next year. Vauxhall is anxious that the Corsa high-cube is not seen as a lightweight Astramax replacement and says it will be competitive on both payload and volume with the outgoing model: this suggests that it will compete in the 500kg and 700kg payload classes.
Axing the Astramax in June will leave Vauxhall with a shortfall in its small van range; Novavan production ended last December and UK stocks are unlikely to last beyond August. Novavan will also be replaced in January by a hatchback Coma van. This leaves Vauxhall with the estate car-derived Astravan to tide it over until the high-cube van arrives in the new year.
To keep customer interest alive, Vauxhall will launch a new entry level Astravan this month, based on the Merit I/ diesel model. Tagged "Epic", it will lose the roof rails of other Astravan models but gains cloth seats and door trim. Astravan Epic will be available in two colours only, glacier white and flame red. Similarly, only tw options are on offer: a driver's airbag and anti-lock brakes. At
.E.7,320 (ex-VAT), the Epic undercuts the Astravan Merit by £935 and the Fiesta diesel f.xn van by £20.
The end of Astramax production puts a question mark over the future of the Portuguese plant. Corsa hatchback and highcube vans could both be sourced from the Zaragosa plant in Spain where the Corsa car is built.