2002 OPEL Vectra Caravan 2.0L DTi 5MT FWD (100 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The Vectra was already an established name on the market, and the third sequel of this mid-size contender built by Opel in Europe was launched at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show.

GM developed a new platform shared by Opel Vectra, Saab 9-3, and Saturn Aura. Since it had to compete with the best European sedans, such as the Volkswagen Passat and Ford’s Mondeo, it had to be available as a station wagon, and it did it quite successfully, although this bodywork was unveiled only in late 2003, at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The exterior featured a new design trend for its headlights, with a rectangular, swept-back look and a pair of headlamps inside. Its grille sported a horizontal slat and a round badge on it. The long-roof version featured a third, wide window behind the rear doors. Even though the design team tried to make the rear end look a tad sportier, it didn’t succeed. The wide opened tailgate sported part of the taillights on it, in addition to those fixed on the rear quarter panels.

The car was obviously built for families, with plenty of room for five adults inside. At the front, the wide bucket seats were comfortable, built for long hours behind the wheel. At the same time, at the back, the split-folding (60/40) bench increased the trunk space from 510 liters (18 cu-ft) to 1,850 liters (65.3 cu-ft), which was more than its main competitors.

GM installed a wide choice of engines under the Vectra’s hood, starting with a 100 PS (99 hp) turbo-diesel unit developed by Fiat and going up to a 211 PS (208 hp) 3.2-liter V6 built in Australia. While all versions were available with a manual transmission, some were offered a five-speed automatic as an option.