They're the scourge of the cycling community and a cringe among eco-conscious school kids, but Britain's mums are having a full-on love affair with dirty great 4x4s. And Dad fancies them, too.
Yeah, but isn't driving a 4x4 like saying I'm the global village idiot?
Not necessarily... You could invest in one of the new breed of softroaders - a model like BMW's X3, Nissan's X-Trail or Citroen's imminent C-Crosser, slightly butched-up MPVs which collectively represent a bit of an apology for 4x4ing and take up less tarmac than a Mondeo. What you really want though is a car with intelligent four-wheel drive, so it can grip with four wheels only where necessary (because you've come to terms with the fact that the work commute is mountain-track free) and save fuel when not. Yet despite its inner softroaderness, a model that looks chunky and, as they say at the gym, ripped...
Not sure about the Antara? Check out our list of this year's hottest new launches...
Surely not a Vauxhall though?
Don't laugh. After years of flogging a dead horse called the Frontera, a credible offroader with the street cred of a zimmer frame, the lads from Luton have finally come up with a car that promises to hit the customers' needs bang on target. The Antara, priced from £19,850 for the 2.4 petrol E version (or £20,995 for the E-spec 2.0 CDTi 16-valve diesel) and rising to £27,695 for the range-topping diesel SE, is clearly a value-conscious vehicle.
How so?
Standard spec includes ESP, intelligent four-wheel drive, a hill descent control system for safer offroading, air con, alarm, front fogs, roof rails, 17-inch alloys and a CD with iPod compatibility, as well as steering wheel-mounted audio controls. Not bad for a £20k machine. Upgrading to S adds heated seats, 18-inch alloys, rain-sensing wipers and self-levelling suspension, while SE packaging brings in Xenons, sat nav, six-CD autochanger, parking radar and tyre pressure sensors. Choose the diesel and the housekeeping bills don't look too savage, either: this engine promises 37.7mpg on the combined cycle, though the carbon dioxide output of 198g/km sticks you into band F for car tax - which is going to set you back £205 in one go.
Outch. Anything to soften the pain?
Well having tested the turbodiesel, which is likely to be the chief choice here, the Chevvy engine is... rather good. Okay, it's not going to produce any dramas when hauling this much bodywork around but in mid-range it's more than adequate and progress is smooth. The gearstick seems a little awkwardly positioned in the dash, but you soon get used to it and the five-speed box is reasonably user-friendly (albeit sometimes crunchy from first to second on this early test model).
What about the quality?
I was getting to that. It's (very) surprisingly high. With makers like VW and Citroen raising their game a notch, Vauxhall looks to be keeping pace - the Antara SE has top-standard leather seating, neat and handsome instrumentation, subtle interior lights and doors that shut with a four-star thunk.
And will the family like it?
It's no seven seater, like so may rivals now, but the rear seats fold down flat for loading awkward objects and if you're off cycling you can opt for the £475 integral bike rack which is built into the rear bumper and slides out in seconds.
In a nutshell then - hero or zero?
Sexier by half than a RAV4, the Antara's got a certain charm and shows Vauxhall's continuing potential for change. It's a wild step forward from its predecessors and the decision to build the car at Chevrolet's (former Daewoo) Korean plant has paid off with a car that exudes quality. Despite the thinking four-wheel drive system though, the diesel's average fuel figure is touch disappointing (Toyota's equivalent RAV4 mustering around 3mpg more).
Tiscali verdict: 6/10 Nicely dressed, slight drinking habit
