‘A refreshing approach for Vauxhall’s future’
For most of us, Vauxhall is still a fantastic British brand that, in the Astra as well as Vivaro, still makes fantastic British vehicles in the UK. however over the past few years – well, rather some years, if we’re honest – the business has lost its way. Ask many people what the brand means as well as they’d struggle to tell you. Some vehicles have been quite good, some not so.
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You may discover it strange for the managing director of Vauxhall to agree with those comments, however that’s quite much what Stephen Norman stated when we satisfied up this week.
• Mega drive: one month’s miles in a day in an Astra
Norman has been in the task five months as well as already made his mark by terminating the contracts of his dealerships as well as refranchising. So when he invited me to satisfy up, it was a fantastic chance to discover out more about the future of the business that still means so much to so many British vehicle buyers.
Norman is a guy who understands the vehicle business like few others; he’s worked on more brands than most as well as in more disciplines than most, too. as well as he speaks with the enjoyment of somebody with a remove plan. “It’s not about throwing whatever out of the drawer as well as starting again,” he told me, “it’s just reordering as well as tidying what’s already in there.”
He spoke fondly of his father’s Vauxhall Cresta as well as exactly how it was more fun as well as more liked than the more costly Rover that came later; that’s exactly how we should believe about Vauxhalls today, he insisted.
“We will never reject the moderate guy as well as lady a high quality vehicle they don’t have to pay over the chances for,” he said. With mainstream rivals seemingly determined to be ever-more premium – particularly in pricing – that was refreshing. As was his promise that his dealerships would up their game as well as that ingenious new product is coming. Under PSA ownership as well as Norman leadership, Vauxhall is in an interesting place.
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