- Willing powertrains
- Good ride/handling balance
- Thick A-pillars impair forward visibility
- Firm seats lack support
- Spongy brake pedal feel
- Limited rear legroom
- Awkward clutch operation
Overview
Released in June 1997, the front-wheel drive Holden JR Vectra was available as a mid-size sedan or liftback. Manufactured in Belgium, the Vectra sedan was powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, while the liftback models were also available with a 2.5-litre V6 petrol engine.
Engines: C20SEL and X25XE
Of the engines,
- The 2.0-litre ‘Family II’ C20SEL petrol engine had an iron block, an aluminium cylinder head, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 9.6:1; and,
- The 2.5-litre X25XE V6 petrol engine differed in that it had a compression ratio of 10.8:1.
Transmission options consisted of five-speed manual and four-speed automatic units. The automatic transmission also had a ‘neutral idle’ function which would automatically engage neutral when the vehicle was stationary; first gear would then be selected when the brake pedal was released.
Dimensions and suspension
The JR Vectra sedan and liftback were 4477 mm long, 1707 mm wide, 1425 mm tall and had 2637 mm long wheelbases. The JR Vectra also had MacPherson strut front suspension and independent rear suspension with upper and lower transverse links.
| Body | Variants | Engine | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan | GL, CD |
2.0-litre petrol I4 | 5sp man., 4sp auto |
100 kW at 5600 rpm | 185 Nm at 4000 rpm |
| Liftback | GL | 2.0-litre petrol I4 | 5sp man., 4sp auto |
100 kW at 5600 rpm | 185 Nm at 4000 rpm |
| CD | 2.5-litre petrol V6 | 4sp auto | 125 kW at 5800 rpm | 230 Nm at 3200 rpm |
Safety equipment
Standard safety equipment for the Vectra GL included a driver’s airbag, ABS, traction control and front seatbelt pretensioners. The Vectra CD variants were further equipped with a front passenger airbag.
Euro NCAP crash testing
In Euro NCAP crash testing , a 1997 Vectra – fitted with a 1.8-litre engine – and equipped with a driver’s airbag received a three star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 17.95, though the third star was struck out. In the offset crash test, protection from serious leg injury was poor for the driver and there was a moderate risk of serious chest injury; for the front passenger, chest protection was assessed as weak. In the side impact test, there was a high risk of life-threatening chest injury for the driver and a moderate risk of abdomen injury.
Features
Standard features for the Vectra GL included a six speaker sound system with a radio and cassette player, 60/40 split and folding rear seats with a loading-through facility, remote central locking, power mirrors with heating, a height adjustable steering wheel and an immobiliser.
The Vectra CD variants were further equipped with 15-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, cruise control, front fog lights, a glovebox cooler, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, illuminated vanity mirrors, power windows and a trip computer.
Related links
