The Vauxhall Agila was the British version of a small car designed by Suzuki, sold from 2000 to 2014. The first generation was a rebadged Suzuki Wagon R+, the second a Suzuki Splash, and both were built in eastern Europe rather than in Britain.
Vauxhall Agila at a glance
| Maker | Vauxhall (Opel Agila on the continent) |
|---|---|
| Production | 2000–2014 |
| First generation | 2000–2007, rebadged Suzuki Wagon R+ |
| Second generation | 2008–2014, rebadged Suzuki Splash |
| First-generation plant | Gliwice, Poland |
| Second-generation plant | Esztergom, Hungary |
| First-generation engines | 1.0 three-cylinder (973 cc) and 1.2 four-cylinder (1,199 cc) |
| Second-generation engines | 1.0 65 PS, 1.2 86 PS, 1.2 CDTi diesel 75 PS |
| Facelift | August 2003, with a 1.25-litre diesel added |
| Replaced by | Vauxhall Viva, March 2015 |
The Agila is described in the English and German Wikipedia articles on the Opel Agila; the Vauxhall version is the same car with different badges.
History of the Vauxhall Agila
The Agila, whose name comes from the Latin agilis, arrived in August 2000 as Vauxhall’s city car. It was a rebadged Suzuki Wagon R+, produced in Japan and later given the Solio name there, but the European version used Opel’s own cam-chain engines rather than Suzuki’s cam-belt unit. The 1.0-litre Z10XE was a three-cylinder of 973 cc and the 1.2-litre Z12XE a four of 1,199 cc, both smaller than the 1.3-litre engine of the European Wagon R+. Cars were assembled at Opel’s plant in Gliwice, Poland.
A facelift arrived in August 2003, bringing Opel’s TwinPort technology, small increases in capacity and, for the first time, a 1.25-litre diesel option; the updated 1.2-litre four did not appear until January 2004.
The second generation was announced on 15 May 2007 and shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show that year, again a rebadged Suzuki — this time the Splash. It was 200 mm longer than before and counted as a mini MPV rather than a city car, with sales starting in April 2008. Petrol engines were a three-cylinder 1.0 of 65 PS and a four-cylinder 1.2 of 86 PS; the diesel was a 1.2 CDTi of 75 PS with common-rail injection. Trim levels were Base/Essentia and Edition/Enjoy, and production for both Opel and Suzuki took place at the Magyar Suzuki plant in Esztergom, Hungary.
The Agila was dropped in March 2015 and replaced by the Opel Karl, sold in Britain as the Vauxhall Viva.
Design and features
- Suzuki engineering: both generations were designed and largely built by Suzuki.
- City-car size: the first Agila was a four-seat box with a tall roof and a short bonnet.
- Small engines: 1.0 and 1.2 petrol units, plus a 1.25 diesel from the 2003 facelift.
- Two plants: Gliwice in Poland for the first generation, Esztergom in Hungary for the second.
Vauxhall Agila versions
- Agila 1.0 (2000): three-cylinder Z10XE of 973 cc.
- Agila 1.2 (2000): four-cylinder Z12XE of 1,199 cc.
- 2003 facelift: TwinPort petrol engines and a 1.25-litre diesel.
- Agila II (2008): the larger Splash-based mini MPV with 1.0, 1.2 and 1.2 CDTi engines.
- Essentia and Enjoy: the two trim levels of the second generation.
The Agila was replaced by the Vauxhall Viva, and it sat below the Corsa in the range. More cars are in the Vauxhall collection.
Sources
- Opel Agila, English Wikipedia: engines, plants, dates, trim levels
- Opel Agila, German Wikipedia: model history
