by Mike Grundon (05 Oct 07)

We were once spoiled for choice with domestic off-roaders from Vauxhall. In the mid 1990s there were long- and short-wheelbase Fronteras and Montereys, both Isuzu-based vehicles and both selling pretty well - the Frontera second only to the Land Rover Discovery.

It's been a while now since that was the case, but with the arrival of the new Antara we can probably look forward to another successful GM-backed foray into the world of mud-modelled motoring.

The Antara is a crossover car, styled like a delver into the trackless dirt, but clearly focussed on the tarmac strips that divide it up. If you doubt me, check out the brochure – the dirtiest thing in it is probably the collar of the slick young exec you see skipping down the steps of the art gallery to his aesthetically posed but appallingly parked car.

Having spent a few days with the mid-range S version, powered by the two-litre CDTi diesel engine, I've come away in two minds. On the up side, it's a very good-looking motorcar and its road manners are excellent. On the down side I couldn't get anywhere near the rather impressive claimed average fuel economy, and its rear seat-folding and cargo handling are not as clever or flexible as many of its rivals.

First things first, though. What will sell the Antara will primarily be its looks. It exudes an air of class, thanks to its aggressively focussed headlamps at the front, the wide and stable stance, the clean lines of the flank and the bonnet, but most of all the gill-like vents on the forward quarters, just behind the front wheels, that are reminiscent of the current Range Rover. The back end is tidy, but it's safe to say the anterior of the Antara is superior to the posterior, while the interior is far from inferior.

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