I've never been a travelling salesman. Much as I enjoy driving, I have absolutely no desire to spend my time hammering up and down the motorway trying to flog things to people who probably don't even want them but are too polite to reject the foot-in-the-door tactics.But if I did lose my scribbling skills and had to take to the road as a master merchandiser then I know what I'd use as my trusty steed to ensure that I made it on time to every vital appointment.It wouldn't be the expected Mondeo, even with a new model on the horizon. No, no, I would be very happy, delighted even, to spend endless hours behind the wheel of the much-underrated Vectra from Vauxhall. And to hell with the tax or emission issues - I'd demand that it was the 1.8 SRi. With a potential top speed of 131 mph and 0-60 mph in a tad over 10 seconds I could squeeze a lot of sales into every eight-hour day.As well as that, I could keep my sales manager happy - not just with all that extra business, but also with combined fuel economy of almost 40mpg, he wouldn't have to wade through tons of fuel receipts which would effectively wipe out those increased sales.So that's settled then - it's a Vectra 1.8 SRi Nav Hatchback at £17,870 on the road. Not quite. If I'm going to have this car as my office, I want a few luxuries . . . sorry, essentials, to make me more efficient. The colour satnav is standard as is the sports suspension and seats and trip computer so I could keep my records up to date for the boss.But I'd also like the £400 electronic stability and traction control system to keep me on the straight and narrow, and as I'll be putting in a lot of evening work, the £850 for adaptive forward lighting, xenon headlights and high pressure headlight washers, would be money well-spent. Another 300 quid and I'd have the Bluetooth phone system as well to keep the boss up to date with all my sales success. The final bill - £19,420.I can confirm it's a good package because while I haven't yet had to resort to salesmanship to keep the family in square meals, I spent some unexpectedly good days with just that in a test car. In truth I hadn't expected much of the machine when I saw it was coming my way. The Vectra hasn't had a good time over the past few years, unfairly the butt of some commentators' venom for no good reason but for the fact that - like the bully's victim - it hadn't done anyone any harm."Bland" would be too strong a word and perhaps "insignificant" would be closer to the mark. Which is why Vauxhall has taken the Vectra and its associated and even more underrated yet superb Signum and given them a makeover. Actually Vauxhall says that's exactly what it hasn't done, unlike some other manufacturers who restrict their facelifts to an extra piece of chrome trim, a new wheel and upgraded stereo.In the case of the Vectra, there's a completely redesigned front end and a substantial upgrading on the inside. Everything from the windscreen forwards is all-new and its on-road behaviour, which wasn't that bad before, is improved. Little touches have brought a lot of difference to the car. The steering wheel is smaller for a start and not only does it look better, it actually helps the feel of the car on the road.What was always a very clean and concise fascia has been tweaked to be even more businesslike and while it maybe wouldn't pick up any awards in the innovative style section, it does what it is supposed to do in an understated but practical way.The build quality is good and all the bits do what they are supposed to do, unlike some other models which trade on their "British-built" label. I was very impressed with my Vectra and while it may blend into the motoring landscape it is a sure-footed and reliable workhorse which has kept a quarter of a million second-generation Vectra owners around the UK quietly content.But for extra spice, adding the SRi element is like splashing a few drops of Tabasco onto an ordinary glass of tomato juice. Engine 1796cc, 4 cylinders Power 140bhp Fuel/CO2 39.2mpg / 173g/km Acceleration 0-60mph: 10.2 seconds Top speed 131mph Price £17,870 Details correct at publication date
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