Pimp your business with this sporty Vivaro GS trim

It’s not every day a manufacturer looks at one of its vans and thinks ‘this could do with a spoiler’, but then these are strange times. Yup, Vauxhall has followed VW down its Transporter Sportline path and given the Vivaro a GS makeover.

What does that entail? On the outside there’s a new lip spoiler, side skirts (with integrated mud guards, Vauxhall hastens to add), black 18-inch Y-spoke alloys, rear bumper and that (admittedly quite restrained) two-piece spoiler.

That latter part is functional too, claims Vauxhall, giving improved stability when the Vivaro’s unladen. Hmm.

Inside there are eco-leather seats that should be more resistant to everyday wear and tear and, um, chemicals apparently, with red stitching completing the sporty aesthetic.

You’re assuming the powertrain has been left alone right? Wrong! The Vivaro gets a new version of Vauxhall’s 2.0-litre diesel engine, with power up from 142 to 178bhp via an eight-speed auto.

The Vivaro Electric also gets the GS treatment, although only in panel van guise: the combustion-powered van also gets the option of a double-cab setup.

Doesn’t look like the Vivaro Electric will wear Vauxhall’s recently announced GSe performance badge, but at least the 75kWh battery affords a useful hike over the standard van’s 50kWh unit with up to 189 miles of range in test conditions.

“The GS offers something very unique to LCV buyers,” said Adam Wood, Vauxhall’s marketing director. “With unique looks and interior updates, it not only stands out on the road, but also maintains the practicality and versatility the Vivaro is known for.”

That practicality, should you need reminding, amounts to 5.8 cubic metres of load space in the Vivaro Electric, with payloads weighing up to 1,000kg.

Order books are open now, with prices starting from £41,000 (excluding VAT, of course) for the Vivaro GS in panel van form, rising to £44,095 for the double-cab version. Meanwhile the electric model starts from £55k.