Vauxhall Viva (2015-2019) review - Practicality, comfort and boot space
The Viva is reasonably spacious with decent legroom, but there are more practical cars available for the money
No city car is designed to carry big loads for long periods of time, but its nice to know the Viva can handle passengers and a small amount of luggage for short trips within its five-door body. There’s reasonable space for two adults in the back, although there are similarly-priced rivals with bigger boots.
Visibility is good at the front, although the rising shoulder lines make the rear windows a bit narrow. At least they wind down rather than pop out like they do in rivals. The blunt rear end shape and small size means the Viva is a doddle to park. Parking sensors are on the options list for those who still think they’ll struggle.
Size
The Viva is 3.68m long, 1.49m tall, 1.6m wide and has a 2.39m wheelbase. That makes it very similar in size to the Hyundai i10, and slightly bigger than the VW up!. It’s the perfect size for town driving, while the short bonnet and flat rear-end makes it a cinch to park.
Head room, leg room and passenger space
The Viva is a good city car for carrying adults in the back on short journeys, although its by no means the best. Headroom is good thanks to the tall shape, and there’s just enough legroom for a six-foot adult to squeeze behind a similarly-sized driver.
All cars come with three proper seatbelts in the back. You wouldn’t want to sit three abreast for too long, but at least you have the option, unlike some strict four-seaters in the class.
Boot
Opening the Viva’s tailgate reveals a 206 litre boot space – for comparison, the VW-Group trio of city cars (the up!, Citigo and Mii) measure in at 251 litres, while the Suzuki Celerio leads the pack with 254 litres.
There’s no underfloor storage, and a spare wheel is optional, but at least you can spec one. You also get 60/40 split-folding rear seats as standard, which is a bonus. It’s a shame they don’t fold completely flat and there’s a big loading lip, but the 1,013 litre total capacity isn’t to be sniffed at. The seat-bases in the back flip up to give a flatter floor when the bench is lowered, but the backs can’t be folded without removing the headrests first.
