Vauxhall plans to sell 5,000 Tigras a year when the all-new model is launched in September after an absence of four years.

Based on the Corsa platform, the new Tigra will have 1.4 and 1.8-litre fuel injected engines from launch and the plan is to sell around 1,900 models to the end of 2004.

Vauxhall chairman Kevin Wale believes the Tigra will fill an important gap in the company's range, providing a youthful, fun-to-drive car.

"Since the old Tigra went out of production in 2000 we have really missed it. We sold nearly 40,000 of the old model from the time it was launched in 1994."

Exactly 10 years later the Tigra is back, better than ever with an electronically controlled retractable hard top that folds down and into the boot in 18 seconds and still leaves a good amount of room for luggage.

This has been achieved by forgoing any pretence of a rear seat and making the new model strictly a two-seater.

Opening and closing the roof is done at the touch of a button, a system engineered by specialist company Heuliez, based in France, working with Vauxhall and Opel engineers in Germany and England.

Tigra will enter an increasingly popular market. Europe-wide, an estimated 400,000 customers will buy a cabrio this year. The UK is the second largest market with more than 70,000 sales each year.

The Car Enthusiast hopes to drive a UK-spec Tigra early in 2005. Watch out for the full road test on the main Road Tests page.

Interchange News Agency - 25 Jul 2004