VAUXHALL has axed its four-wheel-drive flagship, the Monterey, which shares a platform with the Isuzu Trooper. A spokesman for the manufacturer said there were no plans to replace the luxury five-door off-roader, which at its peak sold 1,400 a year in Vauxhall livery.

The leisure sector gap is expected to be filled by General Motors' Chevrolet Blazer and high specification examples of the new, long wheelbase Frontera estate - due to be launched in October. On-the-road prices for run-out Montereys start from £25,520. Engine options are a 3.2-litre V6, with automatic transmission, and a 3.1-litre turbodiesel.