Vauxhall Combo 2025MY Review
What’s great:
- Good payload
- Proven diesel engines and a fully electric option
- Freshened cab and displays
- Plenty of ADAS and other tech
- It looks great from the front
What’s not so good:
- Competitors drive better
- Centre passenger seat of limited use
The Combo, together with the platform-sharing Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner, Fiat Doblo and Toyota Proace City has, in its various guises been a favourite of the small business for decades now. Trusted to do a trouble-free days work and taking pretty much everything that is thrown at it, the van has a proven pedigree. 2024 sees it, along with all the other vans in the Stellantis stable get a minor makeover, primarily confined to the exterior at the front and the cab.
The Exterior
It’s the Combo we all know, but it has now acquired Vauxhall’s ‘Vizor’ signature grille – the headlights connected by a broad, horizontal bar with the cooling slots located in the upper and lower sections of the bumper. Clearly intended to replicate the front of the current electric versions of Vauxhall’s cars and vans, it has certainly freshened up the van’s appearance and brought it bang up to date.
Power Units
Apart from the fully electric Combo which isn’t the subject of this review, there are just two power units to choose from, 100PS and 130PS versions of a 1.5 litre turbo diesel engine. The higher rated one is offered with an automatic transmission option. Official WLTP fuel consumption figures on the Combined Low cycle are 51.9mpg and 54.4mpg for the high and low powered versions respectively.
The Cab
The cab environment is relatively modern and functional. The dash is well designed, and there are a number of areas of storage including areas on the top, both centrally located and in front of the driver. There’s no glovebox, however, just a relatively small shelf where you would normally find it. There is a small overhead shelf and the doors have two bins of a reasonable size. The gear lever is dash-mounted, but the enclosure makes the centre seat (where fitted) very difficult to use, an adult is almost certain to have to offset their knees to the left of it, encroaching on the space normally occupied by the passenger sitting in the left hand seat. The test van, in the higher Pro trim had the 10” multimedia screen, usefully angled towards the driver, and, on the Pro model the latest electronic instrument panel is clear. Once again, Stellantis has chosen to retain mechanical controls for the heating and ventilation, something most drivers will appreciate. Two USB ‘C’ sockets are centrally located, easily accessible by all occupants.
Equipment
Entry level Combo Prime has the now expected air conditioning as standard, along with cruise control, rear parking sensors and plenty of other driver and safety tech, most of which is now mandatory under the new GSR2 regulations. There’s a useful ‘smartphone station’ (aka mobile phone holder) in the centre of the dash, not something seen before and a great idea for vans that don’t have a multimedia screen for map display etc.
Combo Pro, as tested adds that 10” multimedia screen which includes navigation and smartphone integration. There’s the addition of ‘Dynamic Surround View’ which includes a digital rear view mirror, flankguard detection and a 180 degree parking camera. Also included is the FlexCargo pack with that centre seat which can fold flat providing a table, and the outer seat folding to reveal a load through hatch, allowing for longer loads to be carried. Pro also adds an electric parking brake, and on the exterior, matrix LED headlights add some style, along with body coloured bumpers and black door handles, mirrors and side mouldings.
Loadspace.
There are two lengths available, the standard Combo providing a load length of 1817mm and a volume of 3.3 cubic metres. Combo XL gives a length of 2167mm and the volume increases to 3.9 cubic metres. Access is via a standard left side loading door, although the XL adds an additional door to the offside. Twin doors are at the rear, with no option of a tailgate. On the test van there were bright LED lights in the loading bay, but these are only available with the optional cargo pack, which also provides a 12 volt socket in the load area. The van excels when it comes to payload, offering a minimum of 927kgs in all diesel van (not crew van) models and all Combo’s can tow at least 1000kgs.
On The Road
Unsurprisingly, the 130PS engine in the test van gave the Combo plenty of performance on the road. Handling was OK with light steering giving a decent amount of ‘feel’, and noise levels were relatively well suppressed. Despite the van being unladen, there was little bounce, and passengers more accustomed to a car environment found the overall experience quite pleasant.
Somehow though, from a driving perspective, the Combo doesn’t match the Renault Kangoo (and Citan / Townstar) or Ford Transit Courier. Those vans are fun to drive, the closest a van might get to a sports car in terms of handling, precision and, when pushed, providing confidence. Combo is perfectly adequate and does nothing wrong, but it’s not quite got that ‘something’ that the others have.
Conclusion
The Combo retains all the virtues that have made it so popular over the years. It’s a practical working tool but with a cab (and equipment level) that makes it a comfortable and well equipped environment for a driver whether he or she is a small business owner, or an employee of a fleet operator. Whilst it is competitive in almost every aspect and, with the latest refresh making the Combo look at least as good as the others, it’s only the driving experience that would perhaps give the Citan and Kangoo the edge.
