Vauxhall Combo Review 2024

The Vauxhall Combo is the perfect all-round small van. For those who are more used to driving a car it will prove unintimidating and easy to use, while those who are after a load lugger that can take a huge payload will find a model that is up to their requirements too.

If you are into the latest technology then there is something for you too, with camera systems that operate in lieu of the rear-view mirror and the incredibly clever overload indicator that should become a regular feature on vans of the future.

Every one of its engines has something going for it, and the addition of an electric model means that it will likely play a leading role in the spread of battery-powered vans. As there is also a crew van and a four-wheel drive version, there is an incredibly high chance that there is a Vauxhall Combo that meets your working needs.

The Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner and Toyota Proace City are more than similar to the Combo, they are the same van with different badges and marginally different packaging. Each are as compelling as the Combo.

The other contenders in the class are the Ford Transit Connect and the Volkswagen Caddy. Neither are as modern or as practical as the Vauxhall, but both offer a good driving experience. The Fiat Doblo is another model with a good payload while the Renault Kangoo is another aging option.

The Vauxhall Combo’s interior feels solid and like it will take a good battering, but it stops short of using the sort of plastics that you would normally expect to find in the loading bay rather than in the cabin. There is enough give to the materials that it doesn’t feel totally utilitarian.

One bonus feature that will help keep it looking like this is the bag that comes with the Flex Cargo through-loading bulkhead. This is attached all around the perimeter of the opening and opens out into the cabin. This allows you to thread dirty items – used fence posts for example – through into the front of the van without leaving mud or cement dust all over the seats and dash.

The Combo’s dash looks a little plain when it doesn’t come with the eight-inch touchscreen. This is the case for both the Edition and Sportive model – it only comes on the LE Nav, at which point the cabin looks a lot smarter. It also appears a little dark, with little in the way of contrast colours to break up the black. 

None of the models get a leather steering wheel – you have to add that on as part of a package that also brings a heated steering wheel and heated front seats.

The Vauxhall Combo’s infotainment screen is the one that you also find in the likes of the Peugeot Partner and Citroen Berlingo – it’s an eight-inch touchscreen with a volume dial and shortcut buttons down either side. Unlike the Partner it is only offered on the top-spec model, though, which means that the two lower trims only get a more simplistic radio system that looks a little dated despite its digital display. 

The touchscreen is much more modern in its appearance, but isn’t the swiftest to load and respond. The shortcuts down the side are not physical buttons and they sit flush with the screen, which makes them slightly trickier to hit on the move.

The USB connection sits to the bottom right of the screen, which means that the cable dangles closer to the steering wheel than is preferable, but it can be run around the back of the screen to tuck it out of the way. This allows you to use Apple Carplay and Android Auto, which will be preferable to the in-house navigation for some.

Passenger room in the panel van version of the Vauxhall Combo is generous if you only have the one seat for a single passenger. The seat on the basic model is fixed but the others all have seat adjustment, too.

Unlike the rest of the Combo’s co-developed vans, the Vauxhall only comes with the dual front passenger seat if you specify it as an option and pay for the privilege. It’s a worthwhile option to go for, though, as the middle seat is more than just a token gesture.

Sure it is not one that you’d want to sit in for hours on end on a long drive, and you’ll probably bump shoulders every now and again if you are three-up in the front, but the positioning of the gear lever means that there is just enough room for an adult to sit in the middle and still have their legs in a relatively comfortable position.

That double seat really helps boost practicality, too, as it brings a load-through hatch that increases the overall length from 3.0m to 3.4m. The integrated bag helps keep the cabin clean, too.

The space in the back is excellent in the Combo, and the payload is brilliant. It’s worth paying careful attention to the model you are buying, though, as some only boast a payload of around 650kg. However, there are several models that offer the ability to carry more than 1000kg.

The optional overload sensor is an excellent feature to purchase, as it'll tell you when you are getting close to the maximum permitted load and when you have passed it. It should also help prolong the life of the Combo's vital mechanical parts, due to the fact it'll avoid overloading that can cause serious damage to the vehicle's suspension. 

Every L2 model gets a pair of sliding side doors while the shorter version only gets one, while you get a pair of twin rear doors on every version. The 1.2 metre internal width means you can fit a pair of Euro pallets in. There is only the one height, though, which means the loading height is limited to 548mm for the Standard van and 620mm for the XL model.

In terms of exterior dimensions the standard model is 4,403mm long, 1,848mm wide (excluding mirrors) and 1,796mm tall while the XL model is 4,753mm long, 1,848mm wide and 1,812mm tall. 

The Vauxhall Combo’s engine range is growing all the time, but the core of it is a selection of 1.5-litre diesels. The three come with power outputs of 75, 100 and 130PS, and are joined by a 1.2-litre, 110PS petrol. There's also the all-electric Vauxhall e-Combo. 

The 75PS diesel doesn’t offer the payload or performance to be considered by anyone other than those who will be doing lower mileage urban deliveries. If you are going to be spending any time on the motorway, or have any sort of load to carry, then the 100PS is the best one to go for as an all-round option. The 130PS boasts a whole load more power and torque and is really smooth with it.

This 130PS model is the only one that comes with the optional eight-speed automatic gearbox, too. This ‘box is proof that things have come a long way for van drivers in recent years – it is smooth and is a really relaxing companion if you spend lots of time in stop-start traffic.

The six-speed manual is decent, too, with an easy movement that doesn’t require much effort on the clutch or to change gears. The lower powered versions come with a five-speed ‘box, which is marginally less relaxing on the motorway where the revs sit at a higher level when you are cruising.

The other engine option is a 110PS petrol, which will suit those looking for a van that will cope with lots of short journeys around town, but is not likely to be a common option. This may make finding a buyer when you come to sell it on tricky, but it is a quiet and smooth engine at least.

The first few Combos that were sold after it launched in 2018 came with a 1.6-litre diesel with either 75 or 100PS. They performed largely the same as the newer 1.5-litre engines with the same power outputs, but they didn’t meet the latest Euro emissions requirements, hence they were dropped from the range in 2019. Because of the similar performance stats, they won’t feel much different in day-to-day use. 

Generally speaking the Vauxhall Combo is excellent at keeping noise out of the cabin, both stood still with the engine running and on the move. The decent levels of insulation help with this, but the engines themselves are quiet, too.

The 1.5-litre diesels are smooth and refined and don’t kick up much in the way of noise at all. There is little to choose between the different power outputs in terms of noise produced. The only exception is when you take the 75 and 100PS models onto the motorway – because they only have five-speed gearboxes they sit at slightly higher revs which means that the engine is marginally louder than in the 130PS. The rest of the time, it is an impressively quiet cabin.

As you might expect, the 1.2-litre petrol is even quieter, particularly around town. The older 1.6-litre diesel engines are marginally louder, especially when sitting at standstill and when you accelerate hard. It stops short of impacting on your ability to have a conversation in the cabin on the move, but it is noticeable and the newer engine is that bit more relaxing.

The basic safety kit on the Vauxhall Combo is relatively simple, with most of the equipment only available as added extras, as is the case on many vans. The Edition model comes with a single airbag for the driver, hill start assist and a full-height bulkhead. Other than an alarm, which is added to the Sportive trim, none of the other models get any extra safety equipment and you have to head towards the options list to get the clever tech.

Lots of this is handily packaged up in the Safety Pack, which brings a front camera system that adds lane keep assist with lane departure warning, speed sign recognition, a driver monitoring system, forward collision alert and autonomous emergency braking.

The best added safety feature doesn’t come as part of the pack, though – the overload sensor is an innovative piece of kit that sounds a warning when you reach 80% of the payload capacity and another when you go over the permitted amount. The alarm can be heard in the cabin or at the back of the van, and should ensure that users can stay safe by not exceeding the permitted load and up their efficiency as they don’t have to guess at the amount that is allowed.

Vauxhall came a poor 29th out of 30 manufacturers in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index with an overall rating of 84% satisfaction. 

The Vauxhall Combo that sits in the lowest insurance group is one of the middle-of-the-road versions – the 100PS Sportive version is in group 28, aided no doubt by the addition of the alarm in that model’s specification. 

There is no real linear progression to the range’s insurance groups, with the rest of the Sportive range sitting in group 30E, the Edition in groups 30-32 and the Limited Edition Nav in group 29 and 30. The one thing that bumps you up a group is the addition of the automatic gearbox.

The Vauxhall Combo enjoys the low-rate commercial vehicle VED rate (£265) which is the same for all models regardless of price and CO2 emissions. The same is true for the vehicle’s benefit-in-kind classification. All vans’ BIK rating is calculated off the same figure, so it doesn’t matter about the emissions once again.

It’s a shame that the decent interior kit isn’t offered until you get to the Vauxhall Combo Limited Edition Nav model, and it is this version that is best suited to a van that is at its happiest doing long drives.

The 100PS model is the best all-rounder, although those who will spend the majority of their time on the motorway may find the lack of sixth gear wearing. 

The overload sensor is the option that all Combos should come fitted with, especially if you are likely to be carrying heavy loads that are close to the van’s impressively high payload.