ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ค. 2024
- Cards on the table time… Tom's a big fan of the PSA Group vans. Some people knock platform sharing, saying it dilutes innovation & makes manufacturers lazy… in fact, he thinks completely the opposite!
He believe it makes manufacturers work harder to make sure each brand remains identifiable even while sharing so much. & nowhere is that more obvious than in the Vauxhall Combo Cargo… it’s a small medium van or a large small van… whatever… shall we just give it the full Vanarama Road Test treatment?
Before we get started, we just wanted to take a moment to say that I hope you enjoy watching this review, and, if you do, please subscribe to our channel & click the bell to get notified when we post more content just like this.
And don’t forget that if you’re ever in the market for a new van or pickup truck, head to Vanarama.com! Now, with that done… let’s get stuck in!
The Vauxhall Combo Cargo is the biggest Combo available in the range. There are no height options, just lengths, making this the L2 H1 version, & it looks good in grey/white/blue whatever colour really… I’ve seen it in all the colours it comes in & it’s just a good-looking van whatever it’s wearing.
• The grille, the griffon, the silver… oh god, the silver!
• The headlights & fog lights
• Heated mirrors
• Steel wheels
• Overall looks & first impressions - it’s the best looking of the PSA vans… or is it… we can never make up our minds whether we prefer the snub-nosed front end of the Citroen Berlingo, or this one’s more conventional sharp lines.
Anyway, let’s get in there & check out the interior.
It’s as grey on the inside as it is on the outside in colour only, because this driver’s seat is really comfy. The roof is white-ish creamy which lights up the whole place… lovely… & it’s surprisingly spacious.
The fabrics are hard-wearing, something the PSA Group vans are good at making look more expensive than they really are, because you can always tell when a manufacturer is cheaping out.
The trim is slightly inconsistent… you’ve got chrome on the steering wheel, the knobs (tee hee) & a bit here and there… but the gear lever looks a little naked.
Anyway… the steering wheel is a good shape with a flat bottom & nice grippy plastic. It’s covered in controls on the left & right for phone, audio & voice control.
The dashboard is a personal highlight…
• Really clear
• Nice big dials
• Great Driver Information Display
The screen is huge, you can control all sorts from right here.
Gear stick mount… too far out to make carrying 2 passengers a day-in-day-out reality… knees will be fondled, so sort out a middle seat rota.
12V socket on the floor.
But, Storage is a mixed bag…
• Cup holders. 2 of them. Tiny. First strike
• Cubbies in the doors, too small
• Flip-lip cubby above the dashboard is nice
• Cubby behind the screen is pointless
• Glove box is nice with aux socket
• Cubby below that is not great but is deep
• Full-width head-height storage is excellent though!
If the cabin hasn’t set your world on fire, the loading bay is where the Combo shines.
Side Doors on both sides
• Height: 1m
• Width: Nearly 70cm
Rear Doors with a nice 60-40 split
• Height: Nearly 1.2m
• Width: 1.2m
Loading Bay
• Length: 2.2m
• Max Length (with Flexcargo load-through): 3.4m (perfect for pipes or ladders
• Max Width: 1.5m
• Width (between arches): 1.2m
• Height: 1.2m
Payload
• Max payload: 955kg (nearly 1000kg)
Okay… so that’s all the figures out the way, let’s get moving & find out what the Combo is all about on the open road.... watch to see what Tom thinks.
So, how do we finish this one? Well… this isn’t a small van… it’s a large small van… or a small medium van… wait, I’m not going down that rabbit hole again…
Let’s start over… if the Combo Cargo was a slightly mixed bag in the cabin, it’s a dream on the road & has one of the best loading bays of a small van with doors on all three sides of the load space - it deserves consideration for that alone.
It’s a tough vehicle… & I still can’t wrap my head around how much space it offers. Well done, Vauxhall. Well done! - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
One of my favourite small vans! I have to admit the design looks very nice!
We really are spoilt for choice these days with good vans on the market. Good review.
I have read that the 1.5 HDI produced until 2023 has a major problem regarding the 7mmshaft chain which will brake and cause major damage. I wonder if it is a common problem or not because I intend to buy a 2021 Opel combo 1.5D 130 bhp
So I had the chance to recently test drive a rental Opel combo life (passenger version), it was a mid spec vehicle.
I must say... I wasn't impressed with the interior, too much hard plastic, everything felt miles away from your driver seat reach. Too spacious. The door was too fluffy, I needed to slam the door to actually be sure it was close.
However, I was impressed with how it drove. It was very smooth on the road, not at smooth as my Nissan Navara d23, but not far off, still smoother than average let's say.
The steering radius was great! Maneuverability felt like a jet ski, compared to my Navara D23 (which feels like a colossal cruise ship when doing U-turns...). I loved how smooth and light the steering wheel felt. It didn't feel like much feedback, but it was smooth and relaxing.
Jeremy Clarkson probably wasn't joking when he compared the Citroen Berlingo to a Rolls Royce (Although he has a nature for mocking French cars).
Tom here: I say it every time - I'm a big fan of the Groupe PSA platform sharers. They're all really good. The Combo Cargo feels like it was designed for the continent.
@@vanaramauk I must say I agree, it was designed for European roads, and it must be one of the safest to drive, the spaciousness and thick doors, etc... it is good value for money!
However I recently spotted a flaw, and that is PSA vans and cars suffer from cold.
Story with the Opel combo life. It was a chilly Belgian morning of -1°c, my mom was attempting to start her Opel but it wouldn't start. We tried for 5 more minutes until it finally started. But it's wrong because a new van of 2019 refusing to start instantly in the -1°c cold... it's wrong.
My 2019 Nissan Navara D23 starts instantly no matter how cold it gets, even if its -2°c.
I'm not basing my conclusion just on one PSA car, it was a similar story with the Peugeot 5008 we have and the Peugeot 807 I had until last year.
PSA must improve their quality control, otherwise they're great I must say!
I recently had a chance to also drive a Peugeot Rifter and I must say... I quite liked it. I think it suits a Peugeot or Citroen better, but for Opel/Vauxhall to join... a bit of identity issue going on here... oh and did you see what Toyota did recently? They released a small van based on a PSA van chassis. Its atrocious but for competition sake. 😂
Tom here: Oh yeah, the Toyota Proace City. Some more cynical people might comment on how half the market is all the same small and medium vans now...
Surroud rear vision - DO NOT PURCHASE THAT THING - every time you switch on the car key - YOU NEED TO ACCEPT that you acknowledge the risk of using it. Opel means that you are like computer - every time you switch off the car you turn off your memory (loose the knowlege of that risk) so when you turn the carkey again you have to confirm message that you`ve already seen thousand of times !!! Imagine that you start your car 10 times a day - do you get a picture how annoing it is ? And the most curious thing is that if you want to change the view from rear to right side (camera under right mirror - European version) you have to do it AGAIN WITH BUTTON near the screen ( you have to reach with hand while you drive) ONLY IN OPEL. In other sibling cars (Peugeot, Toyota and Citroen ) you can do it WITHOUT TAKING HAND OFF THE STEERING WHEEL. ONLY BY PRESSING A BUTTON ON INDICATOR SHIFTER !!! Not in Opel :( And if you pick this system you do not have a rear view on a big 8" screen with better perspective - no no no !!! Yu have it on a lot smaller 3" screen !!! So once again - CONSIDER - if you need to make your blood pressure higher and you can't drink coffe - please do purchase that system.
Looks a nice van.
Tom here: It really is. Really great platform, size, trim level. I'd recommend it.
@@vanaramauk : Given the choice between the Vauxhall, the Peugeot or the Citroen, (all with the 130bhp motor and auto box), which would you choose?
What was the reason again why the British car industry collapsed ,after years at the game.When I want to see a review i want stats on how good the engine is,reliability fuel consumption,I care less about glove compartment
Tom here: Totally understandable. Well, our reviews are designed to show you the vehicle inside & out. If you like what you see, you can do further research on our site's deal pages where you'll find full range specs. Thanks for the comment.
VW Caddy maxi is & probably will be for many years the ultimate van for tradesmen, plumber electrician mostly all tradesmen love the Caddy. Expensive for a very good reason.
Tom here: Some people might say you're paying for the badge...
I want to know how the thing drives, what power and torque it has, can it take a euro pallet, I'm not buying it to play music.
Tom here: When I'm in the loading bay I mention the dimensions are 1.2 wide by 1.2 high - so that's a check for Euro pallets. Then I take it for a drive - so there's a summary of what it's like to drive including power & gear response. Next review I film I'll mention the torque, but it does change depending on which power output version of the engine you opt for. Let me know if you have any other questions, always happy to help.
Am I right in thinking that (thus far at least) Vauxhall dont have the 6 speed gearbox available that is fitted to its two stablemates. Also, the Vauxhall's engine is in the lowest state of tune out of the 3, with the Peugeot having the highest power output available.
For me, its the best looking van in its class. But losing the extra gear and horsepower from what my current Doblo based Combo has is not very appealing. Maybe by the time I actually come to trade-in those powertrain options might have trickled down to Vauxhall...
Good question. You get a 5-speed manual gearbox in the 1.5 75PS and 100PS versions, and a 6-speed box in the 1.5 130PS or the 1.2 110PS version. (I know you didn't mention it, but if you wanted an 8-speed automatic, it's an option on the 1.5 130PS.)
As for power output, 130PS is as much as you can get in a Peugeot Partner, so a 1.5 130PS Combo Cargo could be exactly what you're looking for.
Can't watch this any more, tee hee's are driving me nuts
You missed the cheap as chips lets save money earth cable to the engine which frays due to engine movement. and will strand you in the middle of nowhere.
Lots of problems after 12 months use, radio and morning dampness, panels popping out, window switch breaking and falling into door panel. Pictures and videos to support this. 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻
Tee Hee
Tee hee??
Tom here: Yeah...