This Vauxhall Combo 1.3CDTi is fitted with an Easytronic gearbox – for seamless shifts. This minivan comes equipped with common rail diesel technology and these power plants are more frugal now than ever before. Today a 1.3-litre can offer as much power and torque as a 2.0-litre or even a 2.5-litre of the mid 1980s. With more owner operators than ever before, a van not only has to do the job, but also has to make the driving environment a decent one. Therefore, when it comes to selecting a light van, Vauxhalls Combo would figure on many operators’ shortlists. Attractive upfront pricing and reliable mechanicals make it a trusty little workhorse.
The Combo comes with plenty of power for a small van - 70bhp on tap at 4,000rpm - more than enough to get you around the urban jungle does. Under the bonnet, you have a 1,248cc Ecotec-4 four-cylinder 16-valve double overhead cam engine generating 125 lb/ft of torque. The engine is mated to the Easytronic gearbox, which sets this van apart from rivals. The ‘box is an optional extra on the Combo range – but it will make your driving experience so much easier. It’s a five-speed manual gearbox with a fully auto mode. In manual, you simply push the lever forward or back to shift gear up or down. The facia display shows you what gear you’re in – 1-5 N for Neutral or A for Auto. Switch to fully automatic mode and it has many of the features of a regular automatic including a kick-down function. The ride and handling of the Combo performs well in both the urban environment and outer urban as the Combo is fitted with an independent front suspension, this includes Macpherson struts with coil springs and an anti-roll bar.
The Combo is ideal for those who appreciate a roomy van with a dynamic and economical performance. The seats are comfortable enough and the driver’s is set fairly high so that those doing multiple drops can slide in and out easily without risking back pains. The cab and the cargo area are smoothly integrated into one aerodynamic shape, the higher windscreen giving an airier feel to the cabin. For those of us used to the Corsa car, the cab interior is no surprise, except for the higher roofline, which has allowed the provision of a full-length shelf overhead, to hold folders, clipboards or other books. Combo’s payloads vary from 743kgs to 803kgs depending on the model chosen and the load floor is low and flat, meaning that items can be slid in and out with ease. The critical measurements are a 1.79-metre long load length in an area 1.38 metre wide. Maximum load height is 1.19 metres, while the distance between the wheel arches is 1.13 metres, which will allow a Euro Pallet. There’s a neat gizmo available as an option in the partition grid, which allows the passenger side section to be hinged over the folded passenger seatback, giving a load length for part of the vehicle to 2.7 metres. They call this FlexCargo, and the hinged section acts as a protection from side load to the driver. Even without this system, the hard backed passenger seat when folded makes a very useful tabletop for an operator to do paperwork or even use a laptop.
Inside and out the Combo has been well built, service intervals are in principle set at 30,000 miles/two years, but you’ll be pleased to know you won’t have to write this down as there is a built-in monitoring device to warn you if your van needs to visit the service department. Vauxhall provides a three-year/60,000 mile warranty with no mileage limit in the first year.The deep plastic front skirt and rear wraparound bumpers should absorb a lot of the knocks and nudges, which are part and parcel of the workday.
