Road test: Carrier with qualities

Was it any wonder, the queasiness, considering the night before? Shrimps on a bed of saffron rice, duck pate, Dover sole en croute, lamb noisettes garnished with asparagus, chocolate mousse with brandy cream, and a mixture of wine, port, pina colada and lager! And with me the next day a manic, unsympathetic co-driver whose appreciation of a clutch and driving on the right was next to none.

We had flown Club Class to Lisbon for a car launch. "Hell, this is gutless," the electronics journalist moaned, frantically shifting up and down some six or seven times between first and second in the space of 20 feet.

He was wrong. Brand new Combo has the power to vanquish all before it and not simply because UK punters feel safer with a Vauxhall than a Citroen, Fiat, Peugeot or Renault. New Combo is a purpose-built monocab design intended to rival the Berlingo, Partner, Doblo and Kangoo. In short, it is among the best in class for load space (3.2sq m), payload (up to 810kg) and load length (up to 2.7m), offers the access flexibility of two sliding side doors, three engine choices (one petrol, two diesel) and an LPG option, and provides car-like features, extensive equipment packages and extended service intervals of 20,000 miles/12 months.

Low cost driving
Lively acceleration, modest fuel consumption and low maintenance are classic requirements in the light commercial vehicle market. Which is why Combo offers three modern engines: a 1.6 litre petrol (£9,300) and two 1.7 litre direct injection turbo-diesels developing 65bhp (£9,550) and 75bhp (£9,850) respectively.

The latter is our choice for performance under load, offering a maximum torque of 165Nm, 35Nm more than the 65bhp diesel. The two rated power outputs are primarily obtained by varying the boost pressure. Depending on load and vigour of driving, expect fuel consumption to range around the 35mpg mark for the petrol version and 48mpg for the diesels for a range of 560+ miles.

With an overall length of 4.323m new Combo is 93mm longer than its predecessor while its wheelbase, at 2.716m, is 236mm longer. The load area benefits especially from the increased size: the side walls, for instance, are vertical and maintain a generous load width even close to the roof. With a maximum volume of 3.2cu m litres Combo is among the largest in its category (Berlingo 3.0cu m and Doblo 3.2cu m). Other top values are the payload of up to 810kg (600kg and 825kg) and maximum permitted trailer loadup to 1200kg braked (1265kg and 1280kg).

Ladder carried within
Combo's basic load length is 1.78m and it is 1.38m wide. The distance between the wheel arches is 1.13m and the maximum load height stands at 1.20m. If desired, the front passenger's seat back can be folded onto the seat cushion to increase maximum length of the load area to 2.70m, allowing a ladder or other longer item to be carried within rather than atop the roof.

Double panel hinged doors at the rear can both be swung open by up to 180 degrees to permit the vehicle to be backed up to a loading bay/ramp. Both extend up into the roof to create a width opening of 1.05 x 1.06m so that the Combo can carry Euro pallets. Two optional siding doors (one or two can be provided) open wide to allow, for example, domestic appliances with a standard unit width of 600mm to be easily loaded. Opening height is an impressive 910mm.

Once loaded onto the robust plastic protective floor coating, at 550mm from the ground, items may be secured by a variety of methods including standard load-eyes. Also as standard, Combo features a half-height partition in front of the load area. An option is a roof-high, narrow mesh screen. As well as a one-piece version this is available as an adjustable FlexCargo system. When the passenger seat back is folded down a hinge enables the grid to be folded sideways from the centre and attached to the seat back so the driver is protected from the load on two sides.

The most striking feature of the new vehicle is that, unlike its predecessor, new Combo's passenger and load areas form a single visual unit.

A roof that flows back from the windscreen in an arc improves headroom for the front seat occupants and the large door openings make access and egress easier.

The large expanse of windscreen combined with a high seating position provides an excellent view of the road ahead. Side views are greatly improved thanks to the deep side windows, and large exterior mirrors with their wide-angle perspective help prevent unwelcome surprises when manoeuvring.

Compared with the previous model, cab head and shoulder room have increased by around 90mm. That might not sound much but in practice there is room aplenty to prevent too close fraternisation between driver and passenger.

Combo offers ample footwell areas, a height adjustable steering (power assisted) wheel as standard and an adjustable height driver's seat is optional. Some of the launch party suffered from the seat's pronounced lumbar support, failing to find the necessary curled knob to alleviate the pain and, naturally, aft movement was not all it should be.

That aside, Combo's 'cab' is innocuous, if a little grey and boring, and we covered the Portuguese miles in some contentment, not disturbed by undue engine, road/tyre or wind noise and impressed by the H&V. Storage is provided in the form of an open compartment along the entire width of the roof, door bins, storage compartments behind the seats and an optional drawer under the front passenger seat. All in all the van has 17 storage areas supplemented by optional baggage nets above the sliding doors.

Higher comfort rating
Vauxhall's chassis engineers have combined the longest wheelbase in the class with a wider track (40mm more than the previous model) with the manufacturer's DSA (Dynamic SAfety) suspension concept. Customers can choose one of three suspension settings to suit their requirements. On the standard version, reduced friction between suspension strut and spring results in a higher standard of ride comfort. Alternatively, the front and rear suspensions can be fitted with firmer springs and special shock absorbers to withstand heavy loads.

In conclusion, new Combo greatly impressed. Although late onto the market, new Combo achieves everything the likes of Berlingo and Kangoo have been extolling for the past two or three years. What's more it has beaten Ford's new Courier to the showrooms.