Vauxhall has expanded its Combo light commercial range with the addition of a Crew Van option. As with previous models, Vauxhall will offer the Crew Van with or without rear side windows and rear door glazing.
The Combo Crew Van has a load capacity of less than 1,000kg, so customers will not be able to reclaim VAT on the van purchase if they opt for rear side windows. However, order the van without rear side glazing and Vauxhall says that it should still be possible to reclaim the VAT on the deal.
The Crew Van option can be ordered on the short L1H1 van or the long wheelbase L2H1 Combo. Either van can be powered by a choice of the 90hp 1.3CDTi engine, with or without Start/Stop, or the 105hp 1.6CDTi engine, which comes with standard Start/Stop technology.
Side windows or not, the Crew Van has a second sliding side door to provide access to the rear seats. The rear bench has a 60/40 split and both sections can be folded forwards separately or together behind the front seats.
However, there is no option to remove the rear seats completely. The Combo Crew Van can be ordered with a ladder-type rear bulkhead as a no-cost option. But unlike the mesh bulkhead in Renault’s Kangoo and the Mercedes-Benz Citan, it is not attached to the rear seats and doesn’t move forwards when you fold the rear bench.
With the rear seating in place the L2H1 Crew Van has a 1.0m3 load volume in the rear and taller rear seat passengers will be able to get their legs in behind a taller driver. However, when you fold the rear seats it is necessary for taller front seat occupants to move their seats forward slightly to get the rear seat backs down flat.
The Crew Van is completely the same as the standard Combo to drive, unless you opt for those rear side windows in which case visibility will be improved at junctions and roundabouts. This is no bad thing of course, as the Combo, and the Fiat Doblo on which it is based, picked up our Best Small Van prize at this year’s Van Fleet World Awards.
Vauxhall continues to extend the Combo line up and is currently assessing the demand for an L2H2 model, that Fiat calls the XL, from UK dealers and customers. The company is less keen on the Work-Up dropside however, though this too is being assessed for possible demand.
Vauxhall is driving its conversion business and is keen to build upon its Core and Recognised conversions as Whole Vehicle Type Approval starts to bite. Conversions account for around 35% of all van sales in the 3.5–5 tonne market according to CV brand manager Steve Bryant, though he admits that for Vauxhall that figure is still slightly less.
‘We probably run at about 20% at the moment,’ says Mr Bryant. ‘So we have a big opportunity with conversions.’
Up to 50% of conversions are tippers, dropsides and box vans and Vauxhall has those covered under its Core Conversion programme. Vauxhall is currently looking at adding further to this line-up, with the possibility of a walk-through parcel delivery van and a 4×4 Movano from German all-wheel drive specialist Oberaigner in the near future.
‘We are hoping to bring a 4×4 to the market by the end of the year,’ says Mr Bryant.
Verdict
The Combo Crew Van version adds to the van’s versatility and allows customers to make the most tax efficient purchase. A welcome addition.
Specification
MODEL Vauxhall Combo Crew Van
L2H1 1.6 CDTi Start/Stop
BASIC PRICE £17,448
ENGINE 4-cyl/1,598cc
FUEL INJECTION Common-rail
POWER 105hp @ 4,000rpm
TORQUE 290Nm @ 1,500rpm
Weights
GVW 2,300kg
KERB WEIGHT 1,470kg
PAYLOAD 705kg
MAX TRAILER WEIGHT 1,000kg
Dimensions
LOAD SPACE LENGTH 1,341mm
LOAD SPACE WIDTH 1,714mm
LOAD SPACE HEIGHT 1,305mm
LOAD HEIGHT (unladen) 545mm
LOAD VOLUME 1.0m3
Cost considerations
FUEL TANK CAPACITY 60 litres
COMBINED MPG & CO2 52.3mpg/141g/km
OIL CHANGE 2 yr/21,000 miles
WARRANTY 3 yr/60,000 miles
Watch the latest Vauxhall Combo van video here.