1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202 
W hile not on the same level as NASA, van technology
Page 45
Page 46
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
has certainly moved forward in recent years. Just as Formula 1 is seen as the proving ground for manufacturers' sports cars, what can be found in the super saloons of today will inevitably filter down to workaday CVs tomorrow. Heated seats, anyone? One of the biggest leaps in the past five years has been the introduction of common-rail injection technology. Now in its secondgeneration, this breakthrough brought increased fuel economy and a degree of refinement that was unthinkable not too long ago.
Vauxhall has recently updated its own engine range, introducing 1.3 and 1.7-litre diesels based on its latest common-rail technology, and what better place to stick them than in its popular and long-serving Combo?
A few years ago the Combo was top of the sales league and pretty much untouchable in terms of ability but those titles have been taken over by Ford's Connect and Volkswagen's Caddy. Purpose-built from the ground up they've proved to be thoroughly engineered vehicles, but with that attention to detail came considerably more weight, pushing them over the 2,200kg mark and in the process reducing their legal speed limits on A-roads to 55rnph.
So now the Vauxhall falls into a lighter category —semi-skimmed if you will, compared with these new, full-fat contenders. Two nominal gross vehicle weights are available, at 1,700kg and 2,000kg, with payloads ranging from 530kg to 803kg.
The new diesels come with four valves per cylinder and double overhead camshafts, bringing them bang up to date in the technology stakes. Power outputs are also competitive for their size: the 1.3-litre which powers this week's test vehicle produces 69hp at 4,000rpm with 170Nm of torque at 1,7502,500Orpm.The 1.7-litre option is rated at 99hp with hefty 240Nm of torque. Along with these diesels comes a new petrol option for operators who, welllike the smell of petrol.Apart from LPG conversions we see no reason to go down this alley, but for the record it puts out 89hp/125Nm.
A crew-cab has also joined the options list, with room for three extra passengers on the second set of seats.The Combo's standard equipment includes ABS with EBD, driver's airbag,radio/cassette player, remote central deadlocking, immobiliser and halfheight bulkhead. Our test vehicle came pretty much as standard — the CM test team is used to chandeliers and crushed velvet trim but this gave us a chance to assess the raw product as most buyers will receive it.
Highlights from the options list include sliding access doors, FlexCargo fold-flat passenger's seat, load area rubber mat and map reading light. Vauxhall also offers two 'function packs' that package a useful variety of extras for either £150 or £250.
Prices range from £9,500 for the 17001.4i petrol model to £10,525 for the 20001.7 turbo diesel; our test vehicle with its lack of extras came in at £9,950.
The new engine technology brings extended service intervals of 20,000 miles: the warranty still extends for three years/60,000 miles.
Productivity
It may sport a super-modern 1.3-litre engine but the Combo also has a payload of 785kg which, when all is said and done, is quite a weight. A laden run round the Kent test route showed the effect of this:40mpg is not a bad figure but it's not going to win any awards either. On the plus side the unladen fuel figure of 48.7mpg was a lot healthier, and in its defence the almost-new engine will doubtless free up with more use.
By way of comparison Fiat's Doblo Multij et achieved an outstanding 51.3mpg while the larger engined Ford Connect and Volkswagen's Caddy came in at 41.2 and 41.3mpg respectively,lending weight to theory that a high payload takes its toll on a 1.3-litre engine.
With its high-cube design the Combo has always been a specialist when it comes to getting the best out of its load area.A completely flat floor and rear doors that open out to 180° combine with a low rear lip height to make loading a painless process. If you want to make life even easier, particularly on urban multi-drop work, we recommend the nearside sliding side door or twin sliding doors for £235 and £400 respectively. Another load space option is Vauxhall's FlexCargo package which allows the passenger seat to fold flat and the hinged bulkhead to open to 90, increasing the available load space from 2.4 to 2.8m.
On the road
One of the Combo's selling points has always been its driveability. While other vans squirmed and lurched the Vauxhall behaved more like a well sorted hatchback,turning into corners with enthusiasm and providing a decent ride. Vauxhall's designers obviously know the saying if it ain't broke don't fix it' because they've left well alone —if anything it seems that bit sharper thanks to the new diesel which spins eagerly all the way to the limit with the refinement and responsiveness of a petrol engine.
In fact let's pause for a moment and admire the overall quality of this unit. It starts up without a hint of clatter and thrum, idling smoothly.Acceleration reveals a broad spread of torque that starts low down and continues right up to the rev limiter rather than trailing off j ust when you need it most.
In general the chassis feels less 'tight' than the offerings from VW and Ford but it's still highly competent and controllable,even on the limit. Motorway and A-road work has the Combo planted firmly with little interference from crosswinds. Also helping the cause is the steering, which is sharp with plenty of feedback on what the front wheels are up to. In a straight line it has enough weight to make high-speed cruising stress-free, while allowing decent levels of control through the twisty bits.
But the bottom line is that coupling a 1.3-litre engine, even a very good 1.3-litre engine,with a payload touching 800kg doesn't really work. It's fine for stop-start urban deliveries but has to be worked hard to keep things moving at a decent pace and this will stress the driver and affect fuel economy. Anyone who carries top payload would be well advised to opt for the 1.7-litre engine.
Cab comfort
There's plenty to like about the Combo's interior with its simple yet practical layout. Granted, it has dated slightly compared with the new guns but overall it's easy to live with and new drivers soon feel at home — the main central dials are nice and clear and the central console controls are well labelled. Storage space comprises small door bins, a glovebox and an optional roof-mounted parcel sheffbut where are the cubby holes for change,phone and other oddments? A decent driving position is easy to come by thanks to a multiadjustable seat and tilting steering wheel, though the grey interior does lack character. Granted. this is a working CV, but if you want to stand out from the crowd it helps to have the colouring pens to hand at the design stage.
So far so good, but here's the rub. For all the new engine technology and advanced levels of refinement there is an unacceptable level of noise from the load area. It's not too bad a urban speeds but once you get past the 40mph mark road-roar hits new levels and so do the driver's stress levels. This level of noise, combined with that diminutive engine, works against the Combo for longhaul work. •