Vauxhall Combo CDTi Van Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance VAN: Vauxhall Combo CDTi van Range ENGINES: 69bhp 1.3CDTi / 98bhp 1.7CDTi SAFETY FEATURES: Driver’s airbag, ABS, seatbelt pretensioners MAX PAYLOAD: 785kg

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Our Rating: 6.6 / 10

With Common-Rail Diesel Technology Supplying The Motive Force, Vauxhall’s Combo Is A Tempting Proposition For Van Buyers. Steve Walker Reports…

No matter how well executed a van’s general design might be, if the engine can’t pull its weight, you’re snookered. The bodywork might be a model of toughness, the switchgear simple, intuitive and stRangely impervious to having gallons of tea spilt all over it. The storage space might be able to contain enormous amounts of clutter while still allowing you to find a pen when you need one and the load bay might be Tardis-like in it’s huge physics-defying capacity. All of the above might be right with a van but if the engine is wrong, it’ll soon get on your nerves. The engines in Vauxhall’s Combo weren’t as bad as all that, some were very good, it’s just that the current CDTi units are a whole lot better.

The vast majority of products on the UK’s small van market use common-rail diesel technology and for a long time the Vauxhall Combo didn’t. The fact that in 2003 it was still the market leader with 21,000 registrations says a lot for the Di and DTi diesel engines that were offered but probably more for the value and functionality contained within the rest of the Combo package. The thing that will be furrowing brows in the head offices of rival manufacturers is that the engine technology in today’s Combo is now well up to speed.

Combo customers have a choice of three units, two are diesel and the numbers are made up by a single petrol option. Traditionally van buyers make a beeline for the diesel models with petrol alternatives only really a token offering to placate the dwindling breed of die-hards who still refuse to pick up any but the green-handled pump. These CDTi engines, therefore, are key to the Combo’s success or otherwise.

Smallest first and it’s the 1.3-litre CDTi, an engine that atones for its comparative lack of capacity with a torque rating of 170Nm at 1,750rpm. It’s a modern powerplant with variable multiple direct injection and on the road it’s both refined and economical with that slug of torque hitting home early on in proceedings. Maximum power of 69bhp is available at 4,000rpm and there will be roughly 30,000 miles between services, which should help to keep running costs down.

The 1.7-litre CDTi offering is noticeably more powerful but by virtue of its use of a common-rail injection layout like that of the 1.3, the way this engine delivers its power is similar. As the rev counter needle passes 2,300rpm, a sizable 240Nm of torque is being produced and maximum power of 98bhp is being generated at 4,400rpm. The surge of torque low down in the rev Range is perfect for zipping about town; it kicks in and launches the Combo up to urban cruising speeds with a flourish. Keep the revs low, however, and the engine’s character is far more benign. This c

In general commercial vehicle usage, the Combo’s 1.3-litre engine is more than adequate but some, particularly those Combo buyers who will be driving the vehicle themselves, will prefer to pay for the additional urge of the larger unit. It certainly adds an extra dimension of fun to the driving experience and if you plan on regularly filling the Combo to its payload capacity, the power boost will be useful. Payloads are roughly equivalent whether you choose the 1.3 or the 1.7 (between 580 and 800kg depending on the model) and whatever’s under the bonnet you get a 5-speed manual box and power steering. The kerb-to-kerb turning circle is a tight 10.8m while the stopping system has ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution to help avoid any mishaps.

The Combo utilises the classic small van driving position, you sit relatively high and upright so that the kind of repeated entry and exit manoeuvres undertaken by multi-drop drivers shouldn’t be too taxing on the old back. The construction in the cab is of tough dark plastic, there’s a large overhead storage shelf door pockets and one of those dash-top storage indents that spills its contents onto the floor as soon as you round the first corner.

There’s 2.76m3 of space in the back of the Combo and a half height steel bulkhead is standard to prevent the things you’ve put in the back from finding their way into the front under sharp braking. The rear doors are the main access point but one or two side doors can be specified as options. The loading height is quite low and wheelarch intrusion isn’t too pronounced but the door stays that hold the rear doors open during loading do look vulnerable to the kind of knocks and bumps they are likely to receive in everyday use. One handy feature on the Combo I tried was the FlexCargo system. Basically, it’s a passenger seat that folds down flat and a full height mesh bulkhead that swings open on the passenger side. It allows longer items to be laid-out through the load area and alon