Vauxhall Combo Life (2022 - 2024) 1.5 Turbo D Design [6 speed] 5dr Owner Review

Having spent a year and a half now with a new combo, I have to say this van is very much weighed in the balance and found wanting.
Positive attributes are: sensible yet unexciting loading bay, decent amount of space for a small van, upright and supportive driving position, very easy to drive and good turning circle, chunky tactile button controls on the cockpit.
The negative attributes are as follows: cheap and ill fitting plastics in cockpit that wouldn't look out of place in a 2012 Suzuki Alto, poorly implemented and unreliable digital radio / infotainment system, poor quality heater that is oddly too cold on 20° and too warm on 21° (the answer is to keep adjusting it literally every two minutes), fold down armrest is covered in what feels like 250 grit sandpaper fabric, side-light switch oddly overridden by headlights, extremely poor design of sliding side door - often refuses to close unless slammed with the might of Thors hammer, electric windows difficult to control with unresponsive rocker switches (!), rainfall pattern across drivers side window totally obscures drivers side mirror (dangerous), rear loading doors poorly fitted and do not always close, woeful and gutless 1.5 L turbo diesel engine - vehicle struggles for any kind of overtaking speed or hill climbing, leaving open road driving to be a frustrating and anxious experience (my first ever car, an old 1.2 FIAT Panda would leave this in the dust). There are plenty of other small niggles such as the radio often changing to MW by itself and locking up completely when a phone or tablet is plugged into the USB, or the very flimsy side panels and doors, additive ad blu sensors not resetting after refilling etc. I honestly cannot recommend this van despite the bizarrely positive reviews it has received (suspicious). Driving for over an hour leaves you feeling shattered due to the terrible lack of power and often cheap notchy gear changes at lower speeds, not to mention the engine sometimes sounds like it is going to explode through the bonnet, such is the struggle for any power. You may notice this van rebranded as a Citroen etc, with slightly different shaped grilles and fronts: it's simply a mass produced blank which is then given each manufacturer brand and final touches, which is often not a good thing. This van is very much cheap, and most certainly not cheerful.