Primary Navigation Mobile

Vauxhall Combo Life (2018-2022) review

Looking for a different model? (change model)
Parkers overall rating: 3.6 out of 53.6
” Every realistic requirement for a family car in one box - literally “

At a glance

Price new £19,965 - £29,960
Used prices £7,950 - £19,602
Road tax cost £190
Insurance group 8 - 15
Get an insurance quote with
Fuel economy 37.5 - 55.4 mpg
Range 657 - 748 miles
Miles per pound 5.4 - 7.1
View full specs for a specific version

Available fuel types

Petrol

Diesel

Pros & cons

PROS
  • Impressive safety equipment
  • Spacious and comfortable
  • Room for three child seats
CONS
  • A little uninspiring to look at
  • Even high-end models quite basic
  • In-house rivals have braver design

Written by Richard Kilpatrick Updated: 10 February 2021

Overview

The Vauxhall Combo Life is one of triplets – the Citroen Berlingo Multispace and Partner Tepee-replacing Peugeot Rifter – and it stands a chance of emulating the loyal following the French duo have achieved. Its perpendicular styling is indicative of its roots: this is a passenger car version of the fourth generation of Combo van.

Whereas the first two were based on contemporary Vauxhall Corsa hatchbacks, and the outgoing version a re-badged Fiat Doblo, this one is a derivative of the latest PSA Peugeot-Citroen small van. A change that follows PSA’s recent acquisition of the Vauxhall brand. Aside from the in-house competition, the Vauxhall Combo squares up to the Ford Tourneo Connect and Volkswagen Caddy Life, which are all similar van-based people carriers.

Huge amounts of space

Those vertical body panels liberate an incredible amount of interior room, with space for up to seven people. The middle-row seats are three individual chairs – all with Isofix child seat-mounting points, which may prove a strong selling point – while the side doors slide to avoid car park dings from over-enthusiastic kids getting in and out.

29
2019 Vauxhall Combo Life interior
2019 Vauxhall Combo Life interior

Two lengths of Combo Life will be available, measuring 4.40m and 4.75m nose to tail. Even in five-seater mode, the shorter Combo Life will still swallow 597 litres of luggage, while the longer one has a maximum two-seater capacity of 2,693 litres.

Interior storage is, as you’d expect, immensely practical and there’s a hinged rear screen to access the boot where there isn’t space to open the whole tailgate.

Efficient petrol and diesel engines

A pair of four-cylinder BlueHDi diesels, and a three-cylinder PureTech petrol are offered in the Combo Life, that already see service in a variety of Citroen, DS, Peugeot and Vauxhall cars. Three transmissions are available – five- and six-speed manuals will likely be the most popular, but an eight-speed automatic can be specified if two-pedal driving is preferred.

Wealth of safety systems

Setting the Combo Life apart from non-PSA rivals, there’s a wealth of safety equipment available – much of which is standard, contributing to low insurance groups and high Euro NCAP scores. Lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control are among the highlighted features, but one that caught our attention is the Flank Guard.

Rather than a sacrificial, physical panel, the Flank Guard is a series of 12 sensors along the Vauxhall’s sides that monitor for obstacles such as low-height bollards that the driver might not have spotted.

Read on for the full Vauxhall Combo Life review