2020 (70) Vauxhall Combo Life 1.2 Turbo Energy 5dr [7 seat]

By Jonathan Crouch

Introduction

The Vauxhall Combo Life is more recently known as a full-EV, but between 2018 and 2020, it was sold only in combustion-powered form - and that's the version of this small MPV we look at here. As with its identically-engineered Peugeot Rifter and Citroen Berlingo design stablemates from this period, you get clever, efficient space-centred engineering with five or seven-seat interior formats and standard or long wheelbase body shapes, plus some clever MPV touches too.

History

This model may share much with its Combo Cargo commercial vehicle stablemate but there's no reason why you should care about that. It was designed primarily as a car, from launch we were told that it drove like a car and, like most van-based MPVs, it offers a very sensible solution to the sometimes vexing issue of practical family travel. Back in 2018, the Combo Life followed the Grandland X SUV as being the second Vauxhall to be based on the French PSA Group's EMP2 platform. And, like all new Vauxhall models by then, it drew heavily on the engineering that Gallic conglomerate had developed for its various Peugeot and Citroen models. In this particular case, the donor models in question constituted this Combo's two most direct rivals in the van-derived mid-sized MPV segment, the Citroen Berlingo and the Peugeot Rifter. As with those two competitors, what was on offer here was a choice of two wheelbase lengths, the option of either five or seven seats and a range of clean, frugal 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines. And, as in a Berlingo or a Rifter, there was just as much camera-driven safety tech and media connectivity as you'd get in any modern family hatch from this period. Certainly more than you'd find in other significant van-based mid-sized MPV models in this sector from this time, like the Ford Tourneo Connect and the Volkswagen Caddy Life. In 2020, Vauxhall discontinued sales of the combustion version of this Combo Life for private buyers (though continued it for WAV disabled transport conversions). For private buyers, the Combo Life range was then limited to a full-electric powertrain. It's the 2018-2020-era combustion models we look at here.

What You Get

The practical, squarical shape makes this model's remit pretty clear. Previous people carrying Combo models offered for the European market were always based around a single design and platform but with this post-2018-era design, Vauxhall offered buyers not only a 4.4m standard-length body shape but also an alternative 4.75m 'XL' body style, which will be of particular interest to those wanting to get their Combo Life with a third seating row. Let's consider boot space. Whatever way this Combo Life was specified, its cargo area was vast. The standard-length model has 597-litres of boot space to the window line - or up to 2,126-litres if you were to fold the rear bench and load to the ceiling. With the lengthier 'XL' long wheelbase model, these figures would rise to 850-litres of boot space and up to 2,693-litres with everything folded. And in both cases, you could increase the available dimensions further if you were to get a model whose original owner paid extra for the optional fold-flat front passenger seat. Using that would give you enough loading length to accommodate something as long as a kayak inside this Vauxhall. If you just need the boot area, a nice touch is the way that the parcel shelf can be positioned at two heights and can take a reasonable amount of weight. Enough so as you could put the family dog on top of it, with your shopping safe below. And behind the wheel? It wasn't very long ago that a van-based MPV of this kind really felt LCV-like once you got inside it. That's certainly not the case with this Vauxhall - or at least it isn't if you get it in a form that includes the large 8-inch capacitive centre-dash screen, which came as standard with the 'Energy'-spec trim that most original customers chose. It offers easy access to DAB radio stations, hands-free 'phone connectivity and media streaming via Bluetooth or a USB connection. Plus there's smartphone-mirroring via the 'Android Auto' or 'Apple CarPlay' systems. We've saved what ought to be the best bit though, until last: cabin practicality. If you were to add up the capacity of all the 28 different nooks and crannies available within the interior of this Combo Life, you'd arrive at a figure of 192-litres - about as much as you'd get in the entire boot of a citycar from this period like Vauxhall's Viva. What about second row seating? Well the sliding doors are rather heavy to close but once you're ensconced inside, you'll certainly has no cause to complain about the room on offer, especially in terms of ceiling height - there's 1,050mm of it. Plus because the centre transmission tunnel is virtually non-existent, it's straightforward to accommodate three fully-sized adults if need be. If you've chosen a seven-seat model, you get the three individual rear seats that really ought to have been standard across the range. A conventional fixed bench had to be had with the five-seater variant. And that's about it, assuming you've gone for the kind of standard-length five-seat short wheelbase Combo Life most might choose. Were we to be buying this Vauxhall though, we'd be tempted to pay the small amount extra for the lengthier 'XL' body style, especially if we were ordering a seven-seat variant. Getting the longer body enables the two extra boot-mounted seats to be provided with a sliding function, which will make them potentially usable for adults as well as children. It's just another example of this Vauxhall's flexibility.

What to Look For

The combustion Combo Life has a reasonable reliability record. If you're looking at a base-spec version without rear parking sensors, check for parking scrapes. You also need to thoroughly check the infotainment system, which has been known to develop issues, freezing or crashing without warning. This can be caused by software glitches, which require the set-up to be updated or reset. You might also find the central screen has slow response times, which can be due to an overloaded processor or insufficient memory. A few owners reported issues with the sound quality from the speakers, caused by problems with speaker wiring. We've heard problems with the air conditioning system not cooling properly during hot weather conditions. This can be due to a faulty compressor, a refrigerant leak or a blocked condenser. Some owners have also reported problems with the central locking system malfunctioning. Otherwise, it's just the usual things; check the interior for child scrapes - the Combo Life is after all a family vehicle, so its cabin might have been well used and the loading area bashed about a bit. Check the wheels for parking scratches. And insist on a fully stamped-up service history.

Replacement Parts

(approx based on a Combo Life 1.5 Turbo D 100 excl. VAT) Front brake pads vary in price between £36-£39 for a set; rear pads are around £24-£39. For front brake discs, think around £55-£74 for a pair. Rear discs sit in the £76-£112 bracket for a pair. A starter motor is in the £67-£141 bracket; an alternator is in the £346-£409 bracket. An oil filter is around £10. Wiper blades sit in the £8-£12 bracket.

On the Road

What strikes you within the first few miles at the wheel of a Combo Life is just how car-like this Vauxhall is to drive for a vehicle that shares its rear suspension and much of its design with a van. Particularly in the area of ride comfort. LCV-derived models often tend to be rather firmly suspended: not this one. Light tarmac tears and minor undulations are dispatched with ease and even speed humps and deeper potholes are only lightly felt inside the cabin. You can't have everything of course and this appropriate emphasis on ride comfort does also mean a little extra body roll at speed around tighter corners, though you'll only really be troubled by it if you drive this car in a way that the vast majority of owners never will. Refinement's not bad either, despite the vast interior space. And under the bonnet? Well you'll be pleased to hear that there's a decent petrol option, a three cylinder 1.2-litre turbo unit which puts out 110PS in its standard form - or 130PS if you order it with the brand's 8-speed auto gearbox. Alternatively, there's the engine most original buyers chose, the 1.5-litre Turbo D BlueInjection unit which most will want in volume 100PS guise. Using WLTP figures translated to the NEDC2 cycle, this frugal unit can return a combined reading of 50.8mpg and a CO2 return of 111g/km. This Turbo D powerplant can also be found in a pokier 130PS state of tune with either manual or automatic transmission.

Overall

This combustion-powered Combo Life lent a bit of credence to the point of view that a van-based model is really all that modern families actually require. And of you don't want this model with the hassle of EV charging and restricted range, then you'll need this 2018-2020 era version. The bottom line is that if you add up the things you actually need for school run, annual holiday, gym kit and town commuting family transport, an LCV-derived MPV like this simply makes more sense than a car-derived one. Especially if you opt for seven seats, ideally with the alternative lengthier 'XL' body style. And if it can all be presented with a modicum of style in the way this Vauxhall was, then so much the better. Whether it makes more sense than its very similar Citroen Berlingo and Peugeot Rifter design stablemates from this era is a key question of course - but in this case a somewhat subjective one. You might quite like the quirky exterior styling of a Berlingo or the curious driving position and dashboard of a Rifter but if you don't, then this Combo Life model may well seem a more palatable all-round proposition. Especially if you've a friendly local Vauxhall dealer and the price is right. Should, as a result, you feel the need to get a Life, we could easily understand why.