Vauxhall Combo Electric review: Does Vauxhall’s refreshed small van deliver?

The small electric van market is awash with options, so can Vauxhall’s rival to the Kangoo, e-Berlingo and eCitan compete?

Vauxhall’s updated Combo Electric arrives at a timely moment. Demand for electric vans seems to be levelling off, with the market share declining slightly this year, so a refreshed and revamped model will be a welcome addition.

Not that there needs to be another van in the sector. The Combo shares much with its Stellantis siblings — the Citroen e-Berlingo, Fiat e-Doblo, and Peugeot e-Partner — and there’s also competition from the Mercedes eCitan and Nissan Townstar, both closely related to the Renault Kangoo. Toyota has its Proace City Electric, built on the same production line as the Combo but sold with a massive 10-year warranty, and wildcard options like the Maxus eDeliver 3 and Nextem Orca spice things up a little.

With that level of competition, is a facelift enough to boost the popularity of the Combo Electric and revive the eLCV market?

Design, interior and technology

Vauxhall’s gloss-back ‘razor’ grille now adorns the front of the Combo, which, alongside a revised bumper and some new lights, is all that’s been done to keep the van looking fresh. In fairness, the designers haven’t done a bad job with limited resources.

There’s also not been much money spent inside, where the cab remains essentially unchanged. There’s been some shuffling around to squeeze in a 10-inch infotainment screen (on some models), and the steering wheel seems to have been squared off for some reason, but it’s much the same as it’s ever been.

Pick from two trim levels: Prime and Pro. The entry-level Prime trim includes essential features such as air conditioning, cruise control, and safety tech but lacks an infotainment screen. Instead, Vauxhall has installed a smartphone station that works with a Vauxhall app for navigation, streaming, and monitoring driving efficiency. Or, like most, just mount your phone and then rely on Google Maps and Spotify.

The Pro trim adds more advanced features, including the 10-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation, a 10-inch digital instrument cluster, and Vauxhall’s Intellilux Matrix LED headlights. It also includes the Dynamic Surround View system, which provides camera views around the van for better lane changing and parking, all broadcast to a digital rearview mirror, though it can be challenging to judge distances using the camera alone.

Pro vans benefit from a two-person passenger bench seat, which hides secure storage underneath the base. The Prime model makes do with a single passenger seat but leaves the van feeling roomier, especially as the transmission housing juts into the cabin despite the Electric models’ lack of a gearbox.

Battery, motor and performance

The revised Combo Electric boasts quite a significant improvement in battery and motor technology. Thanks to a more efficient 50kWh battery pack, the Combo can manage up to 205 miles on a single charge, according to WLTP testing — almost a 20% improvement over its predecessor and a little ahead of the Kangoo’s 176-mile range.

Charging has also been upgraded, with the Combo now supporting 100kW rapid charging, doubling the rate of the previous model. This allows for a 0-80% charge in just 30 minutes. The van features a 7kW onboard charger for home charging, ensuring a full charge in under eight hours.

Three driving modes — cunningly called Eco, Normal, and Power — help balance efficiency with performance. Eco mode reduces power by 40%, cutting output to just 80bhp to maximise range. Even in this mode, the Combo delivers robust performance, especially in urban environments. The full 134bhp is available in Power, with the default Normal mode predictably sitting between the two.

There’s enough oomph for the open road, and that’s where you’ll notice how refined the ride in the Combo is. Its chassis, shared with road cars like the Peugeot 308 and Citroen C4, provides a smooth ride on uneven surfaces, and while it may not match the driving dynamics of the eCitan, it offers a more comfortable ride.

Payload and practicality

The van has two body lengths: the standard 4.4-metre version and the longer 4.75-meter XL model. The latter increases load volume by 20%, from 3.3m³ to 3.9m³, more or less matching its rivals. The Combo also boasts a best-in-class payload capacity of 781kg, outshining most of its competitors except for the larger Maxus eDeliver 3.

Load lengths vary by insignificant amounts, with the differences between the Combo and its rivals no more than a couple of centimetres. Whatever model you pick, there’s plenty of room for a couple of Euro pallets, with 10 lashing points in the back.

The standard body has a single sliding side-loading door and double rear doors, while the XL model adds a second sliding door. A Crew Van option for the XL Prime model accommodates up to six people but sacrifices a large chunk of cargo space.

Price and specification

Pricing for the Vauxhall Combo Electric is slightly higher than its Stellantis siblings, with a starting price of £28,550 before fees and VAT, although it is eligible for the government’s plug-in van grant, which currently offers a £2,500 discount. The Citroen, Fiat and Peugeot versions start at £27,995, so there’s not much in it. It’s also worth splashing out a little extra for the Pro trim, which will appeal to owner-operators looking for extra comfort and equipment.

All Combo Electric models come with a three-year, 100,000-mile warranty and an additional eight-year battery warranty. That’s the same as its Stellantis counterparts, bar one — the Toyota Proace City Electric offers coverage for up to 10 years, with few caveats to catch you out. You pay for that, though, as the Toyota starts at £30,578.

Verdict

The compact eLCV market keeps expanding, although you may wonder if five all-but-identical vans are taking badge engineering a little too far. Happily, the Combo is a delightful van, offering a solid combination of high equipment levels, good driving comfort, impressive range, and class-leading payload and cargo volumes.

But it still finds itself stuck in the middle, even within its own Stellantis family. The Berlingo, Doblo and Partner are all (marginally) cheaper, and the Proace City offers a tempting warranty package, which means there’s little reason to speak to your Vauxhall dealer.

Vauxhall Combo Electric XL Pro Panel Van

• Price: £31,800 plus VAT and OTR
• Powertrain: front-motor, front-wheel-drive
• Battery: 50kWh
• Power: 134bhp
• Torque: 199ft-lb
• Top speed: 82mph
• 0-62mph: 11.7s
• Range: 205 miles
• Consumption: 4.1m/kWh
• Charging: up to 100kW