Vauxhall Combo Cargo (2018) long-term test

Vauxhall Combo Cargo (2018) long-term test – Final Report

Date: Friday, May 15, 2020 | Author: Steve Banner

2nd Report

A polite but firm twitch on the steering wheel that nudges you back into your lane on the motorway can be a bit disconcerting if you’re not expecting it.

That is what you receive when driving a Vauxhall Combo Cargo and idly wander over the white dividing lines, and that’s because it is equipped with an optional Safety Pack with lane departure warning.

Whether you think it’s worth the extra £570 depends on the type of work you are on. S

pend a lot of time hacking up and down the M5 then the answer has to be ‘yes’, but if your day consists of trundling around city centres in stop-start traffic, then it probably isn’t.

That said, the package includes speed sign recognition, with the sign advising you of the prevailing limit shown on an optional head-up display together with your actual speed.

If a timely warning stops you from getting three points, a fine, and the subsequent hike in your insurance premium, then suddenly the price seems very much worth it.

The head-up display also shows two converging green lines – if you drift out of lane then the appropriate one changes colour as your steering wheel starts to twitch.

Combocargo Rattling Hatch

What on the face of it seem minor irritations can begin to loom large if you spend a lot of time in a van. Like all LCVs, the Combo Cargo has one or two.

The switches for the heating and ventilation system’s booster fan are too small, and hidden by the steering wheel if, like me, you sit close to it.

Nor is it immediately obvious what the two little paddles on the fascia are. At first I thought they were some sort of chrome ornamentation, but it turns out they control the heater.

FlexCargo option gives you a hatch in the bulkhead to extend the load bed

Specify the FlexCargo option and you get a hatch in the bulkhead behind the passenger seat that opens to allow you to extend the load bed if you fold the seat down.

But no matter how carefully I secure the hatch, it insists on rattling – a real annoyance on a long journey. At first it was only intermittent; now it is almost continuous, and it’s a shame because there is nothing else wrong with the vehicle’s quality.

On the plus side the van’s handling gets better and better. It sweeps through the tightest of bends without any tendency to break away. And yet again I must praise its low-speed manoeuvrability.

It can wriggle into surprisingly tight spaces – the optional Parking Pack, with ultrasonic side sensors, front and rear parking-distance sensors and rear-view camera, clearly helps.

Report Card: Handling = 5/5
Exemplary.

Cargo LE Nav L1H1 2000 1.5 130hp Turbo D Start/Stop

Mileage         1,258
Official combined consumption 64.2mpg
Our average consumption   60mpg
Price (ex VAT)    £20,105
Warranty 3yrs/60,000mls
Service intervals   2yrs/25,000mls
Load length    1,817mm
Load width (min/max) 1,229/1,550mm
Load bay height   1,236mm
Gross payload    658kg
Load volume    3.3m³
Engine size/power    1,499cc/130hp
Gearbox    6spd manual
CO2   117g/km

Options

Parking Pack    £700
Safety Pack    £570
FlexCargo Pack    £510
Head-up Display    £300
Sight and Light Pack    £225
Electronic climate control    £200
Winter Pack    £150
Wireless charger    £80

(See below for previous reports)

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