Vauxhall Combo Life MPV available to order now

The new Vauxhall Combo Life van-based MPV is available to order now, priced from £19,610. Sharing its platform with the recently revealed Citroen Berlingo, the car is the first ‘leisure activity vehicle’ from the British brand.

Much like its Citroen relative, the Combo Life will be available in two sizes (standard and XL) and with the choice of five or seven seats. A focus on practicality means the MPV has a good balance between passenger and luggage space – the standard car boasts a 2,126-litre boot with the seats folded, while the longer-wheelbase model offers 2,693 litres. Other practical features include three individual seats in the rear, each with their own ISOFIX points, along with sliding rear doors.

Inside, the Combo Life shares its basic layout with the Berlingo. The car will be offered in two trim levels Design and Energy, with only Energy offering the option of seven seats.

The entry-level Design model starts at £19,610 and is powered by a 109bhp 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a six-speed manual gearbox. Air-conditioning, DAB radio and Bluetooth are standard.

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The Energy trim is priced from £21,010 with the same 1.2-litre petrol engine as the Design, a six-speed gearbox and five seats. Additional standard kit includes an eight-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system, 16-inch alloy wheels and front and rear parking sensors. Options include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a panoramic sunroof, wireless charging and Trailer Stability Control to help with towing.

Going for seven seats ups the price to £21,710; this configuration also adds 35:30:35 split-folding second-row seats, two removable third-row seats and two foldable tables with cup-holders.

The 109bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine is capable of 51.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 125g/km. A 128bhp version of the same engine will be introduced in the first half of 2019. A 1.5-litre diesel engine is also available for the Combo Life, with either 99 or 128bhp. With 99bhp, the diesel will return 67.3mpg with CO2 emissions of 111g/km, making it the most economical choice in the range.

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The Combo Life will come with a range of standard and optional safety features, much like the Citroen it shares underpinnings with. These include a head-up display, automatic emergency braking with a forward collision alert system, road-sign recognition, lane-keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control.

The new Vauxhall Combo Life is available to order now, with first deliveries scheduled for September 2018.