Vauxhall’s all-rounder
VAUXHALL is to introduce a family vehicle aimed at the young and elderly, plus those with disabilities for good measure.
The apparent contradiction is overcome by a design that caters for kids in terms of space, the elderly because of its ease of access, with the added benefit of wheelchair carrying capabilities too.
Called the Combo Life, it costs from £20,530 and offers a choice of up to seven seats in the longer wheelbase version.
There is also a choice of petrol and diesel engines, plus manual or automatic transmissions.
The entry-level Design 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol model with Start/Stop and six-speed manual transmission comes with air conditioning, DAB Radio with USB and Bluetooth audio streaming and 16-inch steel wheels.
Energy trim versions cost from £21,970 for the five-seat 1.2-litre manual model and get an eightinch colour touchscreen infotainment system, 16-inch alloy wheels and front and rear parking sensors.
The Energy seven-seater starts from £22,530 and gains a threea-breast split-folding second-row of seats with fold-flat facility, two removable third-row seats and two folding tables with cup-holders. In the case of the 1.5-litre diesel model there is 130bhp of power, with official economy of 65mpg. The vehicle has two sliding rear side doors and an optional panoramic glass roof plus Driver Drowsiness Alert, Rear View Camera with 180-degree bird’s-eye view, head-up display, and IntelliGrip, plus heated seats and a heated steering wheel. There is forward collision alert with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking that issues an alarm and a visual warning, and will brake automatically if the driver does not react to the alerts. The front camera system gathers and processes data for additional driver assistance systems such as Speed Sign Recognition and Lane Keep Assist. Automatic Cruise Control adapts to the speed of the vehicle in front. It works in conjunction with Intelligent Speed Adaptation, which informs the driver when a new speed limit is detected and prompts the driver to adjust the speed accordingly. Driver Drowsiness Alert detects signs of driver fatigue and suggests the driver takes a break at the next service station.
Parking manoeuvres are made easier by Advanced Park Assist and the Panoramic Rear-View Camera, with visual and audible prompts.
The Combo Life is available in a 4.4-metre standard length version or a longer 4.75-metre long model, with the sliding rear doors as standard.
The five-seat, standard length model has a minimum luggage volume of 597 litres, while the long wheelbase version has a minimum luggage volume of 850 litres. With the rear seats folded down, the boot volume of the standard version more than triples to 2,126, whilst the longer version’s capacity is 2,693 litres.
Prices rise to £25,000 for the flagship turbodiesel automatic, with first deliveries of the vehicle due here in September.