Vauxhall's van-based Combo Life MPV goes all-electric

Offered in a choice of lengths, the vehicle will manage up to 174 miles on a single charge.

11 February 2021 at 08:00

The new electric version of Vauxhall’s Combo Life MPV has broken cover ahead of the vehicle’s arrival in showrooms this autumn. Dubbed the Combo-e Life, the newcomer will be offered in a choice of guises, with the most efficient versions providing an all-electric range of up to 174 miles.

That’s thanks to the 50 kWh battery and 134 bhp electric motor, which also allows the vehicle to accelerate from a standstill to 62 mph in just over 11 seconds. The battery also comes with the ability to charge at up to 100 kW, allowing the battery to be charged to 80 percent in 30 minutes when hooked up to a 100 kW rapid charger.

Although the Combo-e Life only comes with one choice of motor, it’s offered in a range of lengths, with the 4.4-metre-long Medium marking the entry level. That’s available in a choice of five- and seven-seat layouts, while the 4.75-metre-long XL is only offered with seven seats.

Like the petrol- and diesel-powered Combo Life models, the Combo-e Life is based on the Combo compact van, so there’s plenty of boot space. Medium variants with five seats get up to 597 litres of luggage capacity, and that grows to 2,126 litres if you fold the rear seats down.

XL models are even more spacious, with 850 litres of space before you’ve collapsed the second row. Drop both rear rows and you’ll have 2,693 litres of space. The front passenger seat can also be folded down, allowing longer items to be carried in the car. Vauxhall even says the Combo-e Life XL is capable of carrying a surfboard.

Although Vauxhall has not yet confirmed pricing or specifications for the new model, the company has confirmed all cars will get touchscreen infotainment systems. As standard, the cars will get the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration technology, but that can be supplemented by the optional eight-inch screen with satellite navigation and live traffic updates.

Vauxhall is also promising a range of driver aids and safety features, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance and driver drowsiness alert, as well as traffic sign recognition and hill descent control. There will also be an optional rear-view camera that offers a 180-degree view of the rear of the car when reversing. And Vauxhall is offering its Intelligrip electronic traction control that can be tweaked to suit the road conditions. It’s designed to make the most of the front wheels’ traction in lieu of a four-wheel-drive system.

The Combo-e Life is set to go on sale later this year ahead of the first deliveries arriving this autumn. Prices have not yet been announced.