Opel: The new Combo can do more than ever before
FAMILY VAN The new Opel Combo Life has been unveiled: it is a car developed from scratch and offers space, flexibility and comfort like never before. Orders will start in the summer, and it will be delivered in the fall. It doesn't always have to be an SUV: compact family vans are totally on trend. From 2014 to 2017 alone, the number of [...]
It doesn't always have to be an SUV: compact family vans are totally in vogue. From 2014 to 2017 alone, the market share of the van B segment in Europe increased by 26 percent! The car, which was presented to the press, dealers and fleet customers by Ralf Ulmann (Head of Commercial Vehicles at Opel Switzerland) and Manuela Duss (Product Manager Combo Life, Opel Switzerland) in Zurich-Oerlikon, is only a pre-production model. But production in Vigo, Spain (where the sister models Peugeot Rifter and Citroën Berlingo are also built), is about to start. A really great and chic family van will then roll off the production line there.
The fifth Combo generation is based on a completely new architecture. The Combo Life offers an immense amount of space (for example, in a standard roof compartment between the rear seats and tailgate or in the center console, which can accommodate two 1.5-liter bottles), is highly flexible and practical, is equipped with one or two sliding doors, and comes in either a standard (4.40 meters) or long version (4.75 meters), with cargo space ranging from 597 to a maximum of 2693 liters. Both lengths are optionally available as seven-seaters, and all-wheel drive (from Dangel) will also be on offer.
The offspring travel safely in the three seats in the second row, all of which have Isofix child seat holders. For the first time, three child seats can be mounted next to each other in the Opel Combo Life. The panoramic roof offers an unobstructed view of the sky.
The vehicle features technologies and driver assistance systems familiar and established from the compact SUV segment, such as drowsiness detection, a 180-degree rearview camera with bird's eye view, head-up display and IntelliGrip, as well as heated seats and a heated leather steering wheel.
On the powertrain side, a 1.5-liter diesel unit has been announced in a range of power outputs from 75 to 130 hp, coupled to (depending on output) a 5- or 6-speed manual or a new 8-speed automatic with quick-shifter technology. Prices will not be announced until orders start.
