Review of the new Vauxhall Combo crew Van Range

People carrying isn't the average van's forte. Some manage to squeeze in three seating positions across the cab's width but with smaller vans especially, two passengers is really the best you can hope for. If you need to carry more, there are plenty of cars to choose from but what if a car can't cut it? You need space for five passengers and a whole bundle of equipment. You need a vehicle that's tough and able handle years of sustained mistreatment at the hands of your workforce. You need a 'crew van', a vehicle that's part van, part people carrier. Something like Vauxhall's Combo Crew van perhaps?

We've seen the popularity of van-based MPVs like Citroen's Berlingo Multispace and Renault's Kangoo with budget-orientated family buyers. These models are essentially crew vans that have crossed over into the private vehicle sphere, so their success should indicate that the practicality is there, built in. Transporting a troop of kids and all the associated accessories is really little different from transporting a team of workmen and their tools. Indeed, there's many a world-weary foreman who would vouch for the similarities being a little too pronounced at times.

Most van manufacturers offer crew van versions of some or all of their commercial vehicles but they're not usually promoted with the same vigour that's reserved for the standard load-carrying models. There's no doubting, though, that a crew van can do more than a standard van or a standard car. Vauxhall's Combo-based model, for example, can seat five and still offer a substantial load area over their shoulders. Alternatively, the 60/40 split rear bench can be folded down level with the floor to give a load volume that's almost equivalent to that of the standard Combo van.

".the Combo Crew van is a vehicle with considerably more potential than the standard Combo van"

Externally, there's no indication that what you're looking at is a Combo Crew van as opposed to a Combo van. Where vans that have been converted into MPVs for sale to the general public have their rear panelling replaced with windows, the Combo Crew Van doesn't. It brings a whole new meaning to the term, keeping your workmates in the dark. Access to the rear seating is via a pair of sliding side doors on the vehicle's flanks. Close these up and take a peek over your shoulder from the driver's seat and it looks awfully dingy back there. The only daylight shines backwards from the windscreen and front windows or forwards from the glazed side-hinged rear doors.

When the extra seating behind driver and passenger is not required, the Combo Crew van can be returned to van mode. The seat bottoms flip forward and the backs fold down to create a flat load area. The space achieved after this comparatively simple procedure is only marginally smaller than what's available in a Combo van. Although, it must be said, the cloth inserts on the Crew van's doors and the gaps between the folded seat sections do make the load bay a little less practical. The Crew van comes as standard with a roller-blind-style cover that extends from the rear seat backs to the rear doors to shield the cargo from prying eyes. There are two 3-point seatbelts for the rear seats with a lap belt for the centre occupant and net pockets are mounted at roof level for extra storage. An optional extra that many will specify is a mesh load restrain that separates the front of the cab from the seating/load carrying behaviour behind. It should prove handy for keeping unruly cargo in check but your rear passengers are already in the dark with no windows to look out of. Putting them behind what amounts to a cage in addition may prove a bridge too far for some.

Away from areas relating to the rear seating, the Combo Crew van offers the same qualities as the standard van version. It's available with two diesel engines, 1.3-litre and 1.7-litre CDTi ECOTEC-4 units which are ideal for commercial vehicle usage. Those with economy as their ultimate priority will choose the 1.3-litre powerplant which is capable of returning 55.4mpg but the more expensive 1.7-litre CDTi is only fractionally less fuel efficient thanks to its 54mpg average. Performance wise, neither unit should disappoint, the smaller of the two produces 69bhp and 170Nm of torque while the 98bhp 1.7-litre unit churns out an impressive 240Nm. The extra power of the 1.7 is well worth paying for if you plan on carrying larger payloads or you just like your small vans with that bit more urge.

The Combo is a smooth and quiet cruiser that's comfortable to drive around town. This comfort does come at the expense some driver involvement (with the steering offering little feedback and feeling less accurate than in some rivals) but in a commercial vehicle, the comfort factor is usually the telling one. The driving position is lower and less upright than you'll find in some small vans. This makes for better comfort on longer journeys but can make multi-drop work more of a chore because of the repeated entries and exits. Inside, the design mirrors that of the exterior. The Combo is neat, tidy and functional but does little to excite visually. The optional integrated satellite navigation and digital radio system is well executed and the interior seems to be of generally good quality.

The Vauxhall Combo Crew van is an option that few will have considered but when you look at its capabilities, there's a lot to be said for it. There must be so many small vans travelling the UK road network which never utilise their payload capacity to anything approaching its potential. Crew vans take this oft redundant space and adapt it for the practical purpose of carrying extra passengers. With the option of folding the rear seats down when they're not in use for additional cargo capacity, the Combo Crew van is a vehicle with considerably more potential than the standard Combo van.