The Opel Combo Van is an interesting newcomer. It is based on the Fiat Doblo, which was voted Van of the Year at the beginning of the decade.

We test-drove a gas-powered van version that’s also handy for private use. You can fit people in the front and goods and even animals in the back.

The Opel Combo Van is available in a variety of models – short, long and raised. The maximum load capacity is up to 1,000 kilos, and the long model can carry two Euro pallets. So it’s a multi-purpose car.

The gas version of the Opel is only available in one version. The body is long and of normal height. The engine is a 1.4-litre gasoline engine with 120 horsepower.

The gearbox is a six-speed manual. No automatic is available on any Combo Van model.

Passenger van

The Opel Combo Van is clearly a passenger van. When driving, you don’t always remember that there’s a van underneath. The cabin is very clear and functional.

There is plenty of storage space in the cab. There’s a full-width compartment above the windscreen and there’s also space on top of the dashboard. The glove box is not the smallest, and there’s a cup holder between the seats.

The seats felt a bit hard at first, but you got used to them surprisingly quickly.

The driver’s driving position is easy to adjust unless you are well over 190 cm tall. The longitudinal adjustment of the seat is limited by the partition between the cab and the boot.

During the test drive, it was comfortable to hold the seat in the highest position, as you could see over cars with normal heights.

The car is already slightly taller than a passenger car, so getting into the car is a breeze. Visibility in front is good and excellent in the rear from the side mirrors.

The model has two-part side mirrors, which also allow the rear wheels and their path to be seen. The mirrors make reversing very easy.

However, rear visibility from the interior mirror is rather limited, due to both the partition window and the two-piece rear door. For example, the wiper is only on one side of the rear door.

The car was equipped with cruise control as an option. Its lever was quite close to the turn signal switch, and a few times while driving, the turn signal had to be used when the cruise control switch had to be used.

Plenty of luggage space

The boot is very useful and easy to use. The floor of the boot has a rubber floor mat and six tie-down straps. The boot has a total of three doors, one on the right and a pair of doors at the rear.

The rear doors first open 90 degrees, and then, by pressing the release switch, the doors open 180 degrees. The side door is a sliding door with an opening of only 70 centimetres. A side door is also available for the left side.

The interior height of the boot is 1.31 metres, with a width of 1.23 metres at the narrowest point. The length is 2.17 metres, which means you can fit two euro pallets, for example. Lifting height is 55 centimetres when the car is empty. The volume is 4.2 cubic metres.

Unfortunately, there is no space in the boot for small items such as tie-down straps.

The gas model has a load capacity of 855 kg.

Basic equipment rather sparse

The Opel Combo Van is not a luxury car, but a barren workhorse. The cabin is, of course, quite modern, and not as tinny as the vans of yesteryear. The dominant colour of the cabin in the test van is an everyday grey.

The basic model has no unnecessary extras and no extra goodies for the driver. This is a good thing, as for some professional users the basic version will suffice.

The exterior mirrors are electrically adjustable and heated.

Optional extras include front fog lights, leather steering wheel and gear knob, reverse sensors, side airbags, cruise control and a sliding door on the left side.

The test car had heated rear windows, cruise control and manual air conditioning.

Steady driving

Driving was stable and smooth both on the road and in the city. With a maximum load of 200-300 kg, the car was not tested fully loaded. The steering is precise and the gears work smoothly. The gear stick is conveniently within easy reach using the elbow of the driver’s seat.

In addition to the front airbags, the car comes with optional side airbags.

The engine had enough power for a light load. If you loaded the car to the brim, you could certainly do with more power.

Environmentally friendly with gas

The real speciality of the test car is its gas-powered operation. The car can run on petrol or bio/natural gas.

The Combo comes standard with four gas cylinders, each holding 16.5 kg of compressed gas.

A fifth tank can be ordered as an option, bringing the total gas capacity to 22.1 kg. with an average fuel consumption of 4.9 kg, this gives the Combo Van a range of 450 km on gas.

In addition to the gas tanks, the Combo has a 22-litre petrol tank, which according to Opel will extend the overall range by around 290 kilometres.

During the test drive, the environmentally friendly but slightly more expensive biogas was used.

In addition to being environmentally friendly, gas is cheaper than petrol or diesel. The main problem with gas is still the very limited refuelling network.

We made a round trip from Helsinki via Imatra, Parikkala, Savonlinna, Mikkeli and Lahti back to Helsinki.

The gas tank was full when we left, and we refuelled at the last gas station in the eastern direction, in Imatra. We drove around Savonlinna enough that gas alone was not enough to get us to the next gas station on the route, Lahti.

The fuel change from gas to petrol was not noticeable during the drive except from the gauge. The gauge warned for a long time that it was running out of gas, and finally the changeover was completely unnoticed.

Who is it for?

The Opel Combo Van is mainly suitable for professional use, but it is also an option for private use. However, it is smaller and much more passenger-friendly than a traditional van.

The test-driven car costs just over €30,000, with a total of around €2,500 in optional extras.