WITH the launch of the new Vauxhall Combo, Vauxhall is planning a massive expansion based on its light commercial vehicle offerings.
According to Stephen Norman, Group Managing Director of Vauxhall, vans underpin Vauxhall in the UK and be responsible for 100% of the brand growth. Norman said:
“Next year – 2019 – will be the year of the van.”
The growth will be product driven. Not only is there the new Combo van, but in 2019 Vauxhall will introduce the all-new Vivaro and in 2020/21 the Movano gets a facelift.
Norman was highly bullish. He forecast that Combo sales would multiply by a factor of four or five; Vivaro by a factor of two or three. “We will more than double our LCV business,” added Norman.
Last year, Vauxhall sold 28,368 light commercials.
There will also be an electrified version of every Vauxhall model by 2024 as part of the company’s PACE! Plan – and this includes commercials.
Fleets also key to Vauxhall van growth
Brad Miller, Product Manager for Combo, added that additional growth for Combo would come from fleets. “We’ve been traditionally strong in retail, but now we can move into fleet.” Miller added that Vauxhall expected the Combo to be challenging the Transit Connect for sector leadership.
“We’ve had interest in fleet because of the the duty of care aspect the new Combo offers. This includes the Load Indicator, which arrives in 2019, the Flank Guard and the Permanent Rear View Camera.”
Flank Guard is sensor-based system that supports the driver while turning at low speeds, providing a warning when there is a risk that the vehicle side will collide with an obstacle, such as a hidden bollard.
The Permanent Rear View Camera shows the area behind the van on the infotainment screen as soon as reverse is selected, showing guidelines to assist manoeuvring. It also displays an area (4m to 30m behind the vehicle) when driving, meaning it can be used as a “digital” rear view mirror.
Read our review of the new Vauxhall Combo
Vauxhall Combo L1H1 100PS Sportive review: the small van that acts big
