The new Opel Combo Cargo, along with the new Berlingo Van and Partner, want to be your work companions, with a payload of up to 1,000 kgs

Having learned the prices the new Citroën Berlingo and Peugeot Rifter will carry in our market, all that is missing is for the new Opel Combo to do the same to complete the trio of PSA Group vans. While we wait for that to happen, the new generation of the Opel Combo Cargo, and its two group siblings (Berlingo Van and Partner), are unveiled and show us their main features.

The new Opel Combo Cargo, the name it takes for the commercial version, aims to become your ideal work companion thanks to the many solutions it offers and, as a good commercial vehicle, its load capacity, a very important factor in this type of vehicle. To begin with, the new Opel Combo Cargo will be available in three different sizes: a short version 4.4 metres long and a long version 4.75 metres long (both with a cab for two or three front seats), and a double-cab version with five seats.

The new PSA Group platform called EMP2 gives it this great versatility, but it also gives it a cargo volume that exceeds that of its competitors. The cargo volume of the new Opel Combo Cargo is now up to 4.4 m3, while the payload increases to 1,000 kgs, plus a cargo length of 3,440 mm, ideal for long objects, although those exceeding these dimensions can still be loaded thanks to the roof hatch that can optionally be installed. It is also worth noting that the wheelbase allows two Euro pallets to be loaded without problems, even in the 4.4-metre short version.

It can incorporate numerous safety, assistance and connectivity features inherited from the Combo Life version, which will soon reach the markets, with assistants such as:

• Forward Collision Alert with Pedestrian Detection and Automatic Emergency Braking.
• Unintentional Lane Departure Warning.
• Hill Descent Control.
• Intelligent Speed Adaptation.
• Automatic Cruise Control.
• Driver Drowsiness Alert.
• Traffic Sign Recognition.
• Permanent rear-view camera.
• Side assist to avoid unpleasant bumps when manoeuvring.
• IntelliGrip traction control.
• Radio Multimedia and Navi Pro Multimedia Systems.
• 3D navigation.
• Heated front seats and steering wheel.
• Dual-zone air conditioning.

Beyond all this, it is worth mentioning an interesting safety system that will delight any professional, helping to avoid unnecessary risks and fines. From 2019 the new Opel Combo Cargo will fit a new safety system called Overload Indicator, with which the driver, by simply pressing a button, can know the load carried by the axles. If more than 80% of the payload is exceeded, a white LED will light up, while if it is exceeded outright the LED will shine orange together with an exclamation mark.

As with the “leisure” Combo Life version, Opel has not yet revealed the engines and prices we will have in Spain for each version, but what is clear is that the engines will be the same for the Combo Cargo version and, in turn, the same ones used in its group siblings. Thus two PureTech petrol engines with 110 and 130 hp will be available, plus three BlueHDi diesel options with outputs of 130, 100 and 75 hp. Sales will begin next September.

Peugeot Partner and Citroën Berlingo Van

As I told you at the beginning, alongside the new Opel Combo Cargo the PSA Group has also presented the rest of the commercial van range, with the new Partner and the Berlingo Van. I don’t want to go on at length or be repetitive about them, since we have already discussed them in depth with the Rifter and Berlingo models and, as with the Opel Combo Cargo, they will adopt the safety, assistance and connectivity features in their professional versions.

Moreover, as these are three vans from the same group using the same EMP2 platform, as you can imagine their technical characteristics are similar to those mentioned a little further up for the Opel Combo Cargo, as are their engines, although to differentiate the product from one brand to another they will carry different nomenclatures. Speaking of nomenclature, it is worth noting that Peugeot will keep the Partner name for the commercial version, although the exterior and interior styling will be the same as that of the new Rifter.

What will be different is how they reach the market, since in their “leisure” versions the Berlingo arrived first and the Rifter later, while in their commercial versions it will be different. As I said, the Opel Combo Cargo will be the first to arrive on the markets in September, followed by the Peugeot Partner from November and, almost in tandem, the Berlingo Van will arrive to close the year.

Technical specifications of the cars in this article

Small Passenger VanOpel Combo24 versions · from 28,102 €

P

Combi VanPeugeot Partner10 versions · from 28,097 €