New Opel Combo on the way

16 October 2001: Opel’s new Combo will be in Ireland before the end of the year, ready to do battle in the healthy LCV market here and hopefully bring the marque up from the bottom of the current Top Ten.

Based on the currentthe Opel Corsa it is strongly built, with a nominal load weight is 810 kg, and a cubic capacity of 3,200 litres. It will be available with two variations of the company’s 1.7-litre diesel, normally aspirated outputting 65hp and turbocharged to 87hp. A 1.6-l.itre petrol offered in other markets will not be available here.

The critical measurements are a 1.78-metre long load length in an area 1.38 metres wide. Maximum load height is 1.2 metres, while the distance between the wheel arches is 1.13 metres, which will allow a Euro Pallet.

The cab area with its higher roofline has a full-length shelf overhead, to hold folders, clipboards or other books.

Service intervals have been extended compared to the previous Combo, to 20,000 miles or 12 months, and it has a a fuel consumption of almost 49mpg.

The Combo also comes with the electric power steering which is a Corsa feature.

Next year they’ll be producing a car based on the Combo, called the Tour and aimed at the same buyer as goes for Renault’s Kangoo Kar and Citroen’s Berlingo Multispace.

But it’s not likely to be brought to Ireland by Opel.