THE all-new Vauxhall Combo has been voted International Van of the Year 2019.
The award was presented to Vauxhall/Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller at the Hannover Show today (September 19, 2018) by International Van of the Year President, Jarlath Sweeney.
The title was awarded equally to the Vauxhall and Opel Combo sister models, Citroën Berlingo and Peugeot Partner.
These four vans have been jointly developed by Groupe PSA and optimised to the requirements of each particular brand.
The jury consisted of specialist journalists from 25 European countries. They voted Combo ahead of the second-placed Mercedes Sprinter 127 points to 92.
Michael Lohscheller commented:
“The victory shows the possibilities for Vauxhall/Opel within Groupe PSA. With the Combo we are now attacking the B-van segment – until now we have not played a prominent role here. There is great growth potential for Vauxhall/Opel in the LCV business. It is therefore appropriate that we have received the responsibility for developing a new LCV platform for the whole Groupe PSA in Rüsselsheim, Germany.”
The International Van of the Year jury picked out the level of cooperation and individualisation between brands as a key factor:
“The engineers and designers succeeded for the first time in the history of LCVs to create a multi-brand cooperation van, where all brands maintain their core values and brand personality without almost any compromise.
“These vans are redefining the entire segment of modern compact vans, with a fresh approach in design, fit and finish on par with compact cars and a unique feeling of comfort.”
The jury also praised Combo’s numerous assistance systems, such as the sensor-based overload indicator and the excellent all-around visibility – the second camera in the passenger-side mirror, for example, reduces the blind-spot on this side of the vehicle.
The Combo Cargo additionally scored with the new sensor-based Flank Guard. These systems will be available to order soon.
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