The Opel Combo is a

panel van A panel van, also known as a delivery van (United Kingdom), blind van, car-derived van or sedan delivery (United States), is a small cargo vehicle with a passenger car chassis, typically with a single front bench seat and no side windows behind ...

and

leisure activity vehicle Minivan (sometimes called simply a van) is a car classification for vehicles designed to transport passengers in the rear seating row(s), with reconfigurable seats in two or three rows . The equivalent classification in Europe is MPV (multi-pu ...

from the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

automaker

Opel Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Gr ...

. The Combo first appeared in 1993, a second generation model was introduced in 2001, and the third was manufactured from December 2011 to December 2017, based on the

Fiat Doblò The Fiat Doblò is a panel van and leisure activity vehicle produced by Italian automaker Fiat since 2000. It was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October 2000. A second-generation Doblò succeeded the original vehicle in 2010 for most markets ...

. The name "Combo" was previously applied as a suffix to a three-door panel van

body style Governments and private organizations have developed car classification schemes that are used for various purposes including regulation, description, and categorization of cars. The International Standard ISO 3833-1977 ''Road vehicles – Type ...

of Opel Kadett E from 1986 until 1993. Opel/Vauxhall joined Groupe PSA in March 2017: the fourth generation Combo, launched in March 2018, shares the platform and bodywork of the Peugeot Rifter and Partner, as well as the

Citroën Berlingo The Citroën Berlingo and Peugeot Partner are a range of vans produced since 1996 and marketed under the Citroën and Peugeot marques. They are sold as light commercial vehicles or as a passenger Minivan, multi-purpose-vehicle variant with rear ...

. The Combo B and Combo C share platforms, vital components and some body panels with contemporary subcompact

Opel Corsa The Opel Corsa is a supermini car manufactured and marketed by Opel since 1982 — as well as other brands, namely Vauxhall Motors, Vauxhall, Chevrolet, and Holden. At its height of popularity, the Corsa became the best-selling car in the ...

s, which used to be a typical pedigree for such a vehicle. The generations are denoted ''B'' and ''C'' in typical Opel fashion, but Holden applied the codes ''SB'' and ''XC'' respectively, reflecting the relation with SB and XC

Holden Barina The Holden Barina is a subcompact automobile sold between 1985 and 2018 by Holden in Oceania. Each of the six generations have been badge-engineered versions of various General Motors vehicles, namely Suzuki Cultus, Opel Corsa, and Daewoo Kalos ...

s (Opel Corsa B and C, respectively).

Kadett Combo (Combo A; 1986)

The Opel Kadett Combo was introduced in January 1986, and finished production in August 1993. It was based on the

Opel Kadett The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel from 1936 until 1940 and then from 1962 until 1991 (the Cabrio continued until 1993), when it was succeeded by the Opel Astra. Originally, the Kadett was ...

small family car The C-segment is the 3rd category of the European segments for passenger cars and is described as "medium cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "small family car" size class, and the compact car category in the United States. In 2024, the C-s ...

. It was built in the United Kingdom, at Ellesmere Port by

Vauxhall Vauxhall ( , ) is an area of South London, within the London Borough of Lambeth. Named after a medieval manor called Fox Hall, it became well known for the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. From the Victorian period until the mid-20th century, Va ...

until January 1989. This was when the model was facelifted, with a new grille separate from the bumper (as for the Kadett). At the same time, production was transferred to Azambuja, Portugal and the vans were now built by

. In Germany, it was sold with a 1.3 litre petrol engine or a 1.6 (later 1.7) litre diesel unit. The 1.3 petrol unit was then changed to a 1.4. Buyers in some countries, including the United Kingdom, also had the choice of a 1.6-liter petrol unit. Opel Kadett Combo 1

In the United Kingdom, the three door estate based van was known as both the Bedford and Vauxhall Astravan, and the high roof van as the Bedford Astramax, later sold as a Vauxhall. The changeover from Bedford to Vauxhall took place on 1 June 1990, as Bedfords were better known as a producer of heavier trucks. The Astramax was available in base or somewhat better equipped L versions. Both models were offered in 365 or 560 versions, referring to the payload in kilograms. Vauxhall Astramax 365 van

Combo B (1993-2001)

The first generation of Combo, launched in October 1993, was based heavily on the Opel Corsa B, launched six months earlier. The front part (up to the

B-pillar The pillars on a car with permanent roof body style (such as four-door sedans) are the vertical or nearly vertical supports of its window area or greenhouse—designated respectively as the A, B, C and (in larger cars such as 4-door stati ...

) is practically identical with the Corsa (except for the roof spoiler), but the platform (and thus wheelbase and the body in general) is extended to accommodate a tall, boxy cargo compartment, capable of carrying a Euro-pallet. The Combo B had symmetrical twin rear doors that opened to the side (rather than a single tailgate). These are counted as a single "door" when referring to the body style as three door. Following the increasing popularity of

s, Opel launched a five passenger version of the Combo in the summer of 1995, called ''Opel Combo Tour''. It differed from the panel van version by having the cargo section fitted with side windows, and a three-passenger split folding bench seat. Although Combo's primary market was Europe, it has also been sold on other continents, in markets where GM traditionally use Opel derived models. As the

Azambuja Azambuja (), officially the Town of Azambuja (), is a municipality in the Portuguese district of Lisbon, in the historical region of Ribatejo (and the sole municipality of within the district that does not belong to the historical province of E ...

Opel plant in Portugal is the sole production site of all Combos, all those models were replaced gradually with the Combo C in 2001. The Combo was also produced in relatively small numbers by SAIC subsidiary SAIC-Yizheng as the "Shanghai Auto (Shangqi) ''Saibao'' SAC6420", equipped with the same 1.6 litre engine and five speed manual transmission as the Buick Sail. Built from 2002 until 2005, there was also a DeLuxe version available, with alloy wheels and other extras. Holden in Australia launched the SB series Combo in February 1996. It offered the 1.4 litre '' C14NZ'' engine, upgraded to '' C14SE'' specification in 1997. Sales continued until 2002, although the last SB Combos were built in 2001, but complianced as models of 2002. Production of the Combo A ended in August 2001.

Gallery

File:Opel Combo rear 20080625.jpg, Opel Combo B (rear view) File:Vauxhall minivan green.JPG, Vauxhall Combo van (United Kingdom) File:Holden Combo (SB) van.JPG, Holden Combo (SB) van (Australia & New Zealand) File:Shanghai_GM_Sabre_China_2015-04-14.jpg, Shanghai Auto Saibao SAC6420 (China) File:Shanghai GM Sabre rear China 2012-04-08.jpg, Shanghai Auto Saibao SAC6420 (rear) File:Chevrolet Combo 1.7d 2000 (24756498477).jpg, Chevrolet Combo (Chile)

Names and markets

* Opel Combo – Europe (except for United Kingdom) and Chile before the rebranding in the end of the 1990s * Vauxhall Combo – United Kingdom * Holden Combo – Australia, New Zealand * Chevrolet Combo – Chile * Shanghai Auto Saibao SAC6420 - China

Engines

* 1.4 L I4 8V ,

Ecotec Ecotec (capitalized ECOTEC, from "Emissions Control Optimization TEChnology") is a General Motors (GM) and Opel Automobile GmbH (Opel) trademark that refers to a series of emissions technologies that were implemented throughout a range of GM engines ...

* 1.6 L I4 8V

* 1.7 L I4 8V Circle-L Diesel

Combo C (2002-2012)

The second generation was launched at the

Frankfurt Motor Show The International Motor Show Germany or International Mobility Show Germany, in German known as the ''Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung'' (''IAA'' – International Automobile Exhibition), is one of the world's largest mobility trade fairs. I ...

, in September 2001. While most competitors severed their connections with their subcompact brethren, Opel decided to base the vehicle on the Corsa again. The use of subcompact Gamma platform constrained the overall width of the vehicle. The front clip is thus still shared with the Corsa, although now only back to the A-pillar. This allowed Opel to more fully integrate the overall design of the car, giving it a "flush" look more in line with its competitors. Compared to previous generation, the Combo C gained sliding rear side doors (versions with either single passenger side door or double doors are available). Sales began in January 2002. An ''Opel Combo Tour'' version was also introduced, followed by ''Opel Combo Tour Tramp'' (Combo Tour Arizona in some markets), in an effort to attract

buyers. Combo Tour Tramp/Arizona was thought as a more off-road recreational vehicle. It features enhanced suspension tuning, increased ground clearance, chassis protection covers and numerous styling details that differentiate it from standard Combo Tours, with the intention to conjure a sturdy, outdoor sports related image. The ''Combo Tour'' was not offered by

in the United Kingdom. Commercial van versions retained the symmetrical twin rear doors, while the Tour versions have an option of a single tailgate (opening to the top). The tailgate is standard on Tour Tramp/Arizona. In December 2006, the

, Portugal factory closed down, and the production of the Opel Combo transferred to

Zaragoza Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...

, Spain in 2007. Holden in Australia launched the XC series Combo in September 2002. It offered the 1.6 litre '' Z16SE'' engine, upgraded to 1.4 litre '' Z14XEP'' specification in December 2004 for the MY05 update. Although production ended in the end of 2011, Holden in Australia and New Zealand stockpiled sufficient Combo inventory to last until 2013, with the final 2011 build vehicles complianced in the beginning of 2012. In August 2013, CarAdvice announced that the Holden Combo had been quietly discontinued, and will not be replaced by the Combo D, available to European customers. Production of the Combo C ended in the end of 2011, in time for the December 2011 launch of the Combo D, which is based on the

Gallery

File:Opel Combo C front.jpg, Opel Combo C Tour File:Opel Combo C rear.jpg, Opel Combo C Tour (rear view) File:Opel Combo Arizona 1.6 CNG ecoFlex Starsilber.JPG, Opel Combo C Arizona File:2006 Vauxhall Combo 2000 CDTi 16V 1.2 Front (1).jpg, Vauxhall Combo (United Kingdom) File:Vauxhall Combo interior.jpg, Interior File:2006 Holden XC Combo (MY05) van 01.jpg, Holden Combo (XC) van (Australia & New Zealand) File:Chevrolet Combo 1.3 CDTi 2007 (16849716609).jpg, Chevrolet Combo (Chile)

Names and markets

* Opel Combo – Europe (except for United Kingdom) and Singapore * Vauxhall Combo – United Kingdom * Holden Combo – Australia, New Zealand * Chevrolet Combo – Chile

Engines

Combo D (2012-2018)

The third generation Combo was manufactured from January 2012 to December 2018, and was based on the

. The third generation Combo was manufactured in

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Tofaş TOFAŞ Türk Otomobil Fabrikası A.Ş (acronym for ''Türk Otomobil Fabrikası Anonim Şirketi''; ''Turkish Automobile Factory Joint-Stock Company'' pronounced ) is a Turkish automobile manufacturer which was established in 1968 by Vehbi Koç, ...

. Sales began in January 2012.

Gallery

File:Opel Combo 1.6 CDTI Edition (D) – Heckansicht, 18. März 2012, Wuppertal.jpg, Opel Combo D File:Opel Combo Kastenwagen 1.6 CDTI (D) – Frontansicht, 5. September 2012, Wuppertal.jpg, Opel Combo D File:Opel Combo Kastenwagen 1.6 CDTI (D) – Heckansicht, 5. September 2012, Wuppertal.jpg, Opel Combo D File:2013 Vauxhall Combo 2000 L1H1 CDTi 1.2 Front.jpg, Vauxhall Combo Mk 3

Engines

Combo E (K9; 2018)

The fourth generation Combo was unveiled at the 2018

Geneva Motor Show The Geneva International Motor Show was an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show was hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon was organised b ...

. It is a sister model to the

and Peugeot Rifter and Partner, as

Groupe PSA Peugeot S.A., trading as Groupe PSA () (formerly PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles and motorcycles under the Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhal ...

bought Opel in March 2017. It is built in the Stellantis plant in Mangualde, Portugal, and in the Stellantis plant in Vigo, Spain, alongside the new Peugeot Rifter and Citroën Berlingo.

Gallery

File:2018 Vauxhall Combo Life Energy CDTi 1.5 Rear.jpg, Rear File:2018 Opel Combo Life Leonberg IMG 0162.jpg, Interior File:2018 Vauxhall Combo Life Turbo Diesel Middle Seats.jpg, Middle Seats File:2018 Vauxhall Combo 2000 Edition 1.6 Front.jpg, Vauxhall Combo Van File:2018 Vauxhall Combo Life Energy CDTi 1.5 Front.jpg, Vauxhall Combo Life File:2023 Opel Combo E IMG 9753.jpg, Opel Combo Van (Facelift)

Notes

References

External links

Official Opel Combo website
{{Vauxhall timeline 1980 to present

Combo Combo may refer to: Technology *Combo television unit, a television with either a VCR or a DVD player built into a single unit * Combo drive, a type of optical drive that can read CDs and DVDs *A guitar amplifier incorporating one or more loudsp ...

Euro NCAP small MPVs Vans Mini MPVs Front-wheel-drive vehicles 1990s cars 2000s cars 2010s cars Vehicles introduced in 1994 Cars of Turkey Cars of Portugal