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By Jonathan Crouch

The third generation Vauxhall Vivaro is now a more sophisticated proposition. Jonathan Crouch reports

Ten Second Reviewword count: 72

Here's a more sophisticated kind of Vauxhall Vivaro van. This improved version of this British-built mid-sized Stellantis Group-shared third generation design now looks sharper and gains a much more sophisticated cabin. While still delivering the practicality and value that loyal buyers like. All looked after by one of the largest and most experienced dealer networks in the business. It is, in short, a contender that potential buyers in this segment can't ignore.

Backgroundword count: 145

Since the turn of the century, Vauxhall's Vivaro has been the main challenger to Ford in the mid-sized part of the LCV segment. This improved version of the third generation design aims to sharpen its proposition considerably. The first two generations of Vivaro, launched respectively in 2001 and 2014, were designs shared with Renault and Nissan but this MK3 model switched to a Stellantis Group EMP2 platform at its launch in 2019. That means it's basically the same product as a Peugeot Expert, a Citroen Dispatch, a Fiat Scudo or a Toyota Proace. In an effort to make this British-built Vivaro stand out from these close cousins (and offer revitalised appeal against an all-new version of its arch-rival Ford's Transit Custom), Vauxhall introduced the range of mid-term updates in late 2023 that we going to look at here, applicable to both combustion and electric models.

Driving Experienceword count: 286

Not much has changed in terms of the engineering of this model - at least not with the diesel variants anyway. As before, there's a choice of two Stellantis Group Turbo D units, a 120PS 1.5 and a 145PS 2.0-litre powerplant, the latter available with the option of automatic transmission if you don't want the standard 6-speed manual. Your more forward-thinking alternative (if your business can stretch to it) is the Vivaro Electric, which has a 75kWh battery providing a range of up to 217 miles - around 12 miles more than the pre-facelift version. As before, there's a 136PS electric motor offering 260Nm of torque and there are three driving modes - 'Normal', 'Eco' and 'Power', with only the latter releasing the motor's full output. The Vivaro Electric has a regenerative braking system that can be adjusted through three recuperation levels using paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. Whatever Vivaro you choose, as before there's a little bit of an issue with an offset driving position (which also affects this model's Stellantis Group cousins), but refinement is good by LCV standards, as is ride quality thanks to load-sensitive shock absorbers and a so-called 'passive' suspension system that adjusts springing and damping as required, depending on the road surface. Plus this model feels quite manoeuvrable. Testers who'd found the sheer size of some other mid-sized LCVs in this segment a little daunting when dealing with narrow country lanes and squeezing through gaps in the traffic were, we found, much more easily able to acclimatise to a Vivaro. The bonnet's set quite high, but the nose has a squared-off shape that we've found during our testing programme makes this Vauxhall easy to place in tight urban situations.

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