First shown on the Mokka, the Opel Vizor and Compass grille has now been applied to the Vivaro as well. Image: Stellantis
Having debuted the updated Combo Cargo a week ago, Opel parent company, Stellantis, has taken the covers off of the facelift Vivaro panel van that will be going on-sale in Europe before the end of this year.
The effective preview of what is likely to expect from the passenger version that revived the Zafira name in 2019 as the Zafira Life, the Vivaro, which itself premiered in said year, retains the same fundamentals by being based on the PSA-era EMP2 platform that underpins the Citroën Jumpy/Dispatch, Peugeot Expert, Fiat Scudo and Toyota ProAce.
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Again, set to be sold by sister brand Vauxhall in the United Kingdom, the internally named Vivaro C’s aesthetic changes consist of the Opel Vizor and Compass grille that originally debuted on the Mokka, a redesigned colour coded bumper, new L-shaped fog lamp bezels and alloy wheels on higher-end models.
Available as either a short or long wheelbase van, a chassis-cab or an extended wheelbase crew cab with a second row of seats separated by a partition from the loading area, the Vivaro has a total cargo capacity of 6.6 m3 depending on the bodystyle, a payload of up to 1 400 kg and a towing capacity of 2 500 kg.
Similar to the Combo Cargo, the interior has upgraded to include not only more storage areas, but also a model first 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a 10-inch digital instrument cluster on higher-end models.
New on the safety front is a surround-view camera system and a digital rear-view mirror, while tech comprising a Head-Up Display, Adaptive Cruise Control, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Driver Attention Alert, Lane Departure Warning and Traffic Sign Recognition have all been carried over either as options or standard items.
Up front, the range turbodiesel engines span two choices; the 1.5 Blue CDTI producing 88 kW and the 2.0 Blue CDTI in two states of tune; 106 kW or 130 kW.
The standard transmission on the former choices is a six-speed manual, with the latter being privy to an eight-speed automatic only.
As before, drive is routed to the front wheels or in some markets, all four via a four-wheel-drive system made by renowned French firm, Dangel.
Completing the range, the now renamed Vivaro Electric offers two battery choices; a 50-kWh or a 75-kWh module, the latter providing a range of up 350 km on a single charge.
Both, however, produce 100kW/260Nm and support DC charging up to 100 kW Opel says will require respective waiting times of 38 minutes and 45 minutes from 0-80%. An 11 kW on-board charger is included regardless of the battery’s size.
Unlike the diesel models, the Vivaro Electric comes equipped with a drive mode selector resplendent with three settings; Eco, Normal and Power, and ability to act as a power source for outside electrical equipment using a 400-volt method Opel calls e-Power Take-Off.
While confirmed for Europe as mentioned, Stellantis South Africa has made no mentioning as to when the facelift Vivaro would arrive on local soil based on sales of the pre-facelift version having only started in July last year.
Should approval be given however, expect to start towards either the middle or latter half of 2024, with the still-to-be-revealed revised Zafira Life due before then.
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