Vauxhall Vivaro Review 2024

The Vauxhall Vivaro is a popular van for a reason and now heavily revised, the latest version is even more convincing than ever. But how does it measure up to its mid-size van rivals? Read our full Vauxhall Vivaro review to find out.

Going head-to-head with the latest generation Ford Transit Custom is no mean feat, with the UK’s best-seller being top of its class is many areas.

But while the Ford dominates the UK market, across Europe it’s the Stellantis Group mid-sizer that leads the medium LCV market, with the Vauxhall Vivaro, and the mechanically similar Peugeot Expert, French sister van the Citroen Dispatch and Italy’s Fiat Scudo combined having the greatest market share.

The four vans are broadly the same – they use the same choice of bodies (two body lengths, plus a crew van and a chassis cab option), but each has a few differences to set it apart.

In the UK, it’s the Vauxhall Vivaro that’s the most popular, due in no small part to the brand’s large dealer network and vast fleet presence.

However, while the bulk of Vauxhall Vivaros may well be sold to those who buy in large multiples, there’s still a very convincing case for the van among small businesses and private users, not least because it’s good value, easy-to-drive and has a decent reliability record.

Heavily revised in March 2024, the latest Vauxhall Vivaro is more refined than ever, with a refreshed cabin, improved tech and a new-style front end with the brand’s distinctive Vizor frontal styling replacing the traditional grille.

The Vauxhall Vivaro’s standout feature over its sister vans is the use of full-LED matrix Intellilux headlights, which adapt their beam pattern to road conditions and automatically dip so as not to blind oncoming motorists.

If you do a lot of driving at night, it’s a really useful feature and could be enough to swing the purchase of a Vauxhall Vivaro ahead of the others.

The van is built in Luton and is available with a payload of up to 1.4 tonnes. It has three diesel engine options alongside the plug-in Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, which is reviewed separately.

The cheapest of the diesels is a 120PS 1.5-litre with a six-speed manual gearbox, with more powerful variants using a 2.0-litre unit with 145PS or 180PS.

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard on the lower powered model, with an eight-speed auto standard on the most powerful derivative. Two trim levels are offered – Prime and Pro – and all versions come with a three-year, 100,000-mile warranty.

Some things are best left untouched, and while the brand has made big strides in refining the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, the diesel engine range has been left largely alone, as has the van’s composed ride and car-like handling.

The diesel engine line-up is split between 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder units, with power outputs spanning 100PS, 120PS, 150PS and 180PS.

The 180PS range-topper comes as standard with an eight-speed electronically controlled automatic gearbox, while a six-speed manual transmission is the sole choice on all the other engines.

Even the entry-point engine punches above its weight. The 120PS 1.5-litre has 300Nm of torque, providing plenty of pulling power, yet is also the most efficient, with 47mpg quoted on the WLTP cycle.

It has a maximum payload of one tonne.

To get the maximum 1450kg load carrying ability, you’ll need to go for the 2.0-litre, which is also rated to tow 2,500kg.

The 180PS engine is the liveliest and is astonishingly rapid for a van, while the eight-speed auto maximises efficiency. The Vauxhall Vivaro is a van designed with a purpose in mind, that being to travel long distances competently, making it the perfect motorway companion.

Visibility is excellent and the new Dynamic Surround Vision system is clever – via a rear-view-mirror housing even on vans with solid bulkheads and no rear windows, it uses cameras to show you what’s behind.

It’s a useful safety aid, with our only criticism being it makes objects appear too close and it can often be easier to reverse using your mirrors in a more traditional way.

On the road, the Vauxhall Vivaro is refined with no notable increase in road noise over a car, while the steering is light and precise with a supple ride.

As vans go, it’s dynamically one of the best.  

In terms of load space and payload, little has changed with the 2024 revisions to the Vauxhall Vivaro and it remains one of the most competent load carriers in its class.

Gross vehicle weights range from 2635kg to 3100kg, depending on spec, meaning an impressive maximum payload of 1450kg.

It is available in two lengths (L1 and L2) and even the shorter model will carry two Euro pallets, while the larger version will carry three Euro pallets unless specified in crew van format, where it will carry two.

All versions get twin side sliding doors as standard that will take a Euro pallet sideways, with keyless electric release on the higher spec variant.

There are other medium vans that will carry more load volume, notably the Volkswagen Transporter and the Renault Trafic, but 5.8 cubic metres of usable space will be enough for most users and there’s also an optional load-through bulkhead that increases this to 6.6 cubic metres.

The limited volume is due to the Vauxhall Vivaro only being offered with one roof height, with its load height restricted to 1397mm. The rear doors open to provide a load width of 1282mm in width and 1220mm in height.

Crew cab versions will carry six adults, although the passenger in the front middle seat will find legroom cramped due to the location of the gearbox. The rear seats can be folded away with the optional movable bulkhead.

As for the cabin, it’s well laid-out and extremely comfortable, with a new 10-inch touchscreen controlling most of the functions. It’s intuitive and easy to use, with our only real gripe being that some of the internal plastics feel a bit cheap, notably the inner door panels.

Other changes include a new flat-bottomed steering wheel to generate more space, along with an inductive charging option for mobile phones, plus the option of Dynamic Surround Vision.

This uses a network of cameras to transmit rearward visibility to the driver through a screen where the rear-view mirror would normally be found.