Vauxhall Vivaro Review (2014-2019)

What is the Vauxhall Vivaro?

It’s more or less the same as the Renault Trafic under the skin, but the Vauxhall Vivaro was assembled in the UK, and its claim to be ‘made in Britain’ carried some decent sales appeal after Ford shifted production of the Transit out of the country.

But for all its Britishness, the Vivaro is largely a Renault Trafic with a different nose, and it’s none the worse for that. When it was launched in 2014, the biggest difference between the Vivaro and its predecessor was its smaller diesel engines, all turbocharged and some with twin turbos, the aims of which was to improve fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions. It was replaced by the current Vivaro in 2019.

How practical is it?

Available with long and short wheelbases and high and low roofs, the Vivaro panel van derivatives have a metre-wide sliding door on the nearside and barn doors at the back, while the six-seat Combi and nine-seat minibus have windowed sliding doors on both sides.

The low floor makes loading easy and all models bar the minibus have a metal bulkhead to separate humans from cargo. Although the Vivaro isn’t the biggest van in its class, even the short wheelbase version can accommodate three Euro pallets, and because there are 1.2 metres between the wheel arches inside the loading area, it will easily accommodate 8ftx4ft panels.

The Vauxhall’s cabin is the same as the Renault Trafic’s and, despite the workmanlike quality of the plastics, its design is more MPV than van. Drivers are treated to a six-way adjustable seat and a steering column that lets you play with reach and rake, so most people should find a comfortable driving position. The ride quality adds to its appeal, because it’s supple (for a van) whether empty or fully loaded.

What's it like to drive?

The Vivaro’s engines fall into two groups. The Euro 5 emissions-compliant versions comprise a 1.6 with either 89bhp or 113bhp – the latter is badged ecoFlex and features a stop/start system and an eco button – and BiTurbo models with 118bhp (also called ecoFlex) or 138bhp. In late 2015, the engine range was updated to be Euro 6 compliant, all models receiving a 5bhp power boost and using Adblue to help reduce exhaust emissions.

The 1.6-litre engines are refined, quiet, and reasonably economical. They’re lively enough when the Vivaro is empty, but some business owners complain that, while the bi-turbo versions have impressive torque on paper, the mk1 Vivaro, with its bigger engine, made easier work of hauling heavy loads. They reckon you have to thrash the turbocharged 1.6 to achieve similar performance. Not all owners agree with that, though.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

The Vivaro was sold with just two standard trim grades, Variant – which has black plastic bumpers, grille, etc, and is very much the utilitarian choice – and Sportive, which puts paint onto the bare plastic parts outside, and adds air-con and selective door locking.

All models have electric windows and door mirrors, a DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity, and a wealth of electronic safety systems including Adaptive Load Control, which alters the stability control’s parameters according to the weight on board.

Vauxhall Vivaro running costs

Vauxhall recommends 25,000-mile/two-year service intervals for the Vivaro, but owners and independent garages suggest you ignore that advice and consider at the very least having an oil change every year or even every 10,000 miles.

An independent garage is almost guaranteed to cheaper for servicing than visiting a main dealer, but Vauxhall operates a two-tier fixed-price parts scheme. The lower level uses ‘Vauxhall Approved’ aftermarket components rather than original specification parts, and it can work out a good bit cheaper.

All versions of the Vivaro have an official combined fuel consumption figure of at least 40mpg, with the BiTurbo 120 (118bhp) heading the range at 47.9mpg. In the real world, plenty of vans are used in towns and cities for short hops between deliveries, and in those cases fuel consumption could drop to less than. In mixed use however, some owners report that figures from the mid-30s to around 40mpg are typical.

Despite complaints from owners about a lack of alarm or deadlocks, the Vivaro sits in groups 9E to 11E for insurance.

Vauxhall Vivaro reliability

The Vivaro fares quite well in reliability surveys, suggesting that its problems aren’t sufficiently widespread to attract general condemnation, but that isn’t to say it’s without issues.

Turbochargers, particularly on the BiTurbo models, are known to whine even from a relatively young age, and both will need to be replaced at the same time, which can be very costly. One owner reported that, shortly after having replacements fitted, they also failed. Another problem you could do without is fuel injectors seizing in the cylinder head, due to corrosion caused by water dripping onto the top of the engine via a faulty seal at the base of the windscreen. The fix can be four figures.

Faulty exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) sensors and associated pipes can also fail, triggering warning lights on the dashboard and possibly sending the engine into limp home mode. Some dealers quote up four figures to sort this out, although the parts are a fraction of that price. Still in the engine bay, there are several reports of mysterious coolant loss; in one instance, it turned out to be a lower radiator hose chafing against the gearbox casing and eventually developing a hole.

Some owners report the clutch pedal randomly sticking down near the floor after a gear change, with no explanation from garages as to what’s causing the problem. A few unlucky owners have also needed a new clutch and flywheel at mileages as low as 35,000, which is a four-figure bill. Cheaper, but nevertheless annoying, is that some radios ‘die’ temporarily and, when they restart, fail to acknowledge your mobile device. Replacement original equipment radios often suffer the same problem.

Leaky dampers and perished front suspension subframe bushes are known to afflict the chassis. Cosmetically, the Vivaro’s nose seems especially prone to stone chips, while door handles can snap and even fall off. Several owners grumble that their panel vans suffer badly from condensation in the load area, to the point where, in one case, rust has started to form inside. These same owners reckon that condensation was never an issue with their previous Vivaro mk1s.