Vauxhall Movano

Vauxhall Movano muscles into the market

Vauxhall have made a decent attempt at creating a van that suits the market – particularly the competitive 3,500kg end of it.

The Vauxhall Movano is a van built to be punished; the build quality is excellent and cab has a lot of durable materials to ensure it can deal with heavy daily use.

Each one comes with a 100,000 mile warranty and the service intervals of 25,000 miles (or two years) suggests that Vauxhall is confident in the Movano’s reliability.

In addition, the van is an excellent performer and great to drive with the engines providing economy and power across the entire range.

The Vauxhall Movano has a gross vehicle weights that range between 2,800kg and 4,550kg and there’s also a choice of chassis cab and doublecab models as well as tippers, box vans and dropsides.

The large rear doors can be open to 180° and also locked into place at 90° to help improve loading and unloading. Locking the doors is a boon in restricted space.

Reasons to buy

There are a number of factors which make the Vauxhall Movano a very attractive option: the vehicle is priced well, it has a good reliability record and it has a huge variety of configurations to choose from.

However, the van is also among the best to drive in its class with a suspension set-up that impresses and the handling of the vehicle is excellent.

For drivers who need a comfortable cab for long journeys, the Movano makes for an excellent choice because the van is agile and highly manoeuvrable with some very strong engines to choose from to make high mileage users happy.

If you like the Vauxhall Movano have a look at the Ford Transit and the Renault Master.

Running Costs

The Vauxhall Movano has a good reputation for reliability and it has 25,000 miles between oil services. The firm has added a 100,000 mile, or three year warranty, to help underpin its offering.

Fuel economy for the range is between 28mpg and 41mpg though the better figures are found for the front wheel drive versions of the Movano.

Vauxhall also offers its ecoFLEX system on some models which helps to improve economy and CO2 emissions range from 199g/km for one of the eco-versions up to 249g/km for the heavy models with the rear drive.

Load Space

With such a large range of configurations available, the load space varies too with maximum cargo capacity ranging from 8 cubic metres to 17 cubic metres. These figures mean that the load space for the larger models are more spacious than the Ford Transit.

There are a range of options for the load space including having it fitted out with plywood or having a protective floor covering fitted; this also includes non-slip floors. There are plenty of anchor points and built-in fixing rails and movable partitions. Everything is geared to improving load retention.

More importantly, every Vauxhall Movano has a full height steel bulkhead fitted.

Technology & Safety

A lot of the parts in the Vauxhall Movano are shared with the Renault Master so everything is tested and they have a reliable history.

There’s also a decent amount of safety kit on board including electronic brake force distribution and ABS anti-lock brakes fitted as standard.

Owners who opt to use the rear wheel drive Vauxhall Movano will find it has electronic stability control as standard to help keep the vehicle under control; unfortunately ESP is not fitted to the front wheel drive models but is an option instead.

Opt for one of the cab versions and up to 7 people can be carried safely.

A driver’s airbag is fitted as standard and extra ones are available as an option.

Performance

There’s a choice of engines including an excellent 2.3 litre turbodiesel variant which comes with a range of power outputs including 100PS, 125PS and 146PS. The engines have lots of torque at low revs and make for relaxed cruising at speed though the 100PS engine does feel underpowered when driven at high speed on a motorway with a full load; though it’s an excellent performer around town.

There’s a six speed manual gearbox as standard which has a slick movement and a firm feel. There’s also the option of the firm’s Techshift automatic gearbox for the two most powerful engine options.

Indeed, when fully loaded the Movano is a great all-round performer with quiet engines and little in the way of road noise can be heard in the cabin.

The steering feels light and true which makes taking corners at high speed a confident and enjoyable experience. There’s also excellent vision from the mirrors for awkward manoeuvring and the high driving position is a big help.

The suspension has been designed to cope with rough roads and potholes and it does so with ease to make the journey smooth and agile.

Specification

Vauxhall has opted to follow Ford and offer a large range of configurations for its Movano so there’s literally one for every user. This means there are different wheelbases, three roof heights and various body lengths in what is an impressive offering.

There’s also the option of having a heavy duty towing hook fitted and there is a 3,000kg trailer limit for the Movano.

The driver’s seat is a six way adjustable one, complete with arm rest, and standard spec includes Bluetooth connectivity and electric windows. Options for the Movano include air con, cruise control and full climate control. There’s also the option of a digital tachograph, reverse parking sensors and a speed limiter.

Vauxhall also offers various ‘Packs’ for its Movano and some of these are value for money, particularly the comfort pack and there’s a construction pack which includes a locking rear differential and a driver seat with air suspension.