Vauxhall Movano EcoFLEX van review – big cargo, small fuel bill

What’s hot

• That healthy fuel economy figure is one reason that this van should appeal to van operators. It’s a pretty chunky performer and will lug masses of cargo around, so the possibility of returning nearly 40mpg is a pretty good sales story.
• We also like the fact that the Movano has yards of black plastic all round to help protect it from annoying knocks and scrapes.
  

  It’s a long way up into the Movano cab, but worth the climb. Comfortable seats and lots of handy extras around the cab

• It’s a big climb into the cab, which means you get a great view of the road ahead. The seats are amazingly comfortable and supportive and there are all sorts of little handy extras in the cab such as a mobile phone socket on top of the dash, a handy desk that can be pulled down from the back of the middle seat and an A4 document clip (see pictures).
• There are also two coffee cup holders right where they are needed near the driver’s and passengers’ hands. That’s something certain rivals don’t have, much to my personal annoyance as an avid coffee drinker!
• In the rear, there’s enough space for an average person to stand upright – a really useful feature when there is lots of loading and unloading to do – and there are an unprecedented 10 load-lashing eyes. That’s a record, we reckon.
• On the road, the 100bhp on offer won’t exactly set the road alight but max torque comes in at such a low rev figure (1,250rpm) that this engine feels more powerful at low speeds than it really is. And this is an eco model don’t forget, so you wouldn’t expect huge amounts of power.
• Another big plus point is that with the advancement of engine technology and metal quality, service intervals are now 25,000 miles or two years, whichever comes first. That not only means less downtime but Vauxhall reckons that servicing costs are now 25% lower than on the old model.
• Vauxhall also offers a free accident management service for owners which includes roadside recovery, liaison with insurers, a replacement vehicle and repairs at an approved Vauxhall bodyshop. Can’t be bad!

What’s not

• Be warned that the official fuel economy figure is calibrated with the van empty and on a rolling road, so you are unlikely to achieve the official fuel economy figure with it loaded down to the gills and belting up and down the M6.
• The other problem is that the stop-start system, admirable as it is, only makes a difference in urban use. As this van is more likely to be used for long distance motorway stuff, stop-start won’t make a tad of difference.
• On the safety front, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), which helps prevent sideways skids, is only standard on rear-wheel drive models.
• This safety device has been feted as the best invention since the seatbelt and will be a legal requirement on all new vans after October 2014, so we think it’s a shame Vauxhall hasn’t pre-empted this piece of legislation. ESC is standard already on rivals Ford Transit, Fiat Ducato, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Iveco Daily and Volkswagen Crafter.