• Large windows feel spacious
• Square bootspace is immense
• Towing capacity also impressive

The Vauxhall Combo Life is available in standard or XL size and both offer decent space for five or seven, with the larger car adding even more room for the seats in the back (that can also be removed altogether). Either way you can get three Isofix child seats across the middle row – with a 60/40 split on the five seater and 35/30/35 on the seven.

While legroom is good all round, the slightly narrow shape of the Combo Life means there’s not a huge amount of space in the middle pew. Sliding rear doors are standard, which helps passengers or pets getting in and out too.

The standard Combo Life is 4.4-metres in length, while the larger Combo XL weighs in at 4.75-metres – still conveniently short compared with large seven-seat SUVs like the Audi Q7. You won’t have any problems parking it in a standard garage and even tight bays will pose little drama thanks to those sliding rear doors. This is one area where the Combo Life’s van-like proportions allow it to comprehensively outshine five- and even seven-seat family cars.

Pick a standard length five-seater and you’ll get 597 litres of boot space, while the long wheelbase Combo Life XL boasts 850 litres.

That’s not the whole story though because with the rear seats folded down, the volume of the standard car triples to 2,126 litres, with a 2.7-metre maximum load length. Pick the longer version and you get 2,693 litres, and a 3.0-metre maximum load length, thanks to a front passenger seat that’s able to fold flat.

Is it safe?

• French parent firms’ expertise in safety intact
• Great equipment for the class of car
• Easy to drive too, with good visibility

Given its durability and rigidity, safety should be good. The Peugeot Rifter scored four stars in tests by Euro NCAP in 2018, and because they are the same models underneath, its rating applies to the Vauxhall too.

Three Isofix mounts in the middle row is a good start, plus there’s a good amount of standard  safety kit on offer, including:

• Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Forward collision alert
• Lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist
• Speed sign recognition