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The Vauxhall Vivaro has a towing capacity of up to 2.5-tonnes or 2,500kg. That is the total towing capacity for a braked trailer on the latest van.
It is also possible to tow an unbraked trailer of up to 750kg using a Vauxhall Vivaro.
The Vivaro towing capacity is above average for a mid-sized van. Previous versions were only capable of towing up to 2000kg, but the newest model can pull an improved 2,500kg. That makes the towing capacity of the Vauxhall Vivaro better than some of the competition, however, it is still well below the maximum that you will find on large vans like the towing capacity of a Sprinter van, or even a pick-up truck.
Whether or not it is any good for towing will also depend on which model you decide to buy. All Vivaro vans have the same towing capacity of 2.5-tonnes, irrespective of which engine they have. With 125hp and 145hp variants to choose from if you plan to tow a full trailer using the Vivaro it would be best to go for the more powerful model.
It’s not as straight-forward as saying that the Vivaro can simply tow 2.5-tonnes and that’s the end of the matter. There’s also the vehicles entire weight to consider, or the gross combination weight (GCW) or gross train weight (GTW). This is the weight of the vehicle, plus any load in the cargo area, plus the weight of whatever you are towing. This is what makes up the entire Vauxhall Vivaro towing limit, in other words its Van + Payload + Trailer.
Fortunately, this is more simple than in most vans, as the all but the double cab variants have a gross combination weight (GCW) of 5.6-tonnes or 5600kg.
Given that the gross vehicle weight (GVW) which is the weight of the van plus the maximum payload is limited to 3.1-tonnes for the very largest models, adding on the 2.5-tonnes possible for the weight of the trailer plus its payload means that you won’t fall foul of exceeding the combined weights of the van and trailer, even if you ware fully laden.
There is a slight snag. If you have the 1.5-litre engine, it gets a slightly lower gross vehicle weight of 2830kg. That means that you’ll have to be slightly more cautious with the amount of payload you put in the back of the van.
As always, our advice is to check the towing capacity and the Vauxhall Vivaro payload capacity on the plates for the vehicle. These can often be found either inside the door frames – usually the passenger side – or under the bonnet.
Vauxhall Vivaros do not come with a towbar as standard, but they can be added as a factory spec item. The ball and hook tow bar option on the Vivaro is an option for all vans and adds a 13-pin connector plug for the wiring up of a towing bar. At the time of writing it costs around £700 for the Vivaro towbar.
If you want to know how to tow a Vivaro you’ll need to find the towing eye. The towing eye location is found under the front bumper, off the side of the main chassis arm. You’ll have to get under the front of the van in order to find the towing eye, and you will also need to be considerate of the bumper itself when towing.
Vauxhall is commemorating the production of 1.5 million Vauxhall Vivaro and its sister vans at their Luton plant.
Since its inception in 2001, the Vauxhall Vivaro and its companion models which now include the Citroen Dispatch, Fiat Scudo, Peugeot Expert and Toyota Proace have garnered immense popularity with more than 350,000 Vivaros being sold in the United Kingdom alone.
James Taylor, MD, Vauxhall, said: “Luton has been home for Vauxhall commercial vehicles for nearly a century. Since 2001, the Vivaro has become one of Britain’s most recognisable vehicles on the road, and has helped businesses across the country and abroad. Vauxhall is incredibly proud to have the vehicle reach the important milestone of 1.5 million models produced..”
In celebration of this achievement, the 1.5 millionth Vivaro-platform van, specifically a Vauxhall Vivaro Prime Van, was handed over to Virgin Media O2.
Mike Brown, Head of Fleet & EV Transition, Virgin Media O2, said: “The Vivaro is the ideal van for our needs, so I’m thrilled that Virgin Media O2 is the recipient of the 1.5 millionth Vivaro produced at Luton. As we transition to a fully electric fleet by 2030, the Vivaro Electric is becoming a key part of our business, aiding our transition to a more sustainable future and helping our employees carry out service and install visits at customers’ homes across the country.”
Having commenced operations in 1905, the manufacturing plant in Luton has been a longstanding home for Vauxhall vehicles, spanning over a century. Notably, it witnessed the assembly of the first commercial vehicles in 1932, with the panel vans 'VYC' and 'VXC' marking the inaugural products to roll off the production line.
Throughout the years, Luton has consistently delivered a diverse range of esteemed commercial vehicles for Vauxhall, including notable models such as the Chevanne, Astravan, Midi, and Rascal. The introduction of the Vivaro in 2001 marked the inception of a generational legacy that continues today.
Vivaro vans produced in Luton have played vital roles in serving numerous leading fleet partners of Vauxhall, including Virgin Media O2, BT, Sky, and Royal Mail. Additionally, these vans have been distributed to European customers under the Opel badge.
As an integral part of Stellantis, the Luton plant contributes to the production of various vehicles, including the Vauxhall Vivaro, Opel Vivaro, Peugeot Expert, Citroën Dispatch/Jumpy, and Fiat Scudo. It also manufactured the previous generation Vivaro for other brands.
In response to the growing demand for electric vehicles, the vans are now available as electric models with the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, Peugeot e-Expert, Citroen e-Dispatch, and Fiat E-Scudo with either a 50kWh or 75kWh battery. These vehicles have a WLTP range of up to 205 miles on a single charge, with a maximum payload capacity of 1,226kg.
Stellantis has invested £100 million to facilitate the transformation of its Ellesmere Port plant into an electric vehicle manufacturing site. In 2023, production of fully-electric variants of the Vauxhall Combo, Peugeot Partner, and Citroen Berlingo small vans will commence at this facility, thereby contributing to the company's commitment to sustainable mobility.
Vauxhall has upgraded the trim levels available on its van range with the addition of a new top-spec Griffin Edition.
The new Griffin trim level will be available on all models in the Vauxhall range but limited to specific versions of each.
The Vauxhall Combo Griffin Edition will get 16-inch alloy wheels, metallic paint and rear parking sensors, while on the inside there is an 8-inch touchscreen, cruise control, and Vauxhall’s FlexCargo folding bulkhead and passenger seat to improve the usability of the rear loadspace. Combo Griffin Edition will, however, only be available on the standard wheelbase L1H1 Combo van and with the 1.5-litre Turbo D diesel engine. Prices will start from £15,475 (ex VAT).
Vivaro versions of the Griffin Edition get a similar set of equipment. Vivaro Griffin Edition vans will be fitted with rear parking sensors, 17-inch alloy wheels, high-beam assist as well as automatic windscreen wipers and body coloured bumpers. A 7-inch touchscreen is standard on the Vauxhall Vivaro Griffin Edition which also gets cruise control, and FlexCargo folding bulkhead. Like the Combo Griffin Edition, the Vivaro Griffin Edition will be limited to the L1H1 and L2H1 versions of the van and be available with the 120hp engine option. Prices for the Vivaro van start from £20,240.
And finally, the Movano Griffin Edition will be equipped with rear parking sensors, cruise control, automatic windscreen wipers and automatic headlights as well as a digital radio with Bluetooth and a USB connection, comfort seats with lumbar support and an armrest. It too will be limited in body sizes with just the medium wheelbase L2H2 and long wheelbase L3H2 bodies available. Vauxhall Movano vans will start from £22,370.
Read our Vauxhall Van Reviews
TKL Skip Hire has added three new Scania P 250 skiploaders to its fleet as it expands its growing waste, recycling and skip hire business in Yorkshire.
The new units have Hiab Multilift Futura FTR12 skiploaders, which will increase its collections by up to 30% as a result of the new additions.
Martin Lindskey, managing director said: “We’re in a really positive position to be investing in the business and increasing our capacity to meet growing demand. These state-of-the-art skiploaders are operated using remote control which is safer for the driver and makes it easier to drop and collect skips within tight spaces.
“We have several contracts with local authorities and house builders so it’s important that we have the right equipment and team in place to respond to the needs of our customers. This is the second time we have chosen to use Hiab equipment because of its quality and reliability.”
