Opel has big plans as it settles in at its new home with Stellantis. The brand’s Grandland successor will become a battery-electric vehicle riding on the STLA Medium platform, coinciding with its efforts to become a fully electric brand in a few years. Before that happens, Opel will update the Combo Life van, which was recently spied wearing some camouflage.
All the changes Opel will make are at the front of the van, but it doesn’t want us to see them just yet. The Combo wears a thick wrap over the fascia and bumper, concealing the new design. Even with the cover, we can spot the restyled air intakes on the outer edges of the front bumper that also house the fog lights.
The new bumper will sit below a redesigned grille. It’s difficult to tell if it’ll grow or shrink, but whatever Opel decides, the automaker will surround it with revamped headlights featuring new internal graphics.
Opel left the van’s rear completely exposed because it didn’t change anything. The automaker isn’t making any updates to the back at the moment. The rear bumper and taillights remain unchanged, and a small roof spoiler continues to add a splash of sportiness to the Combo Life.
The Combo Life rides on the PSA EMP2 platform, accommodating electrified and fully electric powertrains. However, Opel moved in 2022 to only sell the passenger version as the electric Combo-e and its rebranded variants in Europe to individual customers, offering combustion drivetrains in countries outside the European Union. The company wants to become a fully electric brand in Europe by 2028.
The van’s updated styling should include upgrades to the Combo-e Life’s electric powertrain. Opel will likely increase the battery capacity and improve the range, which currently sits at 177 miles (285 kilometers) based on Europe’s WLTP. We don’t expect the brand to update the rest of the lineup’s powertrain options significantly.
Opel isn’t making substantial changes to the van, so we should see it debut soon. It’s unclear when that will be, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it happened before the end of the year. The Combo went on sale in late 2019 and is due for its mid-cycle refresh.
The brand is one of a dozen inside Stellantis, the new company formed from the PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles merger in 2021. It happened a few years after PSA Group acquired Opel and Vauxhall from General Motors. Stellantis said shortly after the merger that every brand would have an opportunity to succeed. In late 2022, the company said the merger was working well for all brands so far.
