Vauxhall Movano 4×4 van review – off-road with a full load

Item: Vauxhall Movano 4×4 van review – off-road with a full load
Author: Glynn Williams

If your business needs to you to get onto rough ground with the sort of load only a 3.5 tonner can take, you need to know about the Movano 4x4.

Glynn Williams 15 December 2013

Vauxhall_Movano_4x4 — Normally if you see a panel van like this it’s waiting for a tow to dry land. Not so the Vauxhall Movano 4×4 – the off-road capability is genuine

This review of the Vauxhall Movano 4×4 was first published on 15 December 2013. It contained pricing information supplied at the time of the van’s launch and our road test that has subsequently proved to be incorrect. This led us to an erroneous conclusion on the van’s value for money proposition. We are thankful to Chris at Coolvan for alerting us to the pricing discrepancy. We have now corrected the Movano 4×4 van review with the correct pricing and a different conclusion. We apologise for any confusion that may have arisen.

Vauxhall Movano L3H2 4×4

What is it?

Ever tried driving across a ploughed field in a large panel van? We wouldn’t recommend it, unless you fancy sitting in the middle of nowhere for a few hours until a grim-faced AA man comes along with a truck to tow you out again, probably muttering obscenities under his breath. Let’s face it, the phrases “off-roading” and “panel vans” don’t exactly go together, do they? But there are certain businesses which need large vehicles with off-road capabilities – emergency services, utilities, builders, foresters and the like – and until now they have been restricted in their choice to the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Volkswagen Crafter, Iveco Daily and Ford Transit AWD.

But Vauxhall is about to pitch in with its own 4×4 3.5-tonner and all versions of the Movano, including chassis-cabs, can be ordered. The Movano 4×4 is powered by the strongest engine in the range – a 2.3-litre common rail turbodiesel powerplant offering 150bhp and 350Nm of torque. The official combined fuel economy figure is 30.1mpg. Four-wheel drive high and low ratios are selected by a push button on the dashboard and four-wheel drive high can be selected at speeds up to 15mph. The vehicle sits 65mm higher than regular models and features twin rear wheels. Standard across the range is Electronic Stability Program (ESP) which helps prevent sideways skids (this is switched off automatically in four-wheel drive mode), driver airbag, ABS brakes with EBA a headlamp control levelling system. Options include a Plus Pack of air-conditioning, trip computer, rear parking sensors and alarm at £1400 and metallic paint at £440.