The ULTIMATE Family SUV? Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric 2025 Full Review
[Music] Need a really large MPV? Perhaps you need a full electric one. Here’s Vauxhall’s take on this concept, the Vivarro Life Electric. This model is, as its name suggests, based on the Mark’s mediumsiz Vivarro van, but it’s actually pretty sophisticated, as well as being uh light inside, airy, and seriously spacious with room for up to nine people depending on variant. If anything, its commercial vehicle roots serve as a strength, and the huge interior, tough build, and uncomplicated design might prove ideal for family buyers and business fleet people. My name is Jonathan Crouch. I’ve been testing cars for over 40 years. You’ll find them all on the Car and Driving Car Reviews app. Here, I’m going to try and tell you everything that you really need to know about this car in a way that you’ll find nowhere else. Let me hand you over to our presenter, Colin. [Music] Vauxhall’s largest people carrier, the Vivaro Life Electric, has sharpened up its act. So, here we’ll take a closer look. These days, virtually all really large people carriers are based on vans, and it’s easy to see why. Starting with an LCV design is the obvious solution to maximize interior space. One LCV design in the case of most sales in this segment, which come from four nearly identically engineered models. the Citroen Espace Tourer, the Peugeot Etraer, the Toyota ProAce Verso EV, and the subject of our test today, the Vauxil Vivaro Life. As all those names suggest, these people carriers are all primarily EVs these days, though each was originally launched back in the last decade with the diesel power that many family and business buyers might still wish they could have. But Stalantis and here Vauxhall in particular wants you to have an EV which wasn’t a particularly attractive option with the earlier feeble ranging 50 kWh version of this model. It might now make more sense though with a bigger 75 kWh battery that the brand standardized as part of the 2024 model year update that created the car that we’re going to look at here. an enhancement which also smartened the exterior styling and upgraded the cabin screens. You can find out more about this kind of car by downloading the car and driving app. And if your interest is specifically in this Vivaro Life Electric, you’ll need to stay with us for the industry’s most comprehensive review, the car and driving road test. Foxhol now restricts this Vivaro Life electric to the largest battery it can offer in this LCV design which is 75 kW hours in size offering a WLTP rated range of 219 mi. Unfortunately though the same 136 horsepower motor as was used for the old 50 kWh model must power it along. Yes, basically the same one as is used by the brand’s Corser electric super mini weighing 600 kg less. So, as you can imagine, given that just 260 new m of torque must thrust nearly 2.2 tons of square NPV through the air, performance is somewhat lethargic. We can’t remember driving an EV that took as long as 14.3 seconds to reach 62 mph, by which time you’ll be pretty close to the modest 81 mph maximum. Motorway speeding tickets will be rare, and it gets even worse if you engage the eco mode that’ll be necessary to get anywhere near the quoted range stat because this reduces power output to just 80 horsepower. The other drive settings are normal and power. As part of the changes made to this updated model, a three-stage brake regen systems been added, operable via these steering wheel paddles. The fiercer setting makes a difference to frugality, but stops well short of offering the current fashionable one pedal style of EV driving. through the corners. As you’d expect, there’s plenty of body roll. If rather unwisely you start throwing the thing around, if you can ignore both that and the slightly vague steering and find yourself absolutely having to push on, you’ll find that there’s reasonable grip and traction. The power steering is now electrically assisted instead of electro-hydraulic to reduce effort and improve maneuverability. Refinement’s better than you might expect from something so minibus-like, thanks to load sensitive shock absorbers and a so-called passive suspension system that adjusts springing and damping as required depending on the road surface. Plus, this model feels quite maneuverable. testers who’d found the sheer size of some other big MPVs in this segment a little daunting when dealing with narrow country lanes and squeezing through gaps in the traffic were we found much more easily able to acclimatize to a Vivarro life. The bonnets set quite high but the nose has a squared off shape that we found during our testing program makes this vauhall easy to place in tight urban situations. And with a height of 1.93 m, this MPV isn’t limited by the low ceilings of underground car parks. You might be pleased to discover that this Vivarro Life electric doesn’t really shout school bus in terms of the way it looks. Not in this updated form, anyway. What might once have been the grill now doesn’t need to be. Not only because this people carrier is these days an EV, but also because there are these two large intakes further down. So the front ends free to showcase the brand’s current visor grill panel with this large central Griffin logo. Flanking this appendage are narrower LED headlights that as here can now feature the company’s Intellux matrix technology. As before, this Vauxhall’s a substantial thing. Available in two lengths, the 4.981 mm M version or this 5,331 mm XL variant. Depending on trim choice, you get either 16-in steel wheels or above entry trim 17in rims, which on this top ultimate variant are diamond cut alloys. Avoid base trim, and this darkened rear privacy glass is a standard feature. Chunky rear tail lamps and another big Griffin badge adorn the bluff rear end. But of course, you choose a big MPV for what it offers inside. As we’ll see here, depending on the spec choices you make, this Vivaro Life can take six, seven, eight, or even nine people. So, let’s start by taking a look up front where, as you can see, we’ve got two individual seats here with base combi trim, a twoerson passenger bench from the Vivaro van would enable you to take three. Having just two chairs, these rather nice captainstyle seats with individual armrests does mean you’ve the facility to walk through to those behind. Fortunately, it doesn’t feel too van-like. Not in this top leatherlinined ultimate form anyway. And Vauxhall has tried to distance this MPV from the LCV model with extra touches like this painted center fascia panel and silver embellishment on the vents at either end of the dash. With this updated model, the dashboard’s been redesigned to incorporate this larger 10in central HD touchscreen. Plus, there are storage compartments that are now larger, more numerous, and more cleverly designed. For example, the cup holders at each end of the dash top have been modified to accommodate smartphones as well, while this upper storage area in the center at the top of the dash has now been enlarged and can accommodate tablets. This central section of the dashboard has been updated too, now featuring a smarter control interface that houses the etoggle gear selector and driving mode selector, as well as an enlarged storage area. The big bus-like steering wheel has also been revised now with a selection of integrated controls and the ability to be heated. Through it, you view this 10-in digital instrument screen, which prioritizes a central digital speedo. And pressing this little fascia button to the right allows you to vary what you see around this display. Usually, it’ll be battery level and a power eco charge meter. But you can also choose to add nav mapping, a power flow graphic with trip data or a drive assist graphic. Everything else you might need is on this center screen, now redesigned with the currently favored Stellantis Group widget format, which divides the monitor with the features you most commonly use. Swipe left to change the home screen format, which in this case brings up media settings and the usual Stalantis screen app drawer, where all the details stuff sits, the energy charging section, e-coaching tips, hey voxal voice control, and choice of 11 games to while away, battery replenishment periods. As already mentioned, and as you’d expect in an MPV, storage areas abound. In addition to the ones already mentioned, there are upper and lower door bins, a large glove box with an open area just below, incorporating a 12volt socket, and an open cubby in the center stack in which there can be a wireless phone charging mat with twin USBC ports just above. There’s also a pen tray above the gear selector, a coin cubby by the window switches, and ticket clips in the sun visors. Time to take a look in the back. Now, with this plush ultimate trim, the sliding side door on each side is motorized. Though, you might not think that is such a great idea if you’re standing outside in a downpour waiting for it to open. [Music] As for what lies inside, well, it depends on the spec level you’ve chosen and the options boxes ticked with the two mainstream combi and design versions. There’s a 60/40 split threeperson bench. The standard ultimate layout has three individual seats mounted on the rails under this floor mat which allow them to slide them back and forth or be taken out and be turned to face those behind. The seatbacks recline too. Your other choice with ultimate trim is to create a more VIP- like feel with an optional F2F second row pack that’s been fitted here. This gives you two individual seats separated by this sliding central unit out of which table flaps open on either side. Overhead there are lights, climate control dials, and six eyeball vents. The ceiling embellished in this case by another option you might like to add. this smart panoramic sunroof with its two narrow glass panels. The side windows don’t open, but at this level in the range, they can be covered by blinds, and there are netted seat back pockets with foldout tray tables above, each incorporating a cup holder and an elasticated strap. Notably absent, though, is a USB port. Right, let’s take a look in the third row. Now, there’s no one-touch sliding and folding mechanism to move the second row seat out of your way for easier rearmost access, but with this lengthier XL body shape, thinner folk and children might not need it. Back here, once again, the layout depends on trim and options. Combi and design versions get a one piece threeperson bench. The standard ultimate layout has three individual seats mounted on the rails as we have here. But if you’ve bought the optional two seat pack for the second row, you’re probably going to want to pick the box for the other F2F pack that provides a two seat layout for the back as well. Look down with this ultimate model. And there are more rails than Clappam Junction. It would be nice if a mat like that in the second row could have been provided to hide them. Again, these individual seats slide and recline, but necessarily, of course, given their placement in a more limited way. Again, a USB port’s been overlooked, but you get a cup holder on each side, overhead reading lights, and a 12vt socket on the left. Okay, on to luggage space. Now, annoyingly, the useful opening tailgate window we have here, which if you’ve only small bags to put in, alleviates the need to raise the heavy tailgate, only comes as standard with this top ultimate trim. Though, you can pay extra for it with a midlevel model. When open, it’s heating elements connected by what looks like the cord for a 60s telephone. Anyway, without that, you’ve got to give your back a workout with this tailgate, which will require lots of space to be left behind the vehicle if you’re to operate it. Still, once it’s up, it’s so vast that you could shelter under it in a rain shower whilst unloading. It’s a versatile space with a light on both sides and four tie down points, but obviously a lot more versatile if you’ve got these ultimate spec model floor rails to slide the third and second row benches about. And if you’ve avoided base combi trim where the third row seat back can’t be folded. Obviously, if you lump the two seating row benches out completely, you’ll get essentially a Vivarro delivery van with a completely flat floor with the second and third row seating removed. There’s 3,161 mm of loading length in the M version and up to 3,511 in this XL model. Depending on the loading length you settle on, maximum load volume varies between 3,500 and 4,200 L. As you’ve probably realized by now, if you’re fing about a large family or running a shuttle bus business, transporting the number of people you can get into a large MPV like this isn’t cheap. At the time of filming in autumn 2025, Fox was wanting from around £37,000 for this Vivaro Life Electric with prices rising to just under 50,000 for the ultimate version we’re trying here. Think just over £50,000 with key VIP options fitted. There are three trim levels. Base combi, which is the only one that benefits from the government’s £1,500 electric car grant. Then mid-level design and this top ultimate. In each case, you can pay £900 more to graduate from the standard M medium length body shape to this lengthier XL variant, a premium you’re going to need to spend to get the full VIP experience. Unlike with this model’s near identical Citroen Space Tour Stellantis Group, close cousin, it’s not possible for conventional customers to get this Vivaro life with a combustion engine. But it’s worth mentioning in passing that those intending to use this Vauxhall for a wheelchair accessible vehicle conversion still can. That would be an 8-seater 2.2 L 180 PS diesel auto in both body lengths. Prices at which started from around £37,500 at the time of filming. As for class alternatives, well, the Citroen Espace Tourer model we’ve already mentioned is basically the same car, as is the Peugeot Etraer. And as you’d expect, the pricing is not very much different. Though specs and options availability varies between these three Stallantis brands, so it’s worth carefully looking over the brochures, or if you want to save yourself some time, looking over our films on these cars before you make your choice. The other model that shares this same design is Toyota’s ProAce Verso EV, which has been targeted at more upper spec versions of these three models. If you want a cheaper alternative and don’t need seven seats, we’d point you in the direction of the Kia PV5 passenger, which is priced at about the level of a base combi spec Vivaro Life, but offers a much better spec. Talking of better spec for your money, Chinese maker Maxus has its seven seat MEA 7 from around £43,000 or the larger MEA 9 which can seat up to 8 from around £63,000. Otherwise, you’ll be spending much more than Vauxhall’s asking here. Around 60,000 for a seven seat Volkswagen ID Buzz or Ford E Toro Custom or well over £92,000 for a Mercedes EQV. As for equipment, well, spec of the base 9seater Combi model limits you to the basics, but they include most of what you’d need. So you can tick off twin sliding side doors, air conditioning, rear parking sensors, auto headlamps and wipers, cruise control with a speed limiter and high beam assist. Inside there’s a 10-in digital driver’s instrument screen, a heated driver’s seat, and a 10-in central HD touchscreen with voice recognition, 4G connectivity, and mirror screen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And there’s a Vauxil Connect app so you can interact with the car via your smartphone. From design spec upwards, you’re limited to eight seats because just two folk can sit up front. But you do get a few extra nicities like eco LED headlamps, front fog lights, and power folding mirrors. Plus, there are bodycoled bumpers, dark tinted rear side windows, and larger nicely trimmed 17-in wheels to make it look like less of a converted van. Plus, second row folk get seatback tables. Obviously, if you want VIP style travel, you’ll need this top ultimate version, which has almost everything. Leather upholstery, keyless entry, power operating side doors, and a dynamic surround view park 180 rear camera. inside with ultimate trim. The key difference is that the second and third row seats slide about on rails, plus second row folk get rear side window blinds, and there’s dual zone electronic climate control with rear air conditioning. Navigation, a hi-fi pack audio upgrade, an anti-dazzle rear view mirror, and a parcel shelf come included along with a flank guard system that stops you from running into things at parking speeds. On top of all that, the driver’s seat gets power adjustment, memory functions, and a massage feature. Plus, there’s heat for the steering wheel and the front seats. The big decision for Ultimate Spec customers is whether to stick with the standard eight seat cabin arrangement or to make this Vivaro Life a seven or sixseater by specifying the F-2F rear seat packs available for the second and third rows. And we’ve got these fitted here. These replace the usual three seating positions with two seats in each case. And the second row pack includes a foldable sliding table on rails. Quite a few Ultimate Spec customers will also want the panoramic sunroof which comes with an opening tailgate window. Both also things that are fitted here. As for other options, well, it’s worth knowing that many ultimate spec features can be fitted to a mid-level design spec model at extra cost. So for a private family customer, it might be worth sticking with that then adding in the extras you really need. Rear air conditioning, navigation, or the opening tailgate window for instance. Disappointingly though, an alarm costs extra whatever variant you choose. There’s an ACC pack that gives you adaptive cruise control and you can get preparation for a toeb bar. And unless you choose the only standard color, solid arctic white, you will have to pay extra for paint color. We’ve got two coat metallic kapari green here. On to safety. The basics are there, of course. An advanced emergency braking system, lane keeping assist, driver attention alert, intelligent speed assistance, tire pressure monitoring, traction control, and six airbags. All the airbags are linked to an eco system. And you can also have blind spot alert and close obstacle detection. [Music] We gave you the EV mileage figure in our driving section. Up to 219 mi is up to 279 in city only use. Those are for the 75 kWh battery we’ve been trying here. The smaller 50 kWh battery is no longer offered. To get close to the quoted stats, you’ll obviously need to engage the most frugal eco mode frequently, which reduces power output to 80 horsepower. To maximize range, you’ll also need to regularly engage the fiercest of the regenerative braking settings activated by steering wheel paddles. An eco coaching section of the center screen gives you tips to improve frugality, though most of them are pretty self-explanatory, like smooth acceleration, limits, energy consumption. That screen’s energy section has a statistics screen which shows your energy consumption in miles per kowatt hour for the last 30, 60, or 180 minutes. Like its Stalantis cousins, the Vavaro Life Electric can only be DC charged at up to 100 kW, which isn’t especially rapid these days, but is enough to provide an 80% charge in 45 minutes. This EV people carrier features an 11 kW onboard charger. A full charge from a 7.4 kW domestic wall box takes 11 hours and 20 minutes. Using an 11 kW wall box and a three-phase supply, you can reduce that to 7 and 1/2 hours. Connected to a domestic socket, you need a yawning 36 hours, 45 minutes for a full charge. For peace of mind, the lithium ion battery packs offered in this model come with an 8year or 100,000 mi warranty for up to 70% of the initial battery capacity. The center screen’s a forementioned energy section allows you to manage your charging regime, which you can also do via the provided Vauxhall Connect app. Service intervals are every 25,000 mi or every 2 years, whichever comes first. And as usual with EVs, there’s low benefit in kind taxation. As we filmed, rated at 3% until spring 2026. Insurance groupings range between 33U and 34U. And Vauxhall has been experimenting with hydrogen power in the Vivaro, but it isn’t yet offered on this MPV version. With the larger 75 kWh battery fitted, this Vivaro Life Electric Atlas makes some sort of credible sense for larger families and businesses needing to provide comfortable shuttle transport. This design’s now a decade old, but large MPVs like this one have long shelf lives, and this one’s been carefully updated so that the age doesn’t show too much. It certainly has a very flexible cabin. And if you buy in at the bottom of the lineup, you won’t actually be paying all that much more than you’d need for a much smaller compact MPV like Vauxhall’s own combo life. And you’ll be getting a vastly more versatile people carrier in return. Splash out on this VIP style ultimate model. And of course, it’s a different story. But for its intended market, this big Vauxhall’s appeal has a potential boardroom on wheels will have its advocates. Of course, you could get much the same thing with a Citroen, a Peugeot, or a Toyota badge, but go the Vauxhall route with its larger dealer network, and you might well get a better deal. And if you do, then you might well be quite satisfied with what’s served up by this improved Vivaro life. Providing you don’t expect the kind of extensive drive range that still isn’t really on offer in this segment. Life, they say, is what you make it. You might enjoy yours a little more with one of these. [Music]
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The ULTIMATE Family SUV? Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric 2025 Full Review
Jonathan Crouch writes an in-depth #vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric 2025 Review. If you want to watch more reviews on vehicles like this #vauxhallvivaro 2025 #carreview make sure to #subscribe to our #channel and comment what YOU want us to #review next.
Vauxhall’s largest People Carrier, the Vivaro Life Electric, now makes more sense with a larger 75kWh battery. Jonathan Crouch drives it.
Need a really large MPV? Perhaps you need a full-electric one? Here’s Vauxhall’s take on this concept, the Vivaro Life Electric, now improved with a larger 75kWh battery. This model is, as its name suggests, based on the marque’s medium-sized Vivaro van but it’s actually pretty sophisticated as well as being light, airy, and seriously spacious, with room for up to 9 people, depending on variant. If anything, its commercial vehicle roots serve as a strength and the huge interior, tough build and uncomplicated design might prove ideal for family buyers.
These days, virtually all really large People Carriers are based on vans – and it’s easy to see why. Starting with an LCV design is the obvious solution to maximise interior space. One LCV design in the case of most sales in this segment, which come from four nearly identically-engineered models, the Citroen e-SpaceTourer, the Peugeot E-Traveller, the Toyota Proace Verso EV and the subject of our test here, the Vauxhall Vivaro Life.
If this is the type of vehicle you are interested in, we recommend also viewing our review on the Vauxhall Grandland GSe 2024 linked here: https://youtu.be/-KVlg8l_-uM
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Overview 00:00
Background 01:01
Driving Experience 02:48
Design and Build 05:47
Market and Model Range 14:36
Practicalities and Costs 21:18
Summary 23:49
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