Vauxhall Vivaro Life review

If there's a potential obstacle for getting in and out of the Vauxhall Vivaro Life, it's the step up into the interior. The door sill is some 545mm from the ground – an awful lot higher than most car-based MPVs.

Better news is that the driver's door opens wide to 70 degrees, and the lofty seating position. With the seat in its lowest position, the driver sits 912mm from the ground, and it can be lifted to as high as 941mm from the road surface. That's a little lower than the Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle's seat (966mm-997mm) but considerably higher than the front seats in most MPVs.

The second row of seats can also be taken out – do that and you're literally driving a van with windows.

You won't have to lift a wheelchair too high to get it inside the boot, thanks to a boot sill that's just 585mm from the ground. What’s more, the drop between loading sill and boot floor is a mere 15mm. That said, it’s worth noting that the VW Transporter Shuttle has an even lower boot height and a floor that's flush with the opening.

It’s only the more powerful of the Vivaro Life’s two diesel engines, the 178bhp version, which is available with an automatic gearbox.

Alternatively there's the all-electric Vivaro-e Life. Like any electric car, it's an automatic and therefore presents another option if you need a car that changes gear for you.

A rear-view camera and rear parking sensors are standard on Elite models. Front parking sensors can be added to all versions as an accessory.