2023 Opel Vivaro

Opel Vivaro

Opel’s Vivaro targets the practical end of the panel van market, speaking to small business owners who want proper payload without wrestling a bus through Sandton traffic. It’s not exactly a familiar face on South African roads, especially with Ford’s Transit Custom and VW’s Transporter gobbling up the lion’s share thanks to their bigger dealer footprints and wider spec lists. With Opel, you get a single flavour: 2.0-litre turbodiesel, manual gearbox, no petrol, no auto, no frills. On paper at least, that streamlines the decision—there’s just one used listing at R269,950. Choice isn’t the point here; availability is, and right now, it’s scarce. That lone Vivaro is a 2023 CARGO 2.0TD panel van showing 149,552 km on the clock. High? Sure, but it’s the kind of mileage you expect from a van that’s actually been working, not lounging around in a fleet pool. If you were hoping for a fresh batch of new or low-mileage Vivaros, you’ll have to look elsewhere—there’s nothing else out there. What the Vivaro does offer is Euro-friendly dimensions that make Joburg’s narrow side streets and loading bays less of a headache, plus diesel economy that matters when you’re racking up the kilometres. At R269,950, it’s a value play, because rivals like the Transit Custom and Transporter want a lot more money for similar metal—and that’s the point.