Chinese DFSK minivan launched in the UK market
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By George Barrow
MINIVANS HAVE fallen out of fashion in the UK, but they could be set for a comeback. DFSK is the irst Chinese brand to make it to the UK and its Loadhopper is looking to pick up where the Piaggio Porter left off, gaining favour with cashstrapped businesses that need a nofrills workhorse.
Imported by Vestatec in Swindon, the UK Loadhopper range is made up of single-cab, double-cab, tipper and panel van models, and will be joined by a larger V Series model later this year.
Prices start at £6,999
For now, the compact Loadhopper is the UK’s only option with a starting price of just £6,999. That will get you a 1.3-litre petrol-engined singlecab pick-up complete with electric windows, central locking and a twoyear/unlimited mileage or threeyear/60,000 mile warranty.
If that sounds like a brief spec list, that’s because it is. The Loadhopper is very basic, but it doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not.
With a maximum 900kg payload permissible in the single cab pick-up, it offers the cheapest cost per kg of any CV on the market, and meets the latest Euro-5 emissions standards.
A van with raw appeal
CM drove the Loadhopper at Vestatec’s headquarters and was impressed with the raw appeal of the vehicle’s 77hp engine. With a 1,005kg kerbweight, the £7,999 panel van is a fraction heavier than the 915kg single cab, but in both models the raucous engine delivers rapid acceleration.
Power delivery also comes in two stages, plenty or none, but that only adds to the charm. So too does the heavy unassisted steering, which once acclimatised to means you can wind on plenty of lock to make use of the Loadhopper’s excellent 8.8m turning circle.
The quality of the interior is relected in the price, and is made of what you might think are typically Chinese plastics – perhaps best reserved for the abundance of robust consumer electricals manufactured in the country. But it feels strong enough to withstand tough working life, and at this price that is all you can expect. Internal storage in the cab is limited, and the comfort of the seats leaves something to be desired, but in the panel van there is an internal lining for the loadspace, and a caged bulkhead.
Although the Loadhopper can’t compete with other small vans like Citroëns or Fiats, if you are pricesensitive the DFSK should be of interest. It ticks many boxes, offering decent payloads, load volumes and a two-year warranty.
Too simple?
If your van is your mobile ofice, and you are behind the wheel nine hours a day, then the Loadhopper’s minimalist appeal will wear thin quickly.
However, for short trips, which don’t require travelling at motorway speeds, the Chinese minivan could make an appealing choice.