1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144 
This year's large van category might be static in terms
Page 35
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
of new arrivals, but that gave us the perfect opportunity to reassess a few of our favourites.
Renault's Trafic was reborn in 2001, where it created a mild storm, and a recent makeover has helped extend its relevance. Not quite as complete as it once was thanks to newer arrivals, the Trafic still does enough to stay in the race, while the ride and handling are still top of the pops.
Another van that stands the lest of time is Ford's Transit. The latest version has been commended for its driving prowess, and in 460 (4.6-tonne) guise, complete with Ford's new five-cylinder 200hp engine, it continues to uphold this attribute, despite its increased size.
Turning to electric power, Coventrybased Modec has continued to rise from 'What the heck is that?!' to 'Maybe it could work for me...' status. Weighing in at 5.5-tonne GVW and with a payload of two tonnes, the latest version, complete with lithium-ion battery technology, provides more than a 100-mile range on one charge.
Avoiding road tax, congestion charge and an operator's licence, as well as boosting customer-friendly green credentials, its been taken up by the likes of Tesco, UPS and FedEx.That said, it's not quite the finished product in terms of build, but if you match up your demands to its capability the Modec could pay off for you.
Bunched in together are the Citroen Relay, Fiat Ducato and Peugeot Boxer. All are carved from the same production line, albeit with the Fiat sporting its own rather impressive engine range. Most notably within the group, we got our hands on the 3.0-litre 157hp unit that had previously eluded us: in this case, it was fitted to the Boxer. While it provided real urge to Peugeot's repertoire, pulling through the revs with a hefty slice of torque. it was a little too eager from low-down, making urban and unladen driving a chore -one for maximum payload operators. This was in sharp contrast to the Fiat, whose Multijet engine is as good a unit as we have experienced in the 3.5-tonne sector, and this smooth operation helps the Ducato pip its French relationsa sound all-rounder to the highly commended category.
The Sevel van, as the group of three is collectively known, continues to provide an honest workhorse that's easy to live with, cheap to purchase and run. Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen carry reputations that have been earned through continuing excellence in design and build. A return to Merc's Vito tested in 150hp guise allowed us to revaluate its standing, although we concluded that for all its ability, it's let down by the lessthan-refined engine and vague steering.
That leaves us with Volkswagen's Transporter. It might be a few years old, but that hasn't altered our respect for it. Its classy cabin combines with a sophisticated drive that helps to quickly cover the miles, while the rear load area is well designed and built to tackle regular abuse.Wrap this up in possibly the best build quality in the business and the result is one of the most complete vans on the road.