City dweller – Citroën e Berlingo
Capacity is everything with a van and the Berlingo's load space is wide and high and able to accommodate two euro palettes. The rear wheel arches don't intrude too much into the space which, overall, is practical and very usable with 10 lashing points. The Driver Pro version also gets a hard plastic load protector on the floor.
Keeping it simple – Toyota Proace 75kW Review
All-in-all, the Toyota Proace Electric can do pretty well all that it’s Citroen, Peugeot and Vauxhall electric siblings can do although it can’t offer different sizes or trim levels – but there’s something to be said for keeping complexity to a minimum.
Citroen e-Spacetourer – an electric people mover
The e-SpaceTourer’s van heritage also means that it’s not very light on its feet with a top speed of just 80mph and a 0-62mph acceleration time pf 13.1 seconds. You can certainly live with that given its carrying capacity, but a 143 mile range? – not so much.
New ë-Berlingo takes to the road
Priced from £29,575 MRRP OTR (incl. Plug-in Car Grant), Citroën ë-Berlingo Electric features a 50kWh battery offering a range of up to 174 miles (WLTP), paired with a 100kW (136hp) electric motor. New ë-Berlingo Electric is fitted with a 7.4kW on-board charger as standard, with a full re-charge taking 7.5 hours.
Smooth Operator Vivaro-e Elite 3100 75kWh
The Vivaro comes across as a very good package, easy to drive, very good range and practical for short or long distance work. It comes with the option of 50kW or 75kW batteries, the latter costing £4,500 more but gives you greater range, around 200 miles.
All new electric Kangoo ready for unveil
Kangoo Electric, which has won the hearts of some 70,000 professional customers since its launch at the end of 2011, now accounts for one in every five electric utility vehicles sold in Europe. Equipped with a new lithium-ion battery with a fully usable capacity of 45kWh, the Kangoo E-TECH Electric boasts a range of up to 300km (187 miles) in WLTP cycle.
Long term update – Ford Tourneo Active end of term report
As much as the Tourneo's size is its strength, it's also its weakness when it comes to those tight country lanes and even tighter village roads. This is a big beast to handle and it's size and weight do have an effect on fuel economy with a return of 31.4mpg rising to 39.5mpg in a long motorway run. Load carrying, though, is where the Tourneo scores, be it people or cargo. There's plenty of room for all the weekend-away paraphernalia, although if you are fully laden with people - all eight of them - you would struggle to fit the suitcases in.
Long term update – On tour with the Tourneo
The trip also provided the opportunity to show off some of the other advantages of the Tourneo. Load carrying is part of it, plenty of room for all the weekend bit and pieces, although if you were to be fully laden with people - all eight of them - you would struggle to fit the suitcases in.
Ford Tourneo Custom Active – Popular with all the family
As mentioned before, a big hit with family and friends. The young ones certainly enjoyed their club-class trip to the beach. Plenty of room for them, the rest of the family plus all the necessary bags, hampers, buckets and spades.
Long term test – Ford Tourneo Custom Active
The 2-litre EcoBlue diesel with six-speed manual gearbox performs nicely enough and only really caught out on the hills when fully loaded. We've covered our first 500 miles in the Tourneo with an average fuel consumption return of 33.1 mpg.
Family connection – Ford Connect Active SWB 1.5L
In terms of looks there’s a distinct Transit connection and the Connect uses the same platform as the Mk2 and Mk3 Ford Focus, so it is light on its feet and surprisingly good to drive while there’s lots of in cabin technology carried over from Ford’s passenger cars.
Par for the course – Volkswagen Caddy
The new Caddy, which has been redesigned from the ground up, offers increased space, efficient engine options, additional driver assistance systems to improve safety and a new connected Digital Cockpit and infotainment system to turn the vehicle into a smartphone on wheels.
Land Rover Defender – redefining a legend
Is the new Defender fit for purpose? To be so, it has to have the ability to go anywhere, do anything and carry everything while not being too bothered about being battered and bruised along the way. The old Defender, was never the prettiest and actually looked all the better for odd dent and scratch.
Lone Ranger – Ford pick-up is a great ride
Popular with trades people, builders and farmers, pick-ups are also holding more appeal as a lifestyle choice and something different from the regular 4x4 SUV.
Musso has plenty of muscle – Ssangyong Musso Rhino Long Bed
If you are looking for something with plenty of capacity, the ability to get down and dirty on the farm, and at a reasonable price, then the Ssangyong Musso Long Bed Rhino will get the job done – it’s the longest, highest-capacity double cab pick-up available in the UK.
Fiat Doblo Sportivo – funky and practical
The Doblo is Fiat’s versatile panel van which has been around for a few years now but thanks to its impressive payload, large cargo area and wide choice of body styles, it remains as competitive as ever.
ISUZU D-MAX XTR – Capability at a good price
The latest version of the Isuzu D-Max, the XTR, is the most sophisticated and capable version of this pick-up having been revealed a year ago at the Commercial Vehicle Show.
Peugeot Boxer – Boxing clever with a good load carrier
Engine is plenty powerful enough and comfortable both around town and on the motorway. It provides a nice drive and is reasonably quiet while decent low end torque meant it never felt stressed, even when loaded up.
New Vauxhall Vivaro – Made in Britain
The van market is hugely competitive right now and the Vivaro has to cut it not only with the likes of rivals such as Ford and Volkswagen, but also with PSA Group design stablemates Citroen and Peugeot.
