The Fiat Ducato is the firm’s flagship van offering and should not be confused with the all-electric e-Ducato. The latest version of the Ducato was launched in June 2021 and it’s a comfortable and impressive van to drive, though it remains a popular choice with UK buyers because of its fuel economy.
The Vauxhall Movano-e completes the electric line-up for the British vehicle maker. It now sits alongside the excellent Vivaro-e, and the Combo-e to give firms and private users a great, battery-powered van to consider. While the headline figure of 139 miles of range is for the larger battery, careful thought needs to be given before opting for the smaller battery delivering 72 miles of range.
The new third generation of the Mercedes Sprinter has been hailed by the van maker as a ‘game changer’, and, for once, this might not be marketing talk! That’s because the new van has been completely re-engineered and improved. The engineers have had to sit down and think about what users are actually looking for and the end result is an impressive van that is designed to deliver. It’s nice to drive and it’s a good performer around town with a comfortable cabin. It’s also the first production vehicle to have a nine speed automatic gearbox which should help boost efficiencies. An all-electric Mercedes e-Sprinter is set to go into production in 2019 and until the new diesel engine van has improved fuel economy of around 45 mpg.
There’s also a new naming convention to appreciate so the Sprinter vans are no longer called the ‘Short’ to ‘Extra-Long’ and instead will be referred to as L1 to L4. The vehicle height will follow and these are H1 to H3. There’s also an impressive option list that features more than 600 items including suspension and fleet solutions so it can be adapted to personal requirements.
The latest model of the Volkswagen Caddy is not an all-new creation but a big revamp. There’s a lot to like about the model with plenty of the best bits of the old model brought into the new one; the cargo area is about the same size. However, it does have an impressive new interior which helps to underline its position as one of the most comfortable vans to drive in its class. It’s in a keenly fought segment and while it is pricier than some rivals, it’s certainly worth shortlisting.