What makes a good medium van? Affordability, versatility and a decent loadbay combined with city-friendly dimensions. But we’d also argue that technical innovation is increasingly important, especially given the immense pace of change in the motoring world right now. Our winner ticks all of these boxes, and more.
Written by ParkersPublished: 21 October 2019Updated: 21 October 2019
The Transit Custom is the Parkers Medium Van of the Year 2020, and the UK’s bestselling van for very good reason. It was already arguably the most practical all-round choice in the medium van class – but Ford was unwilling to rest on its laurels. Having undergone a thorough facelift in 2018, in 2019 the Transit Custom has received further engine updates – including a more powerful 185hp version – and become the first van available as a plug-in hybrid. Add high payload ratings and a great driving experience, and it’s no wonder this is such a popular product. An outstanding winner here.
One of the most innovative choices in the medium van class, this family of closely related vehicles is never shy of hard work, securing them a runner up spot for our Medium Van Award. Offering class-leading payload ratings and a range of highly efficient engines, not to mention a choice of up to three body lengths, these are vans that are ready to get really stuck in. Even so, if you want electrically operated side doors you can open with your foot or even a head-up display, they’re happy to oblige with unique features like this, too.
With a wide range of models from basic working vans to highly specified lifestyle variants – plus a huge array of options – the Transporter is a close runner-up for the Parkers Medium Van Award 2020. Standard-fit autonomous emergency braking boosts safety compared with most rivals, while strong residual values make for competitive monthly finance costs and higher than average used prices when you come to sell it on. The latest versions are packed with technology but haven’t lost sight of the importance of practicality, and the driving experience is better than ever, too.
