Top 10 bestselling, most popular vans and pickups 2020

These are the bestselling, most popular vans and pickups in the UK according to the latest official sales figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). With the lockdown measures caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic easing, van sales are starting to bounce back, but are presently still falling some way short of 2019 levels.

The latest SMMT data is from June 2020, which was down 24.8% - nearly a quarter - versus June 2019. That's still a big improvement over May 2020, which was down 74.1% versus May 2019. And the van market is still doing better than the car market, which in June was down 34.9% compared with the year before.

Once again the Ford Transit Custom outsold every other new vehicle on the road, with nealy 6,000 registrations. The bestselling car - the latest Vauxhall Corsa - found just over 4,500 new customers.

We've updated our 2020 bestselling vans top 10 with all the latest figures, and you'll also find the top 10 bestselling vans for all of 2018 and 2019 below as well. This is helpful because it means you can see which vans make the most sense to other businesses, which means they may also make the most sense for you.

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Top 10 bestselling vans and pickups May 2020

10) Ford Transit Connect (960 sold)

The Transit Connect small van offers a spacious cab, great running costs and Ford’s typically enjoyable driving experience. The extensive dealer network means it should be easy to look after and the latest version is packed with tech too, including built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and some very fuel efficient engines.

>> Read the full Ford Transit Connect review
>> Find a Ford Transit Connect for sale near you
>> Get an insurance quote on a Ford Transit Connect via mustard.co.uk

9) Peugeot Partner (986 sold)

This Peugeot Partner was introduced in early 2019 and is the sister van to the Vauxhall Combo Cargo and Citroen Berlingo. It's successfully continuing the model's long-running popularity with buyers - and so it should, given the impressive payload ratings, decent driving experience and high level of available technology.

>> Read our main Peugeot Partner review
>> Find a Peugeot Partner for sale near you
>> Get an insurance quote on a Peugeot Partner via mustard.co.uk

8) Vauxhall Combo Cargo (1,134 sold)

The Vauxhall Combo is based on the same platform as the Citroen Berlingo and Peugeot Partner, and is therefore a joint winner of the 2020 Parkers Small Van of the Year Award. Payload ratings and fuel economy are good, and there is some useful technology on the options list – including a built-in payload sensor.

>> Read the full Vauxhall Combo Cargo review
>> Find a Vauxhall Combo for sale near you
>> Get an insurance quote on a Vauxhall Combo Cargo via mustard.co.uk

7) Ford Ranger (1,273 sold)

Consistently the UK’s bestselling pickup, the Ford Ranger is good looking and very versatile, with 3.5-tonne towing capacity and high payload ratings. The latest 2.0-litre engines are a revelation, too, providing plenty of performance yet with far greater refinement, while the Ranger Raptor high-performance model is great fun.

>> Read our main Ford Ranger review
>> Find a Ford Ranger for sale near you
>> Get an insurance quote on a Ford Ranger via mustard.co.uk

6) Volkswagen Transporter (1,281 sold)

The Transporter is a popular medium van choice with one of the widest model ranges on the market – so whether you want a basic working van or a posh lifestyle wagon, Volkswagen’s got you covered. The new T6.1 facelift version is now in dealers, bringing an even better driving experience and the latest technology.

>> Read our main VW Transporter review
>> Find a VW Transporter for sale near you
>> Get an insurance quote on a VW Transporter via mustard.co.uk

5) Citroen Berlingo (1,322 sold)

The latest Citroen Berlingo joins its cousins the Peugeot Partner and Vauxhall Combo in raising the bar in the small van sector. We love the high-tech safety features, which include an optional overload warning sensor, and the great driving experience. It's got a massive payload rating for a small van, too.

>> Read our main Citroen Berlingo review
>> Find a Citroen Berlingo for sale near you
>> Get an insurance quote on a Citroen Berlingo via mustard.co.uk

4) Vauxhall Vivaro (1,684 sold)

The new Vivaro is still proudly built in Britain to a very high standard, even though the firm is now owned by the French PSA Group. Cousin to the Citroen Dispatch, Peugeot Expert and Toyota Proace, this latest version is a little down on overall load volume but can carry vast amounts of payload and offers great fuel economy.

>> Read our main Vauxhall Vivaro review
>> Find a Vauxhall Vivaro for sale near you
>> Get an insurance quote on a Vauxhall Vivaro via mustard.co.uk

3) Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (2,203 sold)

The Sprinter continues to set incredible standards, and remains the large van all others should be measured against, especially given the cutting-edge technology that's now included on-board. Popular particularly among the online delivery industry, it has excellent reliability and aftercare, too.

>> Read our main Mercedes-Benz Sprinter review
>> Find a Mercedes Sprinter for sale near you
>> Get an insurance quote on a Mercedes Sprinter via mustard.co.uk

2) Ford Transit (2,770 sold)

The Ford Transit is consistently one of the UK's most popular large vans, and has been for decades. The latest version (updated in 2019) has increased payload, upgraded engines, a revised interior and even more technology. It remains easy to drive, comfortable, and there are plenty of specialist dealers around to keep you on the road.

>> Read our main Ford Transit review
>> Find a Ford Transit for sale near you
>> Get an insurance quote on a Ford Transit via mustard.co.uk

1) Ford Transit Custom (5,930 sold)

The UK's bestselling van since it was launched, and winner of the 2020 Parkers Medium Van of the Year Award, the Ford Transit Custom is an exceptional all-rounder. It has plenty of load capacity, is good to drive, there are lots of dealers and owners seem to love them. COVID-19 has knocked its sales right back, however.

>> Read our main Ford Transit Custom review
>> Find a Ford Transit Custom for sale near you
>> Get an insurance quote on a Ford Transit Custom via mustard.co.uk

June 2020 van and pickup market report

June 2020 saw 30,041 new vans hit the road, a significant improvement over the previous month, but still a decline of 24.8% versus June 2019 - a percentage that works out at some 10,000 fewer vehicles. Still, it was four times the number of new vans registered in May 2020, so things are on the way back up.

The year as a whole still has a long way to go if it is going to fully recover, however, as year-to-date 2020 is down a staggering 44.6% compared with the same period in 2019. This is all entirely due to the coronavirus pandemic, which for sensible social-distancing reasons has forced the closure of dealerships and brought in a severe economic crunch for businesses of all sizes.

Vans remain vital to assist everything that happens in the UK at this very trying time, supporting our emergency services and maintaining the flow of deliveries that are keeping the economy functioning, even at very much repressed levels.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes commented: 'The pandemic has stalled all but a few essential businesses, and those restarting now are doing so at reduced pace to ensure safety of their employees and in response to a cautious buyer appetite.

'Restart has been slow, while more uncertainty lies ahead as the UK grapples with business nervousness and potential regional lockdown measures. The industry will do all it can to attract buyers but restoring operator confidence remains the vital next step. A successful restart for the sector will be critical to fleet renewal – and the UK’s long-term green recovery – given the crucial role light commercial vehicles play in urban areas.'

>> New vans coming soon

>> New pickups coming soon

Bestselling vans and pickups of 2020 so far

This list shows you the top 10 bestselling vans and pickups throughout all of 2020 as it progresses, rather than just the most recent month.

Bestselling vans and pickups of 2019

This is the top 10 list of the bestselling vans (and pickups) of 2019 in total.

Bestselling vans and pickups of 2018

This is the top 10 list of the bestselling vans (and pickups) in all of 2018.

Also read:

>> Best large vans 2020

>> Best medium vans 2020

>> Best small vans 2020