Cars based on vans based on cars

Suddenly they’re everywhere. But where have they come from? And which are the good ones?

CITROËN BERLINGO

MULTISPACE

The Berlingo (and its Peugeot Partner twin) is the zenith of the no-nonsense approach to LAVs (for leisure activity vehicles, as some unwisely label them). ZX parts meet space for dogs, kids, luggage and wheelchairs. Room for everything except driving pleasure.

FIAT QUBO

Fiat may have lost its magic touch with mainstream minis, but this is a superbly practical and rather stylish alternative. It’s based on the Fiorino van, with Grande Punto underpinnings, but sprinkled with alloys, roof bars and cheerful paint. Although it’s small, the

rear passenger doors slide.

FORD TOURNEO CONNECT

It’s based on a van, but a van that has taken great strides in an MPV-wardly direction, coming close to bridging the gap between commercial-vehicle crudity and S Max/Galaxy sophistication and equipment levels. Check the huge styling overlap between the Tourneo and Transit vans and those MPVs. Original design work on the œirst Tourneo Connect (and Transit Connect van) of 2002 was by a post-Volvo Peter Horbury; the underpinnings were part-Focus.

RENAULT KANGOO

The Kangoo has been through a couple of generations since its 1997 debut, but the idea was right from the o§. A œive-seater based on a van based on the Clio Mk2, it’s been a hit wherever practicality is prized above all else. Our favourite is the 2002 all

wheel-drive Trekka.

DACIA LOGAN MCV

Not the current one, but the 2007 Logan Maximum Capacity Vehicle. It wasn’t directly van based, which makes this a slightly rogue entry, but it’s here to highlight the convergence between estate cars and small vans and MPVs and SUVs. A huge hit in France, but never sold in the UK.

VW CADDY LIFE

A bit posher and more car-like than the dominant French trio, the Life version of the Caddy van has been around since 2004, joined three years later by the longer Caddy Maxi Life. There’s Touran in there, and a dash of Transporter.

MERCEDES CITAN TOURER

The long-wheelbase version houses seven, the regular one manages œive. It’s essentially a rebadged Renault Kangoo (itself based on the Scenic), with tweaked suspension, a new dash and more soundprooœing. It’s also extra ugly, which is odd when you consider

how handsome Merc’s vans are.

RENAULT EXPRESS

They’ve not been made for 15 years, but they’re still everywhere in rural France, where fussy British work-time/ family-time distinctions don’t apply; nor does the French tax man insist that a van has no side windows. Based on the Mk2 Renault 5, it had proper rear

suspension, unlike most vans.

VAUXHALL COMBO LIFE

Vauxhall’s œirst entry in the full-size LAV segment is partnered with the new versions of the class-deœining Peugeot and Citroën, and shares their 308 roots. Like them, it comes in œive-seat and longer seven-seat versions. With the Zaœira having edged upmarket, this is family utility transport, 2018 style.

CITROËN ACADIANE

Okay, so it’s a van. A van with windows. A slow van with windows. But it inspired everything you see above. Built for a decade from 1977, it’s based on the Dyane; the name is a play on AK (Citroën’s van preœix) and Dyane. It was o§ered as a van or as a Mixte, with rear bench seat and sliding rear windows.