Times Five

Modern vans have loads of practical space, are comfortable and handle well, and you can sleep in them. Damien O’Carroll looks at some of the coolest new vans you can buy in New Zealand.

LDV eDeliver

It might be the cheapest all-electric van in New Zealand, but it is also the coolest. OK. . . so it’s ‘‘cool’’ in the way an ugly puppy is cool, so let’s just say ‘‘characterful’’ instead.

The eDeliver is pure function over form, right from its basic interior through to its quirky plastic bonnet that lifts off entirely, but that doesn’t preclude it from being a great little thing to drive – it has all the fat torque you expect from an EV, so belts off the line and its small, low centre of gravity nature makes it a blast through the corners. Unladen, that is. . .

Ford Transit Custom Sport

A ‘‘Sports’’ van? Really? Yep, that’s exactly what Ford has done here, and it works brilliantly, too.

The ‘‘sporty’’ part is largely restricted to cosmetic upgrades (alloy wheels, racing stripes and leather seats), and Ford has given the Sport a bump in power, giving it a 136kW/415Nm version of the standard Transit’s 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine. That’s up 11kW and 10Nm if you’re counting.

And, no, that’s not a massive increase, but it is enough to make the Transit Sport feel more lively and it looks WAY cooler.

Peugeot Expert

Our new favourite van? Quite possibly. Unlike the other vans here the Peugeot is based on a car platform. It boasts just as much cargo space and hauling abilities as the rest, but also feels distinctly more agile and responsive through corners, and more user-friendly around town. It also happens to be impressively comfortable, too.

Plus it’s a Peugeot, so you can entertain nostalgic memories of that 205 GTi you owned at 19 by thrashing the Expert through a roundabout like it is a chicane at Monza. No? That’s just me huh?

Renault Trafic

I’ll say it now – the Trafic is cool in the same way the LDV eDeliver is cool – it is a bit dorky to look at, but it is a blast to drive.

Not because of electric torque this time, but because of Renault’s deeply impressive 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine. Yes, that’s not a typo – it really is just 1.6-litres.

The 85kW might seem modest on paper too, but the Trafic’s 300Nm of torque comes belting in at just 1500rpm, giving it plenty of usable grunt. Plus you can also get it in bright green, which is just awesome.

Volkswagen Grand California

OK, so this is still technically avan– it’s just one you can sleep, shower and . . . well, you know. . . in.

The Grand California is a superb camper that also happens to be great to drive; it is agile and responsive – as well as being surprisingly frugal – despite its massive size. It also has some excellent driver assists for those long, boring bits of highway.

Plus it is also packed with campervan tech and, quite frankly, looks absolutely awesome in its super-cool retro two-tone paint job. We want one, now.