Small vans are practical, economic and affordable. They are the preferred choice amongst many businesses and sole traders.
A small van is crucial to many. It offers the advantage of being large enough to transport tools, machinery and goods, whilst also providing the benefit of offering a car-like driving experience. These models are the most compact work vehicles you’ll find for sale, but they still come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
What Does a Small Van Actually Comprise?
Usually, small vans feature a two-box design, consisting of a front cab and a spacious cargo section in the back. Historically, these vans were quite simple, yet contemporary models are increasingly built on car platforms, equipped with an extensive array of technological advancements and amenities for the driver.
Sometimes referred to as ‘city vans’, they must be compact to fit into tight parking spots and slim enough to navigate through narrow passages, yet still offer ample payload capacity, generous cargo room, and doors that open wide for easy loading and unloading of various items.
With a vast array on the market, we have curated a list of the top 5 new small vans for sale best suited to all of your needs.
The Best New Small Vans For Sale on the Market Today
The Best New Small Van For Style and Modernity
The Nissan Townstar 1.3D 130PS Acenta Van combines modern style with functionality, offering a compact design ideal for city driving. It features a narrow turning circle for manoeuvring tight streets and provides 4.3 m³ of load space, an increase from the L1 model. Equipped with reverse parking sensors, 16” steel wheels, LED front fog lights, and electrically adjustable features like folding door mirrors, it enhances both convenience and safety.
Accessibility is facilitated through an off-side loading door, 180-degree rear doors, and a nearside loading door, maximising ease of loading and unloading. The interior includes manual air conditioning, a 4.2” TFT colour display, electric power windows, and a driver’s seat with height adjustment for comfort during long drives.
For connectivity, the van offers a DAB audio system with Bluetooth and steering wheel commands for audio and phone. Safety features are comprehensive, including an immobiliser, remote central locking, deadlocks, a full-width bulkhead, a tyre pressure monitor, hill hold assist, and intelligent brake assist (AEBS).
The Townstar is designed for professionals seeking a reliable and versatile van, providing a balance of efficiency, space, and advanced features to meet the demands of urban driving and business needs.
The Best Petrol New Small Van For Sale
The Ford Transit Courier Leader 1.0T 75ps Petrol Manual Van presents a base model offering at an attractive price point. This petrol variant maintains all the features of its diesel counterpart, equipped with a Euro Stage 6.2 engine, ensuring compliance with the latest emissions standards.
Despite its compact dimensions, the Courier Leader optimises its 4,157mm length to provide a substantial load space, measuring 1,488mm in width and 564 mm in height, demonstrating that size does not compromise capacity in this efficiently designed van. Ideal for those seeking an economical yet capable vehicle, the Transit Courier Leader combines affordability with the practicality needed for a wide range of professional and personal uses.
New Small Van Ideal For Inner Cities and Towns
The Fiat Fiorino Cargo 1.3 Multijet II Van is tailored for the unique demands of inner-city driving and navigating through tight spaces where larger vans might not be practical. This compact van doesn’t skimp on features, offering a 7″ touchscreen with DAB Radio, Bluetooth®, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto for seamless connectivity.
Comfort and convenience are addressed with manual air conditioning, electric windows, and adjustable door mirrors. The driver’s seat includes lumbar support, height adjustment, and a front armrest, ensuring comfort during longer journeys, while the passenger seat backrest is adjustable.
For functionality, the Fiorino is equipped with a USB socket, closed glovebox, cruise control, and bulkhead insulation for a quieter cabin. Loading and unloading are made easier with twin 180° panelled rear doors and a near-side sliding door, complemented by a full-width bulkhead for cargo safety.
The van rides on 15″ steel wheels and features a 12v front plug-in socket, locking fuel cap, and remote control central locking for added convenience and security. Safety features include Electronic Stability Control (ESC), driver and passenger airbags, ABS, a Fix and Go kit, and deadlocks, making the Fiorino a reliable choice for both work and leisure in urban environments.
Most Comfortable Small Van For Sale
The Citroen Berlingo M 100ps BHDI 650 Enterprise Edition Van is an ideal small van, balancing an attractive price with an array of features designed for comfort during transit between jobs. This model, with a 650 Kg maximum indicative payload, is the entry-level option within the new Berlingo range, yet it doesn’t skimp on amenities. Standard features include air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control, and an 8″ colour touchscreen display.
The van is equipped with Citroen’s connect system, offering DAB radio, hands-free Bluetooth with a USB socket, and remote temperature pre-conditioning, ensuring the cabin is always at a comfortable temperature. Safety features like tyre pressure monitoring, Citroen connect box for emergency assistance, multi-function trip computer, and a comprehensive electronic stability package with ABS, hill start assist, and more, underscore the van’s focus on driver welfare.
Practical elements such as 180-degree opening rear doors, height-adjustable halogen headlights with integrated daytime running lights, a nearside sliding door, and ample in-cabin storage with hard plastic floor protection make it versatile for various professional needs. The Berlingo also integrates modern technology seamlessly, with Apple Carplay/Android Auto compatibility, ensuring connectivity on the go. This model, with its blend of functionality, safety, and comfort features, offers a compelling choice for those seeking a reliable and efficient van for their professional activities.
The Professional’s New Small Van For Sale
The Peugeot Partner 100PS Premium Professional+ Van is an exceptional choice for professionals seeking a compact yet feature-rich vehicle. With its sleek design and advanced cockpit, it closely mirrors the Citroen Berlingo, sharing the same PSA manufacturing roots. The distinct differences lie in the branding details, such as the badges, grille, and steering wheel design.
This van boasts a range of impressive features including cruise control with a variable speed limiter, Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay connectivity, daytime running lights, and an 8″ colour touchscreen display, enhancing both functionality and driver experience. Notably, in the latest model iteration, certain features like the multi-flex modular folding passenger bench seat and rear parking sensors have transitioned to optional extras, offering more customisation to meet individual needs.
The van is equipped with air conditioning, one-touch electric windows with heated mirrors, and the PEUGEOT i-Cockpit® which includes a head-up display and a compact steering wheel for a more intuitive driving experience. Safety and convenience are prioritised with an alarm system, tyre pressure monitor, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Hill Start Assist, ABS braking with EBA and EBFD, and automatic activation of hazard lights during significant deceleration.
The practical design includes unglazed asymmetric rear doors opening to 180 degrees, a nearside sliding side door for easy access, a 12-volt socket in the dashboard for power on the go, 6 tie-down hooks in the load area, and an overhead storage shelf, making the Peugeot Partner Premium Professional+ Van a versatile and efficient choice for business needs.
Advantages of Choosing a New Small Van For Sale
New Small Van sales have surged in recent years. Small vans are leading the pack, as numerous drivers are choosing practical and manageable options. Don’t be misled: big vans still hold significant value, particularly for hauling goods – yet, it’s the tidy, streamlined, and effective small vans that are stepping into the spotlight, and rightly so, for a multitude of reasons:
- Interior Space: This encompasses both the external and internal dimensions, essentially offering a roomier interior. Moreover, the versatility in configuring the interior is unparalleled. Whether adding or removing seats, setting up cages or wall racks, crafting a portable desk area, or even converting it into a mobile bedroom, the options are vast. Small vans strike a perfect balance, delivering extra space and adaptability.
- Van Reliability: Vans are designed for durability and balance, built to endure adverse weather conditions, rough usage, and heavy loads. This makes them exceptionally resilient and long-lasting in the automotive world.
- Security and Safety Features: The higher driving position in a van offers a better view of the road, aiding in hazard anticipation. Additionally, the absence of rear or side windows, often for advertising purposes, enhances security by preventing outside views into the van’s interior, making items stored inside less visible and more secure compared to a car.
- Small Van Practicalities: Vans tend to be more accessible for individuals with limited mobility compared to cars. Getting into a car often means lowering yourself into a seat about 1ft (0.3m) below, which can be challenging for those with less flexibility. In contrast, vans usually involve stepping up. While larger vans might need a bit more effort to climb into, small vans typically require just a small step, making them easier to enter and exit.
- Economics: Many assume that due to their size, vans are less fuel-efficient and incur more wear-and-tear than cars, which is partly true. However, what’s often overlooked is that a fully loaded van is more economical than a fully loaded SUV. This is because vans are engineered to perform optimally when carrying full loads, enhancing their efficiency in such conditions.
- High Comfort Levels: You might initially be surprised, but considering that van drivers spend a lot of their day driving, comfort is crucial. Manufacturers often enhance their van designs for this reason. Thus, vans tend to have ergonomic features, roomier and more comfortable interiors, and smoother rides thanks to the better suspension needed for heavy loads.
If this has made you strongly consider a new small van for sale, we urge you to get in touch with a member of our team and feel at ease as we guide you through your options. Additionally if you’re considering a van not mentioned above, feel free to explore the full range of small vans on our website.