The all-new Ford Transit Courier — What Van? Van of the Year 2015

We’ve grown used to seeing Ford’s all-new commercial vehicle range sweep the board at awards ceremonies, but the folks from Dagenham were given a run for their money by the good people from Renault at the What Van? Awards 2015, which was held in London on 16 December.

Ford nudged ahead in extra time to take the overall winner’s trophy with four awards, but Renault managed a very respectable three awards, thanks to the strong impact made on the judges by the new Renault Trafic. Here are some of the highlights:

• Van of the Year: Ford Transit Courier.
  It’s two in a row for Ford — last year, the firm won the Van of the Year award with the new Transit Custom
• Small Van: Ford Transit Courier
  Two in a row again — last year, it was the Ford Fiesta Van!
• Light Van: Ford Transit Connect
• Medium Van: Renault Trafic/Vauxhall Vivaro
  Renault’s big triumph this year, displacing last year’s winner, the Ford Transit Custom
• Large Van: Iveco Daily
  The Italian stallion of heavy vans was runner-up last year, but pushed last year’s winner, the Teutonic Sprinter, into second place this year.
• Pick-up: Ford Ranger
  Number four for Ford, and two years in a row for the very successful (and large) Ranger pick-up
• 4×4 Van: Mitsubishi Outlander 4Work
  The Outlander 4Work is a 4×4 car that’s been turned into a van (it still has rear passenger doors), making its triumph over the Highly Commended Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4×4 seem slightly irrelevant — they aren’t really comparable. However, it’s a cool niche, and the Outlander is a good piece of kit.
• Green Van: Nissan e-NV200
  I shouldn’t think there was much contest in this category — I’ve raved about the e-NV200 this year and it has been a standout success among its peers, gaining widespread plaudits from trial customers and a substantial order from British Gas before it even went on sale. A class act that shows how electric vans will work for urban users — who desperately need a break from poisonous diesels.
• Innovation: Renault Trafic blind spot visor
  Number two for Renault, thanks to its innovative Wide View Mirror that’s built into the passenger sun visor and helps van drivers see into their blind spot.
• 

  A Renault Twizy I snapped recently in Bruges. The load compartment is at the back — neat urban delivery vehicle.

  Editor’s Choice: Renault Twizy Cargo
  The third and final award for Renault, the awesomely cool one-seater van that is the Twizy. It reminds me of the BMW C1, a roofed-over motorcycle with a car-style seat, but the Twizy is much more practical, as it has four wheels and a more substantial luggage compartment — plus it’s electric. I recently saw one of these on the road for the first time, in Bruges, and was very impressed.

• Safety: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  Five years in a row for the Sprinter, which has won the What Van? Safety award every year since it was introduced in 2010. ESP (1995), driver airbag as standard (2000), crosswind assist (2013) and most recently Rescue Assist QR code stickers. What can you say? The Sprinter’s safety spec has frequently been streets ahead of most other vans, which have tended to lag cars in this department.

So there you have it — van buyers are spoilt for choice at the moment, as almost all of the major models have either been replaced or updated in the last eighteen months.

It’s an embarrassment of riches — who needs cars?