While utes often top the sales charts for commercial vehicles, the humble van still plays a vital role for tradies across New Zealand.
Whether you’re a plumber, painter, builder, courier driver or simply run your business out of a vehicle, it’s hard to look beyond a van for a trusty office on wheels. Over recent years, these vans have become far more refined and much safer than before.
With this in mind, here are three of our favorite vans available in 2021:
Toyota Hiace from $46,990 (TDP*)
The Toyota Hiace has been a sales hit in New Zealand for years now, and last year it was the bestselling commercial van, racking up an impressive 1,868 sales.
The entry level ZR cargo van starts from an attractive $46,990 (TDP), and it’s powered by a 2.8-litre turbo diesel engine and an intelligent six-speed manual transmission. The Hiace offers 130kW of power and 450Nm of torque, and has a fuel consumption rating of 7.5L/100km, with a Co2 fuel efficiency rating of 197g/km.
In 2019, the Toyota Hiace received a 5-Star ANCAP rating thanks to the included Toyota Safety Sense package. This consists of features like a Pre-Collision System with Autonomous Emergency Braking and Vehicle, Bicycle and Pedestrian detection. It also has Lane Departure Alert with Brake Control (Yaw Assist) and Vehicle Sway Warning, just to name a few.
The Hiace also has a respectable payload of 1,020kg and Toyota has listened to its customers - the ZR and ZX variants increase the vans size to accommodate wide cargo such as pallets to lie flat in the back between the wheel arches.
LDV eDeliver3 from $49,990 (+ORC)
If it is an electric vehicle you are looking for, then the new LDV eDeliver 3 is the perfect choice. It is a purpose-built electric van, competitively priced from just $49,990 (+ORC). The eDeliver 3 is compact, lightweight and can carry an impressive 950kg payload. It also comes with a choice of two battery capacities - 35kW or 52.5kW.
The entry-level model has a range of 159km, while the larger capacity model can travel 245km between charges. Charging from a wall socket will take between six and eight hours depending on the capacity of the battery, but both can also be charged up to 80 per cent in just 45 minutes with a fast charger.
The eDeliver 3 can reach 100km/h in 11 seconds with its torque filled motor and Rightcar gives it a 5-Star Vehicle Safety Risk Rating, meaning its eligible to receive the Clean Car Discount. This van will surely be on the shortlist for businesses looking to keep up their clean and green image.
Hyundai Staria Load from $59,990 (+ORC)
Hyundai recently announced the Staria Load, which boasts out-of-this-world looks thanks to a futuristic front end.
The commercial Staria Load is available with either two or five seats in front-wheel-drive only, and is powered exclusively by a 2.2-litre diesel engine. The entry level manual model develops 130kW and 430Nm, and consumes 7.1L/100km, with a CO2 fuel efficiency rating of 187g/km. There’s also the choice of an eight-speed auto variant available from $69,990 (+ORC).
The Staria Load has just under 5,000 litres of cargo space, meaning it can hold three Euro pallets easily. If this isn’t enough, the Staria Load can also tow, with an ample 2,500kg towing capacity. Both variants of the van can handle more than 1,070kg in payload. It also features sliding doors on both sides for easier access, and a choice of a lift-back or barn door arrangement - perfect access for couriers.
There are also plenty of standard safety features like Forward Collision Avoidance-Assist (FCA-JT), Blind Spot Collision Avoidance-Assist (BCA-R) and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA) systems. The Hyundai Staria Load also receives a 5 Star Vehicle Safety Risk Rating on Rightcar.
With its futuristic looks, Hyundai has announced that more eco-friendly Staria variants will be arriving over the coming years.
Find out more on how the AA can help you when buying a new car:
- AA Money - aa.co.nz/money
- AA Insurance - aa.co.nz/insurance
- AA Car Reviews - aa.co.nz/car-reviews
- AA Running Cost Reports - aa.co.nz/runningcosts
Vehicle experts you can trust
*TDP = Toyota Driveaway Price