Nine vans have been shortlisted for the International Van of the Year 2027 award, with electric models once again featuring prominently among the finalists.
The award, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, will be decided by a jury of 26 commercial vehicle journalists from across Europe.
The finalists are:
The four Stellantis compact vans (pictured above), Citroën Berlingo Van First, Fiat Professional Doblò EasyPro, Opel/Vauxhall Combo Start and the Peugeot Partner Active, share much of their underlying engineering. They will therefore be included collectively under the company’s Stellantis Pro One commercial vehicle division.
Renault's Trafic E-Tech has already won the Van Reviewer "Best Van To Wait For" award in our What To Buy Awards 2026, and will now hope to follow in the footsteps of the Renault Master E-Tech, winner of International Van of the Year 2025.
Volkswagen's updated Caddy Cargo also gets a shot at the title, alongside the diesel-powered Maxus Deliver 7 and the Hyundai Staria Electric.
This year’s shortlist combines European, Chinese and South Korean manufacturers, while the number of battery-powered contenders reflects the commercial vehicle industry’s continuing move towards electrification. Any purpose-built light commercial vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 tonnes is eligible for the award.
Jarlath Sweeney, chairman of the International Van of the Year and International Pick-up Award juries, said vehicles were assessed on their contribution to improving the efficiency, safety and sustainability of light goods transport.
"The main criterion for the nomination and the election of any van as International Van of the Year is its contribution to high standards of efficiency, safety, with respect to environment and the sustainability of the transport of light goods by road in the countries involved in the International Van of the Year organisation."
"In line with current technology trends, the majority of the contestants are zero-emission offerings, coming from both continents and looking to follow on from the success of the Kia PV5 Cargo, which won the award last year," Sweeney said.
The International Van of the Year 2027 winner will be announced during the Night of the Stars gala at the IAA Transportation exhibition on 14 September 2026.
