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In recent years, it used to be the case that there was no such thing as a bad van.
The time, effort and money put into development has made sure that there’s been no genuine howlers in any automotive product for quite some time, but the recent influx of budget EVs has changed all that.
In fact, it’s not just limited to the many vans being hurriedly imported from the east, traditional manufacturers are getting it wrong as well.
Electrification has messed with everyone’s heads. Normally bulletproof manufacturers are falling over themselves to make electric vans and hybrids to enable them to not only grab a slice of the EV pie but to meet the requirements of the ZEV mandate and avoid punitive repercussions that could result in millions of fines.
In the last few weeks I’ve driven several really disappointing vans, you’ll find the reviews on here soon, and that’s not happened in ages.
There have been some disappointments, like the Suzuki Jimmy LCV and which received rave reviews as a car but emissions dodged its way into existence as a van. The DFSK EC35 wasn’t a particular high point either, but it was at least an improvement over the truly terrible DFSK Loadhopper.
So what makes them bad?
Well, it’s mostly down to their driving feel, which admittedly is not the defining characteristic of your average van, but I’m of the firm opinion that if you’re going to spend a good portion of your day driving a van, you want it to be decent.
But there’s also general aesthetics, important elements like comfort and visibility, not to mention running costs and the general feeling of value for money you want to feel like you’re getting.
For various reasons all of those have been found wanting in these few vans I’ve driven this year. Yet, it seems like it’s a trend that will continue.
Cost cutting in areas like comfort and materials seem to be more common, probably as a result of the cost pressures brought on from batteries and electric motors.
There’s also rising material costs and it’s become much more obvious that corners are being cut and pennies saved, to the detriment of the owner/user.
Bad vans were a thing of the past, but they’re on the rise. It’s a shame that it’s largely electrification that appears to be a root cause.
