New vans coming soon

If you’re looking to buy a new van in 2024, there’s plenty to look forward to. Regardless of whether it’s a large van or small van you’re after, there’s a glut of new models hitting the market that promise refreshed styling and the most up-to-date engines. 

Many of the new vans due to be launched this year will also feature the option of electric power, either with an all-electric battery-powered model (BEV) or a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). 

And these versions will increasingly be worth considering, as for van users who can charge up at home or at work, electric power brings lower running costs compared with a traditional petrol or diesel-powered van – not to mention lower benefit-in-kind (BIK) taxes.

Buyers not yet ready to go green needn’t worry, though, because there will still be plenty of new vans arriving that'll be powered by traditional petrol and diesel.

Here, then, is a full rundown of everything van buyers have to look forward to in 2024 and beyond.

Early 2024

Ford E-Transit Custom

We’ve already had our first taste of the latest Ford Transit Custom, and as you can probably gather from our five-star rating, we thought it was pretty good. In 2024 the first examples of the first ever fully electric mid-sized Transit van – something of a seismic shift in the commercial vehicle market – will arrive on UK shores. 

The E-Transit Custom medium van will come with a choice of two power options, of 134bhp and 215bhp, each fed by a 74kWh battery that can be charged at a rate of 125kW (meaning a 10-80% top up should take around 40 minutes). Ford says it’s aiming for 236 miles of range, though that’s not yet an officially confirmed figure. 

Elsewhere, the E-Transit Custom will feature the same tech-heavy interior as its diesel-powered stablemates, plus the nifty ‘Mobile Office’ option (which allows the steering wheel to tilt to become a work-table). Ford's ‘Delivery Assist’ feature will also be offered; this enables the van to activate the hazard lights, close the windows and lock the doors automatically when the van is parked.

Ford Transit Courier

Also set to arrive in showrooms early in 2024 will be the Transit Custom’s new little brother: the Transit Courier. This smallest variant in the four-model Transit line-up will sit below the Transit Connect, and will be based on the same underpinnings as the Ford Puma, in contrast to the Connect, which is based on the Volkswagen Caddy.

This might still be Ford’s smallest van, but it has grown a little compared with its predecessor (by 182mm, to be precise), allowing for a load floor of up to 2661mm with the optional through-load facility. Gross payload has also increased by 96kg to 700kg. 

Perhaps the biggest news surrounding the new Transit Courier, however, is the electric van version. But before that version arrives later in 2024, the regular version will be launched first with a choice of a 123bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine or a 99bhp 1.5-litre diesel engine.

Spring 2024

Renault Master

You won’t have much trouble telling the new Renault Master apart from the old one; it’s gone through a fairly hefty visual transformation, with Renault’s signature C-shaped LED running lights incorporated into a bluff nose. But more significant are the changes you can’t see. For example, a shallower rake to the windscreen and wind tunnel-tuned body addenda improve the aerodynamics and, therefore, the Master’s efficiency.

Inside there’s a completely new interior with a curving, flowing dashboard that’s far more driver-focused (not to mention more stylish) than before. Cabin storage has increased, and there’s a plethora of different seating options.

Meanwhile, the battery in the electric Master has seen a significant hike in size to 87kWh (up from 52kWh), giving it an official range of up to 255 miles. Plus, a maximum charging rate of 130kW means you can add 143 miles of range in 30 minutes. There’s a choice of two diesel engines, too, and Renault has confirmed that a hydrogen fuel cell version will come to the line-up in 2025. 

Stellantis van range facelifts

This quartet of large van big-hitters – the Citroën Relay, Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer and Vauxhall Movano, to be precise – has been around in this basic form since 2006. So, with no sign of an all-new model arriving any time soon, each model has been given a revamp to keep them fresh and (relatively) up-to-date.

Indeed, each brand (which form part of the Stellantis group) has rolled out a series of mild facelifts, with tweaks to bumpers and lights being the main extent of the changes. For the electric versions, the updates are more widespread, and each of these vans now get a bigger, 110kWh battery. This means they’ll have one of the biggest batteries in the class, and it’s said to deliver an official range of up to 261 miles. Just keep an eye on that energy efficiency, though – the new Renault Master will go almost as far with just 87kWh to play with.

Further down the range, the medium vans remain largely the same, while the small vans get uprated batteries and heat pumps as standard, helping to improve both range and efficiency.

Toyota ProAce Max

Toyota, which has a technology-sharing agreement with Stellantis for its commercial vehicles, has announced that it will build its own version of the Stellantis large vans, named the ProAce Max. Until now, Toyota’s agreement with Stellantis has only extended as far as the smaller Toyota ProAce and Toyota ProAce City vans, which themselves are rebadged versions of Citroën, Fiat, Peugeot and Vauxhall equivalents.

Like its Stellantis stablemates, Toyota will offer both diesel and electric versions of the new ProAce Max.

Summer 2024

Volkswagen Transporter

We haven’t seen the new Volkswagen Transporter yet – and yet, we sort-of have, because it’ll be very closely related to the Ford Transit Custom. That’s right, for the first time in both of these models’ histories, they’ll be badge-engineered versions of each other, thanks to Ford and Volkswagen’s technology tie-up. 

So if you’ve set eyes on the Transit Custom at the top of this page, then you’ve seen the Transporter too, bar a few tweaks to the bumpers, grille, lights, interior and of course, a set of VW badges.

It’ll come as no surprise to hear, then, that the two vans will share engines; diesel, plug-in hybrid and electric versions will be offered, and the new Transporter’s 5.1-metre length makes it 146mm longer than the old version. As with the Transit, the wheelbase has been extended to make room for the electric powertrain, and the new Transporter is wider too, to the tune of 128mm. 

The consequent increase in payload volume is matched by a hike in payload capacity, and towing weights have increased too; a four-wheel-drive version will also join the range. Expect the new model to be revealed in the summer, with deliveries starting early in 2025. 

Late 2024

Ford E-Transit Courier

Hot on the heels of its petrol and diesel siblings will come this electric version of the Transit Courier. Ford is keeping quiet about this dinky new electric van’s battery capacity, but it has confirmed that fast charging can be handled at up to 100kW, which will mean a 10-80% top-up should take around 35 minutes. 

That points to a usable capacity of around 60kWh, which is estimated to give the E-Transit Courier an official range of just over 200 miles when unloaded. 

Surprisingly, the E-Transit Courier’s payload is actually slightly higher than its combustion-engined siblings’, at 700kg. Inside, of course, it’ll feature the same interior layout, with a large touchscreen, a digital instrument cluster and support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Expect to see it go on sale toward the end of the year, with deliveries coming through in 2025.

2025

Kia vans

You might be surprised to see Kia on this list, because the Korean brand doesn’t currently offer any vans or commercial vehicles in the UK. However, it looks like that might change in 2025, because that’s when it will be launching a range of fully electric vans.

Indeed, Kia will be launching a medium van and a large van, and even a Citroën Ami-style micro van. Collectively, Kia refers to these models as ‘PBVs’, which stands for purpose-built vehicles.

While information on these new models is limited, it’s expected that the medium van will be launched first to take on the ever popular Ford Transit Custom.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here

Read more: Britain's best vans revealed >>