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Mid‑sized (2.5 to 3.5‑tonne) commercial van buyers have a variety of makes and models to choose from, even though most buy the venerable HiAce. Latest VFACTS figures confirm Toyota's long‑standing dominance, as the HiAce commands just under 40 per cent market share with the remainder spread across ten competitors from Europe, China and Korea.
Despite the emergence of new competitors in recent years, Toyota's HiAce van remains the go‑to workhorse for thousands of Aussie businesses. After a long gestation period rear barn doors are now offered as part of the package. Do they make a big difference?
The current version of Ford's Transit Custom may be coming to the end of its life, with a new generation model due late this year, but the Blue Oval hasn't been sitting on its hands. The Sport version has been on the receiving end of ongoing upgrades to safety and standard specification. So, how does it stack up against the light commercial van competition?
The market for vehicles like the Volkswagen Crafter single cab‑chassis is pretty small, but that doesn't mean it isn't competitive. There are a number of quality offerings in this segment, and this was our first change to sample the new‑generation Crafter in chassis‑cab derivation.
The Mercedes‑Benz Sprinter has been a popular option in the heavy commercial van segment for close to 30 years, during which time a raft of new keenly‑priced and well‑specified competitors have arrived to challenge it. Does this latest, third‑generation version do enough to hold them at bay?