The Ford Transit Custom has emerged as the big winner in the 2024 Parkers Van and Pickup Awards.
The all-new version of the UK’s best-selling van has emerged as class-leading once again as the Ford Transit Custom has taken the top prize as well as the Best Medium Van category.
The Transit Custom is one of five category winners. As well as small, medium and large vans, we have also honoured the best pickup truck and the best electric van. Ford was the big winner as, in addition to the Transit Custom’s wins, it also took the Best Electric Van award with the E-Transit and the Ford Ranger wins the Best Pickup prize.
Vans market showing strength
This is the first time that the vans awards have been announced separate to the Parkers New Car Awards, and it comes at a time when Britain’s van and pickup market is flourishing. The best-selling vans list has seen 10 consecutive months of growth and the annual sales forecast by trade body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) increasing to 332,000 registrations.
The best van on sale in the UK today is the all-new Ford Transit Custom. Not only has it claimed the outright Commercial Vehicle of The Year award, but it has also been victorious in the Best Medium Van category. It would be a shock if the successor to a multi-award-winning van wasn’t good, but the Transit Custom’s innovations are genuinely clever and stand out from rivals in the market.
Tom Webster, Deputy Head of the Digital Automotive Hub and Vans Editor, said: ‘This year’s Custom is all-new but does so much more than continue where its predecessor left off. It’s packed with tech, with so many driver assistance systems and such an excellent base offering of interior equipment that nothing else matches it. In short, the best got better.’
Large van excellence
For Best Large Van, last year’s winner – the Ford Transit – makes it two in a row. It wins not for its excellent load capacity, but for its car-like driving experience, comfort and all-round usability. Top that off with brilliant in-car tech, a wide model range, and it really is the best large van you can buy.
Unlike the Parkers New Car Awards 2024, the Parkers Van and Pickup Awards 2024 continue with a separate electric van category, owing to the continued dominance of diesel in this market as van makers continue to catch up. The Ford E-Transit retains its title as the Best Electric Van.
Tom Webster added: ‘The Transit is well equipped, has front-, rear- and four-wheel drive options, is supported by a comprehensive dealer network and the ever-expanding Ford Pro proposition, and it is excellent to drive. It is the consummate all-rounder that justifies its position as the nation’s most famous name in commercial vehicles.’
On the Best Pickup award, Tom said: ‘The Ranger is fantastic to drive, has a brilliant interior and has more space than its predecessor, making it more versatile for those who want to transport people just as much as they want to carry a heavy pile in the loading bay. It moves the game on and cements its place as the best pickup on sale today.’
It wasn’t a clean sweep for Ford, though. For Best Small Van, the Toyota Proace City was a clear-cut winner. It’s almost identical to the class-leading Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner and Vauxhall Combo, but noses ahead thanks to the added security of its 10-year warranty and industry-leading dealer network.
‘This is the sort of thing that could make a real-world difference to how much your van costs to run during its time with you and is a compelling reason for our continued championing of the Proace City,’ Tom added.
Vans go solo for the first time
Parkers editor Keith Adams said: ‘This is the first time we’ve spun out the vans and pickups from the main Parkers New Car Awards, reflecting how important commercial vehicles are. We’re also excited to have come up with such an interesting selection of winners – they’re all part of a brilliant line-up.’
The Van and Pickup Awards 2024 reflect the constantly evolving views of Britain’s commercial vehicle-buying public, with winners decided by a combination of the site’s expert reviewers’ verdicts. This process means thoroughly road testing and analysing the purchasing habits of the website’s 2.3 million monthly users.
