In the not too distant past, the word "van" and "automatic" were mutually exclusive, but that's certainly no longer the case. Take a look at Peugeot's compact and niche-filling Bipper that now comes with the option of a 2-Tronic automated manual gearbox, which you can read about in the 19 March issue of CM.

What is an auto doing in a little 70hp lightweight van? I hear you say, but it actually makes more sense than you might think.

According to Peugeot, the Bipper is 'the first van designed for the city' and if you think how congested our streets are it pays to minimise fatigue on vehicle and driver and the auto 'box provides the solution. Simply knock the gearshift into 'D' and the traffic jam you're stuck in isn't half as bad at it could be. Your left leg will love you for it.

It's not all strawberries and cream though because the little Bipper lacks poke, especially with a full payload (610kg), and you'll be lucky to beat that granny on her mobility cart, but despite this lack of urgency, it's still technically sound and will definitely satisfy the small van buyer's simple needs.

What do you look for in your commercial vehicle? Competitive payload? Low cost? More than two seats? If you subscribe to none of the above then you may be interested in Citroen's C-Crosser, which manages to combine a little in the way of stand out attributes at a time when productivity is more important than the weekly change of underwear.

Comparing it to another 4x4 vehicle with similar work aspirations, say a pick-up with a truck-top, is like pretending your nicely styled tweed trousers will work just as well as tracksuit bottoms - the latter vehicle provides you with more off-road ability, a bigger payload and load area, and will carry an extra three people in double-cab mode.

But yet we still like this attempt by the French manufacturer (or should we say Mitsubishi, who first launched it as a commercial version of its Outlander) as a comfortable, go-anywhere load carrier.

It may not be an outright homage to the god of productivity (load volume is 2.3m cubed with payload at 743kg), however it's surprisingly good to drive on the road, displaying the composure of a modern hatchback, and sports a stylish, well equipped, interior.

Add to this decent off-road ability, an eager engine, along with accessible load space, and the Cross-Dresser, as it's known in the office, begins to gain respect.

Off course it's not your typical mainstream CV and therefore will only sell in small numbers (think residuals), however for those looking for an image as much as a load space in their commercial 4x4, it may be worth a second look.

Imagine the scene; you are happily driving along with The Wurzels hit song Twice Daily, banned by the BBC for referring to shotgun weddings at full blast when, as you turn the corner, there is a red light and a queue of traffic as long as you've ever seen.

Your co-passenger, in this case one Simon Wood from Mercedes Benz, leans across and turns off the music just as you are about to discover what Twice Daily means.

"Once you come to a standstill, Mr Swallow," he says, "slip the transmission into neutral, lift your left foot off the clutch, and the engine will cut out. You needn't apply the hand brake but it's probably wise that you do. Then, to reignite the engine, re-engage the clutch and the engine will start. If the vehicle rolls forward, or backwards, the engine will start as you need the driveline to assist the servo for any potential braking procedure that might be required as you roll, perhaps unwittingly, towards another object. And that, Mr Swallow, is how Eco Start works."

While I have paraphrased Mr Wood somewhat, Eco Start's benefits have already been seen. A Sprinter van roadtest for Motor Transport saw Eco Start activated four times, saving more than eight minutes of idle time on the test route. That equates to eight minutes of diesel consumption not used during a 67 minutes section of the test route. At £545 is should pay for itself sooner if you work urban routes, and perhaps a little longer if you travel on the motorway networks.
Turning off the engine during unforeseen delays is good practice but with traffic lights playing a bigger part in the UK road network, idle time is only likely to increase, as will your fuel bill.

Motor Transport is putting the Renault Master through its paces next week. It's the long-wheelbase high-roof version, supplied by Renault Trucks, with the 2.5-litre 120hp engine and six-speed manual transmission.

Launched in 2001, the Connect quickly established itself as one of the best small vans on the market, thanks to its robust build and driver friendly design.

However, time has seen rivals introduce newer products, with Citroen's Berlingo and Volkswagen's Caddy the main antagonists.

To keep things fresh Ford has given it a facelift, which inlcudes new grill, lights and bumpers - though it's not wholly successful, making the front appear a little glum.

The rear gets new lights, and there's also redesigned side mouldings.

Inside there's a new dashboard (lifted from the company's S Max passenger car), seats and colour scheme; and it works well, giving the Connect a modern, progressive look.

Also now fitted as standard are ESP, traction control and hill launch assist.

On the road the Ford feels, well, pretty much like the old version, and that's a good thing.

It retains that bullet-proof quality, making it easy to drive and live with. Steering and suspension provide excellent communication, while handling is failsafe whether laden or unladen.

And this inner strength also gives an insight into the ownership costs for the Connect. Build quality is among the best in class making this a van that'll stand the test of time, retaining its value when the time comes to selling.

THE VERDICT

The latest version of Ford's Connect continues to garner our respect thanks to its all-round class. It might be putting on the years; however the update does enough to maintain its position as arguably the best small van on the market.

Engine: 1.8-litre Duratorq TDCi

Power: 74, 89, 109hp

Torque: 175, 220, 250Nm

Transmission: Five-speed manual

Payload: 607-902kg

Price: TBA

Taking a practical approach to fuel economy is Ford's Transit ECOnetic, which combines a number of features to shave off mpg.

They include improved rolling resistance tyres, a shift indicator light to inform the driver of optimal gear changing, modified engine calibration and low friction oil, a standard 70mph speed limiter and low-drag wheel covers.

There's also shorter gearing in first gear for improved pull away performance and a longer top gear which is claimed to improve highway fuel economy by 10%.

Currently only available in 280SWB 2.2-litre 115 TDCi guise, Ford claims the ECOnetic can achieve 39.2mpg on a combined cycle, while average CO2 output is 189 g/km.

Due to its specific design the ECOnetic isn't expected to sell in great numbers, however don't be surprised to see this approach replicated by the likes of Mercedes and Volkswagen, who've already exhibited similar modifications on show vans.

And unsurprisingly it drives just like any other Transit, which means it steers, handles and goes without any discernable negatives.

The engine is well mated to the new six-speeder and gives a nice spread of torque from low-down, avoiding the need to use the revs.

Inside, the cabin retains its high degree of practicality, though the overall dimensions are a little tight for taller drivers.

THE VERDICT

If the ECOnetic's modifications seem a little underwhelming in terms of technology, they also make practical sense at this point in time.

By focusing on the vehicle's existing areas of energy expunging and combining the results you get a van that requires little extra investment and no alteration in ownership/servicing.

Combine this with an informed driving style and you should significant gains in fuel economy.

Engine: 2.2-litre Duratorq TDCi

Power: 114hp

Torque: 300Nm

Transmission: Six-speed manual

Payload: 1,097kg

Price: TBA

Ford Fiesta Van. We've had the ice age, stone age, rock ages and now the digital age and CM is embracing this brave new world by taking our industry-benchmarking roadtests online and on camera.
"This will be easy" I though to myself but as you can see in the next video. However, things aren't as easy as they seem. Placement, posture and confidence are all vital ingredients but a good memory is your greatest ally, only this time my memory failed me with disastrous (for me) and hilarious (for you) consequences.

At the end of the very long day you'll be pleased to know that we actually managed to fashion a proper workable video out of all that. Keep checking back to roadtransport.com to see the proper Ford Fiesta Van video.

Double-cab commercials are still considered niche vehicles, not only because they have reduced payload but because the market for shuttling a small workforce to work sites is frankly not big either.

Despite this, Ford has accounted for every eventuality and has stuck with the double-cab version for operators with that exact business requirement. Enter the Transit double-cab, or as Ford calls it, double cab-in-van.

Roadtransport.com has been given the keys to the test track and the Ford Transit 280 2.2-litre 140. Want to know what it's like? Watch the video below on RTTV... now also available in HD.

On first impressions we thought this PSA Group/Fiat developed van to produced the Nemo/Bipper/Fiorino was a tad too small for most tastes.
However to show that we're open minded about such things we've taken an example on a long-term test and this being the Fiat version it gets its own engine - a 1.3-litre unit from the company's acclaimed Multi-jet range producing 75hp and 190Nm of torque.
Available in two trim levels - priced £9,360 and £10,035 respectively - the base model gets ABS with EBD, ladder bulkhead, radio/CD player and not much else, while the LX (our test vehicle) adds remote central locking, electric windows and nearside sliding door.
Small van, small engine, do we need to continue? The laden run for the Fiorino produced an impressive 51.4mpg, while unladen the figure of 55.8mpg gave some insight into its potential when running light.
Packing a load volume of 2.5m cubed is not a bad deal considering, and this extends to 2.8m cubed when you spec the folding passenger seat option (£85). This combines with a payload of 610kg, which again is impressive for a van of this size.
It's a given that the Fiorino's interior isn't going to be a palatial spread, but tight packaging has made it far from a squeeze. Importantly, for a vehicle this size and its assumed role, driver access is more than adequate, and with the ladder bulkhead there's enough rear seat travel to allow for sufficient leg room (though a previous encounter with the full height bulkhead option reduces this).
Complementing the arrangement is an adjustable (for reach and rake) steering wheel and a seat that comes with lumbar support and arm rest as standard - a smart move that'll be appreciated on the urban grind.
Of course being compact it's highly manoeuvrable around town, with the quick steering allowing you to change direction smartly, but it's out on the open road where the Fiorino really surprises.
It feels exceptionally stable and confident at high speeds, with little disturbance from cross-winds and larger passing vehicles.
This is helped by the perennially smooth Fiat Multijet engine. It's a more tempting proposition than the equivalent 1.3-litre unit used by its Citroen/Peugeot counterparts and allows for a relaxed driving experience; however this good work is partly negated by the sloppy five-speed shift that's noticeably loose in operation, slowing down the swapping of cogs due to ill defined gates.
By adding its own Multi-jet engine to the mix, Fiat has enhanced its version of this little van.
Fiat's take is by no means a step up in overall power; it's more about the progressive way it delivers it, plus it's smoother and more fuel efficient than the Citroen/Peugeot offering.
This positive compliments the Fiorino's impressive overall ability, which tricks you into thinking you're driving a larger vehicle - in a good way.

To read the full road test check out the 30 July issue of Commercial Motor

There are few commercial vehicles that cross the business divide and gain recognition in the wider public psyche. Ford's Transit is one example, leading the way in a mass movement of tradesman (and tools) that has become as much a part of the landscape as the Premiership and Tikka Masala. And Toyota's Hilux is another. Whether in this country, were it dates back to 1972 or abroad, where it has backed revolutions, shipped drugs and saved lives. What we have here is the sixth generation version, complete with 2009 facelift, which adds a restyled exterior, tweaked suspension and larger brakes, while the D-4D 3.0-litre version (producing 169hp) gets a five-speed transmission to replace the previous four-speeder. Prices start at £13,995 for the single-cab HL2 120 and rise to £21,795 for our all-singing, all-dancing test vehicle, the automatic Invincible. While the addition of an extra cog wasn't going to produce any revelation in terms of fuel consumption, it did lift the figure from 30.1mpg to 31.0mpg for a laden run, while unladen saw it creep up to 35.0mpg from 34.5mpg. In the rear a payload of 1,075kgs stands up well, while the load bed dimensions work out at 1.0m cubed. The Hilux also provides arguably the best cabin in the class,from the driving position, which is commanding without being overbearing, to the clarity of the control layout, the it avoids any pick-up clichés. On the move the suspension tweaks are impressive producing possibly the most confident riding pick-up on-road. While off-toad no matter what the conditions are thrown at it, it remains unruffled, digging in with confidence, while the suspension does a good job of soaking up peaks and troughs without transferring the action into the cabin. Contributing to this effectiveness is the 3.0-litre engine. Full of torque and urgency, it offers more than enough power to get up any gradient without stressing, allowing you to concentrate on staying on track. If we had to pick a machine to go into battle with, or just off-road, the Hilux would be at the top of the list.

The timing for Ford's launch of the latest version of its Ranger pick-up is a strange one especially when one considers the market for these types of vehicles is down nearly 50% for 2009.

Despite the numbers, Ford has taken the view that attack is the best form of defence and it is hoping the updated Ranger will bring about a return to the happy times.

Four trim levels are on offer starting with the base XL, followed by the XLT, Thunder and finally the range-topping Wildtrak. Softer styling, engine refinement and commanding driving position ticks all the right boxes and the Ranger is one of the few commercial vehicles that manages to be comfortable, luxurious and practical all at the same time.

We're not sure about the Wildtrak's on-road performance, which is mainly down to the larger 18-inch wheels and tyres that fail to soak-up bumps in the road.

Off-road the Ranger is as you'd expect it to be, but with the anti-stall device installed (principally designed to stop the dual-mass flywheel from overheating) it makes off-road driving a little too simple and unengaging.

If you're in the market for a tough, reliable and comfortable pick-up then the revised Ranger is definitely worth a look. The revisions help to increase appeal as does the high level of specification on each respective variant. Read the rest of the first drive in Commercial Motor 27 August.