Top 5 best small vans for city deliveries

Looking for something to get you and your precious cargo around your local congested city centre? Compact practicality and versatility are the order of the day for these small delivery vans.

When squeezing through narrow city streets, avoiding potholes and poorly placed road bins, there’s surely no one thinking “I wish I was in a bigger, less manoeuvrable vehicle”. This is the magic of a small van — car-like driving characteristics, the ability to fit into standard parking space, and that’s before we get into the low purchase and running costs.

Couriers, florists, delicatessen food delivery drivers, dog walkers… we have you all in mind with this list of the best small work vans for shifting around urban environments.

5. Volkswagen Caddy Cargo

Had an eye on the new VW Golf 8.5, but real-world responsibilities got in the way? This may be the small work van for you. 

On top of the distinctive aesthetic of a Golf exterior, a few more carry-overs help set the Volkswagen Caddy Cargo apart. This small van has also inherited nimble handling from its hot-hatch relative. Couple that with ride and interior quality on par with VW’s car range — and you’ll be carving though cityscape traffic in comfort. Although if you do get stuck stationary, your only source of comfort will be a slightly unpopular infotainment system, relying a little too heavily on clunky touchscreen controls (you guessed it, it came from a Golf).

The sliding side doors — found as standard throughout this list — give easy access to the Caddy’s 3.1m³ cubic meters of cargo space in any parking spot. The Caddy Cargo offers plenty of room for the average store-to-door delivery, but less room than some entries further down our list, and the lack of through-loading bulkhead limits this further.

4. Citroën Ami Cargo

A bit of a cheeky inclusion from us? Maybe, especially considering the lack of sliding doors — but hear us out, we think we’re onto something here. 

At this point we all know the lovable Citroën Ami, but did you know this top rated tiny vehicle for urban life has commercial edition? The passenger seat has been replaced by a series of clever shelves and partitions, bringing the total load capacity up to 0.4m³.  

That may not sound like much (because it isn’t), and when paired with the range of only 47 miles, alarms may be ringing. However, considering that the Ami Cargo charges from a domestic socket in just three hours, and was designed as a “last mile delivery” vehicle, things make a little more sense.

With tightening speed restrictions, and enforcement of low emission zones across in UK city centres, we see a future-proofed electric delivery van for local businesses looking for to set their brand apart during bespoke deliveries.

The Ami’s urban credentials are well established at this point, with a 7.2 turning circle to make light work of even the smallest parking spot. The snappy acceleration (as a result of weighing next to nothing) also makes this a great candidate for the equally forward-thinking Continental CityPlus concept, smoothing off that stop-and-go sharpness, and making the most of the limited range.

3. Toyota Proace City

This nippy delivery van has recently undergone a facelift, alongside the rest of the Proace family. Updating more than just its looks, new storage capabilities and powertrain options give the Toyota Proace City an edge over many features of our previous entries. 

Like the Ami Cargo, the Proace also has electric version for easily navigating inner cities, with a far greater 205-mile range — just a little less fun! 

With its own distinctive styling and build quality akin to the VW Caddy Cargo, coupled with a “Smart Cargo System” providing a whopping 4.4m³ of storage space, we think the Proace City lives up to its name for anyone looking to navigate the streets carrying everything, including the kitchen sink.

2. Ford Transit Courier

Pilfering the SUV like drivability and build quality from its Ford Puma underpinnings, the Ford Transit Courier raises the bar yet further.  

Undercutting the price of its small work van rivals by at least a couple thousand pounds at £16,200 (ex VAT), and with the fuel economy to match, the Courier stands out through its cost effectiveness — especially cheap for something with a Ford badge on the front. 

This fuel economy comes hand-in-hand with a smooth driving experience, saving further cash in stop start traffic by protecting any fragile goods stored in the ample 3.7m³ cargo space. If these fragile goods happen to be alive (dog walkers, this bits for you), rear and bulkhead window options are available.

1. Renaut Kangoo

You might have seen one coming following our last chat about the Renault Kangoo — with the all-rounder definitely having city driving within its skillset.

It's got it all; compact size, 4.2m³ cargo space, small car-like drivability, low running costs, premium feel interior, an electric motor option... even improved looks to show off around town.

What more can we say? There's a reason it wins every award in sight, and we see no reason for the Renault Kangoo not to thrive in the big city.

But, is it your favourite? Let us know your go-to small work van for city driving.

Hero image credit: Ford