Best Small Crew Vans to Buy in 2026

01/12/2025 16:38 Share

Best Small Crew Vans to Buy in 2026

If your business is in the market for a compact, economical multi-purpose people mover that can double as a commercial vehicle, then you need a Small Crew Van - but which are the best Small Crew Vans out there right now?

While they may be broadly termed ‘small vans’ on account of their size relative to larger panel vans on the market, that isn’t to say the many models available in this segment are short on space.

In fact, while they may be ‘small’ on the outside by comparison, these vans are much larger on the inside than you may think.

So much so that most small vans on sale right now are available with an equivalent Crew Van version, boasting five seats while retaining a sizeable cargo bay to stow equipment securely.

It’s no coincidence that several small vans are available as converted passenger vehicles – such as the Citroen Berlingo and Ford Tourneo (Transit) Connect - with up to seven seats, but the Crew Vans are by comparison designed to provide convenient capacity to carry both passengers and cargo.

But which are the very best Small Crew Vans for your business?

Buy A New Small Van With Vansdirect

Leasing a new small crew van with Vansdirect has never been easier or better value for your business.

Get the right van at the right deal, fast and hassle-free, including the Citroen Berlingo, Vauxhall Combo, Renault Kangoo and Ford Transit Connect.

Speak to our expert team today and you could be driving a new crew van sooner than you expected for less than you think.

What is a Crew Van?

A Crew Van blurs the lines between a conventional panel van and a passenger model by offering at least five seats for driver and passenger, while retaining a sizeable load bay.

They are occasionally referred to with different titles depending on the model, with terms such as Double Cab, Crew Cab and Kombi among the derivatives used by manufacturers.

What Are The Benefits of Crew Vans?

- Offer the best of both worlds by having seating for additional passengers with a sizeable cargo area, plus the security that comes with a covered panel van.

- Seating for at least five people, including the driver. Some larger crew vans offer as many as six seats across two rows of seating.

- Allows businesses the opportunity to transport more people in one vehicle, thus reducing the need for larger fleets and making it more cost-effective

- Many crew vans have the flexibility to be folded or move the rear seat bench to open up more cargo space like a van when they are not in use

How Big is a Small Crew Van?

Which Engine Is Best for a Small Van?

- Turbodiesel
Turbodiesel engines are the most commonplace choice for small vans and are thus widely available across the sector. Diesel engines are renowned for strong torque lower in the rev range, making it ideal for hauling heavy payloads, and delivering superior fuel economy

- Petrol
A handful of popular small van options – including the Renault Kangoo and Nissan Townstar – are available with the option of a petrol engine. More affordable than diesel to buy, they are also cleaner and more efficient in lower speed environments such as cities and towns.

- Electric
With zero exhaust emissions and requiring only the cost of recharging either at home or with a public device, electric small vans greatly reduce running costs and are significantly kinder to the environment.

- Plug-in Hybrid
Often paired with a petrol engine, plug-in hybrids offer the best of both worlds with a small battery unit enabling up to 70 miles of driving on electric power alone (Ford Transit Connect PHEV, Volkswagen Caddy eHybrid), while retaining the reassurance of engine power too.

The Best Small Crew Vans in 2026

Citroen Berlingo Crew Van
Peugeot Partner CrewCab
Vauxhall Combo Crew Van
FIAT Doblo Crew Van

Spun off from the same small van platform developed by Stellantis, the Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner, FIAT Doblo and Vauxhall Combo transfer their many talents from panel van to crew van with ease.

In standard panel van guise, the quartet already present class-leading levels of cargo space and payload, traits it continues to maintain when converted to accommodate an additional row of seating.

In this instance, the crew van is based on the larger L2 specification of each model, referred to as XL for the Berlingo, Long for the Partner and XL for the Combo.

Each model features a moveable bulkhead that can be slid into place behind the rear bench when it is in use, thus separating the cabin space from the cargo bay.

However, the rear seats can be folded into the floor when not in use, while the bulkhead can be slid to behind the front seats, thus opening up a fuller cargo area.

With five seats in place, cargo space is 1.8 cubic metres, increasing to 3.5 cubic metres when the rear bench is folded.

One thing to note, however, is there are no rear windows in line with the second row of seats. This has been done to increase security by shrouding items from view when the van is being used predominantly for cargo space.

Ford Transit Connect FlexCab
Volkswagen Caddy Cargo Flexible

What makes the crew van versions of the sister Ford Transit Connect and Volkswagen Caddy Cargo stand out from their rivals is their availability in both short and long wheelbase form.

Where rivals like the Berlingo and Kangoo offer just one crew van variation based on the extended length or longer wheelbase body styles of each model, the Transit Connect and Caddy Cargo have a crew van based on both SWB/LWB panel van options.

Referred to as FlexCab by Ford and Flexible by Volkswagen, for outright passenger and cargo capacity, the LWB/Maxi body styles offer greater versatility with up to 3.2 cubic metres of load space in two-seat mode.

Both models use an ingenious bit of packaging to shift the rear bench for a larger cargo area.

Using a lever, the seat bench lifts and straightens up as it is pulled forward, forming a secure partition that separates the front seats from the cargo area, much like a bulkhead.

Renault Kangoo Crew Van
Nissan Townstar Crew Van
Mercedes-Benz Citan Crew Van

Based on the L2/LWB versions of their respective panel vans, the closely related Renault Kangoo, Nissan Townstar and Mercedes-Benz Citan Crew Vans are among the most practical and flexible options in the small van class.

Adopting a similar seat-folding system to the Ford and Volkswagen, it is possible lift and pull the rear bench seat up to form a bulkhead behind the front two seats when not in use.

With the seats out of position, load capacity increases to 3.1 cubic metres, while even with the seats in place, there is still a generous 2.1 cubic metres available.

Moreover, being based on the long wheelbase body styles means all three are easily accessed via wide sliding door apertures, while each crew van comes with a set of tinted rear windows.