But manufacturers have suddenly come alive to the fact that some people may not only want a van that’s practical but also something that looks great on the driveway too.

Hence we now have a stunning array of snazzy lookers on offer.
But this new van takes the biscuit in my eyes.

It’s a real head turner that should get the pulses racing among the van driving fraternity – especially if they go for the Sportvan on test here.

Fleet Van was invited to drive the new vehicle in pre-production format on the Ford test circuit at Dunton in Essex and with a series of fast banked curves on offer before us, it soon became clear that the Fiesta Sportvan is not just a cargo mover but also a very capable sports vehicle indeed.

Climbing aboard, the seats offer masses of side and lumbar support for when the going gets a bit frisky – and despite this van’s diminutive size, there’s plenty of legroom, even for six-footers like me.

Sadly, Ford has decided not to offer those ‘go-faster’ stripes that adorn the Transit and Transit Connect Sportvans.

Maybe they thought it was a step too far, although as a born and bred Essex boy, I think they would have just set off the whole shebang.

The dash, straight from the Fiesta car, is a dazzler indeed, with a mass of silvers and blacks.

Out on the track, I was tempted to push the van faster and faster as it coped with all those fast bends with the utmost aplomb. In the end my nerve gave out before the van’s did.

It’s top marks to Ford for adding ESP traction control as standard on this model, although it’s sadly still a paid-for option on base and Trend variants.

Mind you at least Ford does offer this safety device on Fiesta van – you can’t get it at all on certain rival models.

I can hear many fleet operators cringing at the thought of squealing tyres and the high costs that usually go with them.

And they’d be right – the Sportvan is mainly aimed at owner drivers.

But the fact of the matter is that even on the cheaper models, road handling is excellent and with the right sort of management (driver training, telematics systems etc) these vans will prove an extremely cost-effective option.

Verdict

Looks to die for, a low front-end price and excellent green credentials (check out those low diesel CO2 emissions figures below).

Ford has, in my view, regained the number one slot in the sector with this van.