First drive: Farizon is gunning for electric Ford Transit with new SV van

The van market used to be so simple. Traditionally, there were just a handful of models from the most famous names in the automotive world, and not much changed from year to year.

But just as the world of cars has to get used to an onslaught of new electric car brands, so too is the van market. Meet the latest brand to appear in the UK that wants to shake up the old world order of vans – Farizon and its SV.

You probably haven’t heard of Farizon before. It’s Chinese, and just like a whole host of other brands, it’s had a quick upbringing. It was born in 2016 by the powerhouse Geely, which also owns the likes of Volvo, Lotus, Polestar, and the London Electric Vehicle Company..

Geely is now expanding its Farizon commercial vehicles brand outside of China, with the SV (which stands, rather amazingly, for Super Van) designed and built for Europe. The SV competes in the 3,500kg GVW van sector, and with its electric powertrain it rivals heavyweights like the Ford E-Transit Custom and Vauxhall Vivaro Electric.

There are three battery options. The entry- and mid-level battery packs are lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and are rated at 67kWh and 83kWh. They are available for the standard L1 and mid-sized L2 variants and offer a range of between 177 and 234 miles. The longest L3 wheelbase version gets either the 83kWh battery or a 106kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) pack, with Farizon claiming this version can travel between 204 (83kWh) and 247 (106kWh) miles between charges.

All batteries use cell-to-pack technology, which reduces weight while increasing battery capacity and body rigidity, and they are hooked up to just one 228bhp motor that drives the front wheels. There’s also 3.3kW vehicle-to-load technology, which allows you to charge other electrical devices from the van’s battery, and the van can tow up to 2,000kg.

It’s a bit of a cliche, but this van has a ‘car-like’ driving experience thanks to a front suspension setup similar to that of a performance car. The SV’s double wishbone front suspension gives it a really keen cornering ability, with the van feeling very agile and, dare we say it, sporty. The suspension set-up also gives a very balanced ride quality – even on speed humps and scarred tarmac, the SV is very smooth, not just for a van but in general. The SV also feels quick, but admittedly our test was with the van unladen.

It’s just a shame then that the steering is completely lifeless – you can blame Farizon’s decision to use drive-by-wire technology for this, with steering, throttle, brakes and shifting being carried out by wires rather than physical items – and the range of annoying driver assistance tech. Bongs, bleeps and warning sounds are frequently emitted, sometimes for no apparent reason – it’s something which will likely infuriate stressed-out delivery drivers on a tight schedule.

Farizon is making a big thing about the way the SV looks, and for the most part the firm has succeeded. It has a very different look to the Ford E-Transit Custom, for example, particularly with its slim headlights and the black painted section that stretches from mirror to mirror. But there’s certainly a whiff of Renault Trafic about it, especially at the rear, in our eyes.

The current line-up has three different body sizes, but Farizon promises the SV will spawn a whole range of body styles for different uses and purposes.

Climb up into the driver’s seat and the SV feels more SUV and commercial vehicle, with the dashboard design feeling very modern and, sigh, car-like. A row of centrally placed heater controls is pleasing to see, and the display for the driver is of a good size and easy to read – it even has a neat tool called ‘payload monitoring system’, which measures the weight of load in the back so you don’t exceed the van’s maximum legal weight. What’s not so good is the lack of reach adjustment on the steering wheel, flimsy plastics in certain areas, and, rather amazingly, an absence of cupholders. The window switches also work in the opposite way you’d expect them to.

In the back, the standard L1 H1 variant with the 67kWh pack can carry a 6.95 cubic metre payload and up to 1,350kgs, while the largest L3 H3 has a 13 cubic metre capacity with a maximum payload of 1,045kgs. The SV also has no b-pillar, in theory allowing greater access to the cargo area, while the rear doors can open up 180 degrees or 270 degrees if you pay extra.

There’s only one specification and Farizon has thrown in a lot of equipment. While the 12.3-inch touchscreen isn’t the most intuitive system to use, it does come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while other luxuries include heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel and windscreen, and a whole host of safety equipment.

In terms of pricing, the smallest SV is toe-to-toe with the smallest E-Transit Custom with prices starting at £45,000, excluding VAT. The largest L3 H3 models come in at £56,000, again, excluding VAT.

The van market is likely to be going through its biggest change in decades, with a whole swathe of new brands entering the UK market to challenge the traditional players. The Farizon SV is a likeable van with a stylish design and some neat features to make it stand out.

But it doesn’t do anything remarkably better than the established competition, and it’s an unproven product. We’d expect it to be bought by independent customers rather than massive fleets that depend on familiarity and proven technology.