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Just come back from first trip to Spain in 15 years. Became mildly obsessed with the popularity of windowed vans of all sizes, some with extra seats, some not.

Like this one
Can anyone explain why this is? I presume it isn't just market-led, and has something to do with them (for example) being taxed lower than cars



Incidentally, standard of driving in Spain very good I thought, everyone indicates! My hire car was a 1.0 Kia Picanto which was without question the worst car I have ever driven. Gutless and the least composed high speed cornering I've ever experienced. At least it had aircon!

I have no idea what taxation regimes on this sort of vehicle abraod are but it might just be a cultural thing. Mediterranean countries tend to be inhabited by people who have larger families and who very often aren't quite as "image-conscious" as the Brits. For us, a car is so much more than a means of getting from "A" to "B"! Lots of major manufacturers sell passenger carrying versions of vehicle that are only available as vans over here. Peugeot, for example, have always had a "Combi" version of the "Expert" but, until very recently, only ever sold the van version over here and sold the 807 as the "people carrier". They simply didn't think there would be enough demand over her and everyone would prefer the luxury of the 807. Citroen did the same with the "Jumpy" (A Citroen Dispatch with seats and windows) on the continent but only the van version here.

Mercedes sell the Vito "Traveliner" here (and the Vito van) but interestingly, the "Traveliner" is sold through the van dealer network whereas the "Viano" (which is a Vito Traveliner in a party frock - i.e. slightly plushier carpets and trim) is sold through the passenger car retail outlets.

Also, on a point of pure pedantry here, they are NOT "vans with windows"!!!! Similarly, the goods versions aren't "cheap people-carriers without seats and windows"!

When a major manufacturer sets out to build a vehicle of that saize, he invariably has both the passnger and the goods version on the drawing board at the same time! It's not like they design the van, put it into production and then say "I know, let's put some windows and seats in it"!