IF THE new car market is moving ahead apace in terms of innovative ideas then the world of light commercials is keeping up with space solutions that would never have been dreamed of a few years ago.
Many companies are now downsizing in terms of vans in the name of efficiency and economy so the manufacturers have had their head down making a quart fit into a pint pot.
For instance, if you move down from a Transit sized van to a Renault Kangoo,you do had a problem with the occasional tall load.
So Renault designers have come up with the answer - a sliding roof panel.
This was fitted onto a Kangoo van I drove recently and left me wondering why it had not been done before.
The hatch slides open towards the front giving a 47cm by 1m wide gap surface to enable bulky items to be transported easily.
This is a godsend to firms like garden centres who have to transport tall plants and other operators with awkward loads that just will not fit into a Kangoo.
All you have to remember is not to forget car park height barriers and the like or the palm plant or tree will have an unwanted haircut.
The flap fastens securely once the van is unloaded and there is no compromise to vehicle security.
This is just one reason why Kangoo is long established as Europe's best selling compact van, with more than 1.3 million units sold since 1997.
It has the right mix of car-like ambience, comfort, and a friendly character in additional to a its high degree of load area practicality.
There are 21 versions of this van which is aimed primarily at urban use for all types of corporate customers, from small business owners to large fleets.
This model was the 1.5 ML19 dCi 105 which is one of the mainstream choices with operators.
The car-like driving qualities of this commercial are well known and paired with the top diesel engine of the range this is a rapid mover on the streets with a top speed of 106mph, 0-62mph acceleration of 13 seconds plus the bonus of a combined fuel consumption readout of 52.3mpg.
With easy opening rear doors and the availability of two handy side sliders, this is very much a van for all reasons.
FAST FACTS
Renault Kangoo 1.5 ML19 dCi 105
Price: £12,490
Max speed: 106mph
0-62mph: 13 seconds
Combined mpg: 52.3 seconds
CO2 emissions: 142g/km