The era of compact vans is coming to an end: models of this class are being discontinued one after another without direct replacements or are being replaced by comparable‑sized crossovers. It’s a pity, because as family vehicles these cars are almost priceless: relatively inexpensive, maximally practical, and some can carry up to seven people at once. In short, get them while you can. In some cases, it’s still possible to import a passing model from Europe by year of production and engine displacement. Otherwise — welcome to the “Auto Yard,” where you can find cars from local sellers.

What this text is about

BMW 2 Active Tourer / Gran Tourer (since 2014)
Citroen C4 (Grand) Picasso II / (Grand) SpaceTourer (2013—2022)
Ford (Grand) C‑Max II (2010—2019)
Opel Zafira Tourer (2011—2019)
Renault (Grand) Scenic IV (2016—2023)
Volkswagen Touran (since 2015)
Dacia / Renault Lodgy (2012—2022)
Mercedes B‑class (2018—2026)
Toyota Verso (2009—2018)
Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan (2014—2020)

This article has already been published on Onlíner. We have updated and expanded it — the list of models has become even more accurate and up‑to‑date.

BMW 2 Active Tourer / Gran Tourer (since 2014)

The front‑wheel‑drive compact van from BMW? Twenty years ago, that was unimaginable, but at the time the Bavarian company decisively set about expanding its model range, and here’s the result. The UKL platform implies a certain degree of unification with a number of Mini models, but in terms of style and practicality this vehicle should be compared with the X1 and X2 crossovers,

And here it is, one of the most beloved cars among Belarusians. In particular, the larger (and more expensive) 7‑seat version with the Grand suffix is even more popular. The car was produced for a long nine years, from 2013 to 2022. By the way, the long‑wheelbase model stayed on the assembly line two years longer than the standard one. In 2018 the usual name was replaced with SpaceTourer, but fundamentally nothing changed. What is actually important, however, is that the French compact van did not receive a direct successor. The approximate price range on our market is from 30 to 60 thousand rubles.

Belarusians prefer diesel variants. Early models were equipped with 1.6 HDI/BlueHDI engines (92–120 hp), later ones with 1.5 BlueHDI (130 and 150 hp), and a 2.0 BlueHDI engine (150 and 163 hp) was also available. The Blue suffix in the index indicates the presence of a urea injection system. Petrol versions are also sold—they are fitted with 3‑cylinder turbocharged 1.2 PureTech engines (110–130 hp), a 1.6‑liter “atmospheric” VTi (120 hp), or 1.6

The third generation of Zafira, unfortunately, became the last: the Zafira Life minivan that replaced it belongs to a different class of vehicles. Let's recall that the German compact minivan by default has a 7-seat interior, and the second row is a solid bench that moves on sliders in the longitudinal direction. This is also a feature of the model, since some of its "classmates" still offer separate seats for all passengers.

For the Zafira Tourer, a wide and diverse range of engines is characteristic: you can choose a 1.8-liter "atmospheric" engine (140 hp) or prefer turbo engines 1.4 or 1.6 (120-200 hp), and there are versions among them that work on both liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG). And let's not forget about the diesel options: various versions of 1.6 and 2.0 engines provided a power range of 120-195 hp. The price range is from 27 to 48 thousand rubles, although individual copies can cost more.

Renault (Grand) Scenic IV (2016-2023)

The fourth generation delights with its expressive design, but puzzles with 20-inch wheels in the standard version. However, in other respects, the car retains all the advantages of its predecessor: a spacious and well-transformable interior, rich equipment, and a wide range of engines.

Even in our secondary market, not everything is limited to just one 1.5-liter diesel engine (110 hp), as it was with the third generation of the model. So, there are enough cars with diesel engines with a volume of 1.6 and 1.7 liters (130-150 hp), especially if we are talking about the 7-seat Grand Scenic. In addition, there are plenty of offers for gasoline engines. First and foremost, this concerns the 1.3-liter turbo engine (113-163 hp), but there are also instances with the base 1.2 TCe (115-132 hp). The price range, accordingly, is from 36 to 63 thousand rubles. As they say, there is a choice for every taste and wallet.

Volkswagen Touran (since 2015)

This generation of the model is already based on the MQB platform and is technically close to the Golf VII, which is why it has corresponding driving qualities, familiar power units, and modern driving assistants. Compared to its predecessor, the car has become slightly larger and still offers a third row of seats as an option, but unlike French competitors, Volkswagen did not develop two versions of the wheelbase and body length for its compact van.

The most significant competitive advantage to this day and in the near future is that this model is still being produced, so there should be no problems with the availability of fresh specimens for now. The only snag is the price. Even the cheapest specimens cost around 40 thousand rubles, and cars that are 4-5 years old can easily cost 60 thousand rubles or more.

Of course, the cost is also affected by customs clearance costs. Only various versions of the 1.5 TSI petrol turbo engine (150 hp) are "passable" in terms of volume and age, since the junior versions 1.0 TSI, 1.2 TSI, and 1.4 TSI (115-150 hp) are already over five years old. Among diesels, the 1.6 TDI (110-115 hp) will be cheaper, but the 2.0 TDI (115-190 hp) will be expensive in any case. On the other hand, considering the high liquidity of the model, overpaying may make sense.

Dacia / Renault Lodgy (2012-2022)

This 5- or 7-seat compact van is built on the Renault B0 platform, which means that from a technical point of view, it differs little from the Duster, Logan, and Sandero. Cheap and cheerful? Yes, but at the same time practical and economical - in the case of the 1.5 dCi diesel engine (90-116 hp). The 1.6 petrol "atmospheric" engine (83-103 hp) is significantly more voracious, but in some markets, the car was also offered in a gas version, and you can also install LPG on it in a specialized workshop. And from Europe, cars with a 1.2 TCe turbo engine (116 hp) are sometimes brought in.

In terms of gearboxes, the variability is modest: depending on the engine, there will be either a 5-speed or 6-speed gearbox, no "automatics", "robots", or "variators". But that's understandable: with them, the price would be higher. And Lodgy is all about economy. But there is indeed a lot of space in it. And the main thing is that even the freshest specimens of 2020-2022 will not cost more than 45-47 thousand rubles.

Mercedes B-class (2018—2026)

The third generation of the B-class became the last: this model will not have a direct successor. Even a gradual departure from the compact van format did not help, as the car with the W247 index is rather a high hatchback. In fact, this type of body is indicated in many catalogs and other sources. And yes, this is still a front-wheel drive Mercedes. But people have gotten used to it.

On our market, mainly cars with passable engines are represented - a 1.3-liter gasoline engine (109-163 hp) and a 1.5 DCI diesel engine (95-116 hp), although there were also 2.0-liter versions. Early model year cars can be even cheaper than 60,000 rubles, but more recent cars cost around 70,000 rubles and even more.

Toyota Verso (2009—2018)

Yes, this model was produced only until 2018, so even cars from the last years of production cannot be called brand new. But this Toyota is still worth mentioning, especially since there are almost no analogs from other Japanese or Korean manufacturers left.

An undeniable plus of this aging model is its time-tested components. Especially if we are talking about gasoline versions with atmospheric engines of 1.6 and 1.8 liters, with a power of 132 and 147 hp, respectively. On the market, you can also find diesel cars with a 1.6 D-4D diesel engine (112 hp), but versions with 2.0 D-4D and 2.2 D-4D engines are aging. In any case, before deciding on a diesel Toyota, it's worth consulting with a service center: these engines have their own nuances.

Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan (2014—2020)

Wait, we already have the Touran in our review, so what's this other Golf about? You don't understand, it's different. Probably, nobody understands why it was necessary to insert another related model between the regular Golf (hatchback or wagon) and the compact van Touran — especially considering the company had a utility option in the form of the Caddy Life. But then the Golf Plus appeared, and subsequently, the Golf Sportsvan was developed on the MQB platform. It has a 500-liter trunk, a rear sofa that can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction, and a higher salon than the Golf.

A large part of the cars on our market have a 1.6 TDI diesel engine (90 or 110 horsepower), but gasoline versions are also common, usually with a 1.4 TSI turbo engine (125 and 150 horsepower), although there may be a 1.2 TSI (85-110 horsepower) and even a 1.0 TSI (85-115 horsepower). Most cars are equipped with a manual transmission, but 7-speed DSG "robots" can also be found. If we're talking about the freshest examples, then cars from 2018 to 2020 cost from 45 to 55 thousand rubles.