All-new Farizon SV (2025 - )

There are vans - and then there are vans. They are not the most thrilling vehicles on the road, yet vans serve us all, writes Tim Barnes-Clay. Without them, we might not have parcels delivered or roadside assistance (the horror!). You name it, vans are workhorses serving the UK and its people well. 

Yes, we’ve all taken the mickey out of ‘White Van Man’ – but to these guys and gals – the kind of vehicle they drive is essential. Comfort, efficiency load capacity – all these elements are part of the “which van should I go for?” decision. That said, unless you’re the business owner, you may not get to choose your van – you’ll be given what you’re given if you work as a driver for someone else. Certainly, if it’s a bigger firm, somewhere up the chain, there’ll be a fleet manager – and they’ll decide which vans to get. 

Farizon Auto, a subsidiary of Geely Technology Group, hopes that its new Farizon SV will attract the attention of fleet managers. As a manufacturer of zero-emission electric vehicles, it focuses on producing vans, trucks, and buses. Currently, the company holds a 20% market share in China and is working on expanding its presence internationally, including in Europe. As part of this effort, the SV van has been launched in the UK through Jameel Motors. Let's take a closer look at this model.
 

It is challenging to get all excited about a van's styling, but the technology part might be more interesting, especially when it comes to the SV. Anyway, the Farizon does look a bit different from the average van you see on the roads of Britain, and the SV offers the highest load capacity in its class – 5% to 20% more than competitors. It provides a driving experience akin to passenger cars - but more on that later.

Featuring Farizon’s 'Urban Efficient Aesthetics,' the SV has a sleek look, distinctive LED lights, and an aerodynamic profile that achieves a drag coefficient of just 0.29 Cd.

The van’s interior is quite plasticky but focuses on safety by introducing high-tech convenience elements. Functions such as driving modes and air conditioning are easily accessible through physical buttons on the dashboard, eliminating any form of distraction. Features include automatic lighting with Intelligent High Beam Control, Traffic Sign Recognition, Hill Hold Control, and a 360-degree surround view.

The Multi-Function Heated steering wheel provides easy control of Intelligent Cruise Control, the Intelligent Speech Assistant, and telephone functions, with digital displays controlled on the right. A seven-inch colour digital driver's display shows the main instruments and allows customisable information.

A 12.3-inch floating touchscreen is also situated at the top of the SV's centre console. It provides access to navigation, multimedia playback, online streaming, Bluetooth, and wireless Apple CarPlay - although it can be a bit arthritic and isn’t the most intuitive to use.

The Farizon SV employs cell-to-pack battery technology, which connects the individual battery cells directly to the pack rather than relying on separate modules. This advancement increases battery capacity by 10%, reduces weight by 4%, and enhances body rigidity by 20% compared with conventional battery module configurations.

Available exterior colours include standard white and optional shades like Bamboo Green, Brocade Gold, Ink Black, Jade White, Pale Blue, and Porcelain Grey for an additional £550 plus VAT.

The SV's design allows the battery to be mounted further down in the van's chassis, leaving a lower cargo floor. This offers improved handling through a lower centre of gravity. Thus, the vehicle is also enhanced by having 16% more cargo room.

The Farizon SV features a sophisticated suspension system for increased stability. This includes a pioneering independent dual wishbone front suspension, a first in electric vans, and longitudinal rear leaf springs. Combined, these provide the comfort and handling response of a passenger car.

Indeed, the van - in 67 kWh or 83 kWh guise - has a top speed of 83mph - faster than is needed on the UK's roads. (Mind you, 'White Van Man' might disagree!) What's more, the SV delivers greater cornering lateral support, which is particularly beneficial when loaded. Put it this way: I didn't see any of my coffee spilt – but that's because I had my sealed coffee-to-go cup wedged between my legs. Why? It could be me (maybe my laser eye surgery hasn't worked as well as I thought?), but I couldn't find any cupholders.

Anyway, the Farizon SV also boasts an advanced steering system that improves handling and agility. The L1 tested here has a turning circle of 12.2 meters. Even better, the level of steering assistance can be governed through a mode selector button on the centre console. The steering is light and responsive when using Comfort Mode, while Sport Mode provides a more forceful feel for greater control at higher speeds.

The SV has an electro-hydraulic brake-by-wire braking system that is 4 kg lighter than traditional setups but maintains excellent stopping performance and lightning-quick response times. This gives you that additional air of confidence when driving. The SV will stop from 62 to 0mph in just 39 metres, quicker than the class average of 45 metres.

Enhanced integration between the braking system and the vehicle's Electronic Stability Control allows the SV to respond to your inputs in just 150 milliseconds, a significant improvement over the 400 milliseconds typical of conventional systems.

Additionally, the van's electrohydraulic brake-by-wire system provides outstanding brake energy recovery efficiency, with a maximum recoverability capability of 0.3 g. This assists the SV in obtaining an additional 5% range during everyday urban driving.

The centre console also has a switch to select among three levels of brake energy regeneration. The most aggressive setting enables the SV to be driven on one pedal.
 

With a spacious three-seat layout, the Farizon SV has several configurations: L1 H1, L1 H2, L2 H2, L2 H3, and L3 H3. The compact L1 H1 variant, driven here, measures 4,990 mm long, 1,980 mm high, and 1,980 mm wide. It delivers a cargo volume of 6.95 m³ and a maximum payload of 1,265 to 1,350 kg, depending on the battery. Its design focuses on spaciousness, lightweight materials, and ergonomics.

Unloading and loading the Farizon SV is easy, with a low loading height of 550 mm. Flexible fixing eyes, a fixed bulkhead, and a durable plastic floor lining are fitted on all models for cargo securing. Pre-drilled holes in the side panels allow for rapid and easy fixing of shelving and racking, too.

The absence of a B-pillar provides hassle-free nearside access, with an 82-degree front door to simplify entry and exit. The pillarless construction and a sliding side door on the L1 also facilitate a big side opening. Rear doors open optionally to 270 degrees to enable more effortless loading in tight spots.
 

However hard you try to convince yourself or others that vans are sexy - you know they’re not. But these aren’t meant to be vehicles you salivate over - they’re workhorses - tools of the road - nothing more, nothing less. It is all about money at the end of the day - and how much you can save your business. So, going electric makes sense. (Well, yes - and no; it depends on your business and how far your vans need to travel daily).

But for many companies, the Farizon SV will make sense. It is early days - and it’s a new brand - so people will be cautious at first - but, like any vehicle, they might be more (or less) convinced after a test drive.

This SV is no Ford Transit - but so what? Every make and model must start somewhere – and sometimes different is good. With prices starting from £45,000, a car-like drive, generous cabin and cargo space levels, cutting-edge powertrains, and a decent all-electric range, the SV makes a good case for itself.