But in this country I don't think we've seen a CDV made from an MPV before, though in Italy there's a van version of the Multipla.

However, Renault Ireland has just produced a van from its Grand Scenic. They call it the Scenic Express and, when compared to many of the SUV commercials, it rates very well indeed, especially without the expensive underpinnings that SUV derivatives have, like 4WD .

When you think about it, it's a wonder nobody thought of it before. There's probably a good market for a van in this segment . . . it certainly has greater potential than the relatively tiny proportion of the LCV market that comprises the AB and C CDVs here.

The Grand Scenic is, of course, the long wheel base version of the vehicle that started the whole compact MPV business. It is classy looking, very comfortable, and a good drive.

It has the advantage of a pair of side-loading doors, carried over from the passenger vehicle.

The conversion has been done very neatly and provides a completely flat floor at an easy loading height. There are fixed mounting points and a safety net comes as standard to stop light cargo drifting around. The load length is 1,830mm, width 1,055mm and height 850mm. The capacity is 2.24 cum and a payload of up to 675kg can be carried. If required, a fixed mesh bulkhead can be specified.

In the conversion the glass of the rear windows has been retained, so the Scenic Express looks just like a regular Scenic but with black privacy glass.

Derived from the five-star ENCAP-rated MPV, the Scenic Express also has all the safety elements of the base car, including six airbags and everything else that helped to make Renault the best in Europe in overall safety terms.

Renault Ireland sees the market for the Express as small to medium businesses in an urban setting. Power is from the 1.5 dCi diesel with 106bhp and a fuel consumption of 5.4 l/100km.

CO2 rating is 138 gm/km.

The price is 17,984 plus VAT.