Looking for an EOFY van? Then turn away because here are the funky vans Australians aren't allowed to drive... yet!

Vans are big business nowadays.

Even through stock shortages, sales are up, as the boom in online shopping and home deliveries continues unabated. Australians cannot get enough of what vans can bring. They’re here, they’re there, they’re everywhere.

Except… maybe not quite everywhere.

Here is a list of the vans unavailable in Australia which we would like to see here. Some are slated to eventually launch and others are off the table, but all are interesting in their own, special way.

With the hapless Mitsubishi Express now discontinued, there are even fewer options than before, so let’s go!

Ford Transit Courier

Built in Turkey by Ford Otosan (which also produces the larger Transit range sold in Australia), the Transit Courier is based on the Ford Fiesta supermini platform (of ST hot-hatch fame), though you wouldn’t know it by the very boxy, very practical shape.

But what might give the game away is the Courier’s super-agile handling and lively turbo performance, making it ideal for darting in and out of tight urban streets on the smell of an oily rag. Australia needs more tiny but terrific vans like this. Especially if Ford were to stick an ST engine in one. We can only dream…

Arrival Electric Van

Designed, engineered and built in Britain (and from 2023 in the US), the Arrival that’s being launched globally next year is heralded by its maker as the first electric vehicle that will cost the same as its petrol and diesel rivals.

A futuristic van with scalable proportions and body configurations to suit various needs, it is basically how you’d image an inexpensive Tesla van to look like inside and out, with a sparse but hugely practical interior and 100 per cent battery electric motivation. Battery sizes vary, offering up to 340km range.

If the Arrival’s claims are true, it might revolutionise the van market worldwide.

VW ID. Buzz

In the van universe, the ID. Buzz is the most anticipated launch of this year, melding emotionally-charged mid-century Kombi looks with an advanced electrified architecture.

To be rolled out in Europe from later this year­, it will be offered in two-seater Cargo van or five-seater Pro guises, bringing up to 500km of range in the biggest-battery versions. It won’t be cheap, but there’s little doubt VW has a modern classic on its hands. Bring it on, we say.

Honda N-Van

An upright micro van, the Honda N-Van is meant to evoke the ‘60s cool of the original N360 runabout that was one of the company’s earliest automotive hits, within the city-friendly packaging of the narrow-bodied, tall-boy Kei-class vehicle class that’s forever massive in Japan.

With around 650cc of power from an I3 petrol engine, this isn’t about performance or handling, but rather responsible eco-motoring and hyper-efficient packaging. As our cities become more congested, the N-Van is made for our times.

Kia PBV

Earlier this year, Kia announced the PBV – its Purpose Built Vehicle line with modularity to create a host of different types of vehicles, including a delivery van that maximises interior space within a compact external footprint.

Underpinned by Hyundai Motor Group’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) as per the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5, it will be an all-electric proposition as a result, and is expected to be one of a host of EVs the company will launch within the next three years.