Farizon SV Review & Prices

Farizon is a name you won’t have heard of before, but it’s not some fly-by-night company. It’s actually a branch of Geely Automotive, the same firm that owns Volvo, Lotus, Smart, Polestar and the London Taxi-manufacturing LEVC. Even despite this size, calling its first product the SV - short for Supervan - is a bold move.

But the Farizon SV is also a pretty bold van, from its styling to its onboard technology. It sits in an unusual halfway position, with the smallest versions comparable in size to medium panel vans such as the Ford E-Transit Custom, while the largest models skirt up against the likes of the Renault Master E-Tech.

With five body sizes and three battery options, it’s definitely trying to offer something for everyone. Think of it like the buffet dinner of vans - there should be something to suit your needs, but more specialised diets might be better off looking elsewhere.

The SV is a striking-looking vehicle, not unlike the smaller Kia PV5 in its detailing. The front end has a jutting lower bonnet with a blacked-out band across the middle containing the headlights and the illuminated Farizon logo. The charging port sits on the front right wing and there are aerodynamic wheel covers.

Farizon SV: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 177 - 247 miles
Efficiency: 2.1 - 2.6 mi/kWh
Battery size: 67kWh/83kWh/106kWh
Max charge speed: 120kW/140kW/120kW
Charge time AC: 6.5hr/9hr/10.5hr, 15-100%, 11kW
Charge time DC: 36-40mins, 20-80%, 120/140kW
Charge port location: Front right
Power outputs: 231hp

Most of the rest of the body is business as usual, though when you open the passenger door you’ll notice something strange about the construction - more on that later.

The Farizon’s cab is equally non-traditional with a smart and minimalist look. The driver’s display and infotainment screen are sensibly sized, and you get a few well-chosen physical buttons for key functions. Visibility out is good thanks to the large glass area at the front, and there’s loads of space for the driver to get comfortable.

Fit and finish isn’t the best, though, and storage for smaller items is very limited. As for the infotainment, it’s okay - but while iPhone users are catered for with Apple CarPlay, Android folks aren’t so lucky, being forced to use a very bootleg piece of screen-mirroring software.

The SV’s load area is pretty capacious and includes useful vehicle-to-load sockets, ideal for charging things like tool batteries from the van’s power supply. The smallest L1H1 model is comparable to a Ford E-Transit Custom in size, and from there you can increase size to L1H2, L2H2, L2H3 or the massive L3H3, which is nudging up against large panel vans in capacity. Shame there’s no long-wheelbase, low-roof model, though.

Payloads are up there with the best medium-sized panel vans, though they decrease as you go up in body size. Still, every model can carry over a ton, which is impressive, and the best model can carry an impressive 262kg more than a Ford E-Transit Custom.

There are also a trio of battery options depending on your bodystyle. The longest-range model is the L3H3 with the massive 106kWh battery - it’ll do up to 247 miles on a charge - but the smaller L1H1 with an 83kWh battery can still manage up to 234 miles.

To drive, the Farizon feels impressively normal - impressive because it’s a fully by-wire van, with no physical connection between the driving controls and the wheels. It rides over bumps in the road well, and it’s a very powerful van especially in Sport mode. It’s a bit noisy, though, especially for an electric van.

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The Farizon is priced strongly - it’s well-specified and well-equipped, but perhaps not as cheap as you might expect, especially if you’re familiar with the keen pricing of most Chinese passenger cars. The smallest L1H1 model costs £45,000 ex.VAT, rising to £48,000 for the L2H2 model or £56,000 for the L3H3. A battery upgrade on any body size costs £3,000. All versions are eligible for the £5,000 plug-in van grant, though.

The Renault Master E-Tech costs less than £40,000 for a much larger vehicle, whereas if you want the best value in a smaller e-van the new Kia PV5 is unbeatable value at well below £30,000.

A powerful electric motor and good suspension, though the Farizon SV can be a bit noisy at a cruise

The Farizon SV is unique - at the time of writing - in that it’s the only fully by-wire vehicle on sale in the UK. That means that there’s actually no physical connection between the driver’s controls and the wheels. Despite this, it drives very conventionally - so you don’t need to worry that it’ll feel like driving a video game car.

The steering feels nice and direct, with just the right amount of weight to it. The throttle and brakes also feel good, even if they require a bit more of a stab than the slightly hyperactive controls on some alternatives. You soon get used to the control weights, though. An un-utilised benefit of the by-wire system is that Farizon could easily implement something like a super-light city driving mode, though this could be added in a software update in future.

The exception is the regenerative braking. It has three levels, though none are true one-pedal driving - however, we preferred the lowest level as it’s very difficult to slow down smoothly on the higher settings.

The SV’s suspension copes well with bumps on the road. It feels composed over larger lumps and speed bumps, and smaller imperfections don’t unsettle the cabin too much either.

It’s a bit noisy inside, though. There’s a fair amount of wind noise once you get up to speed, and around town the pedestrian warning sounds are actually very loud. More annoying is the high-pitched motor noise - this might not bother you if you’re older, as it’s quite high-frequency - but to our thirty-something ears it could be very irritating.

Impressive payloads of more than a tonne on all models, and a wide range of body sizes, but alternatives can tow more

The SV comes in five body sizes at the moment - spanning three lengths (L1, L2 and L3) and three heights (H1, H2 and H3). These span the range from the larger end of medium vans, such as the Ford E-Transit Custom, up to the smaller end of large vans, such as the Renault Master E-Tech.

It’s a good range, though a long-body, low-roof version would be a boon to businesses that want a bit more room but still want to be able to dip below height restrictions in town, as only the H1 version is below 2m in height.

All models get 180-degree rear doors, with 270-degree ones a £300 option. One of the more unique features can be found round the side, though - there’s no B-pillar between the cab and the load area. This means a wider loading aperture, though it’s of limited utility on models fitted with a cab bulkhead. It also means the passenger seatbelt is attached to the door, so you’re liable to throttle your passenger if you open their door while they’re buckled in.

Other useful touches include vehicle-to-load functionality - 240V plug sockets in the load area - as well as a built-in load scale. This didn’t seem too accurate in our testing, but it should be enough to give you an indication that you’re overweight.

Farizon SV internal and external measurements

Exterior dimensions

Length (L1/L2/L3): 4,990mm/5,490mm/5,995mm
Width: 1,980mm
Height (H1/H2/H3): 1,980mm/2,180mm/2,500mm

Internal load volume (m³)

L1H1: 7.0
L1H2: 7.9
L2H2: 9.4
L2H3: 11.22
L3H3: 13.0

Towing capacity

All versions of the Farizon SV can tow a useful 2,000kg, regardless of the body size or battery you go for. That’s a few hundred kilos less than the Ford E-Transit Custom or Renault Master, but it beats the Kia PV5 into a cocked hat.

Payload

The SV’s payloads are very impressive, and all models can carry more than a tonne. The specialised electric van platform helps here, maximising efficiency of construction. The best model is the L1H1 with the smallest battery - it tops out at a hefty 1,350kg, which is 262kg more than the best Ford E-Transit Custom. That decreases as the body gets larger and the battery pack gets heavier, with the largest L3H3 with the 106kWh battery limited to 1,035kg - but that’s still pretty good. However, the Renault Master E-Tech can manage 1,125kg in a larger package, and an optional chassis upgrade takes you up to 1,625kg.

Smart minimalist cabin is roomy, but lacks storage - and the tech isn’t up to scratch yet

The cab of the SV looks neat, with a horizontal and minimalist design. An orange-coloured bar breaks up the sea of different-coloured grey plastics, but that’s about it for design flair. The materials feel a bit flimsy in places, too, especially covering the storage areas.

It’s roomy, with a reasonably flat floor and enough width for three passengers in reasonable comfort. The straight-edged dash means even the middle passenger gets a good amount of legroom.

Storage isn’t a particularly strong point, though. The door bins are dual-level, but the top compartment’s only really suitable for keys and the lower one won’t take a big water bottle. The glovebox is narrow, and the storage slot low on the centre console won’t hold much more than a wallet. The slide-out one above this has a couple of cupholders, but they’re a bit useless at gripping cups - and you definitely can’t use them with a middle passenger installed. It’s a shame there aren’t more options on the flat dash top.

The driver’s display has the basics on, and is easy to navigate with the steering wheel controls. The main infotainment display is similarly minimalist, but you need to interact with it a fair bit more - to turn off the more annoying safety aids, for example.

Equipment is generous - the driver’s seat is heated and ventilated, there’s climate control, full LED lights and even a reasonable stereo.

While there is wireless Apple CarPlay - which you may need, as there’s no built-in navigation - Android users aren’t so lucky. The supplied CarBitLink alternative is a worryingly bootleg-feeling screen mirroring software, which demands lots of permissions from your phone and doesn’t work desperately well either. Hopefully a software update brings Android Auto. There are two USB-C ports low on the dash for charging and connectivity purposes.

The maximum range of the SV depends on the body size and battery capacity you select. There are three batteries, of 67kWh, 83kWh and 106kWh in capacity - though the biggest is reserved for the large L3H3 model.

Maximum range varies from a low of 177 miles (in the 67kWh L2H2 model) up to 247 miles (in the 106kWh L3H3 variant) - according to official testing. We sampled the L1H1 model with the 83kWh battery, which claims a maximum range of 234 miles. We saw around 170 miles on a long run with a lot of fast motorway driving, which is pretty good. The Renault Master E-Tech is much more efficient, though - it can do over 285 miles, officially, from its 87kWh battery, and more than 200 miles in the real world. It’s a larger vehicle, too.

Fast charging at speeds up to 140kW (120kW in the smallest and largest battery sizes) means a 15-80% top-up in about 40 minutes, which isn’t the fastest but is up there with most of the alternatives.

You can also charge at up to 11kW AC. One thing worth noting is that the illuminated badge pulses while you’re charging up - it’s fine in the daytime, or when parked up at a business - but if you’re parking at home, it’s ridiculously bright. Stick it in front of a neighbour’s window and you can expect a very angry knock come bedtime.

Euro NCAP doesn’t crash test vans, but when it evaluated the Farizon SV’s safety assistance tech it awarded it the maximum five-star rating. Standard equipment includes autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping aids, speed limit assistance and driver monitoring - as you’d expect.

However, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, 360-degree cameras, hill-descent control and even lane-change assist are all neat extras that you might not expect to find on a commercial vehicle, and they’re all standard.

Farizon is brand-new to the UK and was only established in China in 2016, so it doesn’t have a long history of reliability to draw on. But as it’s part of the Geely group, you can at least be reassured that its service and parts network has the support of a gigantic parent company.

A four-year and 120,000-mile warranty shows real confidence in the product. Service intervals are every 12 months or 18,000 miles, though - most alternatives have two-year intervals.