Space travel at low prices

Space has never been more affordable than it is right now. An army of MPVs, 4x4s and crossover vehicles are currently competing with old-fashioned estates to serve up the maximum capacity for your pound. So if storage features highest on your shopping list, which models should you look at, and how much should you be expecting to pay?

Now that Mercedes’ new A-class is off and running, showroom discounts of up to eight per cent are now available. With four of its five seats removed, the smallest Benz has a huge capacity of 1995 litres. Fiat’s utilitarian Doblo (right) trounces it for out-and-out space however; take all but the driver’s seat out here and you’ll liberate 3000 litres. You can get a new one, powered by Fiat’s excellent 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine, for £7995 through buyfiatdirect.co.uk – £1800 less than the list price.

Despite consistently high demand, you can begin to look for a discount on Land Rover’s Discovery now too. Online broker Drivethedeal.co.uk will source you a V6 diesel-powered seven-seater for £27,965, a discount of just over £1000. Thoughtful packaging puts its 2.7-tonne bulk to efficient use; with both rows of seats folded, it’ll accommodate a full 2558 litres of luggage.

If you’ve got to have the biggest there is though, Chrysler’s Grand Voyager is it, and you can make an equally sizeable saving on one. Recently revolutionised by the maker’s clever Stow and Go folding seats, it can transport a gargantuan 4690 litres of kit. If that sounds sufficient, Drivethedeal.co.uk will supply a new 2.8-litre CRD LX diesel for £24,481 – that’s a £1243 saving on list – and it shouldn’t be too tricky to talk a dealer into giving you a similar deal.