Farizon SV Review

Of all the cars that I’ve reviewed in the past, this one is a bit different, and it comes from a brand that I’d never heard of until the moment they contacted me up for a test drive. I’m sure you’re new to them too, as Farizon was mostly a China-only marque, and they’re only now gradually wading into the European market. Founded back in 2016 by Geely – one of the many brands they now own, including Lotus, Volvo, and Polestar – Farizon and their new SV is a large, electric cargo van that has a tonne of cutting-edge features, neat drive-by-wire tech, and built atop a highly modular platform. That said, with the cargo van market filled with umpteen fantastic options, is the new Farizon SV really worth considering over the others?

What Is The Farizon SV About?

The Farizon SV certainly looks interesting, mainly because unlike most of its competitors, the SV was designed from the ground up as a dedicated, all-electric van, first and foremost. So, by it not being an ICE-powered van first, later bodged to carry a whopping great battery and electric motors; visually, this all-electric platform does give the Farizon SV a distinctively EV-like appearance. If you take a peek at the Farizon SV from the front, you’ll likely notice that there’s no traditional front grille, only a light-up faux panel, which is one other reminder that it’s an electric van, with that large, imposing, almost VW-esque front-end.

From a practical standpoint, it’s great to see that the Farizon SV’s A-pillars have been positioned to increase visibility as much as possible, in addition to its rather large quarter window, all done to improve your forward visibility. Another unique styling touch with the new Farizon SV that you’ll spot right from the get-go would be that slim gloss black panel on the front, which wraps around the headlights, the Farizon badge, faux front grille, and even goes all the way to the wing mirrors. This is, to my eyes, probably the Farizon SV’s most distinctive design cue, as the rest of the van itself is pretty… Well… van-like, nothing out of the ordinary there.

The only other exception would be the Farizon SV’s taillights, which do remind me a bit of the Kia Soul, though if you peer elsewhere, the Farizon SV looks just like any other cargo van. One awesome bit of engineering, which is a testament to the Farizon SV’s clever packaging, is that battery pack. Unlike some of the other electric vans that I’ve seen thus far, the battery pack on the Farizon SV sits flush against the floor. It doesn’t sound like much, but it does help with maximising your van’s interior space and cargo capacity in the back. Once you peel off its skin, the Farizon SV is a bevy of firsts among commercial vans here in Europe, including its bespoke EV platform.

How Does It Drive?

Most notably, one of the noteworthy headline features of the new Farizon SV is the GXA-M platform underneath, which uses a high-tech and hyper-intelligent drive-by-wire system. Of note, this architecture was engineered to help improve safety, induce better energy recovery for that electric powertrain, and offer speedier performance. Crucially for a cargo van, all this fancy new drive-by-wire tech also means that the Farizon SV could be incredibly modular, as it affords you enough flexibility that you could spec your Farizon SV in one of 5 unique combinations. This EV-first platform was made just for vans in particular, and it’s a noticeable increase for all the crucial bits.

For example, the Farizon SV has, on paper, 5% more electric range and a 10% decrease in stopping distance when compared to a more conventional setup. Furthermore, it has 3x faster steering response and 10x better steering precision, all thanks to the removal of any redundant and excess componentry, all in favour of this compact, very simple, and lightweight drive-by-wire layout. Thankfully, there’s a dual-redundancy feature built-in, so if any one of the drive-by-wire components or functions fails on you, there are robust backups to ensure that you can enjoy a reliable and safe driving experience. Aside from that, Farizon is keen to highlight the chassis of the SV.

In particular, the Farizon SV adopts a mixture of high-strength steel and hybrid aluminium-steel materials in the chassis and body. Combined with the aforementioned drive-by-wire system, the Farizon SV’s overall kerb weight is down by 8%. Overall, these are the sorts of generational improvements that I love to see, especially within the cargo van market. Otherwise, I’d be remiss to not also talk about the Farizon SV’s battery, which incorporates a distinct cell-to-pack battery design that directly connects the individual battery cells to the rest of the pack. This, in short, means that you’ll be able to experience a 10% increase in battery capacity in the pack, given its size.

Additionally, this battery design entails 4% reduced weight and 20% better body rigidity. And, thanks to the big battery pack being placed so far down in the chassis, the Farizon SV should offer you sharper handling, stability, and more dynamic agility (at least, by cargo van standards), as the van’s centre of gravity is quite low down. I’d also love to note that it even includes another bonus for would-be cargo van operators; a lower cargo floor, and this ought to net you a neat 16% more cargo volume. It also helps that the Farizon SV is the world’s first electric van to adopt an independent dual wishbone front suspension (with leaf springs in the rear) for added comfort.

To best make use of that trick suspension, this new Farizon SV that I’ve been driving around showcases just how religiously Geely and Farizon have been with shaving off as much weight as they could from the SV. This includes the minuscule 3-in-1 electric drive assembly, and even giving both the alloy wheels and brakes a diet, as well! Yet, despite this, compared to other vans in its class, the Farizon SV has better braking distances, a tighter turning circle, and even sharper steering. Since the Farizon SV is an electric van, our discussion wouldn’t have sufficed had we not talked about the elephant in the room – the battery. In fact, there are 3 different battery sizes to pick from!

Which one you’re left to select from does depend on which size configuration of the Farizon SV that you’ve since chosen. Either way, across the available options, it’ll come with either a 67 kWh, 83 kWh, or 107 kWh (although, that latter one is only optionable on the huge L3 H3 size combination). Geely also further claims that the Farizon SV’s liquid cooling and heating tech inside the battery aids with keeping your range effective and unimpeded by weather, even in climates ranging from -30°C to 40°C. More to that, since cargo vans do quite a lot of miles each day, yet as a van driver, you likely won’t have much time waiting around for a charge, fast charging is supported.

Specifically, this all-new Farizon SV is compatible with up to 140 kW of peak fast charging, and with this in mind, you could expect a 20% to 80% charge to be done in just over 30 minutes. More impressively for a cargo van and commercial vehicle, the Farizon SV comes with a 3.3 kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) feature. As such, that should allow you to use your van’s battery pack as a huge power source to run any electronics, like power tools, using a simple UK-standard 3-pin socket. Once you get up and running though, depending on how often and how far you will be driving, it’d be wise to think carefully of which battery pack you’re choosing, as it does vary between models.

At the bottom end of the chart, there’s the mid-size L2 H2 variant with the 67 kWh default battery option, which manages a decent, albeit not hugely impressive 177 miles (WLTP – combined). However, on the other end of that scale, you have the gargantuan L3 H3 model with its optional 106 kWh battery, which could easily manage up to 247 miles of range (WLTP – combined). Naturally, take those figures with a grain of salt, as how much load you’d be carrying with you could massively alter your actual range figures. Last but not least, we now get to actually driving the new Farizon SV, and once you get it on the road, the Farizon SV is pleasantly brisk, at least by cargo van standards.

With up to 231 PS and 336 Nm of torque, the Farizon SV feels fast enough, even after you’ve loaded it up with a bit of cargo. In the hand, this feels comfortable, with the drive-by-wire steering and brakes doing their job quite well enough that they never felt odd compared to a more traditional set of linkages, nor did this system ever get in the way. While I understand some of you might not be comfortable with the idea of electronics controlling your loaded-up cargo van, the solid number of fail-safes built-in gave me a sufficient sense of confidence to keep driving it. And, since it’s a modern van, it comes with all the safety systems and driver aids that you’d expect.

What Is It Like Inside?

When you take a step inside the brand-new Farizon SV, it is relatively high-tech and posh, particularly amongst a sea of industrial-feeling cargo vans. There are heated and ventilated driver and passenger seats, though this only goes for the primary passenger seat, not the middle one. In addition, you’d get a heated steering wheel, included as standard! Meanwhile, you then have two large screens; a 7-inch digital gauge cluster, and in the middle, there is a 12.3-inch infotainment system. It’s quite luxurious and well-kitted out for a commercial vehicle, and you even get wireless Apple CarPlay, as well as a really handy and crisp 360-degree surround-view camera system.

On that note, the infotainment system is very intuitive and easy to use, as is the (pleasantly surprising) bank of physical buttons and switchgear. Elsewhere around the cabin, this Farizon SV’s interior looks and feels genuinely pretty nice, yet they retain a utilitarian feel. Once you spend enough time fiddling around in here, you’ll no doubt come across quite a few premium-feeling touchpoints that you’d likely never expect in a van, such as the Farizon SV’s Mercedes-esque column-mounted drive shifter, as well as fancy knurling on some of the knobs and switches. Going back to the Farizon SV’s clever packaging and optimal usage of space, it’s a rather voluminous cabin, too.

With the space-saving drive-by-wire system, energy-dense battery, and compact powertrain, you need not worry about a transmission tunnel or large intrusions protruding into the passenger space. If anything, you could easily climb through into your passenger seats, and when you move past those plastic floors that do make it simpler to clean, the Farizon SV’s driving position is nice too, even with a taller fellow like me in the driver’s seat. Aside from that, if you need more room to stow away stuff, the passenger compartment includes a myriad of handy cubbies and pockets; some under the seats, the massive glovebox, and two massive cupboards in the centre console.

The Experience

For all your cargo van needs, the Farizon SV has a roomy cargo space. At the very most, it’ll let you stuff upwards of 13 m³ of haulage, in addition to the respectable 1,350 kg payload capacity. I also quite like just how really low the loading height is; a mere 550 mm, which is important, as it won’t require you to have to lift heavy cargo way too high up just to stuff something in the back of the Farizon SV. Speaking of, the Farizon SV has the highest load capacity in its class, somewhere between 5% to 20% greater than current market leaders. As I mentioned earlier, the pretty smart packaging of the battery pack and powertrain doesn’t intrude massively into the cargo area.

Of course, like most of its rivals, the Farizon SV is hugely modular, with a vast number of configurations that you could pick and choose from. In order of size, there’s the L1 H1, L1 H2, L2 H2, L2 H3, and the L3 H3. So, depending on your budget or use case, there’s a good chance that you’ll find the right type of Farizon SV to suit your specific needs. In its smallest form factor, the L1 H1, the Farizon SV is 4,990 mm in length, 1,980 mm in height, and 1,980 mm in width, offering you a decent cargo capacity of 6.95 m³, in addition to a max payload of anywhere between 1,265 and 1,350 kg, depending on which battery size you spec’d. It’s a good size for an entry-level cargo van.

Then, at the top of the Farizon SV weight class, there’s the L3 H3, measuring 5,995 mm long, 2,500 mm in height, and 1,980 mm wide, with the aforementioned 13 m³ of cargo space, in addition to a payload capacity of between 1,035 to 1,045 kg, depending on the battery. More impressively still, besides that sheer size that you get with this new Farizon SV, it also has some really handy cargo management and organisation bits and bobs in the back. For instance, the Farizon SV comes with a clever payload monitoring system – fitted as standard on all models – which uses the van’s ride-height sensors to accurately figure out and specify just how much load you’re carrying.

It’ll then show this load figure through the gauge cluster, with a precise read-out of your current payload capacity. With that in mind, when you’re carrying too many things and the van is now overweight, it’ll let you know, which is quite handy for van drivers and fleet operators to ensure that they’re meeting gross vehicle weight regulations. Additionally, you’ll also be able to leverage the Farizon SV’s abundance of lashing eyes to help you secure all your haulage, not to mention the plethora of pre-drilled holes on the interior side panels. The latter ought to make the job a lot easier if you’re planning on installing shelves, racks, or other interior fitments within the cargo area.

On top of that, on the cargo floor, you would then find loads more anchor points, which work well alongside the included multi-hole slots, pull rings, straps, and net bags, all of which further add extra options for how you can best secure cargo more effectively. Thus, that should help prevent them from moving around or colliding with anything, as well as make sure they don’t tip over during transport. From a durability perspective, I’ve only had a brief time with the new Farizon SV, but between the really chunky bulkhead and hard-wearing plastic cargo floor liner, I reckon it should be able to take more than enough punishment during its long vanning life.

Interestingly, you might also notice that the new Farizon SV doesn’t have a B-pillar (on the passenger side), whereas the front doors now latch onto that bulkhead. By removing that bit of steel, this means that you get a surprisingly wide door opening, making ingress and egress superbly easier. Plus, that pillarless design means you get more space for loading and off-loading stuff. The L1 model comes with a 1,000 mm sliding side door, while the L2 and L3 models get a 1,300 mm one, so you get a vast door opening for both; 1.8 metres for the L1 and L2, or a whopping 2.1 metres for the L3. The rear doors open very wide too, with a 180-degree opening angle, or up to 270 degrees as an option.

Farizon SV Cost

The Farizon SV has a starting price of £45,000, which gets you the L1 H1 variant with the smaller 67 kWh battery pack. However, for the range-topping and larger-sized L3 H3 version with the huge 106 kWh battery pack, you’re looking at a starting price of £56,000. For models that allow you the choice of different battery options, upsizing to the next capacity upward will cost you an extra £3,000 across the board. More to that, to offer you a bit more peace of mind during your ownership period, the Farizon SV, regardless of the model, will get you a rather handy 4-year or 120,000-mile (whichever comes first) warranty as standard from the factory, which is fantastic to see.

Meanwhile, the battery also comes with an 8-year or 120,000-mile warranty with it. Now, if you plan on getting one here in the UK, the choice is made a bit simpler, as there’s only one trim level available for now, but it does come with those varying size configurations, depending on whether you need a smaller or bigger van. Once you’re done there, you could then look at the optional extras, which are modestly priced for the Farizon SV. Aside from the premium paint finishes, which cost £550 each, you can opt to include the V2L feature for another £500, in addition to a towing package for a modest £400, and then there’s the wide 270-degree rear doors for £300.

Verdict

The Farizon SV is certainly an interesting proposition, given that it’s early days for the Farizon brand, so I hope to see them evolving more over time and offer valuable add-ons to better match its rivals. In particular, for big fleet operators and large commercial clients, the Farizon SV doesn’t have advanced fleet management solutions (yet), and I do want to see more trim levels for the UK market. Still, even with that in mind, the Farizon SV, as-is, does bring a lot of value for money, with its attainable price getting you good cargo capacity, clever load organisation options, a very nice interior, and a platform made bespoke for EVs. Whether or not this will be enough to get folks out of a Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter, or VW Transporter and into a Farizon SV remains to be seen, but it may be worth checking out.