pakettiauto

A pakettiauto is a light commercial vehicle designed for transporting goods. It combines a passenger vehicle chassis with a large, mostly unoccupied cargo area behind the front seats. The cargo area is typically enclosed and accessed via rear doors, sometimes a side loading door. In the European Union and many other markets, such vehicles are classified as light commercial vehicles, with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of up to 3.5 tonnes.

Body styles include panel vans with a separate cargo area, crew vans that add rear passenger seating, and chassis cabs used for bespoke builds. Variants may have different roof heights, wheelbases, and loading lengths to suit trades such as delivery, hospitality, or service.

Used for transporting goods, tools, and equipment. Common in parcel delivery, trades (electricians, plumbers), courier services, and small business logistics. Their compact size compared with larger trucks makes them suitable for urban routes and parking constraints while balancing payload capacity.

Historically diesel engines dominating the segment; increasingly petrol and electric variants. Modern pakettiauto may feature driver assistance, stability control, and safety systems; telematics for route optimization and fleet management.

In Finnish, pakettiauto refers to this class. Similar vehicles are known as vans, panel vans, or light commercial vehicles in other markets. Regulations define dimensions, weight, and safety, which influence design and use.