It’s worth getting to grips with these if you’re buying a van because your insurance group will be a major factor in how much you end up paying for your insurance.
There are 50 different van insurance groups set by a governing panel that includes members of the ABI (Association of British Insurers).
To establish the groups they take into account a range of factors from engine size to how secure the van is.
The criteria used to determine insurance groups are open and straight forward and the governing panel make sure all insurers have solid foundations behind their policy decisions.
There are six main factors the panel consider when fitting a van into the right insurance group:
Click on a brand link below to find out about insurance groupings by van manufacturer:
Citroen
Insurance groups for Citroen Vans: Berlingo, Dispatch, Nemo, Relay…
Fiat
Insurance groups for Fiat Vans: Doblo, Ducato, Florini, Scudo…
Ford
Insurance groups for Ford Vans: Connect, Fiesta, Ranger, Transit…
Iveco
Insurance groups for Iveco Daily City Truck…
LDV
Insurance groups for LDV Vans: Convoy, Maxus, Pilot…
Mercedes Benz
Insurance groups for Mercedes Benz Vans: Citan, Sprinter, Vito…
Nissan
Insurance groups for Nissan Vans: Interstar, Kubistar, NV200, NV400, Primastar, Vannette…
Peugeot
Insurance groups for Peugeot Vans: Bipper, Boxer, Expert, Partner, 206, 207…
Renault
Insurance groups for Renault Vans: Kangoo, Master, Trafic…
Vauxhall
Insurance groups for Vauxhall Vans: Astra, Combo, Corsa, Movano, Vivaro…
Volkswagen
Insurance groups for Volkswagen Vans: Amarok, Caddy, Crafter, Transporter…
Knowing about these factors before you buy can help you shop for the right van and get an idea of what your insurance policy may look like. If you use a commercial vehicle your insurance is one of your most important on-going expenses so it makes sense to be informed.
Of course, there are other important factors that insurers also take into account like the age and driving history of the drivers who use the vehicle, what the van is used for and where it will be parked.
The cost of your premium can also go up if the van has been modified in any way because with a modified van, repairs are likely to be more expensive.
It’s worth noting that in January 2016, the 20 group system changed to a 30 group system.
The new model acknowledges the changes to van specifications in the ten years since the last review of the groups. These new groups will run from 21 to 50 to avoid confusion with the old 1-20 formula, although the old groups will continue to be included within current data.
All of this means that from January 2016 the range of van insurance groups will run from 1 to 50, with 1 to 20 being the pre-review groups (from low to high) and 21 to 50 (low to high) referring to insurance groups post review.
However it’s expected that most van insurance policies will only be slightly affected by the changes.
If you're buying a new van, you can use Direct Line for Business for advice and to get a van insurance quote.