The new Fiat Doblo Cargo won the Most Versatile Trades Van award in the Trade Van Drivers Awards 2012
Trade Van Driver is a new magazine aimed at owner drivers and operators of small van fleets, rather than the big fleet and corporate market.
It recently announced the winners of inaugural Trade Van Driver Awards – with the winning vans chosen by a combination of expert judges and a panel of readers who use vans in their everyday business.
The winners in each category were:
- Best City Van: Citroën Nemo
- Best Newcomer: Vauxhall Combo
- Best Large Van: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
- Best Vehicle Over 3.5 Tonnes: Iveco Daily
- Best 4×4 Truck: Volkswagen Amarok
- Most Versatile Trades Van: Fiat Doblo Cargo
- Best Builder’s Truck: Isuzu Grafter
- Best Small Trades Van: Nissan NV200
- Best Alternatively-Fuelled Van: Renault Kangoo Z.E.
- Best Technical Development: Fuso Canter Duonic Gearbox
- Best All-Rounder: Ford Transit (what else?)
- Editor’s Choice: Fiat Fiorino
There are not too many surprises in here, although the omissions of the Vauxhall Vivaro/Renault Trafic is a bit of a surprise. It’s always been popular with the owner-driver/small tradesmen market, but it is beginning to show its age alongside some of the newer models and is due for replacement in the next year or so. At present, the latest Transit is simply a better van.
The new Vauxhall Combo has been well received and should be a success with both SME and fleet buyers – it is of course a rebadged version of fellow award winner the Fiat Doblo Cargo. A focus on cost-effectiveness and practicality is visible, too – none of Volkswagen’s popular and desirable vans are in the list, despite their appeal to owner-drivers.
TVD editor Matthew Eisenegger is planning to present the awards to their winners at the CV Show in Birmingham later this month.
For more information visit tradevandriver.com or www.cvshow.com.