Several of the UK’s most popular vans picked up a awards at the inaugural Business Van of the Year Awards today, presented by Business Vans. Here are some of the highlights of today’s event.
City Van Award
Citroen Nemo van
The Citroën Nemo was the judges’ choice in the City Van category, thanks to its compact dimensions, high payload and low running costs — the Nemo is only 3.86m long, but has a high 660kg payload and a large 2.5m3 (extendable to 2.8 m3) load compartment, which can accommodate a Euro pallet, or load lengths of up to 2,493mm with the standard Extenso® front passenger seat folded flat.
Combined cycle fuel consumption of up to 62.8mpg means that fuel costs can be kept under control, while CO2 emissions of just under 119g/km ensure that the van’s environmental credentials aren’t questioned.
The final clincher for the Nemo was probably Citroën’s strong presence in the SME and small fleet markets. Since the Nemo is also available from Peugeot (as the Bipper) and Fiat (as the Fiorino), Citroën’s UK Business Centre network is one of the few ways of differentiating between the three company’s offerings — and there aren’t really any other van models that compete directly in this category.
Small & Green…
The Renault Kangoo Van Z.E. electric van has already sold more than 11,000 units, making it the best-selling electric van in Europe.
The Renault Kangoo was the victor in two categories, taking home the awards for both Small Trades Van and Green Van of the Year, in the form of the all-electric Kangoo Van Z.E.
Proving that the presence of the Kangoo-based Citan hasn’t reduced the appeal of Renault’s offering, judge Ralph Morton, Business Van Manager’s editorial director, said that:
“The small trades van sector is supremely competitive, but the Kangoo wins for us because it’s the best example of how a small trades van can appeal to a wide variety of users in many business sectors.”
It’s a notable victory against the all-conquering Citroën Berlingo, and the judges acknowledged that Renault’s electric offering, the multi-award winnning Kangoo Van Z.E., is also a strong real-world performer, with Mr Morton describing it as, “an excellent choice for small businesses wanting to operate a green van in city environments”.
The Germans make it five
The Volksagen Transporter was the Business Van judges choice for Van of the Year.
Renault managed two awards, but Volkswagen went three better and left the awards ceremony with no fewer than five titles. The German marque’s ever-popular Transporter van was the judges’ choice in the Van of the Year and Best Large Trades Van categories, with judge Ralph Morton describing the Transporter as “the ideal all-rounder for the trades, offering quality, value and reliability in equal measure”.
Meanwhile, the Crafter picked up the award for Best Heavy Van, beating the ever-popular Sprinter to the title, thanks in part to the reduced running costs provided by its BlueMotion specification.
Finally, the Volkswagen’s big pick-up, the Amarok, romped home with the Best Utility Pick-Up and Best Double Cab awards, with Mr Morton describing the Amarok as “delivering high standards of quality and reliability. Everything you would expect from a Volkswagen”.
Away from the vehicles, Volkswagen also won the Best Service Package for Van Owners award, thanks to the “service offering and back-up provided by the brand’s dedicated Van Centre network”
Today’s Judges included Mark Cartwright, head of vans and light commercial vehicles at FTA (Freight Transport Association), Marcus Puddy, director of commercial vehicles with the biggest leasing company in the UK, LexAutolease, Richard Bunn, director of White Hot Vans, Eddie Parker, fleet LCV consultant at GE Capital Fleet Services, Rod Lloyd, managing director of Low Cost Vans, and chairman Keith Hawes, managing director of Magma Automotive Services.