Author Archives: Van Rental

Mercedes-Benz Citan: First Pictures Of New Small Van

1 Reply

Mercedes-Benz has revealed the first press pictures of its Citan small van, which will be unveiled to the public at the IAA Commercial Vehicles Show in Hanover in October.

Mercedes announced the Citan in February but this is the first time that photos have been made available, rather than an artist’s impression.

Mercedes-Benz Citan

The new Mercedes-Benz Citan small van

The van is targeted at the urban market and Mercedes describes it as a ‘professional urban delivery van’. It is, in fact, based on the Renault Kangoo and will be built in the same French factory, but Mercedes is going to some lengths to reassure customers that will have all the qualities one expects from a Merc, including a plethora of safety systems:

Mercedes-Benz Citan - interior

Inside the Citan

The urban van comes with the Electronic Stability Program ADAPTIVE ESP® as standard, which takes the vehicle load into consideration.

This innovative dynamic handling control system in the new Citan combines the functions of the anti-locking braking system ABS®, VDC® (Vehicle Dynamic Control) which counters over- and understeer, and TCS® (Traction Control System). It also includes ASR® (Acceleration Skid Control) and drive and braking torque control.

The Citan will be available in three lengths and with three engine options: 75bhp and 110bhp diesels and a 115bhp supercharged petrol engine, which should be fun!

Unlike other Mercedes commercial vehicles, it will be front-wheel drive and will be the smallest van the German giant has produced for a very long time (ever?).

The Citan will go on sale in the UK in January 2013.

Vans For Charity – Ford & VW Help Out

Leave a reply

Vans are most often connected with relentless and unglamorous hard work – but there are exceptions. Two heart-warming stories involving vans popped into my inbox today, so I thought I’d share them with you.

Swans In Transit

Ford Transit and Swans of Wells

First up is Ford dealer Allen Ford of Bath, which has lent a long wheelbase, high roof Transit to event organiser Megan Witty, who is running the ‘Swans of Wells 2012’ public art initiative this summer, which is being run in celebration of the Queen’s diamond jubilee.

The initiative will see the 5ft tall swans, each individually decorated by local artists, sited around Wells between the end of May and September. Each of the 60 swans will be sponsored by local businesses.

Organiser Megan Witty explains the logistical challenges involved:

“All the swans have to be delivered to the individual artists, then collected and distributed around the city, and moved here, there and everywhere during the summer,” she said. “We were desperate for a suitably sized van and so very grateful that Allen Ford has been able to help.”

Allen Ford business manager Gary Milkins said the Bath dealer was happy to assist: “We loaned a Transit when Megan staged a similar event two years ago – the Lions of Bath – and it was a roaring success, attracting tourists to the city and raising money for local charities. It is great to be able to help once again.”

On 22 May the swans will make their first public appearance in Wells, along the route the Olympic torch will take through the city. They will then go on general display at sites across Wells from 28 May before being auctioned for charity on 29 September. The similar Lions of Bath 2010 event raised £65,000 for good causes.

Find out more at www.swansofwells.com

Transporter Does ’92 In 92′

Volkswagen Transporter T5

A Volkswagen Transporter will carry Tim Spencer and his team to all 92 football league clubs in 92 hours!

Football fan Tim Spencer from Dorset was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure four years ago. He’s hoping to receive a kidney transplant later this year and is battling to help others with the disease by attempting to raise £25,000 for national charity Kidney Research UK, the UK’s leading kidney disease charity.

As a keen football fan, Tim hit on the idea of visiting all 92 football league clubs in 92 hours – a journey of 2,200 miles around the UK. For a football fan, this could be the ultimate road trip – so what better vehicle to travel in than a Volkswagen Transporter, kindly leant to him by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles UK.

Due to his current health, Tim will be undertaking the challenge with the help of a small team of friends, and will be setting off on Wednesday 18 April from Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park stadium and travelling across the UK before finishing at AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Court on Saturday 21 April.

Tim’s itinerary is available at support.kidneyresearchuk.org/support-us/92in92, plus there will be regular updates via Twitter (#92in92).  In addition, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will also be inviting people to join in some fun challenges on its Facebook page during Tim’s journey with the chance to win a pair of football tickets. Full details will be posted at www.facebook.com/VolkswagenCommercialVehiclesUK.

To raise more funds, the challenge also includes two competitions to win an England football T-shirt signed by former England goalkeeper, Peter Shilton.  Full details are available by visiting www.kidneyresearchuk.org/92in92.  Anyone who would like to support Tim directly can also make a donation at www.justgiving.com/doingthe92in92.

Joe Chettleburgh, Director of Community Giving at Kidney Research UK, said:

“With three million people in the UK at risk of kidney disease, we’re extremely grateful to Tim for the lengths to which he is going to raise money for Kidney Research UK.  It’s going to be a tough challenge for him so we are especially grateful to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles for supplying a high quality van for his long and tiring journey.”

vanrental.co.uk wishes Tim and everyone else involved in ’92 in 92′ the best of luck.

Fiat Scores Double At Trade Van Driver Awards

Leave a reply
Fiat Doblo Cargo

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.

Volkswagen Could Bring 4×4 Crafter To UK

Leave a reply

Volkswagen Crafter vanVolkswagen is considering bringing the 4×4 Crafter 4Motion to the UK, according to this article in What Van?

Alex Smith, who recently took over as head of VW’s UK commercial vehicle operations, told the magazine that while the Crafter would never approach the 20% market share of the Transporter and Caddy, they were looking at options for boosting Crafter sales in the UK.

One possible option was the introduction of the 4×4 Crafter, which would complement VW’s smaller Caddy 4Motion and Transporter 4Motion, both of which are already available in the UK.

Smith is also interested in boosting the market for conversions, especially dropside and tipper models.

However, he ruled out a major expansion of VW’s daily van rental sales just to boost numbers, telling the magazine that they were focused on “profitable, sustainable growth”.

Europcar Now Accepting Tesco Clubcard Points

2 Replies

Europcar logoTesco customers can now exchange their Clubcard points for Europcar car and van hire tokens.

Under the new agreement, Europcar has become a Tesco Clubcard Rewards partner, offering 17 million Tesco Clubcard customers the opportunity to use their points for car hire reservations.  With a focus on quality and convenience, Europcar is helping Tesco bring new added value services to its Clubcard customers.

Tesco’s Clubcard rewards scheme allows customers to exchange their Clubcard vouchers, accumulated as points through shopping, and exchange them for Clubcard Rewards tokens, worth up to four times the value. These tokens can then be used with a range of over 600 partner rewards.

As Europcar becomes a new Rewards partner, Tesco Clubcard customers can now exchange their vouchers for car and van rental tokens, allowing them to get out and about for less and get the most from their Clubcard.

Ian Simkins, Clubcard Rewards Director of Tesco, says,:

“Our partnership with Europcar means Tesco Clubcard customers can book quality vehicle hire for everything from holidays and city breaks to moving house or getting to the airport. Europcar offers a simple and inclusive booking system, ensuring our customers can get away for less without any hassle.”

Ken McCall, Managing Director, Europcar Group UK adds:

“Tesco is the biggest brand in the country, with a huge customer base.  Its history of delivering leading-edge offerings, including pioneering loyalty programmes with Clubcard, makes it the perfect partner for Europcar as we have a proven track record for being first to market with innovative new products for our customers.

“We are delighted to have teamed up with Tesco as a Clubcard Rewards partner, the new partnership will mean every time a Tesco customer shops, they can be saving to enjoy the quality and convenience of Europcar vehicle hire.”

We say: Europcar generally offers very competitive prices anyway and this deal makes them even more attractive. Using your Clubcard points in this way is much better value than spending them instore, as the vouchers are for up to four times the value of the points.

Econorent Opens Colchester Van Hire Branch

1 Reply

EconorentI’m very pleased to welcome our newest advertiser, Econorent, to vanrental.co.uk.

Founded in 1972, Econorent is a car and van hire company based with five branches across Suffolk and Essex:

Econorent recently celebrated 40 years in business and has recently opened its fifth branch, in Colchester. The new van hire Colchester branch is situated on the Marks Tey Business Park in Marks Tey (CO6 1HD / just off the A12) and provides the same wide range of vehicles as Econorent’s other branches:

  • Short wheelbase vans
  • Long wheelbase vans
  • Luton box vans with tail lifts
  • 4×4 pickups
  • 7-seater MPVs
  • A range of cars

Econorent is a family-owned business with a long history and prides itself on providing a good quality service at competitive prices.

To find out more, get a quote or arrange a booking, contact Econorent directly:

If you’d like to advertise your van or minibus hire business on vanrental.co.uk, visit our advertising page.

Peugeot Shows Electric & ATV Van Models At CV Show

Leave a reply
Peugeot Partner Tepee with ATV Grip Control system

The Peugeot Partner Tepee features the Grip Control system, an electronic all-wheel traction control system to provide improved grip on sand, mud, ice and snow.

Peugeot will debut an all-new electric version of its Partner van at the 2012 CV Show, which takes place at the Birmingham NEC from April 24th – 26th.

ATV – all terrain – versions of some of its vans will also be on show, highlighting the brand’s new Grip Control system, which I first mentioned in February.

Grip Control is an all-wheel electronic traction control system with settings to provide improved grip on sand, mud, ice and snow.

In total, six Peugeot vans will be on display:

  • Bipper Van (Silver) ATV with Grip Control
  • New Partner Van ATV with Grip Control
  • New Partner Electric Van Preview
  • New Expert Cell Van
  • Boxer Dropside
  • Boxer Van

Phil Robson, Fleet and Used Car Director at Peugeot UK, said: “Peugeot is on a roll with its cohesive van range that includes the established Bipper, Partner, Expert and Boxer. With Euro 5 engines, re-styled new-look identity and the new ATV capability, we have an attractive commercial proposition for customers, and we know for those that presently operate our products they enjoy great durability and value.”

For more information visit www.cvshow.com or www.peugeot.co.uk.

High-Flying Citroën Vans For Virgin Atlantic

Leave a reply

Virgin Atlantic Citroen Relay Luton vanVirgin Atlantic has taken delivery of 45 Citroën vans as part of a move to replace its entire mixed-marque fleet with Citroën LCVs.

The first order includes 22 Berlingo five-seat Crew Vans, Dispatch vans, Relay Specialist Dropsides and a Relay Specialist Luton van.

Virgin’s use of the vans varies considerably; those remaining within an airport clock up just 5,000 miles per year. At the other end of the spectrum, some take it in turns to cover a 350 mile route seven days per week.

The fleet replacement is part of a move from van leasing to outright purchasing, as Virgin Atlantic’s Logistics Manager, Matt P. Neville, explains:

“Because our vehicle usage varies so greatly we have moved away from leasing to direct purchase as it enables us to replace the vans as and when needed, rather than having to stick to a particular timetable”

The five-seat Berlingo Crew Vans will be used by Virgin Atlantic’s aircraft engineers as they keep the long-haul aircraft in operational condition. The Dispatch vans are being used for longer distance travel between airports, both in the UK and mainland Europe, to collect and deliver time-critical aircraft parts and equipment.

Most of the Relay Specialist Dropsides will used by the stores teams to carry items like aircraft wheels and tyres. The Relay Specialist Luton van, resplendent in Virgin Atlantic’s distinctive livery, will be based at Heathrow. It will be used by the facilities maintenance crew to move anything from paint to furniture between airports and other company facilities.

The introduction of the cleaner and more fuel efficient Euro 5 engines in the Citroën LCVs has helped Mr. Neville win Virgin Atlantic’s Hero Award for sustainability.

Van Sales Continue To Disappoint – SMMT

Leave a reply

The latest commercial vehicle sales figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that March was another disappointing month for van sales, which fell by 11.1% compared to March 2011.

Heavier Vans?

Both January and February saw declining sales of commercial vehicles under 3.5t, and March’s figures disappointed again, although a closer look suggests that the situation is not quite as bad as might have been thought:

Month March 2012 March 2011 % Change
Pickups 4,025 5,409 -25.6%
4x4s 1,418 1,399 1.4%
Vans < 2.0t 6,698 8,874 -24.5%
Vans 2.0t – 2.5t 5,440 4,863 11.9%
Vans 2.5t – 3.5t 21,586 23,529 -8.3%
All vans to 3.5t 39,167 44,074 -11.1%

Let’s look at each category and see how bad things really are:

  • Pickups: There’s no denying it, sales of these popular but expensive and thirsty vehicles have plummeted. Perhaps it’s a sign that small business owners who have previously enjoyed the tax perks of owning one of these (you can claim back the VAT but they’re like cars inside) are cutting back and owning more economical vehicles.
  • 4x4s: A small improvement in this specialist sector (it only includes van variants of 4×4 car models), which is positive – especially considering how mild most of the winter was.
  • Vans <2.0t: At first glance, these numbers are disastrous. But I wonder whether part of the explanation is the changing weight profile of smaller vans. As new model revisions of popular small vans are being launched, the plated weights of these vans are rising. Every variant of the new Vauxhall Combo, for example, is plated at over 2,000kg. I’m pretty sure the old model was plated at under 2,000kg. The figures from the SMMT could simply be a reflection of changing vehicle specifications.
  • Vans 2.0t – 2.5t: Sure enough, the 2.0t – 2.5t category saw a big rise in sales in March, albeit not big enough to cancel out the fall in sub-2.0t sales. It’s also interesting to note that on a rolling year basis, sales in this category are up 14.5%, compared to an 8.9% fall in the sub-2.0t category.
  • Vans 2.5t – 3.5t: An 8.3% decline in big van sales suggests that many van operators are extending their replacement cycles or shrinking their fleets. These figures are not catastrophic, however, and represent a 5.3% increase on a rolling year basis.
The overall decline in van sales of 11.1% is bad news, but I think that it is partly the result of changing operator usage and weight profiles.

What’s Happening To HGV Sales?

Sales of heavy goods vehicles are diverging rapidly. Artic sales were down 18.3% in March compared to the same period last year – but rigids bucked the trend, recording an amazing 55% increase over March 2011.

SMMT March 2012 - van and truck registrations

Van and Truck registrations from Dec 2007 to date (courtesy of SMMT)

On a rolling year basis, the figures smoothed out somewhat – artic sales are up 26.2% over the last 12 months while rigid sales are up 24.8%.

This divergence suggests two possible meanings. Companies are using rigids for work formerly done by artics – perhaps achieving fuel savings and greater loading efficiencies – or the underlying economic trend is downwards, resulting in weakening demand for the largest lorries.

What do you think? Are rigids replacing artics or is there another explanation?

I’d be very interested to hear from anyone with an insight into the massive growth in rigid sales.

Vauxhall Vans Top Retail League In March

1 Reply
Vauxhall Movano large van

The Vauxhall Movano

Vauxhall has once again sold more more vans to retail (SME) customers in March than any other van manufacturer in the UK, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The Luton-based manufacturer sold an impressive 2,494 vans to small businesses last month.

“Coming number one in the market for March and year-to-date is a fantastic result for Vauxhall vans,” said Richard Collier, Vauxhall’s National Commercial Vehicles Sales Manager.  “I am very pleased we have maintained our number one position from last year into 2012.  It goes to show that our market leading 4×4 offer of four years zero per cent finance, free servicing, warranty and AA cover has been a huge hit with our customers.  Despite the economic climate there’s still strong demand for our vehicles that offer low running costs reinforced by excellent manufacturer and retailer support.”

The British-built Vivaro is also the best selling van in the medium van segment with 3,531 registrations so far this year.

Vauxhall builds more commercial vehicles in the UK than any other manufacturer.  The latest edition to Vauxhall’s van range – the all-new Combo – is due to make its UK show debut at the CV Show in Birmingham this month alongside the full Vauxhall van range.

For more information, visit www.vauxhall.co.uk.