Category Archives: Van News

News and articles about UK vans – especially information relevant to the van hire market. Coverage of new van model launches from all the major manufacturers – Ford, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Fiat and Citroen.

BCA van auction

Used van prices drive higher in November as average age falls

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The average auction sale value of a used van rose by £123 to £5,777 in November, according to auctioneers BCA:

All vans Avg Age (mnths) Avg Mileage Avg Value Sale vs CAP
Nov 2014 57.75 78,858 £5,615 102.71%
Nov 2015 55.75 75,764 £5,777 100.17%

Data courtesy of BCA

BCA van auctionThe figure is 2.1% higher than October and 2.8% higher than November 2014. However, this isn’t necessarily as inflationary as it seems.

On average, vans sold by BCA in November were two months younger and had driven 2,000 miles fewer than in November last year. Once these factors are adjusted for I’d guess that prices were probably fairly flat, in real terms.

The decreasing age and mileage profile of the used vans going through BCA’s salerooms does suggest that the backlog of older vans which were not replaced during the recession is now starting to disappear. If the average age continues to fall, then I think it’s reasonable to assume that fleet replacement cycles are getting back to normal.

Volkswagen Caddy 4th generation

Volkswagen adds petrol engines to new Caddy range

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Volkswagen Caddy 4th generation

The new 4th generation Volkswagen Caddy is now available with a choice of three petrol engines.

It seems the tide is finally turning in favour of common sense and lower emissions for urban vans.

One of the pioneers of modern diesel engines, Volkswagen, as announced that the current 4th-generation Caddy van and the Transporter-based Caravelle people carrier will be available with petrol engines.

The move does of course come in the wake of the diesel emissions scandal, which has hit VW sales hard. The German group lost 2% of its European market share in November, according to figures released earlier this week by Acea, the European manufacturers’ body.

Personally, I don’t think this will do VW much long-term harm, but this scandal has served a useful purpose — diesel emissions are a problem and for urban or low-mileage use, petrol (or electric) makes much more sense.

Rant aside, here are the details of the new engine choices.

VW Caddy petrol engines (all Euro 6):

  • 1.2 84PS 5-speed manual
  • 1.0 102PS 5-speed manual
  • 1.4 125PS 6-speed manual or 7-speed DSG gearbox

Prices start from £13,610 +VAT for the 1.2 TSU 84PS 5-speed Caddy panel van in Startline Trim

VW Caravelle SE SWB petrol engine choices (Euro 6):

  • 2.0 150PS 6-speed manual
  • 2.0 204PS 7-speed DSG

Prices start from £28,950 for the 2.0TSI 150PS 6-speed manual Caravelle SE short wheelbase.

SMMT van registrations Dec 2009 to Nov 2015

Van registrations back on track in November with 9.6% rise

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After surprisingly slow growth in October, new van registrations rose by 9.6% to 29,051 in November, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The increase takes this year’s total to 341,420 new vans, 15.7% more than during the first eleven months of 2014.

UK van and truck registrations: 2015 and % change on 2014

November % change Year-to-date % change Rolling year % change
Vans 29,051 9.6% 341,420 15.7% 367,949 16.4%
Trucks 4,252 55.8% 47,184 22.3% 50,082 0.3%
Total 33,303 13.9% 388,604 16.4% 418,031 14.2%

Data courtesy of SMMT (www.smmt.co.uk)

Commenting on the figures, Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said:

“The commercial vehicle market continues to demonstrate phenomenal progress, with sustained growth over a number of years as ever-more confident businesses invest in their fleets.

Here’s how the progress of the last six years looks on a graph (the dark blue line represents vans):

SMMT van registrations Dec 2009 to Nov 2015

Van and truck registrations from Dec 2009 to Nov 2015 (courtesy of SMMT)

As usual, the biggest growth was in the 2.5-3.5t category, where sales rose by 19.1% to 19,150 units — 66% of all vans registered in November.

All of these new van sales are good news for van dealers and also, by implication, for the UK economy. Now let’s see what next year brings.

One millionth Vauxhall Vivaro at Luton

One million Vauxhall Vivaro buyers can’t be wrong

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I’ve commented before that Vauxhall’s Luton plant is the most important contributor to the UK’s commercial vehicle manufacturing industry.

If you weren’t convinced before, then news that the Luton factory has just produced its one millionth Vivaro van may convince you.

One millionth Vauxhall Vivaro at Luton

The milestone comes 17 months after the firm reported the completion of its 900,000th Vivaro. Despite the disruption caused by the changeover to the new Vivaro model, Vauxhall has produced another 100,000 Vivaros since then, including 24,500 so far in 2015.

Fittingly, Vauxhall’s one millionth Vivaro went to one of the firm’s biggest customers and one the UK’s biggest fleet operators, BT Fleet.

BT Fleet has purchased 13,368 Vivaro vans over the last eleven years, and Mike Langford, Senior Customer Relationship Manager at BT Fleet, says that the current model is the best yet:

“We have purchased 13,368 Vivaros from Vauxhall over the past 11 years and they have served us well. The van has evolved over time to meet the changing needs of our workforce, and I believe the vans we are taking delivery of at the moment are their best yet.

BT Fleet currently operates 30,000 vehicles and so has considerable expertise and influence in the UK commercial vehicle market, so its support for the Vivaro is a good sign for the future of the Luton plant, which employs 1,500 people.

Vauxhall didn’t waste the opportunity to have a dig at rival Ford, pointing out that the Luton plant beat competition from across Europe to produce the new Vivaro. Luton is also expected to provide around £600m of business for smaller UK firms across the life of the Vivaro, as 40 per cent of the parts for the new Vivaro are sourced in the UK, up from 24 per cent for the previous model.

Ford shut its Transit factory in Southampton in 2013, moving production to Turkey. Vauxhall’s success begs the question — which I’ve asked before — as to why Ford couldn’t make a success of the plant.

SMMT CV output 2008-October 2015

CV manufacturing output up 10% in October as European demand surges

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After September’s remarkable 100% rise in UK van and truck manufacturing output, October’s figures were bound to be a little more modest.

In truth, the 100% rise this September was the result of new production being phased in from last October at Vauxhall’s Luton plant, where production of the outgoing Vivaro model ended in August 2014 and was subsequently replaced by the new Vivaro.

In 2013, Vauxall built 44,000 Vivaro vans. If you compare that number to the figures in the table below, it’s clear that the Vivaro is a dominant factor in UK CV sales.

Notwithstanding this, the latest numbers from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) suggest that momentum remains strong:

CV manufacturing Oct-14 Oct-15 % Change YTD-14 YTD-15 % Change
Total 7,235 7,995 10.5% 57,981 79,401 36.9%
Home 4,372 4,214 -3.6% 28,846 40,610 40.8%
Export 2,863 3,781 32.1% 29,135 38,791 33.1%
% export 39.6% 47.3% 50.2% 48.9%

Data courtesy of SMMT (www.smmt.co.uk)

Interstingly, home demand fell slightly last month. This may be linked to the fall in truck registrations reported last month and the more modest rate of van registrations. Sales growth has to slow at some point.

These figures are still good news for the UK economy as they show another rise in export demand, most of which goes to the EU. That suggests a double does of good news, in my view. Not only are UK companies exporting more, but a Europe-wide economic recovery could finally be picking up pace.

CV exports to Europe are now up by 33% so far this year, with domestic demand up 40% despite this month’s fall. Here’s how these figures look on a longer timescale:

SMMT CV output 2008-October 2015

Rolling year CV output 2008-2015 (courtesy of SMMT)

In total, nearly 8,000 vans, trucks and buses were built in the UK last month. Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, was keen to emphasise the benefits of the strong contribution being made by the European market:

“It’s great to see UK commercial vehicle manufacturing continuing its resurgence in the third quarter of 2015, with year-to-date figures still demonstrating impressive double-digit growth. Particularly encouraging is the growing demand for exports, fuelled by the recovery of the sector’s largest market, Europe.”

I don’t expect December to be a blockbuster month, but hopefully I’ll be wrong. More next month.

New Iveco Daily will launch June 2014

Iveco unveils New Daily Electric van

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New Iveco Daily will launch June 2014

The standard version of the new Daily.

Weighing in at up to 5.6 tonnes and with a load space of up to 19.6 cubic metres, the new Iveco Daily Electric is probably the biggest electric van on the market.

The improved Daily Electric, which is based on last year’s New Daily model, offers up to 20% longer battery life than the outgoing model. That translates to range of up to 280km, using a three battery configuration.

Drivers can choose between Eco and Power modes, depending on whether they want to limit torque in order to maximise battery life or not. As you’d expect, the Daily Electric also uses regenerative braking in order to eke out battery charge a little longer.

The vehicle is naturally almost silent in operation, making it ideal for urban use and night time deliveries. Iveco does fit a pedestrian acoustic alert system, however, which comes into play automatically at speeds of less than 30km/h.

Inside, the New Daily Electric is equipped with a 7’’ detachable tablet and an electronic dashboard for vehicle data management, while best-in-class navigation technology comes courtesy of TomTom® Bridge for Iveco.

This system for Iveco New Daily Electric is the unique result of TomTom® and Iveco teaming up to offer professional drivers a tailor-made navigation solution. A semi-integrated dashboard dock delivers the comfort of a built-in system and the flexibility of a detachable device.

Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport

Prices released for new Vito Sport

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The new Mercedes-Benz Vito is now available in Vito Sport specification in the UK.

Priced from £25,495 +VAT for the Vito Sport 116 BlueTEC Compact van, the Vito Sport is available both in a panel van and crew van option, which offers an extra row of seats.

Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport

Prices for the new Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport start from £25,495 +VAT

The 116 BlueTEC and 119 BlueTEC engines are both available for Vito Sport, which meet the stringent Euro 6 emission regulations, along with a choice of Compact and Long body lengths. The excellent standard specification of the New Vito is enhanced by a combination of functional and styling features, which set the Vito Sport apart from the norm.

Exterior visual styling elements include chrome sidebars and front grille trim, unique rear model badging, front fog lamps with chrome trim, rear tailgate chrome trim, colour-coded bumpers and five-spoke alloy wheels.

Inside the Vito Sport, drivers get air-conditioning, comfort driver and single passenger seats, ‘Sport’ branded floor mats, Audio 15 infotainment system with colour screen, and tinted glass.

As standard, all Vito Sport models are pre-wired for the optional plug-in Becker MapPilot navigation system – a cost-effective way of bringing fully-integrated navigation features through the standard Auto 15 headunit and visual display.

The Vito Sport has become a popular part of the Vito line-up since its introduction in 2009, as has its high performance sibling, the Sport-X. A new Vito Sport-X model is under development and is expected to be available from Q1 2016.

BCA LCV Director Duncan Ward

Used van prices remain flat in October, but valuations are weaker

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Used van values were unchanged in October compared to the same month last year, according to the latest figures from auctioneers BCA.

Year-on-year table: All vans

All vans Avg Age (mnths) Avg Mileage Avg Value Sale vs CAP
Oct 2014 56.08 78,885 £5,654 103.28%
Oct 2015 56.18 77,059 £5,654 100.66%

Data courtesy of BCA

However, there were a couple of differences which suggest that in real terms, used values are falling:

  • Average mileage was approximately 2,000 miles lower in Oct 2015 than Oct 2014
  • Sale vs CAP (trader’s book price) was down to 100% this year, from 103% last year
BCA LCV Director Duncan Ward

BCA’s LCV Operations Director, Duncan Ward

In my view, the market is continuing to soften gradually, but there’s no doubt conditions remain pretty healthy.

October’s average used price of £5,654 was the highest seen so far in 2015, and seasonal demand looks set to surge over the next couple of months, as Duncan Ward, BCA’s LCV Operations Director, explains:

“With encouraging noises coming from most business sectors, a reasonably settled economy and relative shortage of good quality stock, both professional buyers and end users are bidding confidently across a range of makes, models and configurations. There has been plenty of competition for LCVs that are in ready-to-retail condition and values for the best examples will outstrip price guide expectations by a considerable margin.”

“As the Christmas season approaches, online retailers will place increasing demands on the parcel delivery and courier sector, and we expect to see plenty of interest for larger panel vans over the next few weeks.

The budget van sector is also buoyant, with average values for part-exchange stock reaching record levels in October.”

The underlying weakening of the market I refer to is probably best illustrated by the high volume fleet and lease van sector, which accounts for the majority of BCA’s volumes. Sale prices for these vans, which are typically between three and four years old, have weakened relative to benchmark valuations:

  • Sale vs CAP price down from 102% (Oct 2014) to 100% (Oct 2015);
  • Sale vs Manufacturer Recommended Price down from 37% (Oct 2014) to 33.4% (Oct 2015)

Similar trends were seen in the part-exchange vans sector, which deals with older vans, averaging around seven years old. Sale vs CAP fell from 107% in October 2014 to 102% last month for part-ex vans.

Nissan NP300 Navara pick-up

Nissan NP300 Navara: UK pricing and specification details

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Nissan has released details of UK pricing and specification levels for the new NP300 Navara pick-up, which will replace the current Navara when it goes on sale in January 2016.

Prices for the NP300 Navara will start from £18,376 +VAT and there will be five trim levels, Visia, Acenta, Acenta+, N-Connecta and Tekna. All models will get a 5-year warranty as standard.

Visia and Acenta models will be available with a choice of King Cab or Double Cab, but from the Acenta+ trim level upwards, only double cabs will be available.

Nissan NP300 Navara pick-up

Two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive variants are available, as is a choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearboxes with the more powerful 190PS engine — although the automatic is a £1,700 option.

Here’s a summary of what each specification level will have to offer.

Visia (from £18,376 +VAT)

The entry-level Visia is most likely to be specified as a corporate or agricultural workhorse, rather than a personal vehicle. As a result, it features plenty of black plastic rather than chrome and painted trim.

However, Nissan hasn’t skimped on safety and the majority of the NP300’s new safety features are standard across the range, including on the Visia. These include Forward Emergency Braking on all double cab models; driver, passenger, side, knee and curtain airbags; electronic Limited Slip Differential (eLSD); Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control (on 4WD models).

Power is provided by the 160PS single-turbe version of Nissan’s new 2.3-litre dCi engine.

Acenta (from £19,834 +VAT)

Opting for the Acenta provides customers with 16″ alloy wheels, some chrome trim and a 5″ colour screen with which to manage the onboard entertainment. Buyers also get an engine start button but the engine it controls is still the lower-powered 160PS model.

Acenta+ (from £22,084 +VAT)

Drivers looking for more oomph may want to opt for the Acenta+, which comes with the twin-turbo 190PS version of the 2.3-litre dCi. This offers a chunky 450Nm of torque, compared to 403Nm for the 160PS model.

The Acenta+ also includes 18″ alloys, automatic air conditioning with dual zone climate control, a reversing camera, side steps, electric folding heated door mirrors and rear privacy glass.

N-Connecta (from £22,793 +VAT)

The N-Connecta trim level is all about enterainment. The onboard system is built around the NissanConnect 2.0 7” touchscreen satellite navigation and entertainment system. This incorporates features including DAB digital radio, a rear colour reversing camera, Bluetooth audio streaming, app integration and live traffic updates.

Tekna (from £24,293 +VAT)

Prices for the range-topping Tekna model start at £24,293 +VAT. For this, you get a leather interior, heated front seats, LED headlights and Nissan’s Around View Monitor, which uses cameras to give the drive a bird’s eye view of the car.

Volkswagen Caddy 4th generation

Volkswagen Caddy now available with new Euro 6 engine options

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Volkswagen Caddy 4th generation

The 4th generation Volkswagen Caddy is now available in the UK.

It’s probably a good time for VW to be focusing on its environmental credentials.

The firm has just announced that Caddy vans are now available with two additional Euro 6 engines, a 2.0 TDI 75PS and 2.0 TDI 150PS. These are in addition to the original Euro 6 choice of a 102PS engine.

The Euro 5 models will continue to be available, but the Euro 6 engines will be offered at the same price as their Euro 5 equivalents until the end of 2015, making them a more sensible choice for forward-looking operators with an eye to resale value and eco-credentials.

All Euro 6 models have BlueMotion Technology as standard, giving the customer low rolling resistance tyres, start/stop system, hill hold assist and regenerative braking at no extra cost.

The new engines will be available across the Caddy range at all three trim levels (Startline, Trendline and Highline — see here for prices and specs) with the exception of the 75PS model, which won’t be offered on the long wheelbase Caddy Maxi.