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.

New SsangYong Korando Sports pick-up offers excellent value

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The pick-up market keeps on growing in the UK, so it’s no surprise that budget contenders are starting to appear. First, there was the Great Wall Steed, and now there’s the a brand-new version of the SsangYong Korando Sports.

SsangYong Korando Sports pick-up

As you’d expect from SsangYong, the Korando Sports majors in value and practicality — with prices starting at £14,995, these trucks are unlikely to be status purchases and are instead likely to be workhorses.

SsangYong’s five-year, unlimited mileage warranty will apply to the Korando Sports, even when purchased for business use, and the pick-up’s upgraded 1-tonne payload means it is now treated as a commercial vehicle for tax purposes. Out behind, a 2.7 tonne towing capacity means that the Korando Sports should be able to handle the biggest caravans, horse boxes and fully-loaded vehicle transporter trailers, while staying within the law.

SsangYong Korando Sports 1-tonne payload

As you’d expect from an Asian budget model, the Korando’s standard specification is generous. There are only two models to choose from — the SX and the more upmarket EX.

The SX includes 16” alloy wheels, tinted glass, air conditioning, leather covered steering wheel, remote central locking, Kenwood MP3 CD & RDS radio with a USB & auxiliary port and Bluetooth connectivity as well as speed sensitive power assisted steering.

The EX has 18” alloy wheels, and features leather upholstery with heated front seats, powered driver’s seat, heated, electrically adjustable and power folding door mirrors and rear parking sensors.  6 speed automatic transmission with cruise control is also available as an option.

Under the bonnet

The Korando Sports is powered by a 2.0-litre diesel, which — on paper — compares very well to the entry level engine offering on the Volkswagen Amarok:

Korando Sports Amarok
Power 155PS 140PS
Torque 360Nm 340Nm
Combined cycle mpg 37.7mpg 36.2mpg

Our verdict?

Perhaps tellingly, SsangYong didn’t include any interior photos in their press release. I’d expect it to be less sophisticated than its Japanese and western peers inside, and the handling probably isn’t as sharp as current premium models, either.

On the other hand, who cares? At this price, the numbers stack up in favour of the Korando Sports, especially given SsangYong’s impressively comprehensive 5-year warranty (check the the detailed comparison versus Hyundai and KIA here).

If you want a proper pick-up for a mixture of on and off-road use, towing, load lugging and general abuse, the SsangYong Korando Sports could be a very sound buy.

Lightweight luton highlights payload gains available to 3.5t operators

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Bevan lightweight luton body

Bevan’s lightweight luton body gives a payload of 1,250kg when fitted to a 3.5t Sprinter chassis (pictured)

I wrote recently about the issue of payload (maximum load weight) in 3.5t vans — and highlighted how a luton van will typically have a slightly lower payload than the equivalent panel van.

Using a luton van — especially with a tail lift — is typically a trade off between gaining a wider, completely flat load deck and losing a little payload. Unsurprisingly, van bodybuilders are constantly trying to minimise the weight of their luton bodies without sacrificing any durability or strength.

One of the best payloads available currently appears to come from Bevan Group’s lightweight luton body, which when fitted to a 3.5t Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis, provides a payload of 1,250kg.

I’m not sure if this is the very best in class, but it’s certainly a very competitive payload for a 3.5t luton, although it’s worth noting that this is (I think) without a tail lift, which would knock around 200kg off this payload figure.

Passport to approval

Bevan is one of the bigger names in the UK bodybuilding industry and has capitalised on its scale to create a very efficient process for obtaining whole vehicle type approval (WVTA) for its new models. Since the WVTA rules were changed last year, Bevan has already secured 140 approvals, thanks in part to having a dedicated approvals team, which works closely with the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA), which is part of the Department for Transport.

The firm is now extending this concept further with its Bevan Passport scheme, which makes the services of Bevan’s WVTA team available to smaller bodybuilders, who don’t have access to the same kinds of resource and may not find it easy to complete the WVTA process efficiently themselves.

The end result is a Bevan Passport, which “proves that a vehicle meets or exceeds all of the requisite environmental, safety and security standards”, according to Lee Dimmock, Bevan’s Group Operations Director and the leader of the firm’s WVTA team. 

Citroen takes top spot in Business Van Of The Year Awards 2015

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Updated 2014 Citroën Berlingo

The Citroen Berlingo

The Citroen Berlingo bagged the top prize at the recent Business Van Of The Year awards, thanks to its ubiquitous popularity, durability, generous specification and deceptive load-lugging ability.

The model specified by the Business Van judges was the Berlingo HDi 75 manual L1 625 Enterprise — broadly speaking an entry level standard wheelbase model that’s probably the most popular choice among Berlingo buyers.

Here’s a run-down of all the winners from this year’s awards:

  • Van of the Year: Citroen Berlingo HDi 75 manual L1 625 Enterprise
  • Best Small Trades Van: Citroen Berlingo HDi 75 manual L1 625 Enterprise
  • Best Large Trades Van: Vauxhall Vivaro 1.6CDTi 16v bi-turbo 120bhp L1H1 Sportive
  • Best Heavy Panel Van: Citroen Relay 35 L3 H2 130bhp Enterprise
  • Best Crew Van: Volksagen Transporter Kombi T30 Highline 180
  • Best City Van: Fiat Fiorino Cargo 1.3 MultiJet 75 Tecnico Start Stop
  • Best Local Delivery Van: Volkswagen Caddy 1.6TDI Highline 102PS C20
  • Best Green Van: Nissan e-NV200 Electric
  • Best Double Cab: Volkswagen Amarok 2.0 Trendline 180PS 4Motion
  • Best Utility Pick-Up: Volkswagen Amarok 2.0 Trendline 180PS 4Motion
  • Best Servicing Package: Volkswagen
  • Best Financing Package: Volkswagen

In terms of numbers, Volkswagen pipped Citroen to the post, with the German marque taking six awards compared to the French firm’s three. However, perhaps the most remarkable exclusion was Ford — this must be the first time for a couple of years that Ford has managed to avoid winning anything at an industry awards ceremony!

UK CV production down 19.7% in 2014, but December figures hint at return to growth

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Sometimes, statistics just play out the way you want them to. Last month, I suggested that the UK’s flat commercial vehicle output in November could herald the end of a long decline and the start of something better.

Today, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) confirmed that this was exactly what happened.

CV production rose by 12.6% in the UK last month, according to the latest figures from the SMMT. This was driven by a collossal 177% increase in home demand, that I suspect is due to production ramping up of the new Vauxhall Vivaro — gains that may not be sustainable in the medium term. However, the picture is clearly brighter than it has been for a long time:

CV manufacturing Dec-13 Dec-14 % Change YTD-13 YTD-14 % Change
Total 5,163 5,815 12.6% 88,110 70,731 -19.7%
Home 1,041 2,891 177.7% 40,200 35,909 -10.7%
Export 4,122 2,924 -29.1% 47,910 34,822 -27.3%
% export 79.8% 50.3% 54.4% 49.2%

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

This is what Mike Hawes, the SMMT’s chief executive, had to say about the figures:

“The growth of commercial vehicle manufacturing output in December represents a turning point in the sector’s fortunes,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive. “A ramping up of new model production, as well as a thriving home market, is expected to yield a stronger 2015, while the effects of restructuring in 2013 will no longer be felt.”

To finish off, I’ve included two graphs which show how CV production has changed since 2008, and highlight the nascent recovery the industry appears to be starting to enjoy:

SMMT CV output graphs Dec 2014

(L-R) CV output from 2008-2014 and the % change in quarterly output during 2014, compared to the equivalent quarter of 2013

All we need now is for the €1.1tn of quantitative easing planned for the eurozone to take effect and boost export demand — UK manufacturers might then be off to the races…

Were there any vans in the 2015 Dakar Rally?

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The Dakar rally includes four classes of vehicles — motorbike, quad bikes, cars and trucks. For Dakar purposes, the car class includes all vehicles weighing less than 3,500kg, while the truck class is for vehicles weighing more than 3,500kg.

As it happens, there were not any actual vans models in the Dakar this year, but a number of interesting vehicles derived from pick-ups, trucks and even vans make it into the rally each year. In this article I’ve highlighted a few examples of each category — access to official Dakar photography is limited so these are pictures provided by the manufacturers concerned.

Unsurprisingly, Toyota put on a strong show, with both Hilux and Land Cruiser entries. The Toyota Imperial Hilux finished second in the car class:

Dakar 2015 Toyota Imperial Hilux

Dakar 2015 Toyota Imperial Hilux

Meanwhile — perhaps even more impressively — the Toyota Land Cruiser dominated the production 4×4 diesel class, occupying the top 5 slots in the rankings!

Dakar 2015 Toyota Land Cruiser

The Toyota Land Cruiser finished occupied the top five positions in the diesel production 4×4 class!

The MINI isn’t exactly a commercial vehicle, but there was a Clubvan model for a short while (now sadly discontinued). Plus, a MINI won has won the Dakar for the last two years. Here’s the latest Dakar MINI in action (not the winner, I don’t think):

Dakar 2015 MINI

The 2015 Dakar MINI

Iveco is one of the stalwarts of the Dakar truck class, and this year was no exception, with the Italian manufacturer entering three vehicles in partnership with the Dutch Iveco DeRooy Petronas team.

The models chosen were the Powerstar — a bonneted truck model that’s not sold in the UK — and the Trakker, which is a quarry/off-road model that is available in the UK, albeit not that commonly seen:

Dakar 2015 Iveco Powerstar

The 2015 Dakar Iveco Powerstar, driven by 2012 Dakar winner Gerard de Rooy

Dakar 2015 Iveco Trakker

The 2015 Dakar Iveco Trakker — you may see one of these down your local quarry…

Here are a few more Dakar 2015 truck pics, courtesy of the Iveco Flickr feed:

Desert Work Trakker

Spirit Driver Dakar

Ranking Truck Dakar

Driver Dunes Trucks

 

Finally, it’s also not a van — but the previous model was available as a van. Peugeot discontinued the 207 Van model when the 207 was replaced, but the firm’s return to the Dakar is worthy of note, especially as the Dakar-spec 2008 is a truly awesome machine, powered by a 3-litre V6 diesel engine mounted at the rear of the car, which delivers 340hp and 800Nm of torque — truly in the same spirit as the all-conquering 205 T16 of yesteryear (showing my age, here):

Dakar 2015 Peugeot 208

The Peugeot 208 as entered into the 2015 Dakar

Used van market won’t normalise until 2020, says Manheim

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Never mind my predictions that used van prices might start to stagnate and perhaps even soften in 2015, James Davis, head of commercial vehicles at Manheim, believes that the used van market will not return to “pre-recessionary normality” until 2020.

Things certainly aren’t completely normal now: average used van selling prices last year were 45% (£1,500) higher than they were in 2006, despite the vans being older and having higher mileages.

The logic behind Mr Davis’ thinking is simple enough: new van sales have now returned to pre-recessionary levels of more than 300,000 units per year, but most of these new vans won’t be de-fleeted by their corporate, lease and utility owners until 2019/20. At this point, the age and mileage profile of vans entering the used market will be the same as it was in 2006, before the financial crisis reared its head.

However, I reckon there are some factors that could enable the market to find a new balance a little sooner than 2020.

Average age, price and mileage (Manheim)

Average used van age, selling price and mileage at Manheim sales, Dec ’13 – ’14. (Click to enlarge)

1. The UK CV market won’t be the same in 2020 as it was in 2006, and the age and mileage profile of used van stock may not be either. Mr Davis alluded to this in his comments today, noting that daily rental and flexirent fleets have recently injected a welcome does of late model vans into the market.

Flexible long-term rental is increasingly popular in the UK van market, and part of the attraction is that you are guaranteed to always have a nearly-new vehicle without having to commit to finance or long-term ownership. The rising popularity of this type of offering could mean that a proportion of last year’s new vans will be returned to the secondary market much sooner than historical trends suggest.

2. On a similar note, fleet operators are heavily focused on minimising the total cost of ownership of their vehicles. This means maximising resale values — if above-average prices remain available in the secondary market, some fleet operators may choose to de-fleet vans slightly earlier than they have done historically. Again, this could help to bring the market back into balance sooner than expected.

3. If the UK economy does continue to recover, a greater proportion of van buyers will want — and be able to afford — new vans. After all, new car sales are now ahead of levels seen before the recession. Van sales might also continue to rise, depressing demand for used vans. This may even be happening already.

Although used van prices rose by 5.5% in December 2014, compared to December 2013, Manheim’s used van prices are below the all-time peak seen in October 2014. December’s average of £4,715 is in-line with the average seen over the last six months.

The age and mileage profile of used vans is also improving — average age at Manheim in December was 62 months, down from 63 months in December 2013. Similarly, average mileage was down by 4,000 from 84,275 in December 2013 to 80,217 last month.

This suggest to me that buyers aren’t reliably paying more for older vans, as they were doing a year or so ago.

4. There’s also another possibility: suppose the UK’s economic recovery proves short-lived and demand for new vans falls again. That could boost used van demand beyond even Mr Davis’ wildest expectations. I don’t expect this to happen, but it’s certainly not impossible.

As always, we’ll just have to wait and see.

New Vauxhall Corsavan goes on sale

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New 2015 Vauxhall Corsavan

The new Vauxhall Corsavan

Late last year I attended the launch of the new Vauxhall Corsa car and reported that a new Corsavan would follow shortly.

The new Corsavan is now on sale with first deliveries expected in March. Like the new Corsa cars, the Corsavan has been generously specified with a standard spec that includes ESP with Hill Start Assist, daytime running lights, tyre pressure monitoring, digital radio plus Bluetooth, and steering wheel controls.

The popular Sportive specification has been continued as well, and buyers of this model — likely to be owner-drivers — will enjoy 16″ alloy wheels, air con and a heated windscreen too, along with a range of options.

A van like this is likely to be used for small, light cargos, but for anyone wanting to transport small, heavy objects, the payload is a competitive 560kg or thereabouts, depending on which specification you choose. Loading capacity is 920 litres.

Power plants

When I drove the new Corsa, it was clear to me and most of the others at the launch that Vauxhall’s new 1.0l turbocharged petrol engine was the best of the bunch. Torquey, relatively characterful, efficient and perfectly matched to the car.

Given this, it’s a real shame that Vauxhall has opted not to make the 1.0l engine available on the new Corsavan — the only petrol option is Vauxhall’s ageing, dull (but cheap) 1.2i 70PS engine.

The options are much better if you want a diesel, with 75PS and 95PS variants of Vauxhall’s popular 1.3CDTi engine on offer, both fitted with Start/Stop. Although ecoFLEX is only available on the higher-powered model, both engines promise combined cycle fuel consumption of more than 70mpg.

Choosing diesel may seem like a foregone conclusion when buying a van, but it shouldn’t be — especially for a small van like this that won’t have to haul heavy loads and which may often be used for low mileage, urban work, where petrol makes more sense and is far more environmentally friendly than diesel.

Prices for the new Corsavan start at £10,995 +VAT for the petrol model and £12,245 +VAT for the diesel models.

Volkswagen extends limited-run Caddy Black Edition until March

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Volkswagen Caddy Black EditionVolkswagen has decided to extend the production run of its Caddy Black Edition due to popular customer demand.

The popular new model has been on sale since 1 October 2014 and will now continue to be available until 31 March 2015. Based on the Highline specification, the UK special edition includes £2,150 of additional equipment, representing a customer saving of £1,515.

The specification includes body-coloured bumpers, mirrors and door handles, fog lights, rear parking sensors, climatic air conditioning, cruise control, Bluetooth phone connectivity with trip computer and multi-function display.

The Caddy Black Edition boasts striking Deep Black Pearlescent paint, unique black and polished 17-inch alloy wheels and silver roof rails and radiator grille surround. Drivers also benefit from a multi-functional steering wheel, leather gear knob and gaiter, heated wing mirrors and electric windows as standard. The also rides lower than the standard Caddy, as VW’s Dynamic Suspension is used to reduce the ride height by 27mm.

Available in short-wheelbase panel van form only, the Caddy Black Edition is powered by a VW’s 1.6-litre TDI common rail direct injection engine, which develops 102PS and 250Nm of torque, and is offered with a five-speed manual transmission. BlueMotion Technology means drivers can expect claimed fuel economy of 55.4mpg (combined) and CO2 emissions of just 134g/km.

BCA used van values hit new record but sector prices tell different story

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BCA used van auction Dec 14Used van values hit a new high of £5,870 in December, according to the latest figures from British Car Auctions (BCA).

However, in the two biggest used segments — ex-fleet/lease and part-ex — values were not the highest on record. Instead they were second highest (ex-fleet/lease) and third highest (part-ex).

Presumably a greater proportion of ex-fleet/lease vans, and perhaps the influence of the small group of nearly new vans (<1 yr old), were responsible for pushing the overall average up to a new record level.

This tends to support my theory that in the main volume segments of the market, prices have flattened out.

Market review

December saw surging demand for vans for courier and parcel delivery work, as you’d expect.

Given the appalling rates of pay on offer for self-employed and subcontracting operators in this sector, it’s no surprise that they were targeting used vehicles — I wonder if a portion of these will be resold, now that the Christmas rush is over?

Anyway, here are the December figures from BCA, along with last year’s numbers:

All vans

Avg Age (mnths)

Avg Mileage

Avg Value

Sale vs CAP

Dec 2013

59.37

81,351

£5,311

102.07%

Dec 2014

56.05

78,157

£5,870

101.31%

Source: BCA (www.british-car-auctions.co.uk)

On a year-on-year basis, prices were 10.5% higher in December 2014 than one year earlier, although the average sale value slipped back slightly against CAP values, despite falling age and mileage.

Ex-fleet/lease

In the ex-fleet/lease market, which I believe accounts for more than half of BCA’s sales, the changes were much smaller: the average price of £6,669 was the second-highest on record and was just 2.8% higher than in December 2013. That’s only slightly above inflation.

Again, the premium over CAP was reduced, with vans selling for 100.3% of CAP price last month, compared to 101.5% in December 2013.

Part-ex

The other big sector for BCA is cheaper part-exchange vans, which tend to be older and higher mileage. Here, the average sale price of £3,848 was 3.4% higher than last December.

Interestingly, the average sale price against CAP rose from 103% in December 2013 to 105.4% last month, despite average mileage rising from 92,447 to 96,271 and average age rising by 5 months from 78 to 83 months.

I suspect many of these were last minute, short-term Christmas courier buys which took place after the Black Friday sales, although I could be wrong.

What’s next?

Overall, these figures still give me the feeling that the used market is quite stretched and unlikely to rise significantly higher, especially as more ex-fleet and newer part-ex vans feed into the market, as new sales rise.

Van and truck sales returned to 2007 levels in 2014

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New commercial vehicle registrations rose by 11% to 363,155 units in 2014, making last year the highest-selling year since 2007, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The growth was driven by van sales, which rose by 18.7% to 321,686 units last year, while truck sales fell by 26.2%, thanks to the introduction of Euro 6 emissions regulation: truck operators rushed to buy Euro 5 trucks in 2013 before pulling back from the new market in 2014.

UK van and truck registrations: 2014 and % change on 2013

December % change Year-to-date % change Rolling year % change
Vans 26,529 26.6% 321,686 18.7% 321,686 18.7%
Trucks 2,898 -74.5% 41,469 -26.2% 41,469 -26.2%
Total 29,427 -8.9% 363,155 11.0% 363,155 11.0%

Source: SMMT (www.smmt.co.uk)

As usual, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here’s a graph showing how sales have changed since 2010:

SMMT van and truck registrations 10/2010-12/2014

SMMT van and truck registrations 10/2010-12/2014 (courtesy of SMMT)

Which vans sold best?

The growth in new van registrations was not evenly distributed across the van sector.

The big winner was the 2.0-2.5t category (vans like the Citroen Berlingo and Ford Transit Connect), where sales rose by 42% to 56,257 last year, highlighting the popularity of these medium-sized vans, which are bigger and more capable than they used to be.

At the top end of the market, sales of 2.5-3.5t vans performed strongly, rising by 19.5% to 183,308 — in volume terms, this is by far the biggest segment of the van market.

Other categories that deserve a mention are sub-2.0t vans, where registrations fell by 5% — perhaps because there are very few new van models that actually fit into this category.

The pick-up segment also deserves a mention,  because sales rose by 15.1% to 33,823 last year, meaning that this formerly specialist segment of the CV market is now comparable, in volume terms, with 2.0-2.5t vans! This tends to confirm that pick-ups are the new company car of choice for many small business owners.