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.

Isuzu Trucks Moves Into North London With Enfield Dealership

Leave a reply
Isuzu Truck range

The Isuzu Truck range

Leading truck manufacturer Isuzu Truck UK has announced the appointment of a brand new main dealer to cover the key location of North London.

The new Enfield-based company, known as Isuzu North London, joined the Isuzu truck dealer network with effect from February 2013.

Isuzu North London is providing full sales, service and parts coverage for the Isuzu truck marque and as Keith Child, marketing director at Isuzu Truck UK explains:

“The geographic area covered by this new dealership is an important one for us. This is a densely populated area in terms of the number of companies operating commercial vehicles and of course Enfield is easily accessed from the M25, M11, A1(M) and M1 motorways. This latest dealer appointment will ensure that both current and future Isuzu operators in the area will get first class sales and aftermarket support at all times.”

Isuzu trucks have not historically been popular with van hire companies, but Isuzu’s 3.5t Grafter has a strong reputation with van operators, especially those whose work is quite demanding — such as builders and grounds maintenance contractors. The Grafter’s truck-based construction means it is pretty robust and would, presumably, make a good base vehicle for a luton conversion, in addition to its more common use as a tipper and dropside.

Fiat Professional Fields Large Display At CV Show

Leave a reply
Fiat Scudo Crew Van

The new Fiat Professional Scudo Crew Van, which will be on display at the Birmingham CV Show from 9-11 April 2013

Fiat Professional will be fielding an impressive seven-vehicle display on its stand at the Birmingham CV Show, with further vehicles displayed outside.

The display is intended to demonstrate the breadth of Fiat’s range, especially its range of conversions. The display on Fiat’s indoor stand at Birmingham will include the following vans:

  • Scudo Crew Van (NEW)
  • Ducato  Van  Tecnico
  • Ducato Tipper (NEW)
  • Doblò Work Up
  • Doblò XL Cargo
  • Fiorino Cargo
  • Fiorino Crew Van  (NEW)

Outdoors, one of the vehicles on display will be Ducato Luton, showcasing another conversion on this popular base vehicle.

New Scudo Crew Van

Fiat Professional’s new Scudo Crew Van is powered by Fiat’s 2.0 MultiJet 130hp engine and is available on both short and long wheelbase bodies. The Scudo Crew Van has been developed with Snoeks Automotive, a leading European specialist in this sector that produces a range of double cab conversions for popular vans. The Scudo conversion will offer six seats and a semi-glazed configuration with the specific components being supplied by Snoeks and assembled directly on the assembly line.

The rear cabin features a comfortable three seat bench which has individual head rests and each seat has a three-point seatbelt. The rear seats feature the same upholstery as that of the front seats. A bulkhead with window is positioned behind the rear seats providing protection against load intrusion into the cabin.

Ducato Conversions

Fiat Professional will be exhibiting two Ducato conversions at the show, the new Ducato Tipper, and a Ducato Luton conversion by Trucksmith Vehicle Body Builders on display outside.

The new Ducato Tipper is based on a MWB chassis and has been developed with VFS (Southampton) Ltd, a leading commercial vehicle converter specialising in high quality Tipper and Dropside conversions. Further details will be available at the show.

The popular and Ducato Tecnico panel van model will also be on display — I’ve written about this edition before and it does seem good value and attractively specified.

The Birmingham CV Show takes place at the Birmingham NEC from 9-11 April 2013. Visit www.cvshow.com for more details.

Used Van Values Hit Record Levels In February

1 Reply

BCA auction used van saleUsed van values reached a new record in February, according to the latest data from auction specialists BCA, with big increases in the sale values of ex-fleet and lease vans overriding a small drop in the value of dealer part-exchange vans.

The average February figure of £4,789 for LCVs was the highest on record for any month since Pulse began reporting in 2005. Average age rose by two months to 58.5 months, while average mileage declined by 2,000 miles to 78,700 miles.

Duncan Ward BCA’s General Manager – Commercial Vehicles commented commented:

“Despite values being at record levels, prices are high largely as a result of the constricted supply, and – seasonal variations aside – we should expect a similar picture across much of 2013.”

“While stock remains in short supply, corporate vendors are enjoying some exceptional values. We know from experience that values cannot keep rising and there will inevitably be an adjustment at some stage.  However, we are still in uncharted waters four years on from the registration crash of 2008 and 2009 and how this will manifest itself is impossible to judge at this stage.  With the Easter break often representing a watershed in demand, we might see some pressure on values in April.”

BCA LCV used values Feb 2013

Used van values reached their highest level since BCA Pulse records began in 2005.

Year-on-year, February 2013 was ahead by £517 or 12.1%, with age and mileage rising over the period:

All vans Avg Age Avg Mileage Avg Value Sale vs CAP
Feb 2012 56.46 76,768 £4,272 98.23%
Feb 2013 58.55 78,770 £4,789 103.05%

Fleet & lease vans

Following a 1% rise in January and a 5.2% rise in December, values in the fleet & lease LCV sector improved again in February, rising by £386 (7.1%) to £5,823 – the third consecutive month where a record average value has been achieved for corporate CV stock.  Performance against CAP improved by a point to 103.3%, while retained value against Manufacturer Recommended Price improved by over two points to 34.9% from 32.7% in January.

Year-on-year, the value evolution for corporate stock is even more pronounced – February 2013 was £875 (17.6%) ahead of the same month in 2012 – with average age and mileage reasonably stable.

Fleet/Lease Avg Age Avg Mileage Avg Value Sale vs CAP
Feb 2012 44.51 70,666 £4,948 98.06%
Feb 2013 44.22 69,093 £5,823 102.30%

BCA Pulse data for fleet and lease van sales Feb 2013

Part-exchange vans

February part-exchange values were the third highest since Pulse began reporting in 2005, despite falling back by £101 (3.1%) to £3,095 compared to January.   CAP comparisons improved by half a point to 105.3% and continue to outperform the fleet & lease sector by around three points.  Year-on-year values remain well ahead by £325 or 11.7%, with average age and mileage rising in 2013.

Part-Ex Avg Age Avg Mileage Avg Value Sale vs CAP
Feb 2012 78.35 89,587 £2,770 98.56%
Feb 2013 81.30 96,089 £3,095 105.34%

BCA Pulse data for part-ex van sales Feb 2013

Nearly-new vans

Nearly-new values fell back in February for the third consecutive month, averaging £9,431.  CAP performance improved by three points to 101.6%.  As always, this has to be taken in the context of the very low volumes reaching the market and the model mix factor.

SNAFU?

Overall, these statistics paint a picture of a market that’s ever so slightly messed up. New van registrations remain subdued and nearly-new vans are in desperately short supply, meaning that buyers will pay over the odds for good ex-fleet and lease stock. Meanwhile, dealer part-ex stock that may be pretty tatty is continuing to fetch well over CAP.

The biggest problem, as Duncan Ward commented, is that there is no quick way of resolving this situation. Even in the unlikely event that new van registrations continue to rise, it will take three or four years for this improved supply to filter through to the used market — during which period used van buyers will continue to have to pay more and get less for their money.

I guess perhaps the secret is to buy well and extend replacement cycles — but that isn’t always as easy as it sounds.

Van Registrations Up 11.8% in February as Buyers Choose Small Vans

4 Replies

Van registrations rose by 11.8% to 9,149 in February compared to February 2012, lifting overall commercial vehicle registrations (vans and trucks) by 5.4%, despite a 16.3% fall in new truck registrations.

UK van and truck registrations: 2013 and % change on 2012

February % change Year-to-date % change Rolling year % change
Vans 9,149 11.8% 25,198 11.9% 242,318 -4.8%
Trucks 2,187 -16.3% 5,069 -18.2% 44,572 -0.1%
Total 11,336 5.0% 30,267 5.4% 286,890 -4.1%

(Data courtesy of SMMT)

Nigel Base, SMMT Commercial Vehicle Manager said that it was “a complex picture”:

“The commercial vehicle industry’s good start to 2013 continued into February, rising 5% as the van market grew 11.8% on last year, but it’s a complex picture. The truck market declined 16%, perhaps as owners and operators adjust buying decisions ahead of key landmarks in the year –  this month’s Budget, the CV Show in April and introduction of Euro 6 legislation at the end of the year.”

Van registrations in more detail

A closer look at the van registration figures show some interesting trends.

Pickup sales continued their strong start to the year, rising by 72.2% in February to give a 44.8% rise for the year to date, during which time 4×4 sales have fallen by 4.2%.

In terms of ‘proper’ vans, the biggest increase this year has been in the 2.0t – 2.5t category, where registrations have risen by 21.8% so far. Vans in this weight range include the Volkswagen Caddy, Citroen Berlingo and Ford Transit Connect.

In contrast, registrations of vans with a GVW of 2.5t – 3.5t have only risen by 4.4% so far this year, highlighting the growing popularity of smaller models over larger alternatives like the Peugeot Expert and Ford Transit.

Great Wall Launches Two New Steed Pick-Up Models

2 Replies
Great Wall Steed Chrome edition

The Great Wall Steed Chrome edition, on sale now priced £14,998 +VAT

Great Wall has just launched two new versions of its top value pick-up, the Steed. The two special edition models – the ‘Steed Chrome’ and ‘Steed Tracker’ both go on sale in March.

Building on the impressive array of standard equipment found on the entry-level Steed S, both models represent outstanding value for money, offering savings of at least £800 over the accessories purchased individually.

The Steed’s recently uprated towing capacity of 2,500kg (braked) and a 1,050kg maximum payload make it the ideal load-lugger both off-road and on it. This is one of the highest towing capacities available for this class of vehicle in the UK.

Featuring a host of interior and exterior styling upgrades, the Steed Chrome is aimed at tradesmen and private users wanting to stand out from the crowd, but not needing to do any serious off-road driving.

In addition to the standard Steed S equipment list, it adds chrome side bars and sports bars, chrome fog-lamp surrounds, chrome rear-lamp finishers, stainless-steel door entry guards, an over-rail bedliner, tinted windows, metallic paint and carpet floor mats.

The Steed Tracker is aimed at drivers planning to use the vehicle off-road, for towing and for dirty work, and includes special fit General Grabber All-Terrain Tyres, an over-rail bedliner, a towbar with audible monitor, front and rear mud flaps, rubber mats and metallic paint.

Both special editions also come with the wealth of standard features that are fitted to the Steed S, including 16-inch alloy wheels, daytime running lights, remote central locking, a Thatcham-approved Category 1 alarm, electric front and rear windows, an Alpine CD/radio with USB/MP3 and Bluetooth connectivity, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, air-conditioning, heated fronted seats and a full leather interior.

“Since it was launched last year, the Steed has always represented outstanding value for money both to buy and own, and the introduction of these two special editions underlines the vehicle’s status as Britain’s best-value double-cab pick-up,” comments Hadyn Davies of Great Wall Motor UK. 

“The Chrome and Tracker have been created to suit a variety of Great Wall customers.  The Chrome will appeal to the individual or small business looking for a pick-up with real visual impact, while the Tracker is a dedicated workhorse with a host of rugged and robust additional features,” he concludes.

All Steeds are powered by Great Wall’s 2.0-litre 16-valve turbocharged diesel powerplant that delivers combined cycle fuel economy of 34.0 mpg, as well as a low-range gearbox and a ‘shift on the fly’ four-wheel-drive system that can be selected by the driver when the terrain becomes challenging.

For further details on the full Great Wall range, including the Steed Chrome and Steed Tracker, please visit www.greatwallmotor.co.uk.

48% of Van Drivers Could Use an Electric Van

3 Replies
Nissan e-NV200 electric van

Nissan eNV200 electric van

According to a new survey, 48% of van drivers do less than 100 miles per day, suggesting that they could use an electric van without compromising practicality or scheduling.

Nissan is making a big push into the UK van market, and one of its main differentiators is a market-ready production electric van, the eNV200, which has been extensively trialled, received great feedback, and is due to go on sale in the not-too-distant future.

To help promote the case for electric vans, which I think has already been well proven, Nissan performed this survey* to gather information about van drivers’ habits, quirks and working practices.

One key finding was that 48% of those questioned drive less than 100 miles a day, which according to Nissan means that they could switch their van to an eNV200 electric van without encountering risking flat batteries mid-delivery or having to change their delivery routes.

Just 26% drive more than 200 miles a day, highlighting the fact that the majority of vans are used for local work, where electric vehicles could be very successful — assuming you have somewhere to plug them in and charge them at the end of the day. Many small businesses don’t.

Clean-living music

Not surprisingly, 63% of drivers said they couldn’t live without their radio in their vehicle and when they tune in, 23% choose Radio 2. Surprisingly more van drivers listen to Classic FM than Radio 5 Live and 7% list Talk Sport as their favourite station.

Commenting on the survey results, Jon Pollock, Nissan’s corporate sales director said:

“Van drivers have been given some unfair press in the past which is why we wanted to build up a real picture of what they do, how they think and the features they value on their van. Our research says they are health conscious, hardworking and loyal individuals.”

 

Nissan’s research also found that cleanliness is next to godliness, in driving terms at least — 92% of drivers said they feel better when driving a clean vehicle, and three out of four (72%) believe it actually makes them a better driver.

Ageing healthy eaters!

Finally no mention of white van man would be complete without a visit to the burger van — or should that be the kitchen? Nissan found that just 15% of van drivers claim to prefer a burger or take away when on the road, while a whopping 32% take a packed lunch, and 8% like a bit of fruit whilst on the road.

However, the survey found that 39% of those questioned were over 45, suggesting that companies aren’t recruiting many young drivers — something which could cause a driver shortage further down the line.

*250 van drivers were questioned.

Vauxhall Doubles Service Interval For Vivaro & Movano Vans

Leave a reply
Vauxhall Vivaro ecoFLEX

Vauxhall Vivaro models such as the one pictured will move to a two year/25,000 mile service interval from March 2013.

Vauxhall has announced that from March, new Combo, Vivaro and Movano vans will move to two year service intervals, doubling the existing one year intervals.

Admittedly, the mileage intervals for servicing won’t increase, meaning that this is a change that will mainly benefit low mileage users such as local tradesmen and small businesses. Here are the new recommendations in full:

  • Vauxhall Combo (diesel*) service interval at 21,000 miles, two years, or oil life quality monitor warning, whichever is sooner
  • Vauxhall Vivaro service interval at 25,000 miles, two years, or oil life quality monitor warning, whichever is sooner
  • Vauxhall Movano service interval at 25,000 miles, two years, or oil life quality monitor warning, whichever is sooner

*Petrol-engined Vauxhall Combos will have to be serviced after 18,000 miles

“Depending on mileage, the savings in service maintenance and repair across a large mixed fleet could be significant,” said Richard Collier, Vauxhall’s National Commercial Vehicle and B2B Sales Manager.

The Luton-built Vivaro remains a very popular choice with ‘retail’ buyers — small business customers who buy from dealers, not through fleet orders — and is the main reason why Vauxhall is the UK’s most popular van make with retail buyers.

Movano ecoFLEX available from March

Vauxhall has also confirmed that a low-emission ecoFLEX version of the Movano large van will be available from March. The Movano ecoFLEX will include fuel-saving Start/Stop technology as standard, and will be available in 100PS and 125PS power outputs and two different wheelbases (L2H2 and L3H2).

The Movano ecoFLEX range promises to achieve a combined fuel economy of 37.2mpg and CO2 emissions of 199g/km, a 5 per cent reduction over the outgoing model. Over the course of 80,000 miles, Movano ecoFLEX operators could save more than £700 per vehicle in fuel costs.

“We are pleased to extend our ecoFLEX range to include a frugal, low CO2 Movano panel van variant,” Collier added.

Vauxhall was the first manufacturer to introduce an eco-model across each van in its range when it launched ecoFLEX commercial vehicles back in 2011.

The Luton-based manufacturer built over 58,000 vans in the UK last year, making it Britain’s number one commercial vehicle manufacturer for an incredible 11th straight year.

Ford To Display New Transit Range At Birmingham CV Show

1 Reply
All-new Ford Transit

The new Ford Transit, due to go on sale in 2013

Ford will exhibit its widest and most high-tech line-up of commercial vehicles ever at the International CV Show 2013 at the NEC, Birmingham.

New models on show will include the all-new Transit, a full-size large van model that will compete directly with the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Renault Master and Fiat Ducato family and is due to be introduced late in 2013.

The 5,400sq ft Ford stand will have more than 15 vehicles on display, including the all-new Ford Transit Custom, the all-new Ford Transit Connect and the all-new Ford Transit – with more detail on the all-new Ford Transit Courier to come at the show.

Mark Ovenden, Ford Britain managing director, said:

“Following the award recognition of the new Transit Custom at the IAA CV Show in Hannover, Ford is continuing the product story by introducing its most exciting range of commercial vehicles ever at this year’s CV Show here in Britain.”

Production versions of the all-new Ford Transit Custom Sport Van and ECOnetic models will also be on display, alongside new Ford Fiesta Van and the award-winning Ford Ranger models completing the picture of Ford’s largest-ever commercial vehicle family.

Ford will also have representatives on hand to talk about its new Transit24 service offering, which I wrote about recently.

UK CV Manufacturing Fell 20.5% In January

3 Replies

UK commercial vehicle manufacturing fell by 20.5% in January 2013, compared to January 2012.

Falling export demand caused UK commercial vehicle manufacturing output to slump 20.5% in January this year, compared to the same period last year. CV output fell from 9,844 units to 7,822 vehicles, despite a 3.2% rise in domestic demand.

You can see the full horror of the figures below — export demand for UK-built CVs dropped by 37.2% in January:

CV manufacturing Jan-12 Jan-13 % Change YTD-12 YTD-13 % Change
Total 9,844 7,822 -20.5% 9,844 7,822 -20.5%
Export 5,778 3,626 -37.2% 5,778 3,626 -37.2%
Home 4,066 4,196 3.2% 4,066 4,196 3.2%

Source: SMMT

Mike Baunton, the SMMT Interim Chief Executive, commented that this is a continuation of a trend that started in the final quarter of last year:

“Manufacturing of commercial vehicles in the UK covers a diverse spectrum of vehicles from light panel vans to heavy trucks, as well as minibuses, double-deckers and luxury coaches. UK registrations of trucks were strong through most of 2012, but dropped off in the final quarter impacting output. However, domestic demand for buses and coaches grew significantly through 2012 on the back of government incentives and a wider focus on public transport.”

The big problem for the industry, however, is that output shows no sign of recovering to anywhere close to its 2008/9 highs, as this graph shows:

SMMT CV output rolling year to Jan 2013

Commercial vehicle manufacturing output from Jan 2008 – Jan 2013 (graph courtesy of SMMT)

February’s data may provide a more uplifting picture, but somehow I doubt it. Part of the problem, at least, is that there aren’t many  volume van manufacturers left in the UK. Many of the manufacturers are niche or low volume (trucks and buses sell in far smaller numbers than vans) and with the upcoming closure of Ford’s Southampton plant, this situation will just get worse.

Just as well the car manufacturing industry is doing well, with forecasts now suggesting that output could approach 2 million cars per year by 2016 (up from 1.58 million in 2012).

All-Season Tyre Review: Hankook RA10 (Part 2 – Winter, Snow)

3 Replies
Hankook RA10 All-Season Tyre

Hankook RA10 All-Season Tyre

Disclosure: I paid for these tyres myself and have no relationship with the tyre manufacturer or the tyre supplier.

Back in September, I reported on how I’d decided to put my money where my mouth was and replace the worn-out tyres on my van with a set of all-season tyres, rather than summer tyres.

My reasoning was that for most of the year, the weather in northern England where I live is decidedly wintry, and certainly not warm or dry. In addition, I wanted to see if all-season tyres provide an advantage in snow and ice — whether they lived up to their billing as a good compromise between summer and winter tyres.

I decided to go for a set of Hankook RA10 all-season tyres, a mid-range option. You can click here to see the first part of my review, which covers summer and general impressions.

Winter wonderland

Given the weather we’ve had this winter, I’ve now had a chance to try these tyres out in a wide range of conditions, including snow, ice and very wet conditions.

Overall, the RA10s have lived up to my expectations, delivering better grip in cold and wet conditions, especially in snow and ice.

They certainly aren’t as good as a set of winter tyres, but I don’t need them to be and I’m happy to compromise in order to use them all year round. To round off my review, I’ve compared them against the same criteria I used last summer, to see how they performed against my previous Goodyear Cargo summer tyres:

How do they compare? I’ve compared the Hankook RA10 tyres to my previous Goodyear Cargo G26 tyres below, after using them in a wide range of conditions this winter.

Dry grip: In colder conditions, the advantage of the all-season compound becomes more obvious.

Wet grip: The Hankooks definitely provide a better grip on cold, wet or frosty surfaces than the Goodyears.

Snow & Ice: A clear improvement — there’s definitely more grip and a more confident feel. I haven’t got stuck and the impression I get is that they sit nicely between summer and winter tyres in terms of grip, as you’d expect.

Noise: The Hankook’s remain noiser than my Goodyear tyres were, although perhaps less so in cold weather.

Fuel consumption: No noticeable difference.

Wear: Too early to say. As always, keeping them correctly inflated and cornering sensibly will help prolong tyre life.

Conclusions

Overall, I’m happy with my switch to all-season tyres and intend to continue using them in the future. Wet weather and snow/ice performance is definitely better, and everything else is roughly the same or good enough — which seems like a fair swap to me.

I don’t expect them to last quite as long as good quality summer tyres, but this isn’t necessarily a problem unless you do high mileages.

What do you think? Am I talking rubbish or are you a fan too? Leave a comment to let me know.