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 Ford Transit Custom Has Best Loadspace In Class

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The new Ford Transit Custom is now on sale

The new Ford Transit Custom has now gone on sale, with first deliveries expected in November.

The new Ford Transit Custom will offer the biggest loadspace in the one-tonne class, according to Ford, which says it will be bigger and better than any previous model, offering:

  • 6m³ SAE on short wheelbase model, 6.8m³ on LWB model
  • Widest side-loading door opening (1030mm)
  • Biggest width between wheel arches (1390mm)
  • Can carry three Euro pallets in SWB model (not possible in current Transit)
  • Load-through hatch to passenger compartment for long loads (e.g. pipes)

Brentwood’s finest will also offer a rather plush-looking cab, as this photo shows — it’s worlds apart from my Mk6 Transit!

Ford Transit Custom interior

Driver and passenger space in the new Transit Custom

Not just a pretty face!

Ford says that the new model is ready for use in any global market and has undergone a thorough and demanding testing regime. Kevin Strutt is supervisor CV durability, Ford of Europe:

“The Transit Custom may look stylish and car-like, but that doesn’t mean that we’ve given it an easier time during development and testing. The Transit has a hard-earned reputation for bullet-proof reliability, and we’re confident the new model will follow in the same tradition.”

The testing regime includes the ‘Trailer Tow General Durability’ test which condenses ten years’ use into six months of 24/7 testing, much of it with a fully-laden trailer. Other tests the Transit has passed include:

  • Maximum speed “Autobahn” test simulating non-stop flat-out German Autobahn driving for two months
  • Low-speed, stop-start city drive cycles to simulate the toughest urban delivery conditions, to prove out clutches, transmission, brakes and the latest Auto-Start-Stop technologies
  • Various extreme transmission tests such as “shift cycle” and “hot-rod” for the shift mechanism, and the “bump-stop” test that uses aggressive clutch engagement to introduce very high loads into the gearbox
  • “Figure of Eight” test, which lasts over a month, puts the wheels, hubs, bearings and steering gear through their paces
  • Front doors were slammed 250,000 times to test for durability

You can’t accuse them of lacking imagination! I can’t wait to see one on the road. Any chance of a loan, Ford?

Iveco Announces Bodybuilding Partners For New Daily

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Iveco Daily Tipper with double cab and DriveAway conversion

An Iveco New Daily double cab tipper

Iveco has announced its two bodybuilding partners for DriveAway Options programme, which will enable customers to buy chassis cab-based vans with conversions direct from Iveco dealers.

The programme, which was announced in January, will initially be focused on 3.5 tonne variants of the New Daily model. Iveco’s bodybuilding partners will be Ingimex of Telford and Alloy Bodies of Manchester.

The first vehicles are already on forecourts and the programme is designed to enable operators to purchase vehicles and be on the road almost immediately, without the wait traditionally required while the chassis cab is supplied, post sale, to the body builder for conversion.

Iveco is focusing the DriveAway Options programme on tippers and dropsides for the 3.5 tonne market initially, with a variety of New Daily models available offering engine power outputs from 106 hp to 146 hp, and wheelbase lengths from 3,450 to 4,100 mm.  It hopes to grow the range of Iveco vehicles included in the programme over the coming months.

Martin Flach, Iveco’s Product Director, says:

“We are re-introducing the DriveAway Options line-up following increasing demand from customers for a ready-bodied vehicle range, particularly in the light of impending Whole Vehicle Type Approval legislation [click here for the story on this new EU legislation].

“In many cases it will allow an operator to walk into their local Iveco dealership and drive away in a bodied New Daily vehicle that same day.”

A key benefit to customers will be that they will only have to deal with one point of sale — the Iveco dealer — rather than co-ordinating between two or more suppliers.  As a result, there will be significantly shorter delivery times, coupled with lower costs and higher residual values.

All New Daily vehicles purchased through the DriveAway Options programme will receive a comprehensive three year unlimited mileage warranty covering both the chassis and body.

Drive Away A Great Wall Steed Pick-Up For Just £1

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Great Wall Steed

The Great Wall Steed double cab pick-up

The Great Wall Steed is the newest double cab pick-up model to enter the UK market. When it went on sale in April, it was cheaper than most of its competitors — and it’s just got even more affordable, as you can now drive one away with a deposit of just £1!

Paul Hegarty, Great Wall’s UK Managing Director, explains:

“In the current economic climate, paying out thousands for a deposit on a new vehicle sometimes just isn’t possible, particularly for small businesses. Our £1 deposit finance offer allows businesses who don’t want to make a large initial investment to still drive away in a brand new Steed.”

Of course, the company’s real motive for running the £1 offer is to try and help this Chinese manufacturer break into the UK market. Although Great Wall isn’t familiar to most UK motorists, it is a major car manufacturer in China and the Steed is already a popular model in Australia, a market that is far more demanding for pick-ups than the UK.

Although I suspect that UK drivers will initially be sceptical about the quality and reliability of Chinese vehicles, you only need to look at Japanese and Korean brands like Toyota, Nissan and Kia to realise that Asian vehicles are, for the most part, much better quality than European ones. I suspect the Great Wall Steed will soon fall into this category, too.

To tempt buyers, the entry level Great Wall Steed is competitively priced at £13,998 CVOTR and comes specified for demanding use, with a 2,000kg braked towing capacity, 1,050kg payload as well as 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. And that’s just on the entry level Steed S model!

To find out more, visit www.greatwallmotor.co.uk.

Note: For the entry-level Steed S model (£13,998 CVOTR), the finance offer consists of a deposit of £1 followed by 59 monthly payments of £285.06, and a final payment of £424.06 (8.8 per cent representative APR).  The plan is available for business users only, through all 45 dealerships in the Great Wall dealer network, and continues until 30 September 2012.

Volkswagen Van Sales Up 3.7%, Big Vans Up 38.7%

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Volkswagen light commercial vehicle range

L-R, Volkswagen Caddy, Amarok, Transporter & Crafter

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is continuing to deliver rising sales across global markets, even if sales in Western Europe are relatively flat, according to the latest figures released by the German company.

In the first half of this year, VW delivered 270,000 commercial vehicles of all sizes, up by 3.7% from 260,300 during the first half of 2011. One of the biggest growers is the Amarok pick-up — global deliveries of the big 4×4 went up by 24.8 per cent to 36,400 vehicles (January – June 2011: 29,100).

Worldwide deliveries of Volkswagen’s large van, the Crafter, rose by 38.7 per cent to 23,900 vehicles (January – June 2011: 17,200).  Deliveries of the medium-sized T5 Transporter increased by 1.3 per cent to 81,500 units (January – June 2011: 80,500), while worldwide deliveries of the Caddy small van were down by 2.5 per cent to 78,100 vehicles (January – June 2011:  80,100).

In Western Europe, deliveries from January to June 2012 went up by 1.9 per cent to 144,800 vehicles (January – June 2011: 142,100).  Deliveries in Eastern Europe to the end of June rose by 29.2 per cent to 21,000 vehicles (January – June 2011: 16,300) and vehicle deliveries in Europe as a whole increased by 4.7 per cent to 165,800 units (January – June 2011: 158,400).

Unsurprisingly, Germany was the highest-volume European market for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, showing an increase of 5.5 per cent to 63,000 customer deliveries (January – June 2011: 59,700).

Are Used Vans About To Get Cheaper?

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For some months now, I’ve been reporting on falling new van registration figures each month — they fell by 2.5% in June, for example. What I haven’t mentioned is the effect that low volumes of new van sales are having on the used van market.

Naturally, if fewer new vans are sold, fewer old ones enter the secondary market. What this means in practice is a particular shortage of good quality used vans under three years old — at this age and mileage, postponing replacement for another year is an easy decision for a cash-strapped small business.

Pay more, get less

What has been happening is that used van prices for all sizes of vans have been inching up, but so have age and mileage. In other words, buyers have been being forced to pay top money for older, higher mileage vans in worse condition.

As a result, used van prices were slightly higher in June 2012 (£4,171) than in June 2011 (£4,140), despite  average mileage having increased from 69,129 to 76,661 and average age having risen from 51.59 months to 58.21 months — both figures suggesting vans are being kept for an extra six months before being replaced.

Clearly, this trend can’t continue — and perhaps it is nearing its conclusion, as used prices were lower in June than they have been since last August.

The latest auction results from BCA confirm that this trend might be reaching a common sense limit, as Duncan Ward, BCA General Manager, explains:

“In fact, June brought a much needed reality check to the used commercial sector.  There was almost an expectation from vendors that dealers will continue to pay ever higher prices for older, higher mileage vans because stock is short in supply.   However, buyer confidence in the wholesale market is quite fragile and there is an increasing reluctance to buy poorer condition or excessively travelled vans because of the investment required to get these vehicles ready for retail.”

The graph below shows how used van auction prices have changed since 2010:

BCA used van prices June 2012

BCA used van prices June 2012 (graph courtesy of BCA)

It looks as though sellers looking for top prices are going to have to present their vans in exceptional condition, as Duncan Ward confirms:

“We have been advising our sellers for some time to review their remarketing activity to ensure their vans are presented in the most saleable condition.  Vehicles must be appraised sensibly and methodically and valued in line with market sentiment.  Pre-sale preparation and presentation is important, and all the documentation and service histories should be present when vans are sold.”

Falling used van prices should at least bring some semblance of fairness to the market, with buyers seeking rare, low mileage and nearly new vans continuing to have to pay a premium, while older vans go cheaper.

Van Registrations Down 2.5% In June

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After a single month’s respite in May, new van registrations returned to their falling ways in June, dropping by 2.5% compared to June 2011.

The latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that new van registrations have now fallen by 10.1% across the year to date, although only by 0.9% on a rolling year (last 12 months) basis.

Bigger Is Better

Of the 22,287 new vans registered in June, more than half (13,323) were in the heaviest weight category, with gross weights between 2.5t and 3.5t. Interestingly, this was the only category to see a rise in registrations last month, rising by 8.1% while the other weight categories fell by as much as 22%.

Van registrations by weight, June 2012 vs June 2011 (courtesy of SMMT)

Van registrations by weight, June 2012 vs June 2011 (courtesy of SMMT)

Heavy News

Once again, truck registrations (goods vehicles > 3.5t) moved in the opposite direction, rising by 14.7% in June compared to June 2011. Truck registrations are now up by 26% on the year to date and 25% on a rolling year basis.

Van and Truck Registrations, 5 years to June 2012 (courtesy of SMMT)

Van and Truck Registrations, 5 years to June 2012 (courtesy of SMMT)

This growth is being driven by sales of rigids, which are more than compensating for falling artic sales to generate overall increases in the >3.5t category:

  • 3.5t – 6.0t: +62.5% YTD
  • 6.0t – 16t: +45.2% YTD
  • >16t rigid: +48.3% YTD
  • 2-axle artic: -2.9% YTD
  • 3-axle artic: -7.3% YTD

As before, I can only surmise that greater sales of rigids reflect companies’ needs to operate profitably on a slightly smaller scale than before, while tractor unit (artic) sales stagnate in reflection of the state of the wider economy.

Van News In Brief: 06/07/2012

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Bicycle deliveries for Europcar, new dealers for Isuzu Truck and and old Mitsubishi favourite returns.

Mitsubishi Brings Back L200 Trojan

Mitsubishi L200 Trojan Double Cab

Mitsubishi L200 Trojan Double Cab

The Mitsubishi L200 is probably the car that defines the modern pick-up trend. Hugely popular, its double cab was one of the first to offer car-like levels of comfort with genuine off-road, load-carrying ability.

Mitsubishi has capitalised on the popularity of this model with lifestyle buyers by introducing a steady stream of special editions, such as the recent Barbarian Black. Its now brought back another popular edition, the L200 Trojan Double Cab.

The Trojan comes loaded with accessories and the new model is far more powerful than the old one, delivering 30% more power (up from 136bhp to 175bhp) and 27% more torque (up from 314Nm to 400Nm). In addition to this, the 12MY Trojan is also Euro 5 compliant.

Europcar Staff Take To Two Wheels

Traffic in London is bad enough at the best of times, but it’s about to get much worse, as the London Olympics and Paralympics bring thousands of extra visitors and vehicles to the cities streets.

In addition, the Olympic Route Network means that ordinary road users, like delivery drivers and private motorists, won’t even be able to use half the roads in London (click here for a handy Olympic Route Network delivery planner).

If all of this wasn’t enough, demand for car and van rental is likely to soar during the Olympic period, with many of these customers needing to have vehicles delivered and collected from their premises. This means that rental companies are faced with the prospect of having their delivery drivers stuck in traffic and unable to move around as quickly as usual.

Europcar has taken a novel approach to solving this problem and is equipping its delivery drivers with electric bikes to help them get around as fast as possible. The bikes are folding models that fit into the boot of a car, enabling drivers to combine the best of both worlds and get around London as fast as possible — without adding to traffic congestion themselves.

4 New Isuzu Truck Dealers For Thames Valley

Isuzu Truck range

The Isuzu Truck range

Isuzu Truck has added The Cordwallis Group to its dealer roster, providing the brand with four new dealers covering the Thames Valley.

The long-established, family-owned Cordwallis Group opened its doors as an Isuzu Truck dealer in Reading and Heathrow on Monday 25th June, whilst the remaining 2 branches at Maidenhead and Eynsham near Oxford will become full dealers 1 month later on Monday 23rd July.

As Keith Child, marketing director at Isuzu Truck explains:

“The Thames Valley region represents a significant geographical area for Isuzu Truck and we are extremely pleased to welcome The Cordwallis Group into the Isuzu Truck dealer network. The group has a vast experience of commercial vehicles from lights to heavy weights through four established locations.

Fuso Canter 7.5t Gets Factory Hybrid Solution

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Fuso Canter Ecohybrid

The Fuso Canter Ecohybrid

Mercedes-Benz is now selling a factory hybrid version of the Fuso Canter 7.5t truck in the UK.

The new EcoHybrid Fuso Canter has a 7.5-tonne gross vehicle weight and is ideally suited to urban, multi-drop work. It has demonstrated fuel savings of up to 23 per cent on trial, as well as correspondingly lower CO2 emissions.

What’s The Fuso Canter?

The Fuso Canter is a Japanese model that originally came from the Mitsubishi stable. The Fuso Canter model is now part of the Daimler Truck Group and although developed in Japan, is built in Portugal for the European market.

It’s increasingly popular and well-regarded by operators, and benefits from rugged engineering and light weight compared to most European-model 7.5t trucks (e.g. DAF, MAN, Mercedes). Admittedly it lacks some of the creature comforts and driver appeal of these rivals — but from an operator’s point of view, it is very attractive, particularly for urban and multi-drop work.

The Technical Details

The EcoHybrid features a Euro V-compliant 110 kW (150 PS) diesel engine which operates in parallel with a state-of-the-art, slimline, 40 kW electric motor installed between the  clutch and Duonic two pedal automated manual transmission.

Lithium-ion batteries backed by a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty provide an affordable ‘green’ solution and Mercedes says that service costs are comparable to a standard, diesel-engined Canter, demonstrated by identical Repair & Maintenance contract prices. Efficiency is boosted by a recuperation system which acts as a re-charging generator, transforming braking and deceleration energy back into useable electricity.

Trialled & Tested

In 2008 Fuso entered a three-year, London-based Hybrid trial, the largest in Europe, with partners Amey, DHL, Hill Hire, Royal Mail, Ringway, Scottish & Southern, Tesco and TNT. These trial vehicles, based on the previous generation Canter (TD model), were fitted with a variety of body types and daily workloads varied, but the operators reported fuel savings of up to 16 per cent.

Sam Whittaker, Director of Truck Sales & Marketing at Mercedes-Benz UK, said:

“The London trial was a great success for Fuso. As a result of intensive vehicle monitoring we learnt a great deal not only about the technology, but also about our customers’ needs and expectations. The trial demonstrated, in real-life, everyday conditions, the fuel savings and environmental improvements that can be achieved.”

“We’re delighted that as a direct result of the work which was done here in the UK, and of the data generated by our valued customers, we’re now able to offer a factory-built EcoHybrid Fuso Canter at an affordable and competitive price.”

The EcoHybrid, as all Fuso Canter models, will be sold and supported by the Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle dealer network. The compact, manoeuvrable and bodybuilder-friendly chassis cab offers an impressive and class leading payload, even with the EcoHybrid technology on-board.

Nissan Confirms Pricing For NV400 Factory Conversions

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Nissan NV400 dropside tipper

Nissan NV400 dropside tipper from the company's range of factory conversions

Nissan launched its NV400 conversion range at the recent Birmingham CV Show. It has now confirmed pricing and specification details for this range, all of which are now available to order at UK Nissan dealers.

The NV400 chassis cab starts life as a mid or long wheelbase variant with either front or rear wheel drive, single and twin rear wheel and is available in a total of 13 versions. Powered by either the 125hp and 150hp version of the economical and powerful 2.5dCi diesel, the NV400 chassis cab is now available with the new range of factory built conversions.

The factory built NV400 minibus can accommodate nine people in comfort or combine six people and a generous load space. Two engine power options of 100hp and 125hp are available with three point seat belts and anti-lock brakes. The NV400 minibus starts at just £26,575.

With large windows and comfortable seats, the Nissan NV400 crew van seats up to seven people while still providing plenty of space in the cargo area. Choose from a wide choice of cargo and payload specs up to 1,398kg plus front or rear wheel drive for a van that perfectly matches a range of business requirements, all for just £25,565.

The Nissan NV400 dropside has a double skinned but light metal body and an integral front ladder rack. Available with a choice of either a single three seat or a double seven seat cab, front or rear wheel drive and a range of payloads up to 1,462kg, it makes a perfect workman’s vehicle. The NV400 dropside starts from £23,365 for a single cab and £25,765 for a double cab.

Hard-working yet comfortable, the Nissan NV400 tipper is available as a three seat single cab for £24,765 or a roomy seven seat double cab for £27,165 and offers a choice of mid or long wheelbase and a range of payloads up to 1,227kg. The load deck tilts automatically at 45°for quick, easy unloading.

In addition the Nissan NV400 will be enhanced with a range of Good to Go local conversions, including a box van, Luton and refrigerated van, plus a 14-17 seat minibus option that will be built by handpicked UK converters and sold by Nissan business centres to operators as a complete vehicle.

Nissan’s factory built and Good to Go approach guarantees that operators receive a quality and fully approved conversion complete with a manufacturer warranty.

Used Van Market Sales Trends

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Vehicle auctioneer Shoreham Vehicle Auctions Managing Director Alex Wright expects the used van market to do well this summer.

The company, which is based in Lancing, West Sussex, has seen strong sales of three to five year old vans in recent months; a trend Wright attributes to the fact that most SMEs and self-employed tradesmen can afford to buy vans of this age without requiring finance.

Wright says that any vehicle with “rarity value and intermittent supply” is doing well, something he expects will continue through the summer. One example is Nissan Cabstar tippers, which have recently been selling for as much as £5,000, well above their CAP average price of £3,550.

Nearly-new vehicles in the £8,000 – £15,000 price bracket are also proving harder to sell, as most buyers are unable to buy these without finance. Dealers are also choosing to cherry pick individual models to meet qualified demand, rather than building up stock levels.

As always, Shoreham advises that a sensible reserve is an essential ingredient for a first time sale, as is condition.