New Entry Level Nissan Navara Starts At £17,995

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The New Nissan Navara Visia

The New Nissan Navara Visia is aimed at business buyers

In response to strong fleet and business demand, Nissan is introducing a new, highly affordable entry-level version of its popular Navara double cab pick-up starting at £17,995 CVOTR.

The Navara Visia has been carefully developed to offer operators a practical, robust and capable pick-up at a price that’s in tune with the times.

The new model introduces a new version of the respected 2.5-litre dCi common-rail diesel four-cylinder engine, producing 144 PS and 350Nm of torque and is capable of up to 39.8mpg on the combined cycle.

For the new business-oriented Navara, Nissan engineers have worked to cut costs without affecting the vehicle’s abilities.

For example, the interior door handles are finished in black rather than chrome. Similarly the front bumper is specified in body colour rather than having a two-tone element, while the grille struts are painted rather than chromed and conventional wiper blades are used in place of the flat blades found on higher specification versions.

The Navara Visia provides a generous 2.36m2 load bed and a practical internal bed length of 1,511mm. Businesses will also value the Navara’s 2,600kg towing capacity and a maximum 1,250kg payload.

The Navara Visia’s specification includes part-time four-wheel drive, air conditioning, central door locking, six airbags, a CD player and Bluetooth connectivity.

The robust part-time four-wheel drive system provides drive to the rear wheels under normal conditions or a 50/50 torque split to all four wheels when 4WD mode is engaged. The Navara also offers high and low ratio modes, to facilitate serious off-road use and off-road towing. ESP is standard fit to help maximise the Navara Visia’s driver control in all conditions.

Jon Pollock, Corporate Sales Director at Nissan said: “We’re working hard to develop our LCV offering as well as respond to customer needs and the introduction of the Navara Visia is a shining example of this.  We’ve listened to our fleet and SME customers’ desire for an affordable pick-up and we look forward to seeing the Navara Visia working hard for SME fleets from January 2013.”

Order books for the new Nissan Visia are open now priced from £17,995 CVOTR, with deliveries beginning January 2013.

Grit Operator Chooses Ford

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The new Ford Ranger

GRITIT has just bought 40 new Ford Rangers

Every so often, you come across a company that you hadn’t heard about, offering a service you didn’t realise existed.

In this case, the company is ‘winter risk management’ service provider GRITIT. As its name suggests, GRITIT will keep customers’ sites clear of snow and ice in the winter, ensuring that they can remain fully operational and safe in all weathers.

Of course, I knew that facilities management companies did this kind of thing — but I didn’t know that a dedicated company with 92 depots across the UK existed to provide this useful service.

GRITIT passed across my radar today because the company has bought 40 of the all-new Ford Ranger pick-up trucks this year, in addition to 30 previous-model Rangers in 2011. GRITIT also operates more than 70 Ford Transit and chassis cab vehicles.

GRITIT’s fleet has been 100% Ford since 2009 and Nikki Singh-Barmi, GRITIT’s operations manager says that the blue oval’s reliability is key:

“Ford’s vehicles provide excellent reliability which is essential for our business. GRITIT operators visit retail, commercial, industrial, logistics, and health sector premises, demanding the upmost in versatility. Ford’s highly manoeuvrable, four-wheel drive Ranger provides exactly what we need.

“We’re constantly monitoring the competition but nothing competes with Ford and the excellent aftersales support we get.”

In an average winter, GRITIT will make more than 100,000 customer site visits across the UK from its 92 depots — clearly the company’s 140-strong fleet has to be fully available at all times to meet this level of demand.

GRITIT’s headquarters are in Uxbridge and it has regional bases in Edinburgh, Leeds, Leicester and Bristol, in addition to its 92 gritting depots.

For more information visit www.gritit.com.

Z2 9JH

Ford Transit Custom Sport Van: A New Van For The Boss

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Ford Transit Custom Sport Van
The Ford Transit Custom Sport Van goes on sale early in 2013 — definitely one for the boss.

Ford’s previous Transit Sport Van and Transit Connect Sport Van proved very popular with self-employed traders and small businesses looking for a flagship van — and Ford is aiming to build on that success with the new Transit Custom Sport Van.

The new model will be powered b y a Dagenham-built 155PS 2.2-litre Duratorq diesel engine that delivers 385 Nm of torque.

Brentwood’s latest high-spec van will only be available in short wheelbase with a 2.9 tonne gross vehicle weight and Ford says it will combine “strong performance with muscular styling and a bold colour-coded exterior”…

The spec will include body-colour bumpers, side mirrors, door handles and body-side mouldings. The van will sit on 18-inch alloy wheels on low profile 235/50 tyres, and the signature twin bonnet stripes in a contrasting colour.

Inside, there will be partial leather trim combining Pewter seat fabric with charcoal black leather bolsters, and the latest interior technologies such as the Ford SYNC voice-activated, in-car connectivity package and a DAB audio system.

The Transit Custom Sport Van will be available to order in early 2013. For more details visit Ford’s website.

Van Registrations Plunge 16% In November

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Even the most talented spin doctor would fail to put this year’s new van registration figures in a positive light.

Van registrations fell by 16.4% in November, leaving them down by 7.4% for the year-to-date. Truck registrations followed suit, falling by 13.7%, although they are still up by 9.9% on the year-to-date.

UK van and truck registrations: 2012 and % change on 2011

November %
change		 Year-to-
date		 %
change		 Rolling
year		 %
change
Vans 18,975 -16.4% 223,836 -7.4% 242,251 -6.4%
Trucks 3,885 -13.7% 42,123 9.9% 46,734 12.6%
Total 22,860 -15.9% 265,959 -5.0% 288,985 -3.8%

Source: SMMT

However, dire figures didn’t stop SMMT Chief Executive Paul Everitt from attempting to put a positive spin on the van market:

“This year has seen the van market re-adjust after bouncing back from recession, while truck volumes have been steady. We look forward to next year where greater stability should see the van market return to slow, but steady growth.”

I think that “bouncing back from recession” is a pretty optimistic way to describe the van market over the last three years. Looking at the graph below, I think that the van market’s recovery could best be described as stalled, with little evidence that next year will be any better:

SMMT van and truck registrations Dec 2007 - Nov 2012

SMMT van and truck registrations Dec 2007 - Nov 2012

What the graph above doesn’t really show is how much van sales have fallen since last year. What’s more, they remain below the average level seen between 2003 and 2008:

SMMT annual van registrations Nov 2008 - 2012

SMMT annual van registrations Nov 2008 - 2012

While a shortage of decent quality used vans could eventually be a catalyst for growth in new van registrations, I’m not convinced that this will happen as soon as next year.

Used Van Values Remain Strong Despite Seasonal Effect

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BCA Commercial vehicle auctionUsed van values remain near record levels, according to leading vehicle auctioneers BCA, despite the expected seasonal decline and the fact that average age and mileage continue to climb.

According to BCA’s latest Pulse Report, average used LCV values fell back in November by £197 (4.4%) to £4,250.  Both average age and mileage rose over the month to 59.7 months while average mileage increased to 81,400.

Despite the fall, price performance remained on a par with much of 2012, with average values at near record levels in the fleet/lease sector, while the low volume nearly-new sector recorded the highest monthly value since Pulse began reporting in 2005.  Performance against CAP average fell over the month by a point to just under 100%.

Year-on-year, November 2012 was behind by £54 or 1.2%, with both average age and average mileage increasing over the period, as the figures in this table show:

All vans Avg Age Avg Mileage Avg Value Sale vs CAP
Nov 2011 56.71 76,670 £4,304 100.39%
Nov 2012 59.74 81,408 £4,250 99.98%

Source: Data courtesy of BCA

The fall in van registrations since 2008 means that supply continues to be tight, meaning that even poor quality vans continue to sell, as BCA’s General Manager Duncan Ward explains:

“Typically when the market eases, buyers leave the poorest condition vehicles behind but with the shortage of stock in the marketplace, sale volumes held up well in November and were on a par with October’s figures.”

The graph below shows just how strong used LCV values have remained since 2010, despite a weak economy and a rising mileage and age profile as fleets keep vehicles on the road longer before replacing them:

BCA Average LCV Used Values 2010-2012 (Nov 2012)

BCA Average LCV Used Values 2010-2012 (Nov 2012)

Duncan Ward again:

“Overall, prices remain strong when taking the longer view and average values during 2012 have probably exceeded the expectations of most market watchers when placed in the context of the relatively weak economy and low business confidence.”

In other words, it’s remarkable what a really tight supply can do to the market — especially when finance for new vans becomes harder to get and less attractive.

Northgate Posts Solid Results Despite Downturn

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Van hire specialist Northgate has published its half-yearly results, which suggest that its recovery plan is on track and it is continuing to deliver solid performance in both the UK and Spain.

Darlington-based Northgate, which operates a fleet of 51,000 vans in the UK and 37,700 in Spain, reported profit before tax of £24.6m for the last six months — down slightly from £26.9m for the same period in 2011, but still broadly in-line with expectations for full year. It also managed to reduce net gearing from 105% to 94%, thanks to a £28.1m reduction in net debt to £343.2m.

As has been the case in previous periods, Northgate managed to maintain its fleet utilisation levels by trimming its fleet. Over the last six months, the company’s UK fleet was reduced from 52,900 to 51,000, while utilisation fell from 90% to 89%. This is a smaller drop than during the same period last year.

Northgate said that average hire revenue per rented vehicle “has remained stable since the beginning of the financial year”.

In Spain, the company’s fleet dropped from 38,400 to 37,700, while utilisation remained solid, falling 1% from 91% to 90%.

New locations

Northgate also reported that it expected to open four new UK van hire sites by the end of the financial year (30 April 2012). The firm did not disclose the new locations but said:

Our analysis shows that a branch needs to be approximately 20 minutes from local businesses to meet their requirements.  Analysing the UK population and GDP has identified gaps in our network where we do not currently address many potential customers’ needs, which are met by small local or regional rental operators.

UK vans get younger, Spanish vans get older

Northgate said that the average age of its UK rental fleet had fallen from 21.4 months at the end of April 2012 to 20.4 months at the end of October 2012, and said that it had purchase 9,600 new vans over the last six months.

During the last six months, Northgate said that it had sold 12,000 vehicles — down from 14,500 for the same period last year. Of these, 19% were sold through its Van Monster retail sales operation, which Northgate describes as “more profitable” than other fleet disposal channels.

Conversely, Northgate said that it was “ageing” its Spanish fleet to reduce capital costs and improve cash generation — although it emphasised that it was “still running a young fleet in comparison to the rest of the market”.

Retail boost

Northgate said that the bulk of the reduction in its UK fleet was due to the loss of several large customers. The company’s regional business, which deals with smaller businesses and retail customers, saw vehicles on hire increase by 200 over the last six months.

Ford & Vauxhall Triumph At What Van? Awards 2013

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Ford Transit Custom

The Ford Transit Custom is What Van? Van of the Year 2013

British van brands Ford and Vauxhall came away from the What Van? 2013 Awards looking like the biggest winners, collecting three gongs each to take six out of a possible 11 awards, including Van Of The Year 2013 for the new Transit Custom.

Brentwood-based Ford won three awards, including the overall Van of the Year 2013 award, and was highly commended in three further categories.

Unsurprisingly, the all-new Ford Transit Custom (one of which has just appeared on my local Ford dealer’s forecourt) won the Van of the Year 2013. This all-new model was praised by the judges for its interior and exterior quality, as well as a host of innovations new to the light commercial vehicle sector.

What Van? editor Paul Barker said:

“The new Transit Custom does the name and heritage of the UK’s dominant van proud by improving vastly over its award-winning predecessor, particularly in terms of innovation and interior quality, which is superior to anything van drivers are used to,” said What Van? Editor Paul Barker. “Replacing the vehicle that dominates the UK market was never going to be easy, but Ford has certainly produced the goods and deserves continued success.”

The Transit Custom also won the Medium Van of the Year award, while the new Ford Ranger romped home with the Pick-Up of the Year gong.

Vauxhall also took a hat-trick of prizes – its Ecoflex efficiency technology claimed the Green Award, the Corsavan won the Small Van of the Year prize and the Combo shared the Light Van of the Year Award with the Fiat Doblo Cargo on which it is based.

The best of the rest

MINI Clubvan

The MINI Clubvan won the What Van? Editor's Choice award

The new MINI Clubvan picked up the Editor’s Choice award, while Chinese newcomer to the UK market Great Wall was highly commended in the same category for its Steed pick-up, which should be a useful marketing feather in the cap for this large Chinese manufacturer.

The Iveco Daily retained its Large Van of the Year award, but it will be interesting to see if it manages this trick after the new two-tonne Ford Transit goes on sale next year. Unlike the current Transit, the new van will be a genuine large van that should compete head-to-head with the Iveco Daily and other popular large van models, like the Sprinter and Renault Master.

Driver favourite Volkswagen was notably absent from the award winners, although it did manage two highly commended mentions for its VW Transporter (which was displaced from the winner’s slot by the Ford Transit Custom) and the VW Caddy 4Motion, which was beaten to the 4×4 Van of the Year award by the mighty Mercedes Sprinter 4×4.

What Van? Awards 2013 Full Results

Here’s the complete list of winners and runners up:

Category 2013 winner 2013 Highly Commended
Van of the Year Ford Transit Custom –
Small van of the Year Vauxhall Corsavan Ford Fiesta van
Light van of the Year Fiat Doblo Cargo
Vauxhall Combo		 VW Caddy
Medium van of the Year Ford Transit Custom VW Transporter
Large van of the Year Iveco Daily Nissan NV400
Renault Master
Vauxhall Movano
Pick-up of the Year Ford Ranger Isuzu D-max
4×4 van of the Year Mercedes Sprinter 4×4 VW Caddy 4Motion
Safety Award Mercedes Ford Ranger NCAP
Green Award Vauxhall Ecoflex DfT Electric Vehicle Subsidy
Innovation Award Emerald Automotive Ford Transit Custom
Editor’s Choice Award Mini Clubvan Great Wall Steed

For more details on the winners see www.whatvan.co.uk.

Vauxhall & VFS Launch Movano Caged Tipper Conversion

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Vauxhall and VFS Movano caged tipper conversionVauxhall has partnered with commercial vehicle conversion specialist VFS to produce a new Movano Caged Tipper.

The latest conversions are available as a purpose-designed cage for the existing Movano Tipper core conversion, or a custom-built VFS caged tipper based on a Movano chassis cab.  A utility cab conversion based on the Movano double cab is also available to provide even greater versatility.

The cage is two metres high with a galvanised mesh and rear doors that open to 270 degrees. The vehicle includes a full height sliding door and a rear header bar with marker lamps for optimum visibility. The assembly is painted in dark grey to match the original tipper body structure, while all handles, latches and door retainers are highlighted in ‘traffic’ yellow.

The tail-lift features a folding aluminium platform and the external controls are mounted within a dustproof and waterproof enclosure, while an instrument panel and operation instruction signage are all included.

The cage is available on Vauxhall core conversion tippers or alternatively a custom-built caged tipper from Southampton-based VFS is available on Movano chassis or crew cabs.

“The Movano Caged Tipper is the ideal vehicle for a wide range of trades and public services, including waste and scrap collection and construction,” said Steve Bryant, Brand Manager, Luton-based Vauxhall Commercial Vehicles. “It offers customers the flexibility to easily load and carry different payloads, while the cage provides excellent space and security.”

The cage is available from £1,560 + VAT and the tail-lift is available from £2,480 + VAT. Prices for specific custom builds are available from VFS on request.

For further information on customised Vauxhall fleets, Vauxhall fleet services and this conversion please visit www.vauxhall.co.uk/movano or www.vfs.co.uk

Van Speed Limit Rules Get Crazy

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Peugeot Bipper van -- at the moment, this van is subject to lower speed limits than the (larger) Citroen Berlingo...

Will these crazy examples finally lead to a common-sense ruling on van speed limits?

In my 2008 post, “Van Speed Limits: Clarity (almost) for sub 2-tonne vans“ I reported on how the DfT had said that for a van to be subject to car speed limits, rather than the lower limit that applies to goods vehicles under 7.5t, it must:

According to the DfT, for vans to be excluded from van speed limits, they must be based on a standard car chassis and must have a body the same as that fitted to a car equivalent as far back as the B pillar (behind the front doors). A box body behind this is acceptable, but only if it is built onto a standard car chassis.

In addition, the vehicle must have a maximum laden weight under 2 tonnes.

Homologation Question

However, that was four years ago and the world has moved on — not least with the introduction of the Peugeot Bipper/Citroen Nemo/Fiat Fiorino small van, all of which have matching car models and maximum laden weights of under 2 tonnes, but are subject to van speed limits, according to this article in What Van?, which says:

[they] aren’t classified as car-derived vans because they were homologated for sale first as commercial vehicles.

The article goes on to say that the Citroen Berlingo, a larger heavier model, is considered car-derived because it was homologated as a car model before it was homologated as a van, so is only subject to car speed limits (as is the obviously car-derived Vauxhall Astravan).

So the gist seems to be that if a van model is also made as a car and has a maximum laden weight below 2 tonnes, the speed limits that apply to the vehicle will depend on whether it was first homologated as a van, or as a car — even though the vehicle itself does qualify as car-derived. There’s not really any way of knowing unless you happen to know which model was homologated first — highly unlikely.

For van hire customers, it makes it all but impossible to know the correct speed limit for small vans unless the rental company tells you — or has a sign in the cab with the correct speed limits on. In my experience, both of these are surprisingly rare.

This is clearly a crazy situation and the What Van? Article concludes by suggesting that discussions are ongoing between Peugeot and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) to resolve the issue.

Watch this space.

Note: If you are not sure what the speed limits for vans are, click here for details.

Brandon’s Custom Fiat Ducato Is Mini Low Loader

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Brandon Hire KFS Special Vehicles Plant & Go transporter, based on a Fiat Ducato Back-to-Back model

Brandon Hire's KFS Special Vehicles Plant & Go transporter, based on a Fiat Ducato Back-to-Back model

The Fiat Ducato may not be the most common panel van in the UK market, but it does dominate the motorhome market throughout Europe, helped by Fiat’s provision of motorhome-specific chassis-cab models with modified chassis.

Fiat also produces a model that has no chassis at all! Known as the Back-to-Back, it consists of a Ducato cab with no rear chassis. Converters can then build a bespoke chassis and body on the rear themselves.

The Back-to-Back is popular with motorhome converters but also has other uses, as Bristol-based Brandon Hire recently demonstrated with its choice of 6 KFS ‘Plant & Go’ delivery vehicles based on the Fiat Professional’s Euro 5 Ducato.

(KFS offers a number of conversions based on Ducatos.)

The KFS Special Vehicles-built plant transporter has a light, low load bed with multiple strapping points, an in-built tailgate/loading ramp and a payload of almost 1,600kg, enabling it to carry a wide variety of small plant and machinery within the 3.5t limit.

Steve Pensom, Brandon Hire’s Fleet and Logistics Manager, explains:

“What really impressed us, when the vehicle was on test, was the fact that anyone with a car licence could drive the truck. This benefit, along with improved MPG performance and the potential to safely carry greater payloads, provided us with the ideal vehicle to help minimise our costs and maximise our staff levels.”

I think that the current Ducato has improved with age and is good value for money. It’s probably a little under-rated in the UK market, where the Transit has traditionally had a strong lead. Whether that will remain the case now that Ford’s Southampton factory is closing is another question — perhaps other European marques will become more popular.