Toyota Reveals ProAce Panel Van – Hiace Replacement

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Toyota has released details of a new medium panel van, the ProAce. This will provide a replacement for the discontinued Hiace model.

Toyota ProAce

The Toyota ProAce is based on the Peugeot Expert/Citroen Dispatch and goes on sale in the UK in Spring 2013

As I reported in July, the ProAce will be a rebadged PSA Peugeot Citroën. Toyota will use a rebadged Peugeot Expert / Citroën Dispatch as the basis for the ProAce, which will go on sale in the UK in Spring 2013.

According to Toyota, the ProAce will feature bespoke Toyota design details and branding. It will be available in two lengths and heights, giving load capacities of 5m3. 6m3 or 7m3, according to the configuration chosen. This should make it competitive in the medium van market, which will soon become tougher than ever, with the introduction of the new Transit Custom.

Payloads up to 1,200kg can be carried and ProAce will be able to tow up to two tonnes. ProAce can also be specified as a panel van, glass van or crew cab.

To achieve the best usability and capability, two sliding side doors can be specified, and customers can choose between a top-hinged tailgate and dual side-hinged rear doors that open to 270 degrees.

The ProAce will be available with a range of efficient, Euro 5-compliant diesel engines. The 89bhp 1.6-litre engine produces 180Nm of torque and is matched to a five-speed manual transmission. Two 2.0-litre diesel units are offered, with outputs of 126 and 161bhp and peak torque figures of 320 and 340Nm respectively. Both of these engines come with a six-speed manual transmission.

These sound like the standard engines fitted to the Peugeot and Citroën versions of the van, so I assume Toyota will be using the PSA engines to avoid having to find a Euro 5 engine of its own that fits — common sense, really.

Toyota ProAce cab interior

Inside the new Toyota ProAce

Used Van Prices Rise In September But Fall On Year

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BCA Commercial vehicle auctionDespite the increase, used vans are cheaper than they were in September 2011.

According to BCA’s latest Pulse Report, average used LCV values improved by £149 (3.6%) to £4,224 in September compared to August, although year-on-year figures lagged behind for the first time this year.  Average age fell slightly to just under 58 months while average mileage increased to nearly 79,000.

Values increased in all three sectors, with the dealer part-exchange average values reaching record levels.  Performance against CAP average improved over the month by nearly two points to 100.7% but remains much lower than in September 2011, when average prices were 105.93% of CAP price.

Year-on-year, September 2012 was £185 behind the same month in 2011, with both average age and average mileage increasing this year.

Year-on-year table: All vans

All vans Avg Age Avg Mileage Avg Value Sale vs CAP
Sept 2011 55.10 77,503 £4,409 105.93%
Sept 2012 57.93 78,805 £4,224 100.72%

(Courtesy of BCA)

Used van prices have weakened in recent months as the average mileage and age of second vans has continued to increase. However, despite last month’s increase, the table above shows that used van values are now falling in year-on-year terms.

BCA Used Van Prices 2010-2012 (courtesy of BCA)

BCA Used Van Prices 2010-2012 (courtesy of BCA)

Duncan Ward, BCA’s General Manager – Commercial Vehicles, said:

“The market bounced back in September following the quieter summer period.  Much of this improvement is seasonally driven as trade buying activity rises to meet the needs of small businesses that often look to change their vehicles in the autumn months.”

“However, we are yet to see any significant uplift in vans from corporate fleet sources and demand is still outstripping supply which is keeping values firm.”

“Many buyers are looking at older, higher mileage vehicles if they are in good condition and as a direct consequence we have seen values rise in the dealer P/X sector, while demand for the very few late year, low mileage LCV’s remains intense.  Some astute rental operators are selling stock to take advantage of the demand in the sub-two year old van market and are reaping the rewards as a result.  There is also interest in poorer condition vans if they are valued sensibly.”

“Even so, we expect to see some pressure on values as volumes rise in the wholesale sector and retail demand softens in the run-up to the year end.”

It all adds up to a market that is weak in terms of supply and demand — but with demand slightly exceeding supply and keeping prices firm.

Europcar Adds Van Hire At Major Airports

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Europcar van hireEuropcar van hire is now available from the company’s branches at five major UK airport — Heathrow, Stansted, Newcastle, Luton and Birmingham

The decision to add airport locations to the Europcar Van network has been prompted by an increasing demand from both businesses and leisure customers for vans at these key commercial hubs.  It also reflects the growth in logistics business originating from airports.

“In the last year we have seen significant growth in van rental by logistics companies”, explained Ken McCall, Managing Director, Europcar UK Group.  “We believe this is largely due to the huge upturn in online and home shopping over the last year or so.  But we think it’s also attributable to the fact that logistics companies want the flexibility of van rental – rather than ownership – so that costs are matched to demand. In addition, these new airport locations increase accessibility of vans for our leisure customers.”

Europcar Vans are now available at the company’s Heathrow Airport, Luton Airport, Stansted Airport, Birmingham Airport and Newcastle Airport locations.

“This is all about choice”, added Ken McCall.  “We know that there a number of businesses operating in and around these airport locations.  Therefore, by adding vans to our fleet at those branches, we are simply giving these businesses the same range of choice as organisations operating down-town.

“We also understand that consumers want easy access to hire vans, which is why opening at these airport locations, with their extended opening hours and easy transport links, is a perfect fit for our customers”

All Europcar vehicles are less than twelve months old, making it the youngest van fleet in the country. The vans are also fully maintained to manufacturer standards, ensuring they run efficiently and Europcar’s corporate customers benefit from a fleet they can rely on.

Van Registrations Up 1% In September – Stability?

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Van registrations edged up by 1.1% in September, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). So does this represent a return of stability to the market?

SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt certainly thought so, commenting:

“The September plate change provided enough of a boost to stabilise van demand in a challenging economic environment. Continuing the trend seen so far this year, light rigids performed strongly in the month growing 23.4%, while light vans and pickups reversed recent declines, recording rises of 8.8% and 17.2% respectively.”

However, I’m not entirely sure I feel as optimistic as Mr. Everitt. A 1.1% increase on last September’s figures is hardly a reversal of the 6.3% decline in van registrations for the year to date (compared to the first 9 months of 2011). Nor does it complete reverse the rolling year decline of 2.6%, although it’s certainly a move in the right direction.

My feeling is that if the plate change only delivered a 1.1% boost, we are likely to be back into flat or negative territory by the end of this month — although I would be very happy to be proved wrong!

SMMT commercial vehicle registration figures

SMMT commercial vehicle registration figures (courtesy of SMMT)

Big Vans vs. Little Vans

Interestingly, the mix of different types of light commercial vehicles continues to change. This year has seen fewer sub-2t and 2.5t-3.5t van sales, as this SMMT graph shows:

Light commercial vehicle registrations by type

Light commercial vehicle registrations by type (courtesy of SMMT)

Truckin’ Ahead

For those that are interested, truck sales have continued to perform more strongly than van sales, especially in the light rigid (3.5t – 6.0t) category, where new registrations were up by 23.4% on the same period last year and are up 48.6% for the year to date.

Registrations of larger rigids have also grown strongly and are up 28% (6.0t – 16t) and 26% (>16t) on the year to date, although >16t recorded an 18% fall in registrations in September compred to September last year.

Truck registrations by type 2012 YTD vs 2011 YTD

Truck registrations for 2011 and 2012 YTD, divided into rigid and artics -- rigids have gained strongly this year (courtesy of SMMT)

Artic sales are flagging and are down 6.2% on the year to date, although sales of 3-axle artics (by far the most popular), rose by 3% last month, perhaps because of the plate change effect.

Greenshields JCB Is In Transit With 32 New Ford Vans

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Greenfields JCB Ford Transit service vanFord Transit and Transit Connect vans have been selected by Greenshields JCB, which specialises in the distribution, service and repair of JCB and Thwaites dumper vehicles.

Seven short-wheel-base Ford Transit and four Ford Transit Connect vans have been delivered already and a further 17 medium-wheel-base and long-wheel-base, high roof Transits are due for delivery by the end of October.

In total, 32 new Ford vans have been ordered, adding to the existing fleet of 15 Ford vehicles previously purchased by the company. All vehicles have been supplied to Greenshields from Guildford-based Ford commercial vehicle dealer, Grays Truck & Van.  The high-spec Transits are all fully sign-written, fitted-out and ready for the road.

Tom Greenshields, aftermarket director for Greenshields JCB, said:

“I’m happy to announce our continued loyalty to Ford commercial vehicles. When we make comparisons with other brands we look for the products that are fit for purpose and the most reliable.

“There is also good parts availability and service support should the need arise. We believe Ford commercial vehicles are the industry standard, setting the benchmark which others attempt to follow.”

Stephen Powell, Ford of Britain fleet business manager, said:

“This is an excellent partnership between ourselves and Greenshields JCB. With the introduction of four all-new Ford commercial vehicles over the next 18 months, it offers us even greater scope to cement our business relationship further in the years ahead.”

New Ford Transit Beats Competitors On Residual Values

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Ford Transit Custom side shot

The new Transit Custom goes on sale Autumn 2012

The new Ford Transit Custom is set to deliver a 10.5% improvement in residual values over the current model, enabling it to leapfrog its benchmark competitor and offer best-in-class value, according to CAP.

Leading residual value (RV) analysts CAP evaluated the Ford Transit Custom, which is available from dealerships this autumn, and calculated its theoretical resale value in three years’ time.

The award-winning Ford Transit Custom, which was recently crowned International Van Of The Year 2013, has secured a 10.5 per cent improvement in its three-year/60,000-mile residual value compared with its predecessor.

The new Ford Transit Custom has been valued at £725 more than its rival by CAP.  This £1,975 turnaround achieved by the incoming model equates to a 10.5 per cent boost in Transit RVs.

At four years in service and 80,000 miles, Transit Custom RVs are enhanced by £1,500 – moving the new model from being £1,000 behind its benchmark competitor to £500 ahead.

Mark Ovenden, Ford of Britain managing director, said:

“This is a more stylish and more functional Transit, which also manages to reward owners by retaining more of its value.  Thanks to this latest endorsement by CAP, we’re even more convinced that our new Transit Custom will continue the vehicle’s market leading position.”

A new Ford Transit Custom 290S 100PS six-speed 310Nm model will be worth £6,800 at three years and £5,250 at four years – £725 and £500 ahead of its nearest competition, respectively.

The Ford Transit Custom is Ford’s new entry into the one-tonne van segment and is the first of Ford’s all-new commercial vehicle models. The company also plans to launch new versions of the Transit Connect and Transit models by the end of 2013, heralding a complete replacement of its light commercial vehicle range.

Thrifty Opens New Branch In Newport

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Thrifty Car & Van Rental logoThrifty Car and Van Rental has opened a new van hire branch in Newport. The new branch offers a full range of vans:

  • Small vans (e.g. Peugeot Bipper, Ford Transit Connect)
  • Short, long and extra-long wheelbase panel vans (e.g. Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter)
  • Luton vans with tail lifts

The new branch is located on Queensway Meadows Industrial Estate in Newport — you can see full details of  Thrifty’s Newport branch here.

The full address of the new branch is:

Unit 2 Estuary Court, Estuary Road, Queensway Meadows Industrial Estate, Newport NP19 4SX.

Thrifty Removes Upper Age Limit For Van Hire

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Thrifty Car & Van Rental logoThrifty Car and Van Rental has removed the upper age limit for its car and van hire customers.

Until recently, customers over the age of 75 were unable to hire vans and cars, but this restriction has now been removed.

Commenting on the change, Linda Maliff, Thrifty’s Director of Central Services, said:

“People are becoming increasingly active throughout their lives and as a result people are retiring later, travelling further, and more frequently, and are generally more mobile now than ever. Thrifty wants to support all mature drivers by providing the opportunity to fulfil their rental needs for the future.”

I’ve done a quick test quote on the Thrifty website and after pretending to be 80, I can confirm that older drivers can now hire vans online.

Older and younger drivers should note that Thrifty charges a daily surcharge of £12 +VAT for drivers over 70 and under 25 — this was in place before the upper age limit was removed and is included in online quotes. (Information correct as of 09/10/2012.)

Click here for a full list of all Thrifty’s UK van hire locations.

77.5mpg – Is This Britain’s Most Fuel Efficient Van?

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Citroen Nemo 2012 MPG Marathon Winner - most economical van

The Citroen Nemo won the most economical van category at this year's MPG Marathon for the fourth year running, returning most than 77mpg over the 370-mile test course.

The Citroën Nemo van has again demonstrated its exceptional fuel efficiency by returning 77.5mpg and taking the title of the UK’s most economical van in this year’s independent 2012 ALD Automotive Shell Fuel Save MPG Marathon.

It’s the fourth consecutive year that the Nemo has triumphed in the van category — the model used to beat all the other LCV competitors in this demanding 2-day event was a Nemo HDi 75 manual 660 LX.

Not just a test

The event was organised by Fleet World magazine (it’s the same event as this one) and the Citroën Nemo van was driven by LCV journalist John Kendall, with co-driver Dr. Paul Nieuwenhuis, over a 370 mile route through the Cotswolds, Bristol, South Wales and the South Midlands.

Competitors had to maintain a 30mph average speed to avoid penalties, while ensuring that they successfully achieved optimum fuel economy. The 30mph average speed requirement highlights that the MPG Marathon is not just an impractical test event — it requires decent speed to be maintained at all times in real-world driving conditions.

Scott Michael, Citroën’s Head of Commercial Vehicles & Business Centre Programme, commented; “The 2012 ALD Automotive Shell Fuel Save MPG Marathon, an excellent, independent test of a vehicle’s fuel economy has again enabled the Citroën Nemo  small van to demonstrate its exceptional fuel efficiency in demanding conditions.”

Petrol performance

Although they weren’t driving a van, I must also mention the award-winning performance of Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust driving duo Mark Armstrong-Read and Geoff Murray.

They crewed their Citroën C1 VTR 1.0i 68 manual car to achieve an incredible 84.7mpg. Not only did this make it the most economical petrol engine car in this year’s event, but it also out performed its official combined cycle fuel consumption figure by no less than 28.92%.  This really is an impressive result for a petrol-powered vehicle.

Vauxhall Vivaro Delivers 65mpg In Mileage Marathon

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Vauxhall Vivaro ecoFLEX

Vauxhall Vivaro ecoFLEX

Vauxhall’s British-built Vivaro ecoFLEX has triumphed in the Fleet World MPG Marathon with a stunning 59.31 per cent improvement on the combined fuel economy figure.

Although an improvement of this magnitude won’t be possible for all van drivers, it does show what’s possible with a little effort and highlights the benefits of choosing the most eco-friendly model when buying a new van.

In expert hands

Driven by Vauxhall’s archivist and resident eco-driving expert Andrew Duerden, with co-driver Neil McIntee, Editor of VansA2Z.com, the 2.0CDTi-powered Vivaro ecoFLEX registered an impressive 65.16mpg against a combined figure of 40.90mpg.

This sensational result was not only the best percentage improvement for a commercial vehicle but also overall including cars as well as vans.  Soundly beaten rivals included the new-to-market Ford Transit Custom and the Volkswagen Transporter.

The Fleet World MPG Marathon is the UK longest-running economy driving event.  The two-day event took place in the Cotswolds with separate routes covering 350 miles of countryside including a mixture of A and B roads and motorway driving.

“Neil and I are, as they say, over the moon to win the overall best percentage improvement in the Vivaro ecoFLEX,” said Andrew Duerden.  “Fuel economy is a top priority for Vauxhall customers looking to reduce running costs and our MPG Marathon win proves what a frugal van the Luton-built Vivaro is.”

Green technology

Launched earlier this year, the revised Vivaro ecoFLEX features a range of green technology features, including exhaust gas recirculation cooling and optimised gear ratios.  There’s also improved thermal management, low rolling resistance tyres and an aerodynamic kit.

Vauxhall’s MPG Marathon win comes hot on the heels of the Luton-based manufacturer topping the van sales charts to private buyers and small businesses in the crucial plate change month of September, something it also managed in March.