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.

[EXPIRED] Save up to 20% on van hire in the Hertz Winter Sale!

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Hertz Van Rental from £13 per dayThe Hertz Winter Sale is now on and includes savings of up to 20% on van hire! 

This is likely to be one of the best van hire discount offers you will see in 2015, so if you need to hire a van for use before the end of March, I’d strongly suggest you consider booking before the end of January to take advantage of this cracking offer.

** THIS OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED **

Offer: SAVE up to 20% on Van Hire in the Hertz Winter Sale!

  • Valid from: 12th January 2015
  • Expires: 30th January 2015
  • Discount Code: 999940

 

 

 

 

 

Terms: Bookings must be made by 30 January 2015 and completed by 31 March 2015. Three day minimum rental period. Exclusions apply, offer subject to availability.

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.

Tuffnells chooses ejector seat option for extra-long Merc Sprinters

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Tuffnells Mercedes-Benz SprinterLeading next-day business-to-business delivery specialist Tuffnells Parcels Express has been delivering parcels for 100 years.

Unlike many of its peers in the logistics sector, Tuffnells has not previously operated Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans, but following a successful trial, the company has switched a portion of its 100-strong van fleet to the German marque.

Tuffnells’ first 22 Sprinters are finished in a modified version of the firm’s familiar Big Green Parcel Machine’ livery, which highlights its 100 years of operation.

Supplied by North-West Dealer Enza, all are 313 CDI models with advanced 129 hp engines driving through smooth 7G-Tronic automatic transmissions (N.B. It’s interesting to see a big van operator choosing an automatic transmission — these have been popular in lorries for some years now, and are the default choice for many truck operators).

Although the vans are high roof, extra-long body models, Tuffnells has also arranged for the passenger seats to be removed from its van, enabling loads in excess of six metres to be carried inside the van — essential as one of the company’s customers is a blind manufacturer which makes blinds up to six metres wide.

Each van is expected to cover around 50,000 miles per year, and the vans have been purchased through a contract hire package that includes full maintenance agreement.

 

Andrew Morton, Tuffnells’ National Fleet Manager, says:

“The contract hire package was competitively priced and we had some very positive feedback from those drivers who tried the demonstrators – they liked the Sprinter’s performance and handling, while more than one reported the experience as being more like driving a car than a van.

 

Tuffnells has 34 strategically located depots throughout the UK and Ireland and offers a wide range of guaranteed delivery services, with online electronic proof of delivery available within seconds for the majority of consignments.

Volkswagen launches (another) high spec Amarok pick-up

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Volkswagen Amarok Ultimate

The new Volkswagen Amarok Ultimate is on sale now, with UK production limited to just 500 vehicles.

Today’s pick-ups occupy the same market space that SUVs did a few years ago — many of the people who buy them are making a fashion choice, not responding to a functional requirement.

To keep these cash-rich, bling-hungry buyers happy, Volkswagen has already launched at least two high specification special edition Amarok pick-ups, the Amarok Edition and the Amarok Dark Label.

The combination of the Volkswagen badge and one of the largest, toughest and most stylish pick-ups on the road is obviously a winning formula, as Volkswagen has just announced a new limited edition Amarok model, modestly named the Amarok Ultimate.

Billed as the highest-specification ever offered on an Amarok, UK supply will be limited to 500 vehicles and prices will start from £29,995 +VAT.

Volkswagen says the Amarok Ultimate is aimed at customers who appreciate the finer things in life — if that’s you, here’s what you’ll get for your money:

  • Bi-xenon headlights
  • 19-inch Aragonit polished alloy wheels
  • Double chrome strips on the radiator grill
  • Distinctive LED daytime running lights, which frame the headlights
  • Heated and electrically-folding wing mirrors with chrome detailing
  • Darkened tail light lenses and a new LED number plate light
  • Alcantara-trimmed seats
  • Leather multifunction steering wheel
  • Heated driver and front passenger seats
  • Satellite navigation
  • Choice of two colours, Reflex Silver or Deep Black, along with ‘Ultimate’ decals.

The Amarok is powered by VW’s range topping 2.0-litre BiTDI 180PS engine, which has two turbos and produces a monster 420Nm of torque at just 1,750rpm. Power is transmitted to the wheels via either a six-speed manual selectable 4MOTION transmission or with the firm’s 8-speed automatic 4MOTION setup.

Unsurprisingly, this truck can handle some serious towing, should you need to — the maximum towing capacity is 3,200kg, meaning that large caravans, vehicle carrier trailers and boats can all be towed comfortably.

It’s hardly subtle, and it’s two preened and pimped for most drivers to want to get it dirty on a regular basis, but there’s no doubt this is a serious pick-up for anyone who needs it, and a serious statement for anyone who just likes the way it looks!

The Amarok Ultimate is on sale now.

[EXPIRED] SAVE up to 10% on Sixt Van Rental — exclusive discount

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A belated Happy New Year from vanrental.co.uk!

If your bank account is feeling a bit battered after the Christmas splurge, then we’ve got good news.

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Driving licence paper counterpart to remain in use until June 2015

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The government has announced that the paper counterpart of UK driver licences will now remain in use until 8 June 2015, extending the previous removal date of 1 January 2015.

What do I need to do?

For anyone planning on hiring a van, this means you will still need to produce both parts of your driving licence — the photocard and the paper counterpart — when you hire a vehicle, until at least 8 June 2015.

What’s happened?

Back in November, I wrote about the government’s plan to scrap the paper counterpart that forms part of UK driver licences, leaving only the photocard. The change was due to come into force from 1 January 2015.

At the time, the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) was flagging up concerns about the cost and practicality of this approach, as the planned new online system was, of course, running late, and was unlikely to be ready until the new year.

The plan was that the information contained on the paper counterpart to be available online, instead, so that individuals and businesses such as vehicle hire firms and transport operators, with a legitimate need for the information, could access it online instead. However, with hire companies needing to check thousands of licences per year, and many transport operators and staffing agencies needing to run hundreds of checks, the extra costs for businesses forced to use the DVLA’s existing driver data service would have been significant.

Lobbying from the BVRLA and the Freight Transport Association appears to have convinced the government to put back the deadline — hopefully, the extra six months will be enough for the government’s IT contractors to get their act together and finish the planned new Share My Driving Record system.

Electric power isn’t always the answer, but was tax or technology the problem?

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Morris Vermaport Mercedes-Benz CitansA few years ago, Nottingham-based lift installation and servicing firm Morris Vermaport decided to provide petrol-electric hybrid cars for its service engineers to use, in a bid to align its fleet with the company’s commitment to minimise emissions and fuel consumption and operate as sustainably as possible.

Photographs on the company’s website suggest these cars were Toyota Prius, but the specific model doesn’t really matter.

What did matter, according to Andrew Waddell, the firm’s operations director, is that company vehicle tax rates on these cars were prohibitively high — in particular, they were much higher than the tax rates on the Mercedes-Benz Citan vans the firm has now purchased to replace the hybrid cars.

Fuel consumption from the hybrid cars wasn’t exceptional either, when looked at across the vehicles’ full usage cycle, according to Mr Waddell:

“There’s not a lot to choose between the two vehicles in terms of mpg returns – the hybrids are good around town but less so on longer runs, or when fully loaded, which is when the Citan really shows its class.”

To me, it looks like the hybrid cars were an optimistic, well-intentioned choice that didn’t quite work out — although it might have done had the tax regime been more favourable. This is an important point because fuel consumption isn’t the only issue here: there’s clear and abundant evidence that diesel emissions are the biggest single cause of air pollution in UK cities, thanks to nitrogen dioxide emissions, which are largely ignored by the EU-led CO2 vehicle taxation regime.

As I discussed recently, there’s an obvious case for changing the vehicle tax incentives away from their narrow focus on CO2 emissions, to a more complete view of pollution. In this scenario, Morris Vermaport might have found that their petrol-electric hybrid cars were more cost effective — and less polluting.