Is Fiat planning a new van based on the Renault Trafic?

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New 2014 Renault Trafic

Signs suggest that Fiat is planning a new van model based on the Renault Trafic, to replace the outgoing Scudo model.

Renault issued a fabulously tight-lipped press release today, stating that:

Renault and Fiat have signed an agreement under which Renault will supply Fiat with a light commercial vehicle based on a Renault platform.

The styling of the Fiat vehicle will be developed by Fiat and will feature unique and distinctive elements on the model, branded Fiat Professional.

The vehicle will be manufactured by Renault in France starting from the second quarter of 2016.

So what can could Renault provide from its current range, that Fiat doesn’t already have?

All things considered, there’s only one possible candidate: the new Renault Trafic, which would make a perfect replacement for the current Fiat Scudo.

Choosing the Trafic as a base vehicle would provide Fiat with a popular medium van, that can compete directly with the Trafic, Ford Transit Custom, VW Transporter and Mercedes-Benz Vito, filling the gap between Fiat’s Ducato large van and the Doblò small van.

Vans A2Z highlights that the manufacturing agreement for the current Scudo ends in 2017, and suggests that ‘unique and distinctive elements’ of the new van may refer to its drivetrain — something that makes sense to me, too: Fiat tends to use its own engine and drivetrain components in joint venture vans, as in the current and previous model Ducato, as well as others.

The question now is whether PSA Peugeot Citroen will stick with the slightly smaller format of the Expert/Dispatch (currently also sold as Fiat Scudo and Toyota Proace), or whether when the model is next updated, PSA the model will be enlarged to fit the mould created by the Trafic, and its rapidly growing peer group.

Save 5% and hire a van from just £16 with Hertz Van Rental

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Hertz Newcastle Van Supersite

Do you need to hire a van this summer?

Hertz Van Rental is currently offering a 5% discount on van hire, meaning van rental starts from just £16 per day.

All you need to do to get the discount is click through to the Hertz website with this discount code:

Discount code: 778636

For full details of this great offer, visit the Hertz website:

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Terms & conditions may apply — see Hertz website for details.

[EXPIRED] Save 10% on Questor van hire excess insurance – EXCLUSIVE

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**This great discount code offer has now been extended until 31st October 2014**

Hiring a van this summer?

Don’t forget to plan for the cost of insurance — van rental companies’ standard insurance excess levels for vans are usually several hundred pounds and normally exclude glass, tyres and roof damage.

For a limited period only, you can SAVE 10% on Questor van hire excess insurance — EXCLUSIVE to vanrental.co.uk

Van hire excess insurance provides cover for the excess on your van rental insurance policy, protecting you from a big payout in the case of any accidental damage.

Here are the details:

THIS OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED

Valid from: 16th June 2014

Expires: 31st October 2014

CODE: SYY2075

Visit the Questor website for more information on excess insurance.

Pint-sized Corsavans help hire bosses cut costs

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HSS Hire Vauxhall CorsavanVauxhall has supplied HSS Hire Service Group Limited with a fleet of its award-winning Corsavans, helping to reduce average CO2 emissions and total running costs of the company’s fleet.

The Corsavans are powered by Vauxhall’s efficient 1.3 CDTi 95PS engine with ecoFLEX technology, returning an impressive combined fuel economy of 83.1mpg.

The ecoFLEX engine features Start/Stop technology and benefits from CO2 emissions as low as 88g/km – making Corsavan one of the cleanest vans on the market.

Despite its compact dimensions and sleek design, the Corsavan – which will be used by HSS Hire’s Branch Managers to visit local customers and suppliers – boasts a class-leading payload of 550kg and a Group 1E insurance rating.

Aaron Powell, Fleet Manager at HSS Hire, said:

“We’re really pleased with the Corsavans – they’re the perfect size for our needs and they’re already proving really efficient too.”

HSS Hire is a national supplier of tool and equipment hire and related services. Focused on delivering safety, value, availability and support, it works with big businesses, trade and DIY customers throughout the UK and Ireland.

Ford & Volkswagen win at Auto Express Awards

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New Ford TransitFord has continued its run of award-winning form by picking up the Auto Express ‘Van of the Year’ award for its brand-new Transit, the first examples of which have gone on the road in the last few weeks.

It’s the second consecutive win in this prestigious category for Ford — last year, the firm’s Transit Custom model won, in its introductory year. Commenting on this year’s award, Steve Fowler, Auto Express editor-in-chief, said:

“Ford really has thrown absolutely everything at it and come up with one of the best vans we’ve ever seen. The numbers stack up so well for businesses, while it’s easier than ever to load and more enjoyable to drive.”

Ford’s Fiesta also picked up the ‘Best Supermini’ award, while the Ford Ranger managed a commendation in the pick-up class. However, the class winner in the pick-up class, which these days straddles the commercial vehicle and car markets, was the

Volkswagen Amarok Canyon edition

The new Volkswagen Amarok Canyon limited edition

Volkswagen Amarok, which bagged the ‘Best Pick-Up’ award for the third consecutive year.

Commenting on the award, Steve Fowler said:

“The Amarok remains the best pick-up by some margin. Nothing comes close to its brilliant combination of carrying ability and car-like road manners, with the efficiency expected by demanding buyers. The fact it has the rugged looks required of a class-leading pick-up is the icing on the cake.”

As we’ve seen in the van sector, where engine sizes are coming down, pick-ups are also managing with smaller engines than in the past.

The Amarok uses a 2.0-litre diesel engine in all models, but the twin-turbo configuration means it still delivers a whopping 180PS of power and 400Nm of torque, giving it a healthy 3t towing capacty and 1.1t payload.

Used van prices up 30% in six months, says Autorola

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As I noted recently, used van prices have now passed their pre-recession peak, despite much higher age and mileage. Some of this is due to the improved quality and efficiency of newer vans, which have prompted some fleets to extend their renewal cycles. However, a bigger factor, in my view, is that many small businesses have opted to buy used, for cash, rather than seeking finance to fund the acquisition of new vans.

That may now be changing, as this year has seen a big increase in new van registrations, but the latest figures from remarketing specialists Autorola suggest that demand for used models remains strong: the average price of used vans sold through Autorola’s online remarketing platform has risen by nearly 10%, from £9,605 in Q1 2014 to £10,513 in Q2 2014, an increase of £907 and an all time average high for Autorola.

One caveat: some of this change may be due to the lower average mileage and newer registration plate of vans sold in the second quarter — the average age and mileage of stock in Q2 was 2012/26,377 miles, compared with Q1 (2011/31,927 miles), and bucking the trend seen over the last couple of years.

Each quarter Autorola sells a range of stock from rental companies, utilities, manufacturers and franchised dealers, but currently the 24-30 month old stock is making the strongest money. Neil Frost, Autorola UK’s operations director, explains that the poor condition of older stock is driving demand for a limited supply of newer vans:

“More ex-fleet stock is coming back into the used market at 5-6 years of age with higher mileages and in a tired condition. This has helped increase demand for the newer used stock on our platform.

“SMEs are still buying used vans typically under £10,000 as they continue to grow, but struggle to get finance to buy a new van. With the holiday season nearly upon us and with the economy continuing to thrive it will be interesting to see whether prices stabilise in Q3 2014 or continue to rise.”

It’s too early to say how the second half of 2014 is going to pan out, but I suspect that if new van registrations remain as strong as they are currently, the used market may begin to weaken slightly in 2015, as the balance of supply and demand shifts in favour of used buyers.

Vauxhall keeps Vivaro clean with 36-van Hoover deal

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Vauxhall Vivaro Hoover CandyLuton-based Vauxhall has secured a deal with Hoover Candy to supply 36 of its British-built Vivaro vans.

The domestic appliance giant, Hoover Candy, has taken delivery of the 36 liveried L1H1 Glacier White Vivaros, which are from the outgoing Vivaro range, rather than this year’s all-new model.

Fitted with the Euro 5 compliant 2.0 CDTi 90PS engine, offering both performance and fuel economy, the vans deliver an impressive 37.7mpg while lowering the overall CO2 emissions of Hoover Candy’s fleet.

The vans will be used by Hoover Candy’s service engineers over the next four years, to travel the country servicing customers’ appliances. The Vivaros’ interiors have been modified by in-vehicle workshop conversion specialist, the Bott Group, to further enhance the usability of the vehicle for the service engineers.

Fleet Operations Manager at Hoover Candy, Neil Parsons, said:

“We were impressed with the speed of the service provided by Vauxhall and how the team performed against a very tight delivery schedule.”

Hoover Candy’s service engineers will rely on these vans to carry out their jobs to the highest standards. The Vauxhall Vivaros will provide them with a balance of strong performance, economy and reliability.

Crosswind Assist now standard on more Sprinter models

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Crosswind Assist dashboard alert

The Crosswind Assist system uses ESP-controlled braking on individual wheels to counteract the affect of sudden guests of wind and keep the vehicle stable

Mercedes-Benz has increased the number of Sprinter variants to which the firm’s Crosswind Assist system is fitted as standard.

In addition to the Sprinter 3.5t Panel van, the innovative Crosswind Assist is now available as standard for 3.5t Chassis Cab variants.

In addition, the system is also part of the standard specification for the 3.0t Sprinter Panel van, short wheelbase models and super-high roof variants, as well as the firm’s 4×4 Sprinter models.

The system made its debut in the large van segment when the award-winning new Sprinter was launched, last year. The focus was initially on the most common variants, but now the innovative safety system is also part of the standard equipment for many additional variants.

Mercedes says that the system has been retested specifically for each chassis cab variant, because dropside chassis cab variants usually offer a much smaller ‘attack’ surface for side wind gusts than panel vans and luton box bodies.

Crosswind Assist also takes into account parameters such as vehicle speed, vehicle load and steering characteristics, and is one of five new safety systems with which the Sprinter advanced into a completely new dimension of safety technology in the van segment.

Its sensors detect forces acting on the vehicle through side wind gusts – be it on a bridge or when overtaking a truck, and are activated from a speed of 50 mph. Through a brake actuation via ESP at the wheels of the vehicle side facing the wind, a yaw motion develops and counteracts the side wind interference, helping to keep the vehicle travelling in a straight line, rather than weaving around.

BA opts for petrol power to avoid diesel headaches

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British Airways Mercedes-Benz Citan TravelinerBritish Airways has made an unusual, but highly suitable, purchasing choice, by buying the first UK Mercedes-Benz Citans to be fitted with petrol engines.

The vans will be used by British Airways engineers and other technical staff based at Heathrow Airport to travel around the site between work assignments, and are all long-bodied Traveliner 112 models, with five seats.

Twenty-eight Citans are now in service with the British Airway’s Ramp Operations team, which is expanding. A further 18 vehicles have gone to BA Engineering, while 11 more will be delivered shortly, for use by BA World Cargo Operations.

The Citan is the smallest commercial vehicle ever to wear a three-pointed star. It was launched last year, but the 1.2-litre petrol-engined version has only just been introduced, and British Airways’ vehicles are the first to be powered by the new 114 hp petrol unit, rather than one of the diesel alternatives chosen by most customers.

The Citans are replacing diesel-engined vehicles by another manufacturer.  BA Contract Management Executive Billu Kler explains:

“Ours is not a typical transport operation. These vehicles are required to move staff from one aircraft stand to another, and between buildings around the airport.

So journeys are invariably short, and undertaken at very low speeds. Diesel engines are not appropriate, because the fact that they never reach high temperatures means the particulate filters can struggle to cope and even become clogged.”

[This is an issue I’ve mentioned before, see here.]

“We were keen to keep things as simple as possible by identifying a single vehicle that would meet the needs of our various teams. After conducting trials our colleagues in BA Engineering concluded that the Long-bodied Citan Traveliner is the ideal size for the job, while our adoption of the petrol engine means the particulate filter issue does not arise.”

Also key to the Citan 112’s appeal were its green credentials, which include fuel-saving BlueEFFICIENCY technology, such as the Eco start/stop function, which is a standard feature.

Volkswagen Transporter Sportline 60 celebrates six decades of UK sales

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Volkswagen Transporter Sportline 60

The new Volkswagen Transporter Sportline 60

This year marks sixty years since the first Volkswagen Transporter was imported into the UK.

To market the occasion, VW has revamped its Sportline model into a new special edition, the Sportline 60.

The new model replaces the current Sportline and is available in short and long wheelbase forms as either a Kombi or panel van. Distinguished from the rest of the range, the striking exterior features unique 18-inch five-spoke Anthracite alloy wheels, black steel side bars, gloss black door mirror covers and special decals, the Sportline 60 is one of the most stylish T5 Transporters ever offered.

Inside, the Sportline 60 is generously equipped.  Customers are treated to a host of premium creature comforts including an upgraded Kenwood sat-nav infotainment system which features smartphone mirroring functionality, DAB and Bluetooth connectivity. Front and rear parking sensors with camera also come as standard along with new quilted and embossed leather upholstery featuring a special Sportline 60 edition logo.

Also included in the standard specification are a front seat armrest; electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, electric windows, ABS, climate air conditioning, remote central locking and stereo with CD player.

Like the model it replaces, the new Sportline 60 distinguishes itself from other vans on the road with a number of distinctive styling cues. At the front, colour-coded front bumper and lower spoiler combine with a chrome grille. At the rear a roof spoiler, a colour-coded bumper and unique Sportline 60 badging add to the distinctive look. Available in metallic Reflex Silver or Deep Black as standard. Candy White with a Deep Black roof is available as an option.

The Sportline 60’s purposeful appearance is matched by the power that drives it. This special anniversary model comes with Volkswagen’s top of the range 2.0-litre BiTDI 180 PS engine, offering up to 400 Nm of torque.  Customers can choose between a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG gearbox. Retail prices start from £29,940 (ex. VAT) for the manual transmission (short wheelbase) and rise to £34,170 (ex. VAT) for the DSG transmission (long wheelbase).

To date, more than 300,000 Transporters have been sold in the UK, with 18,350 sold in 2013 alone. The current Transporter range is one of the broadest in the commercial vehicle sector and comprises of panel van, Kombi, Shuttle, Caravelle and California variants.