Van Guard News

Customers after LDV’s desperately needed chassis cab version of Maxus may have to wait until 2007 before it appears in dealerships. That’s despite the fact that the Birmingham-based manufacturer has already constructed finished prototypes.

New to the exhibitor line-up at this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show will be Yuejin UK, which plans to start importing light trucks from China later this year.

The next-generation Nissan Cabstar will be badged as a Renault and sold through Renault Truck dealerships as well as through Nissan outlets. It will be marketed alongside Master and Mascott.

Sales will start during the first half of next year. Like the existing model, the new Cabstar will be produced at Nissan’s plant at Avila in Spain.

Heavy discounts on new vans will depress their second-hand value warns George Alexander, chief commercial vehicle editor at Glass’s Guide.

“When new commercial vehicle market sectors become overly competitive and incentives escalate, this has a big effect on subsequent price levels for the used product,” he warns. “For healthy residual values a well-designed new van has to be sold for its full worth.”

All warranties issued by LDV prior to the company’s slide into administration before Christmas will be honoured by the new owners, says marketing director, Steve Miller. The firm is now controlled by American finance giant Sun Capital Partners, has been renamed LDV Group, and is very much back in business, he contends.