Van Guard News

Iveco’s latest Daily range of light commercial vehicles has been voted Van of the Year 2007 by What Van? magazine, the largest dedicated van publication in the UK, read by owners, operators and transport fleet managers.

Integra Utility Services has just taken delivery of 62 Citroen Berlingo Enterprise vans – its third major order for this popular model since 2002. By specifying the latest Euro 4 1.6HDi 75hp powered Berlingo vans to replace all of its small van fleet, the company can considerably reduce the “carbon footprint” of this part of its operations.

Renault’s lead times will not improve in 2008, even though the UK will get a larger proportion of the manufacturer’s output says Renault Trucks UK MD Laurent Farman. He explains that the manufacturer will struggle to meet existing demand so the problems of long lead times will continue into next year: “2007 is a record year for us. Orders in trucks are very strong - up 64% in 2007, and eastern Europe has grown by 235%. Most truck manufacturers are experiencing the same conditions.

Fleet operators should review their commercial vehicle needs in order to save themselves money and improve business efficiency, according to EurotaxGlass’s. The publisher of Glass’s Guide to Commercial Vehicle Values has reported that a large number of fleets do not require the volume and load capacity provided by panel vans with a gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tonnes, though these are the most commonly selected models in a light commercial fleet.

North America’s relationship with the van dates back to the panel delivery or sedan delivery of the early ’20s.

Tradesmen, small business and large companies relied on Chrysler, Ford and General Motors to produce medium-size, no frills commercial vehicles that would meet their needs.

Internationally, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles set a new sales record of 356,000 vehicles in the first nine months of the year, an increase of 11.4 per cent compared to 319,650 vehicles sold in the same period in 2006. This has increased total turnover by 12.1 percent to 6.6 billion euros.

With the Peugeot Expert van range and its sister vehicles being awarded the 2008 Van of The Year award, Peugeot have never had a stronger range of LCV vehicles.

The Peugeot Expert, Citroën Jumpy and Fiat Scudo family of compact vans, which were styled and developed by PSA Peugeot Citroën in cooperation with Fiat, has been awarded the title of “International Van of the Year 2008.”
Marketed since early 2007, the vans are manufactured at the two companies’ joint Sevel Nord production plant in Valenciennes, France. The award, the most important for light commercial vehicles in Europe, underscores the features and performance of the new family of compact vans, of which more than 110,000 units have already been produced.