New Caddy Edition 30

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Volkswagen Caddy next year, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has unveiled a near production concept special edition model called the Caddy Edition 30 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It doesn’t matter if you are a young family, a delivery firm or tradesman, Volkswagen does have a Caddy model to suit you.

The Caddy Edition 30 is different to the rest of the range as it has its roof and roof-railing painted in brilliant gloss black and polished 17-inch alloy wheels. Five bodywork colours are available from Candy White, Reflex Silver, Salsa Red, Primavera Green or Sunny Yellow.

Inside you can get a five-seat or seven-seat configuration with seats in Alcantara upholstery, multi-function steering wheel, leather-trimmed gear stick and handbrake lever, semi-automatic climate control and tinted windows.

Power comes from four different engine specifications, both with a short wheelbase as a car or as a van for commercial use. The model on show at Frankfurt had the most powerful engine ever installed in a Caddy, the 170PS 2.0 TDI with DSG.

New Korando crossover

SsangYong, the Korean manufacturer, is ready to return to the UK with the launch of their new Korando crossover which should be available in September. The brand’s relaunch into the UK follows a recent change to the importer and in addition, SsangYong will also be re-launching the updated versions of the Rexton (rugged 4×4), Rodius (seven-seat MPV) plus the Rexton CV (commercial version) as well.

The new Korando has been designed and styled in Europe by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Ital Design, has front-wheel and four-wheel drive models, plus it has a two-tonne towing capacity. It is being pitched against the Hyundai ix35, Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi ASX and Nissan Qashqai and is keenly priced from only £16,995 on-the-road, making it highly competitive.

All models are powered by an advanced 173bhp 2.0-litre four cylinder turbo diesel engine with CO2 emissions from only 157g/km. The car has an “on demand” four wheel drive system and has a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The car trim levels are S or ES in their front wheel drive Korando, or the top of the range EX specification in four wheel drive.

All models comes equipped with cruise control, ESP with Hill Start Assist and reverse parking sensors as standard, which will be a great help when towing. The ES and EX come with the addition of a sunroof, climate control, leather upholstery and heated front and rear seats. SsangYong car leasing prices on all models are on the site.

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) is running a set of roadshows from September to November 2011, in conjunction with Iveco, focussing on the compliance issues affecting UK road hauliers. There will be a total of eight events covering a wide range of subjects including Euro 6 emissions, fuel efficiency, the London Low Emission Zone and the transport and possible logistical ramifications of the 2012 London Olympics.

The roadshows will also cover updates from Traffic Commissioners, various presentations on emplyment law, changes to the Access to Profession Regulations and also new engine technology enhancments. Tickets for RHA members cost £80 +VAT and for non-members, £90+VAT.

New Renault "FRENDZY"

Renault has unveiled some details about its new “FRENDZY” concept vehicle that will make its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2011. This new electric vehicle concept meets the requirements of business users on one hand, as it operates as a commercial vehicle, or as a comfortable car for all the family.

It is really compact, with a series of clever innovations including a 37-inch digital screen on the sliding rear door (to advertise your company or product), unique sound signatures both inside and outside the car, a fabric roof that adapts to the shape of bulky objects and a slate board in the rear cabin for children to sketch on. In addition there is a touch-sensitive pad that slides out from the driver’s seat for rear passengers to watch movies, or for gaming, plus it has two ambient lightning settings to differentiate between work and family time.

Inside the new Renault FRENDZY

Outside the vehicle, on the passenger’s side, there is no glazing or centre pillar, but just one conventional door and one sliding door with the BlackBerry PlayBook controlled 37-inch digital screen.

This is for “work time”, however the driver’s side has centre opening doors (still with no centre pillar) complete with side windows for “family time”.

One of the issues about electric vehicles is that they “run silently” however Renault has worked IRCAM to develop a broad range of sounds that are emitted both inside and outside the vehicle, so that everyone will know if it is in work mode or family mode. Even more impressively, you can also tell which is the passenger side from the work side of the car by the sound produced by FRENDZY.

Some vehicle technical data about the FRENDZY

Nissan NV200 taxi cab

Nissan has announced that the Nissan NV200 is set to be the new taxi cab in the city until 2023. The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) has selected the NV200 with an introduction date of 2013, plus an electric taxi programme is also planned.

The NV200 taxi will be built in Mexico and is a modifed version of the current commercial vehicle available in global markets, including the UK. The Nissan NV200 taxi has a 2.0-litre powertrain, ample room for four passengers and their luggage, sliding doors with entry step and grab handles, transparent roof panel (providing views of the city), independent rear air-conditioning, plus a host of other vehicle features.

Fiat Doblo Cargo

Fiat Professional has confirmed the line-up of vans they will be showcasing at the Commercial Vehicle  Show that is being held at the NEC in Birmingham, from the 12th April to the 14th April 2011. The Fiat Doblo Cargo is taking centre stage and also on the stand, making their first UK debut, will be the Euro 5 Fiorino range and the Punto Evo Van.

Gerry Clarke, Director of Fiat Professional, said,”The Fiat Professional range of award-winning vehicles has been enjoying a high level interest from customers and the media, and this year is set to continue with the introduction of new environmentally friendly Euro 5 engines in the Fiorino, Scudo and Punto Evo Van”.

Here is the list of the range on show;

• Scudo Van L2H1 12Q – Comfort 2.0 MultiJet 120BHP
• Ducato 35 Van 2.3 litre 120 MultiJet LWB HR
• Ducato  35 Cab 2.3 Litre 120 MultiJet Diesel LWB Low Loader Plant & Go conversion by KFS Special Vehicles Ltd
• Doblò Cargo Base 1.3 MultiJet 16v Diesel  90bhp
• Doblò Cargo SX 1.3 litre MultiJet 16v Diesel 90 bhp
• Fiorino Cargo SX 1.3 litre MultiJet Diesel 75 bhp Euro 5
• Punto Evo Van 1.3 Dynamic  MultiJet Diesel 95 bhp  S&S Euro 5
• Doblò Cargo Maxi SX 1.6 MultiJet 16v Diesel 105 bhp (Outside Display)

Fiat van contract hire leasing is also available now on the whole range.

The Road Haulage Association, RHA, has said that diesel prices have hit an all-time high putting further pressure on hauliers, commercial vehicle operators and other UK motorists across the country.

Each week, the RHA publishes the national average price, actually paid by transport companies for bulk diesel deliveries that week and this is widely used by RHA members to adjust their haulage rates. This week the national average was recorded at 109.48 pence per litre before VAT, up by 0.62p on the week before. The previous high level was recorded back in 2008 when the price reached 108.97 pence per litre.

RHA director of policy, Jack Semple, said,”Diesel prices are driving up prices for everyone living in the UK and for every business. Against this background, it seems inconceivable that Chancellor George Osborne would go ahead with with a duty increase in April that would not only be the eighth since November 2008 but would also be the highest single increase  for more than a decade”.

Were the proposed fuel duty prices to go ahead, the RHA calculates that duty increases would have increased by 25% in 28 months.

New Ford Ranger

The stunning new Ford Ranger will be on show at the Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC in Birmingham in April 2011 and has exceptional towing capability and Smart technologies including Adaptive Load Control, Trailer Sway Control, Voice Control and the segment’s first rear-view camera system.

Ford Ranger

The new Ford Ranger will be on sale in the UK around November and will be available in three different cab body styles, 4X2, and 4X4 drivetrains, two ride heights, four series choices and manual or six-speed automatic transmission. It delivers a towing capability of 3,300kg, up by 300kg on the current model.

The new Ford Ranger is powered by two new fuel-efficient diesel engines, the 2.2-litre Ford Duratorq TDCI 14 with 150PS (which will also feature in Transit V models) and a 3.2-litre Ford Duratorq 15 diesel engine with 200PS.

Steve Clary, commercial vehicles director, Ford of Britain, said,”With the CV Show reverting to its traditional format this year, we are delighted to be in attendance and supporting the message of innovation and development in road transport. We will be exhibiting a comprehensive range of our existing vehicles and some of our exciting future models”. Ford will also have the Transit Connect in battery electric on show, which has a range of 80 miles, a top speed of 75mph, cargo volume of 3.8 cubic metres and a payload of 410kg.

The full range of current Ford commercial vehicles are available now on Ford van contract hire.

Fiat Doblo Cargo

The new Fiat Doblo Cargo has been crowned International Van of the Year 2011 at an award ceremony in Hanover, Germany on the 21st September. This new van from Fiat received a remarkable 128 out of a possible 168 points from a jury made up of 24 specialist commercial vehicle trade journalists.

Chairman of the International Van of the Year jury, Pieter Wieman, said: “The winning van design had impressed the jury on a number of fronts and above all by the fact that Fiat has succeeded in widening the number of platform and body varieties to a higher number than any van in this category”.

The Fiat Doblo Cargo is available with a choice of four low emissions, Euro 4 and 5-specification engines and comes in seven different forms – Cargo, Cargo Maxi, Cargo SX, Cargo Maxi SX, Combi, Combi Max and Platform Cab. We have just launched our new best vehicle leasing contract hire prices pages, so it is worth checking out the latest Fiat Doblo contract hire prices in this new easy format.

Vauxhall Vivaro is SPP Pumps livery

SPP Pumps, a leading manufacturer of centrifrugal pumps and associated systems, has chosen to convert its entire 17-strong commercial fleet to the Vauxhall marque and chose the Vauxhall Vivaro as its main model after positive feedback from their field service engineers.

John Warren, Operations Manager at SPP Pumps explains, “The primary job of our engineers is to fix pumps. Driving is incidental to that and it’s important that as they move between jobs they can do so in comfort and safety so that when they arrive at the customer they are less stressed and tired and able to work effectively. We chose the Vivaro because of its high level of specification to which we added the electric pack, which provides features such as electric windows, mirrors and remote locking. In addition we added air conditioning and up-specification driver seat option that all make the vans more comfortable and easier to drive and use”.

This high specification ensured the residual value on the vehicles were excellent and subsequently the Vauxhall commercial vehicle lease price was attractive. In addition to the Vivaro, SPP Pumps runs three Combos and a Movano dropside truck as well.