Ford Focus

Ford is the UK’s market leader and has just reported increases in its car sales and market share in both January and February this year.

Ford’s popular car range secured 14.5 per cent of the February market, up 2.6 percentage points compared with February 2011, while Ford’s commercial vehicles (CVs) maintained overall leadership of the CV market. This follows the latest registrations data released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The Ford Focus is the UK’s February best seller and the Ford Fiesta is also the number one seller for the year to date, while Ford commercial vehicles, including the Transit, lead both the LCV and MCV segments.

Mark Ovenden, Ford of Britain managing director, said:  “Ford’s car range has started 2012 with a terrific performance that extends our UK lead in total car sales, and provides a good indicator for March, when sales are boosted significantly by the registration plate change”.

The SMMT data has shown that total car sales last month were down 2.5 per cent to 61,868 units, compared with the same period in February 2011. However, Ford car sales of 8,957 were up 18.8 per cent, from 7,542 in February 2011.

New Berlingo

Citroen’s latest Berlingo and Dispatch vans will make their debut at this year’s CV Show 2012, from 24th to the 26th April, at the NEC in Birmingham. The latest models will be shown alongside other Citroen LCV models including the Nemo and Relay ranges. plus some models from the Relay Specialist range.

Berlingo

The latest Berlingo has a wider, more defined grille incorporating updated chevrons and a new front headlight arrangement, plus the wider air intake on the front bumper gives the vehicle a much more powerful stance on the road. Inside, the existing upholstery has been replaced by Citroen’s new ‘Gazyban’ grey trim for increased comfort and a more modern look and feel.

It has a maximum load capacity of 4.1 cubic metres, sliding side doors and 60/40 rear doors opening to 180 degrees and can carry two euro pallets easily. For even greater versatility, the Extenso folding passenger bench seat for two is standard on all LX and Enterprise models.

The new Berlingo comes in one petrol and four diesel powertrains, with improved fuel efficiency and environmental performance. The HDi 75 now emits only 133g/km of CO2 and the HDi 90 emits 138g/km, with the ‘greenest’ and most fuel efficient Berlingo, the e-HDi 90 Airdream EGS6.  This latter model features e-HDi micro-hybrid technology with Stop & Start and a six-speed automated manual gearbox, and delivers even lower CO₂ emissions of just 123g/km.

New Dispatch

Dispatch

The Dispatch also gains a new front end, plus it comes with enhanced equipment such as hill-start assist and the same fixed speed limiter functionality as the Berlingo. Or, Grip Control is also available, that allows you to choose four driving modes- normal, all-terrain, snow or sand. This advanced anti-skid option optimises the vehicle’s traction and adapts to all road driving conditions.

The Dispatch emissions fall to 177g/km from 182g/km for models powered by the HDi 90 engine and from 179g/km to 168g/km with the HDi 125 engine.

Scott Michael, Citroon’s Commercial Vehicle Operations Manager, commented,“Our CV Show display demonstrates Citroen’s advanced technology, which results in some of the most fuel efficient and lowest emission vehicles available in the UK. Today’s Citroen LCV range offers UK businesses an unrivalled choice of vans, enhanced traction vans, platform cabs, crew vans, chassis cabs, chassis crew cabs and specialist bodied vehicles”. Citroen van contract hire is on the site now.

Citroen Berlingo

The Citroen Berlingo LCV has just gained the accolade of the Institute of Transport Management’s (ITM’s) ‘Best LCV 2012’ award. The ITM’s key criteria for choosing the award winner meant a van had to, “embody perennially important qualities such as reliability, cost-effectiveness and durability. It is because of this that the Institute of Transport Management has named the Citroen Berlingo the ‘Best LCV 2012’.”

The ITM’s judges were very impressed with the Citroen Berlingo and said, “Businesses are looking for LCVs that are lighter, with lower emissions and better fuel efficiency, qualities that the Citroën Berlingo range has in spades.  In particular, the Citroen Berlingo e-HDI Airdream models are equipped with e-HDi micro-hybrid Stop & Start technology. For further fuel savings, all Berlingo vans are specified with Citroen’s unique Trafficmaster telematics package.  This further reduces urban fuel consumption and emissions by offering the fastest congestion avoidance routing direct to the driver.”

Citroen’s key addition to their Euro 5 Berlingo range is the new e-HDi Airdream models, with their efficient micro-hydrid drivetrain. This power unit provides a unique combination of environmental, economic and driver benefits.

Berlingo Airdream vans have Stop & Start with an advanced micro-hybrid starter/generator to restart the engine quickly and smoothly and incorporate regenerative braking to recover and store energy that would otherwise be lost.

Berlingo e-HDi vans are available with a choice of either a 5 speed manual transmission or Citroen’s advanced 6-speed automated manual transmission, which provides the benefit of two-pedal driving and a combined cycle fuel consumption of up to 60.1mpg and CO₂ emissions as low as 123g/km. We have the full range of Citroen vans, including e-HDI models, on the site now on Citroen commercial vehicle contract hire.

Volkswagen Caddy Match

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has just launched a new special edition Volkswagen Caddy, called the Caddy Match. The Caddy Match is only available until the 30th April 2012 and features additional specification over the standard model as follows.

• Air conditioning
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Trip computer
• Electric windows
• Electrically heated and adjustable door mirrors
• Cruise control
• Body-coloured bumpers and wing mirrors
• Wheel trims

It is available in the standard Caddy and the long wheelbase Caddy Maxi (except 4MOTION and EcoFuel models) and has a range of Euro5 emissions compliant 1.6-litre or 2.0-litre TDi engines plus Bluemotion technology.

Paul Vissian, Product Manager at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said,”It’s great to start the New Year with an outstanding special edition for one of the UK’s best-selling compact vans. We’ve studied the market carefully and chosen some of the most popular options to give Caddy Match an unbelievable standard specification and probably the best value for money model we’ve ever offered”.

Vauxhall Vivaro

Vauxhall Commercial Vehicles has reported that it sold more vans at retail in 2011 than any other commercial vehicle manufacturer, according to the figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The Luton-based manufacturer sold 11,436 vans to small businesses last year, with sales up 28.05 per cent in a market up 8.32 per cent.  The Vauxhall Vivaro was the best selling van in the retail medium van segment with sales up 58.05 per cent year-on-year.

“Last year proved to be an excellent year for Vauxhall van sales,” said Richard Collier, Vauxhall’s National Commercial Vehicles Sales Manager.  “It’s fantastic news for Vauxhall that despite the uncertain economic outlook there’s still strong demand for fuel efficient, high quality vans with low running costs and excellent manufacturer support.”

The latest edition to the Vauxhall Commercial Vehicles range, the all-new Combo, is due next month and Vauxhall contract hire is on the site now on all the current van range.

The Freight Transport Association has warned commercial vehicle operators to keep their older vans out of London as the new Low Emission Zone comes into effect on the 3rd January 2012. This will apply to Y-registration and some 51 plate vans, as well as even older vans.

If you run a fleet of vans (or just one) and want to understand the new charges being applied, then the FTA has produced an LEZ compliance guide which is available for FTA members to download at www.fta.co.uk/lez

If you are unsure if your van is compliant or not you can also check this by entering your vehicle registration mark at the Transport For London website. This will also affect minibuses and motor caravans as well.

Natalie Chapman, FTA’s Head of Policy for London, said,”The penalties are such that non-compliance is simply not an option. Research by the FTA shows that fortunately, most large HGV fleet operators will be fully compliant with, or prepared for, the move up from Euro 3 to Euro 4 standard engines. However, for tradespeople operating vans over ten years old the LEZ will be an entirely new consideration and, therefore, preparedness will be far lower. This is where our immediate concern lies”.

If you are a small business running an older van and you need to get a new van quickly then we have the full range of commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes on van contract hire available now. The LEZ requirements mean that vans will have to meet Euro 3 standards if you want to avoid a fine of £500, or face a daily charge of £100 to operate in and out of London.

NV200 EV

FedEx Express and Nissan are about to start trialling a prototype zero-emission all-electric delivery vehicle in extensive real-world testing on London’s streets. The trial is expected to last over two months to see how the vehicle copes with the rigours of daily delivery duties in the capital.

The Nissan NV200 EV prototype uses the same powertrain and battery as the Nissan LEAF electric car and to date, Nissan has sold more than 20,000 Nissan LEAF’s across the globe. The Nissan NV200 EV prototype can be fully charged overnight or up to 80 per cent capacity in just 30 minutes using a Quick Charger.

FedEx Express NV200 electric vehicle

It offers FedEx Express another option to the 43 all-electric vehicles the firm currently uses in London, Paris , New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Memphis, where zero-emission motoring in a dense urban area is required. The Nissan NV200 is ideally suited to the start stop conditions on busy city streets, where poor air quality is a concern, as is the wastage of energy when a vehicle just sits in stationary traffic.

Additional trials are planned for 2012 to mirror the 2011 trial with the Japan Post Serice and Nissan is aiming to become the market leader in providing advanced zero emission technology to both the car and LCV business-to-business markets.

More information on the trial can be found from the link below;

www.nissan-zeroemission.com   

Peugeot Bipper

The Peugeot Bipper has just been crowned “City Van of the Year” at the 2011 Fleet Van Awards. The Peugeot Bipper is a popular choice for businesses and companies up and down the country and Trevor Gelken, editor of Fleet Van, said,”This was a closely-fought contest, but the Bipper was the overall winner, assisted by the prominence of Peugeot’s renewed focus on fleet support and after sales”.

The Peugeot Bipper van has compact proportions, coupled to a range of frugal diesel engines and transmissions with manual, EGC and Stop & Start systems available It has a payload of up to 660kg and a load volume of 2.5 cubic metres and is renowed for its durability and quality.

Phil Robson, Peugeot Fleet Director, said,”The Bipper is a terrific commercial van and throughly deserves to be the “Fleet City Van of the Year 2011. Winning this prestigious award is yet another demonstration of the importance we place in product excellence and good customer support and after sales service”.  The full Peugeot commercial range is available now on contract hire including the Bipper, Boxer , 207 car-derived van, Partner and Expert.

Contract hire offer on a Kangoo Van

If you are a small business and in need of a new van then we have a two-year contract hire special offer on the site for the Renault Kangoo ML19dCi 70bhp Freeway diesel van from only £146.14+VAT per month, or around £37+VAT per week. This contract hire offer is based over two years, non-maintained, six rentals in advance and at 10,000 miles per annum. Other contract hire terms are available from our finance partner.

The Renault Kangoo ML19dCi 70bhp Freeway diesel van emits just 140g/km of CO2 and returns 53.3 combined mpg so is economical and would suit the needs of a small business (or even larger fleet user) that is looking for a commercial vehicle that’s reliable too.

Volkswagen Caddy

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has just picked up three awards for their Caddy and Transporter vans, plus the overall title of Fleet Van of the Year (for the Transporter), at the Fleet Van Awards 2011. This follows on from winning three van categories in the 2012 What Van? Awards.

The Caddy was voted Small Van of the Year by Fleet Van and the Transporter, Medium Panel Van of the Year with Trevor Gelken, editor of Fleet Van, commenting,”With new engines, a range that the others can’t match, rock solid residual values and superb dealer back-up, the Volkswagen Caddy knocked last year’s winner of its perch into second place”.

Volkswagen Transporter

On the Transporter, he said,”Such is the legendary might of this van, which dates back to the 1950s, that it wins Medium Van of the Year again- as it has done every year since our awards began. The judges could find nothing to touch it in the sector”.

Alastair Hemmings, National Fleet Manager at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said,”What more can I say? With no less than six awards for our vans in one week, I’m sure these will prove to even more fleet managers that Volkswagen’s efficient and desirable range of commercial vehicles make very good sense for every business”.

We have contract hire prices available now for the whole trage of Volkswagen commercial vehicles.