Fiat Doblo Work Up - a compact dropside

Fiat Professional is launching a new compact dropside vehicle to the Doblo Cargo van range called the Doblo Work Up. This new model is a first for a volume manufacturer and because if its size and dimensions, it’s ideal for use in urban areas, perhaps by agriculture, construction, maintenance companies, or city park service sectors.

The load box is made of high-resistance steel with an anti-slip multilayer wood floor with aluminium sides, with a storage capacity compartment underneath for tools to be easily stowed. The load box is 2.30M long, 1.82M wide, with a 4M square of loading area, a payload of 1,000kg and in addition, on each side of the vehicle, there is a small step that provides easy access.

Engine choices are two Euro 5 turbodiesels, the 1.3 MultiJet 90 bhp and MultiJet 105 bhp, both including Start/Stop and a diesel particulate filter. These efficient and low CO2 engines offer a combined mpg of 55.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 133g/km for the 90 bhp version, and 49.6 combined mpg and CO2 emissions of 150g/km for the 105 bhp version.

Always important for commercial vehicle use, security on the new Doblo Work Up is unrivalled and the van also has ABS with EBD and front airbags as standard, with ESP and Hill-Holder as a cost option. High-tech equipment includes Fiat’s Blue&Me system and the Blue&Me TomTom Navigator is also available. We should be loading Fiat Doblo Cargo contract hire prices on this new model shortly.

All-new Movano

Vauxhall is launching their all-new Movano commercial van range offering 29 vehicle body type variations to choose from, front or rear-wheel drive, plus new power trains for lower commercial vehicle operating costs.

The modular platform has been jointly designed with Renault and depending on your payload category, you can also choose rear wheel drive variants with twin wheels. The full range of vehicles will include panel van, doublecab and Combi versions, chassis cabs with standard or crew cab, platform cab, three wheelbases, four lengths and three roof heights. The new Movano will be an excellent base for any conversions and the van will be available ex-works as a tipper, dropside and box van too.

Cabin comfort and safety is high on the agenda, with areas like improved driver visibility, multi-adjustable seats seats (in various configurations) and an adjustable steering column all on offer. The cargo area offers load lengths extending to 4.4 metres and a load capacity upto 17 cubic metres (L4H3 version).

Under the bonnet the van is powered by new generation 2.3-litre CDTi-four-cylinder common-rail diesel engines with three power outputs available (100PS,125PS and 150PS) all linked to a six-speed gearbox as standard. The 125PS and 150PS versions can also be coupled to the semi-auto Techshift. 

Movano cabin interior

ABS and electronic brake force distribution (EBD) is standard on all models while ESP (electronic stability program) is also standard on all rear-wheel drive vans and optional for front-wheel drive. Other safety features include front airbags, side airbags integrated in the seats (optional) and seat-belt pretensioners.

The new Movano range launch phase will be staggered according to the body variants and first vehicles will be available in May 2010.

National Grid

The National Grid has been running Ford vehicles for over nine years and has around 900 long-and-short wheelbase Transit Connect models and, evenly split, 2,000 Transit 280s and 350s. Ford has now agreed to supply a number of the Transit LWB 460s along with five of the all-wheel-drive Transit models, in chassis-cab dropside configuration.

Gary Foster, the National Grid fleet operations manager said,” The new Transit is more refined and car-like. It’s a very diverse range that offers well -proven reliability, with improved ergonomics and driveability. The AWD Transits have recently entered service. I have tried them in fairly tough conditions and they performed very well”.

The National Grid attends around 600,000 emergencies and 80,000 gas escapes every year and the Ford Transit Connects and Transit 280s are used as a “first response” service for gas leaks and meter maintenance. The larger Transits are used for any follow-up work that might include excavations or mains replacement for example.

VW Transporter T5

The successful T5 commercial van from Volkswagen has reached a milestone, with the one millionth vehicle being produced at the Hanover plant since its launch in March 2003. The van in question was a Transporter Van 1.9-litre TDI 62 kW in Tornado Red. Last year alone, Volkswagen supplied approximately 178,000 T5s to customers across Europe, including the UK.

The T5 is a popular choice for trade, service providers, workmen, local and regional authorities, ministries and private customers, for most transport and mobility requirements. The T5 is available as a van, dropside, double cab, Kombi or Caravelle, Multivan and California – so every customer requirement can fulfilled. One million vehicles is certainly an achievement, however Volkswagen still has an incentive to catch its predecessor model, the T4, of which approximately 1.7 million vehicles were produced.

Stephan Schaller, CEO of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles commented “The T5 is and remains the number one in its segment for new registrations in Europe and Germany. This number is, furthermore, the product of all employees at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in Production, but also in Development and Procurement, in Quality Assurance, in Sales and everywhere in the brand and in our dealerships”.  Volkswagen van leasing prices are available off the site on every combination of the T5 if you are interested.