Key Vans - News

Fitting business needs perfectly, the latest Citroën Dispatch is available in two lengths, two heights and combines expansive load space with high standards of on board comfort. The driving position is closer to that of an MPV than a traditional LCV. Ergonomic, efficient and easy to use day to day, the new Dispatch features capacity of up to 7m3, a load sill height as low as 49cm – thanks to optional pneumatic rear suspension – wide sliding side doors for loading pallets and rear doors that open to 180°.

Like Berlingo, the Dispatch gains a new front end featuring a wide chromed grille with a new chevron badge that extends up to the headlights. The model also reflects a shift upmarket in terms of equipment. Enhancing safety and convenience, the new Dispatch is available with hill-start assist and the same fixed speed limiter functionality as Berlingo. For enhanced peace of mind, Grip Control is available for the first time, with the driver choosing one of four modes – normal, all-terrain, snow or sand. This advanced anti-skid option optimises traction and adapts to all driving conditions. An optional tyre pressure monitor is also introduced.

Special efforts were made to reduce the model’s CO2emissions with the addition of aerodynamic panels underneath the body and a ‘volt control’ function to optimise battery charge management by the alternator. This has seen 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.

Final UK specification and pricing details for the new Berlingo and Dispatch will be confirmed closer to the 2 April 2012 ‘on sale’ date.

The Van Finance Lease product is quite a hard to find; as today, so few lenders seem to offer it.

Our Finance Lease product is used by about 50% of our clients every month. We tend to prefer it over Van Contract Hire as our Van Leasing product of choice.

1.  The main reason it's a finance product, allowing you to retain your cash and use the Lender's money. It's so cheap currently, our Lease deals are based off interest rates of about 4% per annum.

2.  Unlike Contract Hire, the Finance Lease isn't mileage regulated, so no excess mileage clauses and no mileage annual allowance.

3.  You will not get an invoice at the end of the lease relating to any damage.

4.   The Finance Lease package we use enables you to retain 95% of the van sale proceeds when the van is sold.

5.   The Finance Lease rentals are tax deductible.

6.   Contract Hire penalises early settlement, Finance Lease does not have the same onerous terms.

7.   VAT is charged on the rentals, this means the full VAT does not have to be paid on the Van price with the deposit.

We have access to arguably one of the Van Finance industry's leading Finance Lease products, offered by one of Europe's largest Financial Institutions.

Please call us for more information, it might be the ideal alternative to Van Contract Hire.

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that its new small van, based on the Renault Kangoo platform, is to be called Citan.

It will be sold in three sizes, equivalent to the Kangoo’s Compact, Regular and Maxi lengths, and use Renault’s range of engines.

The Citan will be revealed in April and go on sale in the UK early next year, with Mercedes-Benz UK vans boss Steve Bridge claiming it will be priced above, yet have a better whole-life cost than its donor vehicle. "We will be more expensive, but the holding costs will be less than the Kangoo," said Bridge.

"It’s far better to be able to compete on cost than on price. We will aim to have a more competitive contract hire rate than the Renault."

But Bridge admitted some customers aren’t focused on what a vehicle costs them to operate, so the firm is trying to shift attitudes.

"Even some of the best buyers, sophisticated buyers, will only look at the front end price, it’s what they’re trained to do when buying things like toilet rolls so they use that behaviour and translate it to other operations," he said. "They don’t think about things like durability, we’re changing years and years of culture."

Mercedes claims the Citan will be more than a re-nosed Kangoo, with changes to the sheet metalwork and a completely revised interior to make it a true Mercedes product.

The firm has also carried out large-scale work with the Citan’s underpinnings, to bring the Kangoo up to the quality level required by Mercedes. "We took the Renault vehicle and exposed it to our tests, and on the basis of the results we decided on the needs for action," said Mercedes’ vice president of product engineering Dr Sascha Paasche. "We invested a lot to get the quality we wanted and now we’re verifying that we reached the targets." Mercedes engineers will be quality checking each vehicle as it comes down the line of the Renault plant in France that builds Kangoo.

The jump in volume coming from Mercedes’ entrance to the light van market is set to push the brand to become the second biggest LCV seller, passing Volkswagen and Vauxhall, if Bridge’s predictions come true. "By 2016 we see ourselves as number two," he declared. "We would be 8000-10,000 units behind Ford if they stay where they are." However, Bridge admitted there would be some migration down from Vito, as customers could pick the Citan if it better suited their needs.

http://www.whatvan.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1348&Itemid=55

The Volkswagen Transporter T5 has been voted ‘Used Van of the Year’ for 2011 by CAP.

A panel of judges comprising of used van market and vehicle valuation experts at CAP chose the Transporter from a shortlist of 6 models.

The judging criteria (based on a 3 year old van at 60K miles) were:

• Value retained vs cost new compared with peer group
• Model range coverage
• Options availability
• Perceived reliability/cost of ownership
• Image & brand perception
• Dealer network professionalism and support

Winning vans were selected from the six main light commercial vehicle sectors before an overall winner was chosen.

The judges analysed performance on the used van market for the whole of 2011 and chose Volkswagen Transporter T5 on the strength of its consistent performance on all of the CAP criteria.

Judging panel chairman, John Watts – who heads the CAP commercial vehicle pricing teams – said of the Transporter T5:

“The T5 just feels right. It has a strong brand image, a very professional dealer network and extremely high retained values. It also appeals to a wide range of operators thanks to a reputation for solid build quality and reliability. This translates into trust when the T5 reaches the used market. Drivers love it and when we say the T5 ‘just feels right’ we are referring to that intangible quality that a truly great product has, which emerges when every feature is strong.”

This strong residual value underpinning the T5 allows Key Vans to offer contract hire deals starting from £229.99+VAT per month. Comparing these figures against it's competition, the Transporters residual matrix comes into play, offsetting the higher list price and delivering low monthly rentals.

http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/2012/1/31/volkswagen-transporter-t5-named-as-cap-used-van-of-the-year-2011/42348/

Until last year, all Nissan’s light commercial vehicles were rebadged Renaults (Kubistar = Kangoo, Primastar = Trafic and Interstar = Master).

The manufacturer’s first “home grown” product, the NV200 on test here, pitched Nissan right into the hardest-fought section of the market, against some incredibly tough opposition such as the new Fiat Doblo Cargo, Ford Transit Connect, Volkswagen Caddy and Citroën Berlingo.

To battle against such titans, Nissan needed a USP – and that USP is space

For while in standard format the opposition offers 3.2 cubic metres of loadspace, the NV200 has 4.2 cubic metres.

To have that much room in a Caddy, for instance, you need to opt for the Maxi version, which weighs in at £14,510 ex-VAT against the NV200’s £12,885.

On paper, the NV200 looks great value for money but of course – as with most things in life – it just isn’t that simple. For example, while the NV200 is predicted to retain 30% of its value after three years/60,000 miles according to CAP Red Book, the Caddy Maxi retains 35%.

There is also the question of general fit and finish.

While the NV200 is adequately screwed together and offers a reasonable driving experience, there is no doubt that the Caddy’s build quality is superior.

To try to rebalance the books, Nissan has upped the spec of the NV200.

Top of the billing is the standard fitment of Bluetooth connectivity across the entire range. Step up to SE grade and a rear view camera becomes standard.

The new £13,585 n-tec variant adds Nissan Connect satellite navigation and communication system along with cruise control and a speed limiter which can be adjusted by the driver.

There is also a HI-TEC option package for the n-tec variants, with air conditioning and intelligent key both added to the kit list.

Enginewise, in addition to the existing 85hp 1.5-litre dCi, a more powerful 110hp version of the same engine will be offered.

Our test model is the lower-powered one – it’s the same as the engine in the Kangoo and various other Renault cars – and offers 54.3mpg on the combined cycle, which rather curiously is exactly the same as that of the Caddy Maxi mentioned earlier.

Gross vehicle weight is bang on 2.000kg while payload is 731kg.

Standard equipment includes twin sliding side doors, a driver’s airbag, ABS brakes with EBD and remote central locking.

Behind the wheel

There can be no doubt that the NV200 is a hugely practical vehicle but I must say I am rather put off by its rather curious outer appearance – the wheels don’t seem to be the right size for the body.

Luckily, buyers tend to weigh practicality heavier than looks when choosing a van so fleets may not be deterred by this fact.

In the cab, the seats are nice and comfortable with lots of side support and there are plenty of nooks and crannies for bits and pieces, plus two coffee cup holders.

In the rear, the two side-loading doors are unique as standard in the sector and proved pretty handy too, although I was annoyed that the rubber floor mat didn’t fit properly and kept rucking up when I tried to push cargo into the load area.

Against some of the opposition, however, those side doors appeared a trifle tinny too.

The Renault diesel powerplant is a delight, firing up quietly and smoothly. Under way, the NV200 cuts along at a pace but, despite a slick gear-change, the power steering is much too light for me, leaving little ‘feel’ for what’s going on between steering wheel and road.

Verdict

There’s plenty to recommend this perky performer – and if its space you need, this is the cheapest van you can get with more than 4.0 cubic metres. Build quality can’t match some top-notch contenders, though.

http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/vans/review/on-test-nissan-nv200-se/42114/