Low Cost Vans

Here is a fun post I read from Fleet News regarding some of the silliest excuses motorists have given as to why they didn't buy or renew their tax disc. I chuckled out loud reading some of the very poor excuses that were given and could not think of why anyone would even bother attempting to use them. My favourite excuse has to be number five on the top ten list, “ I took too much Viagra and couldn’t leave the house ”. Classic, although I couldn't steal that one for myself. According to information taken last year from the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency (DVLA), most of the excuses seem to begin with the typical line, “it’s not my fault", but if they had just pulled a finger out and taxed their van or car, then they wouldn’t have been slapped with an £80 instant fine. And in some cases, the fine cost them more than the initial tax would have been. Silly indeed! Just a reminder, if your van is parked on a public road and it has not been taxed or declared ‘SORN’, it cou...

What Car? has just announced that based on their research alongside Warranty Direct , Honda is considered the most reliable used car manufacturer in the UK.  Honda has proudly held that position for the eighth consecutive year. The survey included data from 38 manufacturers and 50,000 live Warranty Direct policies on three to eight-year old vehicles. From the list of most reliable used vehicles in the study, it appears that Asian manufacturers came out on top, with Suzuki and Hyundai second and third behind Honda. Having owned a Honda myself at one point, I personally think I’d agree with the survey results. Best little run around I’ve had in my college years. Easy to drive, maintain, and re sell. What Car? editor-in-chief Chas Hallett said: “ Honda’s success in the reliability stakes is down to low failure rates, and when cars do go wrong they’re easy and cheap to fix ." What Car? has also reported that luxury models such as “Bentley, Land Rover and Porsche are the most likely t...

I have recently read a few press releases regarding van manufacturers’ sales growth in the first six months of this year. Just this week, Fiat Professional has chimed in with their results so far and the outlook is so positive that they are confident that their brand is one of the fastest growing LCV brands in the UK market today. What do you think, are you driving a newly purchased Fiat van this year? Fiat Professional released sales figures recorded January-June of 7150 units. Thanks in part to their successful range of commercial vehicles. The figures equated to a boost of over 50% over the same period last year, thus providing them an increase in the LCV market share of 1.3 percentage points compared with last year. The Doblò Cargo range is a strong performer for Fiat and had recently been expanded to include new additions such as the Doblò XL and Doblò Maxi Crew Van versions. These vans are well regarded within the industry and of course with customers alike. One feature that st...

Even more distressing news on the fuel front is coming to us from the AA this week. At a time when many households, sole traders, and businesses with large van fleets can ill afford another rise in fuel and other increased bills, petrol prices are once again set to rise according to the latest AA fuel report . We could see an increase of up to 5p more per litre. The recent results mean the UK has the 11th highest petrol price in Europe and the fourth highest diesel price. (The AA Fuel price data is supplied by Experian Catalist in cooperation with Arval UK Ltd) The reasons for further fuel increases, per the AA, are three-fold and include Oil - market speculation on oil prices, Product - increased wholesale costs, and Pound - a weaker fallen value of the pound. The only good news, if you can call it that, is that the cost of diesel is also rising, but not as fast. Just when we thought this summer was going to be the best one yet with the stunning weather making way for drives to the be...

Ford is building up more excitement for the all-new Ford Transit Connect, which launches later this year. I couldn’t help getting a little bit caught up in the moment too. In a recent press release, Ford is highlighting the fact that it will now offer best-in-class fuel efficiency, with the Transit Connect ECOnetic model delivering a 34% improvement versus the current model and can also offer owners a higher residual value. Without a doubt, we all know how popular Ford vans are and with good reason. Fuel economy is a big concern for all of us and has now become an all-important factor when purchasing a new van. Ford point out that the all-new Transit Connect is the first Ford van to offer customers the highly fuel-efficient 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine. Ford says, “The Transit Connect ECOnetic has been carefully optimised to achieve the lowest possible fuel consumption, featuring a comprehensive range of Ford’s latest ultra-low CO 2 technologies, including Auto-Start-Stop, Active...

Have you heard about Suzuki’s all new cross-over, the SX4 S-Cross? I was reading up about Suzuki’s first 'C’ segment Crossover model and was impressed by the initial specs and extra offerings, such as the world’s first double sliding panoramic glass sunroof and will be available in four grades; SZ3, SZ4, SZ-T and SZ5 with all four equipped with seven airbags and ESP as standard. The SX4 S-Cross made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show and the new model will be built at the Magyar Suzuki plant in Hungary. I haven’t seen the SX4 S-Cross in person yet, but what caught my interest after reading the latest press release about this stylised vehicle was the optionally available continuously variable transmission (CVT) for the 1.6-litre petrol engine, which extends the range of gear ratios for an impressive combination of acceleration and hill-climbing performance. Plus, the 4WD system has four driver-selectable modes – auto, sport, snow, and lock. You can take this baby easily off ro...

Mercedes-Benz has recently published a post on their media website page about the roaring success of their 10 th annual Van Experience event which took place from the 11 th -21 st of June this year. Did any of you make it to the vantastic event at Prodrive’s circuit in Warwickshire this year? If so, tell us about it and share your experience on our Twitter page. As the only manufacturer to offer an event of this kind, Mercedes-Benz say visitor numbers averaged about 200 a day, thus leading to a total whopping number of about 1800 customers in all who helped make this year’s event such a success. For those of us who couldn’t make it, the press release summarised the best bits and has no doubt enticed me and others to add next year’s event to our 2014 calendar. So what exactly took place at last month’s event? The main attraction was getting the opportunity to test and sample a wide selection of Mercedes-Benz vans, including the Citan, Vito, and Sprinter. Plus it was the UK debut of...

Ford has happily released details of the four millionth Ford Fiesta sold in the UK this week - a Fiesta Zetec in Candy Blue with the award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine. It was sold through a Ford main dealer in the North East. It comes as no surprise that the Fiesta has been a best seller in Britain since 2009. Even surpassing the Ford Focus in sales and becoming a family favourite with, according to Ford, a third of Fiesta buyers in the UK today choosing the turbo-charged 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine, and almost 90 per cent opting for luxury specification – Zetec, Titanium or Titanium X, with Ford SYNC voice-controlled connectivity system. The recent press release from Ford included some great trivia about this popular multi award winning car. For instance, did you know the name Fiesta was chosen by Henry Ford II in 1975 as it embodied the fun spirit of a segment-defining car? Or that the first-generation Fiesta had a 46PS four-cylinder 950cc petrol engine, and weighed around 800kg...

The weather here in the UK has been phenomenal lately and many schools are nearly letting out for summer. Do you have a summer holiday booked or will you take advantage of this great weather and enjoy a staycation?  For me, it’s time to dust off the tent and get the van ready for a camping trip. If you are planning a family camping adventure this summer, the Institute of Advanced Motorists ( IAM ) has published their weekly tips/advice post on preparing your vehicle for your camping holiday. Road safety charity the IAM’s motoring tips are provided by Britain’s top advanced driver, Peter Rodger, who says : “Camping in the great outdoors can be great fun, but travelling to your campsite with a car full of uncomfortable passengers complaining about the oversized camping stove they have on their laps can put a dampener on things. Don’t take any unnecessary luggage as, as well as causing discomfort to your passengers, the extra weight will increase your fuel consumption. And what you do nee...

Ford has announced pricing for the all-new Transit Connect van this week. The Transit Connect now joins the all-new Transit van range to make up Ford’s most comprehensive ever line-up of Transit commercial vehicles. Expect the Transit Courier and two-tonne Transit to be launched in 2014 as well. What can you expect for your hard earned money when the van becomes available to order for late 2013 delivery? According to Ford’s latest press release; “The Transit Connect will be available in Van, Double-Cab-in-Van and Kombi body styles with short-wheelbase (L1) and long-wheelbase (L2) versions, the Ford Transit Connect offers a spacious and practical load area with total volumes of 2.9m3 and 3.6m3 with a full bulkhead, or 3.7m3 and 4.4m3 including the front load space area (L1/L2, measured to SAE). The new vehicle can carry payloads of up to 1,000kg matching best in class figures.” And not forgetting to mention a load-through hatch in the bulkhead and fold-flat passenger seating to enable...

Last week the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders ( SMMT ) released the latest van and truck registration data for the month of June, 2013. It was good news for commercial vehicles with registrations up 7.6% at the year's halfway point with June volumes rising 4.5%. The figures from the start of the year in January to the mid-point in June were up 11.2% ahead of last year, boosted by a 3.4% rise in the month. June brought brighter news for the truck market- 11.7% rise in the month, which is showing signs of rebalancing after a shortfall of 10.4% behind 2012 for the first six months of the year. "The overall CV market rose 7.6% in the first half of 2013 with strong van registrations (up 11.2%) outweighing the uncertain truck market (down 10.4%)," said Nigel Base, SMMT Commercial Vehicle Manager . "Looking ahead to the rest of 2013, we expect the van market to remain stable with a return to a more normal replacement cycle sustaining the market. For trucks, grow...

Mercedes-Benz UK has recently announced that they have taken the award winning record of an eighth victory win at the Fleet Van of the Year category at the annual Motor Transport Awards which took place in London last week. Way to Go! The annual road transport event (Motor Transport Awards) now in its 28th year, first introduced the Fleet Van of the Year category 11 years ago and entries this year were judged by more than 70 of the transport industry’s leading figures. This year’s winning Mercedes-Benz fleet vehicle was the Sprinter  van which took home the much sought after accolades for the second year running. It is being hailed as the favourite for its fuel economy, reliability and dealer network. The judges praised it for the ADAPTIVE ESP and the consistent class leading residual values. Plus, they commented on the 7G Tronic gearbox and the high level of driver comfort, featuring all the modern requirements. Michael Kamper, Managing Director Commercial Vehicles at Mercedes-Benz U...

I found an interesting article that was recently published on the AXA insurance website. It is about the risk of Corporate Manslaughter for van owners. What this means is that the business owner could face criminal charges if a vehicle they are responsible for is involved in a fatal accident if it was caused by a failing to follow proper health and safety laws. I know it’s not a pleasant subject, but after reading the article, it’s important to share the information for those who may not be familiar with it. In the post, AXA Business Insurance warns that many businesses with company vans may not be following proper steps to protect against potential prosecution in the event of an accident. The research by AXA found that despite the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act   that was introduced in 2008, almost half (45%) of the 300 businesses with vans who took part in the study were totally unaware of the term corporate manslaughter. Also, the study identified three main are...

It’s here; the month of July is upon us. We all know what that means, right? Why it’s only a few weeks until one of the biggest annual motoring events begins. The 20 th Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place on 12 th -14 th July. UK motoring fans are in for a treat with even more cars, motor sports, celebrities, and motor culture this year. The Moving Motor Show, presented by RAC Cars will be available on the day before the main event on the 11 th (the dedicated manufacture preview day) and offers new car buyers and motoring enthusiasts the opportunity to see the very latest models up close, and possibly even test drive some of them for yourself on a dedicated vehicle evaluation route within the grounds of the Goodwood Estate. All of the major vehicle manufacturers will be there showing off their latest line-up of cars, trucks, and vans throughout the main event, but don’t forget about the evaluation drive event taking place during the Moving Motor Show. Each manufacturer attending...