Low Cost Vans

The winners of the 2014 Fleet World Honours were recently announced. These awards give recognition to leading fleet vehicles and suppliers and are presented by the trade publication to manufacturers, service companies and individuals, who have achieved the highest possible level of excellence in their sector. The event held at the Royal Automobile Club at Pall Mall, London featured awards presented in car categories such as Design of the year (Citroën C4 Cactus), Fleet Manufacturer of the Year (BMW), and Best New Car (Peugeot 308). But for me, the most exciting award categories were found in the Van Fleet Awards section, which included some, none too surprising winners, as one manufacturer came away with more than a lion’s share of awards again this year. See the results below. Van Fleet World Van Awards: Best New Van – Ford Transit Connect Best Light Van – Fiat Fiorino / Peugeot Bipper / Citroën Nemo Best Small Van – Ford Transit Connect Best Medium Van – Ford Transit Custom Best Lar...

F ord has recently announced price cuts on selected parts for Transit and Transit Connect models that are more than four years old, their most popular van range. In a bid to help small businesses save money and to attract more older vehicles into Ford workshops to remain competitive, the initiative will offer savings of up to 58%. An example of the new discounts include; a replacement clutch slave cylinder on a 2000–2006 Ford Transit, with an up to 58% reduction, can add up to a saving of up to £210. But that’s only a small portion of the discounted parts on offer. Ford Motorcraft value range parts available at a reduced price also include: Brakes: brake discs and linings Filters: oil filters, air filters, diesel fuel filters Clutches / flywheels: clutch kits, clutch release bearings and dual mass flywheels Running gear: wishbones / control arms, wheel bearings This will certainly attract more fleets and sole traders to consider buying a Ford commercial vehicle, as reliability...

Another motor themed event not to miss over a bank holiday weekend this year is Simply Ford , which is held on the grounds of the Beaulieu National Motor Museum. The 2014 calendar of *Simply rallies begins on the 4 th May with Ford and don’t forget, admission to the event includes entry to the whole lot of Beaulieu attractions like; the National Motor Museum and two exciting new displays, For Britain & For The Hell Of It and The Motorcycle Story , plus World of Top Gear, On Screen Cars, Beaulieu Abbey, Palace House and gardens. The Simply Ford annual event that began four years ago is a must for Ford enthusiasts and for those who are mad about all-things-motor too. It will be a an opportunity to show off your early, custom, classic or current model Ford and join in on the display in the parkland. There is expected be nearly 1,000 cars included in this year’s display. The theme for this year is celebrating the 50 th anniversary of the iconic Ford Mustang. It’s hard to believe tha...

If you were asked which van would serve you best on the roads during severe winter weather conditions like the ones we experienced this year, which van would get your vote? Some might say a 4x4 SUV would be a better choice, but if you use a van for work or everyday driving in winter months and need to tackle the snow, cold, or icy conditions, are all vans created equal in this case? A good place to answer this question would be to look up the results of the latest Arctic Van Test . Every year in an obviously frozen place, Finland to be exact, vans from different manufacturers are judged by professional journalists from all over Europe. The test judges just how well the vans behave in extreme conditions such as frost, snow and slippery roads. The test is divided into different categories. They include; handling, fuel consumption, load capacity and performance. The judges also take a close look at cold-starting ability after vehicles have been left outside overnight in sub-freezing condi...

In a recent press release, Ford has announced that Mears Group – a major UK care services provider, is proudly taking delivery of all-new Ford Transit Connect vans this month. The deal, a five-year contract, will see Ford supplying up to 1,000 light commercial vehicles a year to the Gloucester-based company. The first 100 vans are scheduled to arrive this month and will be added to the company’s growing existing fleet of 4,300 vans and 700 cars nationwide. Mears Group asset manager, Jo Hammonds, said: “ The new Ford Transit Connect’s fresh styling, greater load space, better economy, emissions and whole-life costs are the factors which make it a very attractive prospect for us .” Ford has had tremendous success with the Transit and has won a slew of awards including “International Van of the Year 2014”. It’s clear to see why a business such as Mears would opt to add  the Ford Transit Connect to their van fleet, as it comes with a choice of advanced petrol and diesel engines, including...

We are well and truly into the new year and it’s time to take a look back at how the commercial vehicle market did in December and in the full year of 2013. The SMMT have released figures from December and as predicted, the market rose 14.7%. Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive has said that the latest figures mark the best performance in the last five years. Most impressive was the rise in van registrations. According to the SMMT data, vans rose 13.1% over the year, which was helped by an accumulated healthy growth in December of 32.5%. It seems that the recent positive economic growth and recovery has been a big factor in the rise in consumer confidence, giving way to such impressive year end figures. Truck registrations had a rocky ride in the last year, possibly due to Euro 6 compliance, but the figures clearly show that trucks have ended on a positive upturn in 2013 with an increase of 23%. The table below, published on the SMMT website, shows the positive December 2013 and year to ...

After another hugely successful Los Angeles Auto Show, one of the most anticipated vehicles comes courtesy of Ford . Ford unveiled its plan to bring the new large SUV Ford Edge Concept to Europe. The original is already a hit in the States, but Ford is gearing up to offer the European market a newer higher spec model, plus a comprehensive line-up of redesigned SUVs alongside the Edge which will include the new Kuga medium SUV and new EcoSport small SUV. So, what can those of us in Europe expect from this smarter yet driver friendly new vehicle? Ford describes the Ford Edge Concept as having a sleek and sporty appearance, an SUV with capability, fuel efficiency and technology that assist the driver. All of which will include advanced automated driving technologies such as; self-parking and obstacle avoidance systems and previews semi- and fully autonomous driving options. Externally, the Edge will have an athletic “muscular” appearance and feature a pretty cool new high-tech applicati...

What’s been happening in the van world of late? Well, it comes as no surprise to learn that there were more accolades bestowed upon popular van manufacturer, Ford , last week. Ford has won a trio of trophies at the 2013 ACFO Awards. The successful Ford Transit has been voted Large Van of the Year, Ford Transit Connect wins Small Van of the Year, and Ford has claimed the award for Environmental Initiative of the Year for the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine. ACFO (Association of Car Fleet Operators) Ltd is a non-profit making organisation. It is the largest UK body representing the interests of businesses which operate cars and vans as part of their normal commercial activities. They say they are the “voice of the fleet decision-maker”. The judges were impressed by Ford’s wide range of award-winning products available to fleet customers and voted the Ford Transit Connect the nation’s favourite small van for the 11 th time in succession, while the larger Ford Transit re...

One of the big six energy companies has announced that they have chosen the Ford Transit Custom as the van of choice for their nation-wide meter fitting fleet. E.ON took an order for 118 of these popular vans to add to their vast existing fleet, which coincidentally already consists of a large number of Ford badged vehicles. The Ford vans being supplied to E.ON are all 310 short wheelbase models equipped with the Dagenham-built 100PS 2.2 TDCi power unit. Before joining the fleet they will be converted by Qi Van Systems and will include the fitment of special racking in the load area, Trakm8 telematics and an AVI alarm system. Stephen Gafson, Ford Direct sales manager, said: “ Ford has enjoyed a long and mutually successful business relationship with E.ON and I’m delighted to see them place a large order for the multi-award-winning Transit Custom. The new van is already well on the way to establishing its own market niche, and will be key to the continued success of the Transit range ....

Fleet World has released the results of the 2013 ALD Automotive / Shell FuelSave MPG Marathon which took place on October 9th and 10th near Sheffield. This year’s event, now in its thirteenth year, had 46 competitors all aiming to demonstrate eco-driving skills and achieve the best outright MPG by improving on the official fuel consumption figures issued for their vehicle. For those not familiar with the event, “ the MPG Marathon, organised by Fleet World, is the UK’s longest-running and best-known economy driving event. Featuring a wide range of cars and vans, the MPG Marathon is a demonstration of how both the vehicle itself, and the person behind the wheel, can make a massive difference to an organisation’s fuel costs and carbon emissions.” The big winner of the “percentage improvement” award for cars went to the Peugeot 208 GTi, driven by John Kendall and Paul Nieuwenhuis. These veteran marathon drivers managed to clock up 59.39mpg, which was a respectable 23.99% increase over t...

Leading the way to the futuristic autonomous vehicles we once only dreamed of, Ford has just revealed it has begun testing automotive prototypes with innovative Fully Assisted Parking and Obstacle Avoidance technologies. Ford’s Research and Advanced Engineering division has been working hard to produce a Ford Focus that includes existing Ford technologies such as, Active Park Assist and Ford PowerShift transmission, with the new next-generation push-button parking technology – the Fully Assisted Parking Aid . It will operate steering, gear selection and forward and reverse motion. Ford has cleverly produced a YouTube video demonstrating how this new aid works and like a life sized R/C model car, it can even be operated from outside the car by remote control. You can view it by clicking here . Now, if parking made effortlessly by a touch of a button wasn’t enough, Ford also went and devised Obstacle Avoidance , which issues warnings if it detects slow-moving objects, stationary obsta...

Ford has announced that orders are now open for the latest version of their award-winning Transit Custom van. The Transit Custom high-roof, available for delivery later this year, will offer 20% greater load volume than the equivalent low-roof model. If the new high-roof Transit Custom van with 370mm greater load height is for you, it will only set you back an additional cost of just £500 (basic recommended retail price, excl vat). Another unique feature of this smart van is the all-steel roof, giving the van more durability than a composite roof construction, allowing a roof rack load of up to 100kg. It will also be available in two wheelbases and range of weight and powertrain options.   Features of the new vans innovative load space include: Load-through hatch in bulkhead enabling loads up to 3.0m in length, such as pipes or ladders, to be safely carried inside the vehicle (up to 3.4m in long wheelbase model) Repositioned DIN and ISO compliant tie-down hooks located on the...

Just announced today, the All-new Ford Transit Connect has won the “International Van of the Year 2014” award, presented at the COMTRANS commercial vehicle exhibition in Moscow. This win now means that Ford is the first single manufacturer to win the award for two consecutive years. This accolade adds to the previous “international van of the year” wins for Ford, making it a record-equalling achievement. The new Transit Connect recently joined Ford’s successful Transit range, which includes the Transit Custom and the forthcoming two-tonne Transit and Transit Courier models to be launched in 2014. The Judging panel, which consisted of 24 journalists, awarded the Transit Connect 130 points out of a maximum possible 163; ahead of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Renault Kangoo; praises fuel economy, design, driveability, load-carrying and safety. “The all-new Transit Connect impressed the jury on a number of fronts, and above all by the fact Ford has succeeded in building a light van wit...

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...

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...

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...

Safety ratings are an important factor to consider when deciding which van to purchase. Here in the UK, we have Euro NCAP that tests new vehicles and rates their safety performance for us and of course, we can consider the individual manufacturers reports as well. But as with the true MPG controversy, can we really trust the auto makers’ safety claims and just how do they perform such tests? Well, Ford in North America, in partnership with Utah-based Autonomous Solutions Inc., has come up with an ingenious method of using robots to test the durability of their trucks, including the new full-size Transit van range which is scheduled to launch there sometime in 2014. Some of the test vans are taken to task repeatedly in all types of driving conditions, performed on and off road, which would be unsuitable and too uncomfortable or dangerous for human testers. The vans, that must pass a whole slew of tests and must prove they are “Built Ford Tough”, are driven on course tracks filled with...

It’s always touching to hear when a large corporation gives back and makes a contribution to a charity, especially a children’s charity. This week, Ford UK has proudly announced they are lending their support and have supplied British Gas with an all-new Ford Tourneo Custom that will travel thousands of miles on UK roads this summer, helping to raise £1 million for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. Building on the success of British Gas “Bikes Britain” in 2012, this year’s British Gas challenge is called, “Swims Britain”.  The event aims to encourage thousands of the energy company’s staff and their families to take part in swimming challenges across the UK. To help them on this wet and worthy challenge is an aquatic-themed Ford Tourneo Custom with long wheelbase, powered by a Dagenham-built 125PS 2.2-litre TDCi diesel engine. The vehicle is well-equipped for the UK tour, with nine seats, a 230-volt power converter and Ford’s satellite navigation system. And since Briti...

Again this year, Ford vehicles have been announced as winners of further prestigious awards. Just this last November the Continental Irish Van of the Year awards 2013, presented with endorsement of the Irish Motoring Writers’ Association, had proclaimed the Ford Transit Custom van as its ultimate winner. Coming top of the class, out from eight contenders for this annual award, the Ford Transit van placed ahead of the new Citroen Berlingo Airstream which came in second place and the new Peugeot Partner in third. To make this a hat trick for Ford in the Irish market, the Fiesta van and Ranger pick-up also picked up award nods in their respective categories just this past week from the judges of the Continental Irish Van of the Year awards. The judges assessed and picked their winners based on load capacity, reliability, overall versatility, cost of ownership and drive comfort. From what we’ve seen and heard about Ford’s new Fiesta van, it’s not a surprise that our Celtic cousins rate it...

Here’s another handy use for a Ford Transit van that I bet you’ve never thought of. Yes, it really can deliver almost anything, including a movie theatre experience. In recent news, the New Ford Transit Custom brought a mobile movie theatre to the streets, making its debut screening independent films around the 2013 Cannes Film Festival in the south of France.  Film buffs were able to watch the cream of independent films as the Ford-supported “Cannes in a Van” team hit the streets in their Transit Custom movie theatre. The “Cannes in a van” programme has been going strong for the last 6 years. Here are a few more details about this clever programme; Cannes in a Van was created by two UK film enthusiasts who had the vision of taking independent films to the Cannes Film Festival, and presenting them from the back of a Ford Transit van. The first trip took place in May 2007, and the journey has become an annual pilgrimage ever since.  As part of the mission to gain increased exposure f...