Van of the Year contenders
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At the IAA Show in Hannover next week the International Van of the Year 2013 will be revealed. We preview the vans in the running for the title
By George Barrow and Andy Salter ALL-NEW MARKET entrants from Ford and Mercedes-Benz are at the forefront of the contenders for the 2013 International Van of the Year Award. The award is made each year to the CV below 3.5-tonne GVW that has been launched in the past 12 months and is deemed to have made the greatest contribution to the eficient and sustainable carriage of goods by road. The jury is made up of leading CV journalists representing 24 countries in Europe, and includes CM MD Andy Salter. Last year’s winner was the Renault Kangoo ZE and this year, as ever, the battle for the trophy has been hotly contested.
Citroën Berlingo
Citroën’s small van continues to attract healthy sales volumes in the UK, particularly among leets that look upon the Berlingo and its Peugeot Partner sibling with great favour.
Revisions for Euro-5 have seen the Berlingo receive a cleaner engine, stop-start system and a mild facelift that involved tweaking the lights and front bumper. The changes are minor and will not cause too much of a stir among the panel, but nevertheless it’s a good van that has got better, so might be rewarded as such.
Dacia Dokker
Dacia is the fastest expanding automotive brand in Europe right now, little wonder considering it’s fantastic value for money. The Dokker is its irst CV offering and, like the Citan, is based on the Renault Kangoo. It is priced keenly in Europe, where Dacia hopes the Dokker will entice customers who were previously only in the market for a second-hand vehicle and who want to keep it simple with a choice of just one panel van variant – a standard length, standard height model.
Brits in the market for a cheap van will be disappointed as it won’t go on sale in the UK. However, that won’t stop it gaining votes from European jury members, and the Dokker could be in with a shot at a podium inish in Hannover.
Ford Transit Custom
Unveiled at the CV Show last April, the new Ford Transit Custom is the favourite to scoop gold this year. The stylish van comes with all-new looks, bristles with innovation and has a driveline that promises fuel improvements compared with the current front-wheel-drive Transit. A recent drive in the new product indicates the good looks are matched by superb ride and handling and a very comfortable driver set-up. Low in-cab noise levels, plus a lively engine line-up should ensure the Ford continues its strong reputation among van drivers. The new Custom marks the irst stage in the Ford LCV renewal programme and we expect to see the blue oval at the head of the betting for the International Van of the Year title for the next few years.
Mercedes-Benz Citan
The new Citan represents a market entry for Mercedes in the competitive compact van sector, going nose-to-nose with the likes of the VW Caddy and Ford Transit Connect. Initial impressions indicate it will put up a strong showing. The Citan is based on the Renault Kangoo and marks the fruits of a collaboration between Renault and Mercedes on LCVs.
However, rather than this being a straight badge engineering job, Mercedes has given the Kangoo a sprinkle of Stuttgart magic dust and improved the product in a number of areas – looks, handling and ride quality being three that instantly come to mind. A strong contender.
Nissan NV400
Nissan’s replacement for the Interstar is another great example of badge engineering, sharing almost its entire construction with the Renault Master and Vauxhall Combo. There have been some revisions, mainly to the grille, tying it into the rest of the Nissan range and giving it a more masculine appearance.
The Master and the Movano didn’t trouble the score keeper when they came under the scrutiny of the jury, so the NV400 is likely to suffer a similar fate.
Vauxhall Combo
The new Vauxhall Combo is a straight badge engineering product share of the Fiat Doblò Cargo, itself a previous winner of the International Van of the Year award.
While the Vauxhall version is a competent product and should be a successful replacement for the outgoing model, the lack of product development and further enhancement means it is also unlikely to trouble the scorers in this competitive company.