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G BOY'S TOY

16th June 2005, Page 46
16th June 2005
Page 46
Page 47
Page 48
Page 46, 16th June 2005 — G BOY'S TOY
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

If you're willing to push over the 3.5-tonne mark when it comes to dropsiders then you probably mean business.

But should Vol Kswagen's LT be on your shopping list?

While your average 3.5-tonne dropside provides enough payload for most situations there will always be the chosen few who,for whatever reason, need those extra kilos. But those reasons had better be pretty good because once you go over the 3.5-tonne limit you'll find yourself in the land of tachographs and 0-licensing.

The extra administrative burden is bound to soak up valuable time, but if you're in the building trade in a serious way the chances are that your loads will be large and heavy enough to justify the move.

While the market for vehicles just over the 3.5-tonne barrier is small it's still an important one, especially since the demand for new, affordable housing is rising at the moment. Volkswagen has certainly been busy in the past few years with acclaimed new models that have given the company a strong foothold in the sub-3.5-tonne category. But its heavier LT is still around and soldiering on like an elderly relative.

It's probably not the first vehicle to come to mind when considering panel vans between 2.8 and 4.6 tonnes, and judging by the number you see on the road (or, rather, don't) it's not going to win any popularity contests, but that's not to say that it's a bad product.

Its cousin, the Mercedes Sprinter (they share the same bodyshell), is one of our favourite big vans, and a well engineered one at that. But the tipper derivative comes from Mercedes with just a touch of cosmetic alteration. It's tested here in long-wheelbase guise but the LT is also available on a medium wheelbase or as a plain chassis-cab. There's even a lighter variant for operators who don't want to make the jump above 3.5 tonnes.

The LT46 offers three power ratings: 95 or 109hp from a 2.5litre turbo-diesel or. as tested here, a 2.8-litre four-pot chargecooled turbo-diesel producing 158hp at 3,500rpm with a healthy 331Nm of torque between 1,800 and 3,000rpm. Both engines sport common-rail technology.

Body styles also vary; select a single or double cab on either wheelbase ;the dropside setup is also factory supplied.

The LT46 with a long wheelbase,2.8-litre engine and single-cab chassis-cab has a list price of £22,090; add a further 11,550 for the alloy drop-side body.

With a tradesman's friend like this don't expect any luxuries as standard; dropsides are workhorses so any extras really have to be justified. For your money you get ABS. inunobiliser,an electronic differential lock, brake pad wear indicator, radio-cassette player and an electronic tachograph for two. More importantly you can specify a speed-limiter that keeps the LT's maximum to 56mph—ready for the day when this becomes a legal requirement. The options list includes electric windows for £215; electric mirrors for £140 (a worthwhile option considering the length of the mirror arms): remote central locking for £320 and cruise control for £230.

Productivity

Fuel economy was better than expected for such a big vehicle: a laden run round the Kent test route came up with 25.2mpg. Not a had figure at all and enough to beat all its rivals. For the record the next best result was from Renault's lvlascott, 5.5 tonne van with its 3.0litre engine, which managed 23.3mpg. And on the subject of comparisons, you'll notice that we've included two panel vans in the test group.This category is as niche as you'll get and we could only dig one comparable tipper out of the archives (the Mercedes 616CDI).

When it comes to loadspace, the LT has plenty to offer and all of it's usable.The sidewalls are easy to open thanks to simple-to-operate plastic latches that lock tight; the walls themselves are made of lightweight aluminium and drop down easily.

Loading up your equipment is fuss free thanks to a low lip and, with a payload of 2,333kg there's certainly plenty to play with. It might be worth considering a metal guard for the cab's rear window; during emergency brake testing our test load slid forward at considerable speed —in extreme circumstances it might have made an unwelcome entry into the cab.

The tight fit of the body sides meant straps have to go over rather than under — not ideal.

On the road

The bigger the vehicle the less wieldy it tends to be and if you throw a dropside setup into the mix you should expect to be underwhelmed. Panel vans, by their very nature,have structural rigidity which is lacking in chassis-cabs and tippers:in the absence of adequate bracing this can leave them vulnerable to chassis flex. But to its credit the LT felt well planted, providing a decent ride with good road manners.

Its chassis feels stiff for a vehicle of this size and construction; it was always controllable. In a straight line it was surprisingly stable with a decent tide and compliant suspension, and there was plenty of grip through the corners.

But let's keep things in perspective: this machine should not be rushed. If you do take leave of your senses you'll find a degree of oversteer that is zontrollable at first but may take on a life of its own —not the ideal mount for wet slaloming we suggest. When unladen the LT succumbs to the typical iropside traits such as skittish suspen;ion but driven with reasonable caution this shouldn't be a problem. Helping the cause is solid steering that provides enough weight to allow relaxed driving,even with the dropside's wide dimensions, down narrow lanes.There is not much in the way of feedback but this was never a problem.

Being a 4.6-tonner the LT needs a bit of 3omph to get it up to speed. Fortunately the 2.8-litre unit provided an impressive amount Ago, especially from low-down.

Pulling away from a standstill did not -equire slipping the clutch, let alone getting )ut and pushing, thanks to plentiful ;upplies of torque.

Mind you, it does fade away past 3,000rpm ;o being in the right gear is important.

The shift is floor mounted, but it provides a ;urprisingly fluid movement. It's not one to he nshed, mind, but take your time and it follows iour command without a problem.

On the downside the engine produces too nuch noise when spinning at anything above die. It drowns out conversation in the cab and ;ends vibrations through the structure. Cab comfort In line with the LT46's no-nonsense theme, the cab is best described as utilitarian. It's never going to set anybody's heart on tire but it does have enough positives to make it a reasonable working environment. Access is good but while Volkswagen's usual interiors, along with the other main contenders in the van category, are typically bang up-to-date, the LT harks back to the mid-'90s.

The driver's seat is firm but comfortable over long distances and provides a range of movement for a comfortable setup, but since the steering wheel is fixed this adjustment can only go so far, so if you don't have an average build you may have to adjust to the driving position, rather than vice versa.Taller drivers will also find that the seat doesn't go back as far as they'd like.

As for the twin passenger bench, the central occupant is going to have a serious argument with the floor-mounted gear-stick, and once that's over he'll have a row with the driver who's desperately trying to change gear. A dash-mounted setup would certainly have its benefits.

The seating fabric is a breezy light grey with coloured flecks but this is swamped by the cheap black plastic dash.

Due to the limited spec there's not much in the way of dashboard tomfoolery to play with but what switches there are are located within easy reach. On the storage front you can tell that the LT dates from a time when paperwork consisted mostly of the news type and usually contained a picture on page 3.

You get split door pockets. a glovebox and not much else, but considering the role of this vehicle that's not as much of a problem as it would be in a delivery vehicle. Lack of development also shows in the degree of cab noise.This comes from just about everywhere: over time it might provide a significant distraction and possibly lead to a headache or two. •

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