Light CVs hiding behind the glitz
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The International Motor Show at Birmingham's NEC is primarily a car event, and seems to have less to do with commercial vehicles every year—but dig among the shiny diamonds and you can still find the odd bit of grit...CM uncovered, among others, a new British workhorse, a tiny Italian tricycle and a very green tipper.
By Toby Clark & Colin Barnett, pictures by Peter Cramer • This could be the start of something big: after its Flareside and Dropside models, Ford is offering a three-way tipper version of the Transit 190. Based on the latest 3.2m wheelbase chassis, the Tipper is assembled by Ingimex using a cocktail of components from around Europe. The body-coloured alloy dropsides and the two-way auto-latch tailgate are removable, and once the corner posts are gone it becomes a 3.0m x 2.0m flatbed with eight recessed lashing points. The sturdy headboard is made of powder-coated Zintec steel, as is the floor. The fivestage ram is chrome-plated, and tipping is controlled by a neat wander lead. With good build quality and a 1,185kg payload, the complete Tipper retails at around £19,000.
Look out, WV...
• At the other end of the offroad scale is the Chevrolet Blazer, to be imported next year through a dozen Chevrolet/Cadillac dealers appointed by GM. With a 190hp (142kW) 4.3-litre V6, a three-year/60,030-mile warranty and all the trimmings, it will sell for a reasonable £12,000. An initial sales target of 750 vehicles should be easy to achieve.
• Toyota has added a new Double Cab GX model to the top of the Hilux range. Among the new features are electric windows and mirrors, sunroof, rear step bumper and side steps. The pickup is on sale at £16,421(ex-VAT).
• Suzuki's latest small 4x4 is the Jimny, with a 79hp (59kW) L3litre petrol engine and on-the-move selectable four-wheel drive. It is well equipped and costs just £9,995 (inc-VAT).
• The NEC saw the first UK appearance of Vauxhall's Movano van, a rebadged variant of the excellent Renault Master. Vauxhall was also promoting its dual-fuel Combo and Astra vans (running on CNG or LPG as well as petrol); the Astra has a new 1.6-litre dualfuel engine. The firm also promised to have a fuel-cell-powered electric vehicle in full production by 2004.
• The smallest commercial at the show was this Piaggio Ape. Reliant is planning to import tricycle and four-wheel variants in chassis-cab, clropside, tipper and van versions, from about £4,000. Reliant even suggests that the lightest 50cc versions lyes, just 50cc) could be driven without a licence; other variants have two-stroke petrol or diesel engines, with payloads of 170kg upwards.
• Making its world debut was the Workhorse, from the Maidenhead-based Healey Sprite Motor Company. The back-to-basics utilitarian 4x4 pickup, aimed largely at the agricultural market, has a GRP body with steel doors mounted on a steel chassis. The Workhorse 72hp 154kVV) is provided by a Mercedes 0M616 2.4-litre IDI dies engine. The no-frills package (without even a heater) is priced £9,500 (ex-VAT).
• Citroen's Berlingo is now available with a rear tailgate. Since it is tall enough to protect one from the rain, this no-cost option should prove popular with service engineers. The Berlingo is powered by the new 1.9-litre DW8 engine, which replaces the XUD9. Citroen also showed a concept petrol/electric hybrid-powered Saxo hatchback, as well as the HDI (high-pressure direct injection) 2.0litre common-rail diesel now fitted to the Xantia car.