First sketch of new Sprinter from Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz has revealed first details of its next generation Sprinter van, in advance of its market launch in the first half of next year, writes Brian Byrne.

The sketch shows an evolution from the current vehicle which offers a strong design, and one distinctively Mercedes-Benz.

The van will have a wide range of driving assistance systems and connectivity services.

The company says it will also offer a much greater range of variants than the current Sprinter.

The nameplate was first launched in 1995. More than 3.3m units have been delivered since.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles launch petrol Caddy

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is launching the cheapest entry level van on the Irish market, a Caddy with a petrol engine, writes Brian Byrne.

The new version of the popular nameplate is powered by a 1.2 84hp engine, at a starting price of €14,995.

In combination with Volkswagen Ireland's new 'Eco Grant', which offers a range of incentives up to €4,000 against an approved trade-in to be scrapped, this can reduce to €13,995.

A 1.0 102hp and a 1.4 125hp are also available in the new petrol range, which sell alongside the 2.0 diesel that has been the mainstay engine for many years.

Announcing the move last night, MD of VW Commercial Vehicles Ireland Alan Bateson said it represents a 'strong option' for people considering a Caddy-sized van. Especially for operators who work manly in urban areas, the petrol Caddy offers increased power output with more refined driving, lower road tax costs for private users, and VAT can still be reclaimed on the vehicle for registered owners.

The offer is paired with a 0pc HP finance option.

The Eco Grant is available on Caddy, Transporter and Crafter Vans, ranging from €1,000 on the petrol Caddy to €4,000 on a Transporter or Crafter. It requires a trade-in of a vehicle from any brand which will be scrapped by an offial End of Life Treatment Centre.

To mark the grant, the company live-streamed on its Facebook the crushing of a Ford Focus at a Centre in Athlone last night, following which the buyer of a Crafter van under the schme was handed over his vehicle.

Volkswagen is this year celebrating 70 years of presence in the Commercial Vehicles business, since the launch of the first T1 Transporter.

Second Caddy for Marie Keating Foundation

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has added a second Volkswagen Caddy to their support for the Marie Keating Foundation, writes Brian Byrne.

The company has been supporting the Foundation since 2013. The original Caddy Maxi van has been used to transport materials for events and seminars. New new one will be for its nurses so they can reach people in remote areas where the Foundation's mobile units can't.

Pictured are Kim Kilduff, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Ireland and Linda Keating, Marie Keating Foundation.

Iceland warms to Sprinters

Supermarket chain Iceland has taken delivery of four additional new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans that have entered their fleet alongside their original purchase of five units last year.

All four 314/36 medium wheelbase vans have been converted by Paneltex and are fitted with Alex Original fridges. Other features include high roof, automatic gearbox, reverse camera and Parktronic parking and manoeuvring aid.

These latest units will be used for Home Deliveries and will be deployed to new Iceland stores opening up across the country at Gorey, Shannon, Limerick (Watch House Cross) and Cork (Ballincollig). These new store openings will bring to 20 the total number of stores Iceland operates across Ireland.

DPD goes with Sprinters

Two DPD parcel delivery franchises have taken the decision to enhance their fleet of commercial vehicles with the recent addition of two new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans each.

Supplied by Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles main dealer, Kinahan Commercials of Moate, two of the new units will operate from the Mayo depot in Foxford with the other two servicing the Longford / Roscommon base.

Finished in DPD’s white, red and black livery and complete with the Sprinter 21st birthday pack, the 314/43 vans all feature an upgraded radio with 14.7 cm TFT display (Audio 15), cruise control, multi-function steering wheel, reverse camera, leather steering wheel and adjustable steering column.

With roots tracing back to 1986, DPD Ireland now handles in excess of 13 million parcels per year. Recently the company doubled its hub size and trebled its sorting capacity from 7,000 to 21,000 parcels per hour.

MUTEC opens state of art commercials showroom

Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles dealership MUTEC has brought its all-new, state-of-the-art showrooms on the Long Mile Road into operation, making it one of the most modern commercial vehicle sales centre in Europe at this time.

With indoor space sufficient to display a truck alongside other vehicles, the brightly lit, glass-fronted 400 sq m showrooms presents an impressive front on to the Long Mile Road.

Stylishly finished in subtle tones of grey and black, in accordance with latest Mercedes-Benz corporate design guidelines, its numerous features include a comfortable customer seating areas, customer Wi-Fi facilities and complimentary tea and coffee service.

Marking a further expansion of the MUTEC dealership — whose original building opened in June 1996 within the adjacent Mercedes-Benz complex — the new sales showrooms creates a high-profile presence for the brand at what is one of Dublin’s busiest intersections.

Mercedes-Benz Ireland chief executive Stephen Byrne said the showroom 'is a further indication of our commitment to Mercedes-Benz and of our willingness to support the brand at all levels'.

“This is reflected elsewhere within our organisation through new sales appointments and in dealership developments that are currently in the pipeline,” Mr Byrne said.

VW sponsors construction industry awards

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will become this year's headline sponsor for the Irish Construction Industry Awards 2017, writes Trish Whelan.

The awards take place on 9 May in the Clayton Hotel on Burlington Road, Dublin 4, with the best of the best in the Irish Construction Industry expected to attend a Black-Tie Gala Ceremony.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles have been providing a wide range of vehicles with bespoke specification and tailored customer solutions to Irish construction businesses for over 65 years. They now have a new generation range of vehicles.

Now in its fourth year, the Irish Construction Industry Awards recognises, encourages and celebrates original and innovative contractors, businesses, teams, consultants and projects that demonstrate excellence in the building environment.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles can be traced back to the early 1950s where the first Volkswagen Transporters, the T1s were assembled in Dublin. The company is now celebrating the arrival of the New Crafter which was awarded International Van of the Year 2017 and will be on display on the night of the awards.

Commenting on the partnership, Kim Kilduff, Head of Sales and Marketing, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Ireland said the company is delighted to get on board with the Irish Construction Industry Awards and become this year's headline sponsor. She added "The awards recognise excellence and innovation which is what Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles live by day to day. On behalf of the company, I would like to wish all entrants the best of luck for this year's awards."

Irish Van of the Year 2017 is Dispatch, Expert, Proace

The Irish Van of the Year 2017 is a joint collaboration vehicle by Citroen, Peugeot and Toyota — known as the Dispatch, Expert, and Proace respectively, writes Brian Byrne.

The award, in association with Continental Tyres, was voted upon by a jury of Ireland's most experienced van journalists.

Pictured at the presentation of the award were Ian Corbett, Toyota Ireland; Chris Graham, Citroen and DS Ireland; and Des Cannon, Peugeot Ireland, with Tom Dennigan of awards sponsor Continental Tyres.

The Nissan Navara was named as Irish Pick Up of the Year 2017 also in association with Continental Tyres. Pictured are Dermot McDermott of Nissan Ireland and Tom Dennigan of awards sponsor Continental Tyres.

(The Irish Van of the Year award is owned by the Irish Motoring Writers Association, established 41 years ago.)

New Volkswagen Crafter arrives

Volkswagen has launched the new Crafter large van in Ireland at a starting price of €23,157 plus VAT, writes Brian Byrne.

With four base models, three lengths and three height options, the new Crafter also offers FWD and 4WD versions for the first time.

It is a 100pc Volkswagen van and design, and the company has built a dedicated factory for its production at a green field site in Poland. The previous Crafter was a joint version with Mercedes-Benz and was based on that brand’s Sprinter.

The new van has already won International Van of the Year 2017, and dealers in Ireland will hold a special Open Week for customers from 24-29 April.

The Crafter has newly developed 2.0 engines, all Euro 6 compliant, and offers an 8-speed automatic in all versions. Power options range from 102hp-177hp, and the van is pre-designed to accommodate a second alternator for variants which need extra electrical power, or a compressor for refrigeration. The vehicle has a full range of driver assistance systems, including ESP with trailer stabilisation, ACC Adaptive Cruise Control, a post-collision braking system, a sidewind compensation system, and a trailer manoeuvring assistant.

Financing for the Crafter will be available from Volkswagen Bank Ireland, and options include the only Commercial Vehicle PCP arrangement in Ireland.

The MD of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Ireland, Alan Bateson, says the arrival of the new Crafter will enable the company to more than double its market share in the large van sector, and bring the Volkswagen CV market share in Ireland to 25pc.

At a presentation yesterday to key fleet leasing companies, he said that in what are ‘uncertain times’ because of Brexit and other influences, he believes the pure vans sector of the LCV business will remain ‘steady’ during 2017, with any downturn being mainly related to car-derived vans.

“There’s nervousness in Irish and other markets,” he noted. “We see confidence going up and down on a monthly basis. But one promising thing is that people are busy again, especially plumbers, plasterers, people who have had a rough time over the last number of years, are all busy again. In fact, we’re hearing from them in many cases that they are too busy to come and look at vans.”

The head of product and planning in VCVI, Aidan Smith, outlined how Volkswagen engineers accompanied van users in their daily work during the development phase of the new Crafter, to find out exactly what the operators required. The result is that the company was able to design a van that in very many respects is claimed to be the top of the class.

“There are many different customer groups who buy a van like this,” he added, “so with the new Crafter we now have a huge range of variant options.”

Having a FWD large van for the first time also allows the brand to compete in a sector which is 58pc of the complete large van segment. “It also allows a lower loading sill, more efficiency in emissions, and gives us a van in the 3t-4t range.”

A Conversion Centre in the factory will provide support and advice to specialist body builders.

The new Crafter has a 3-year warranty with unlimited mileage.

Pictured below at the fleet leasors launch were Aadil Tandon of Johnson & Perrot; Aidan Quigley, Merrion Fleet; Michael Walsh, Merrion Fleet; and Mirian Gardner, Merrion Fleet.

Ford to test PHEV vans in London

Ford will test its recently announced plug-in hybrid Transit Connect vans in a year-long trial in London, writes Brian Byrne.

The vans are part of a major increase in the range of vehicles in the brand's range, which will add 13 variants by 2021.

The PHEV Transit Connects will go on sale in 2019. With a pure electric range of 31 miles, they are expected to work on electric power only for most of their work in the city.

A number of partners in the pilot project include Transport of London.

Renault extends its electric vans

Renault has revealed two new electric LCVs, the upgraded Kangoo Van ZE and the Master ZE, writes Trish Whelan.

Debuted at the Brussels Motor Show, the Kangoo gets a new 32A charger which gives a full charge in six hours, as well as a new battery and motor that extends the range by 50pc to a rated 270km.

In a first for LCVs, it also gets a heat pump, which allows the air-conditioning to be used without cutting into the vehicle’s range.

The Kangoo ZE has been Europe’s best-selling small electric van for the past six years, and global sales totalled 23,219 units delivered to the end of June 2016.

The new Master ZE will have a rated range of 200km, and will be available in three lengths and two heights.

Volkswagen commercials road tax offer

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is offering free road tax for up to three years to customers who buy in January.

This is an enhancement to the 171 registration offers already in place from the company, which sells Caddy, Transporter and Crafter vans and the Amarok pickup.

VWCV is offering 0pc APR HP finance and also provides the only Commercial Vehicle PCP finance solutions. These range from €47/week on a Caddy to €112/week on an Amarok.

All Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles are available for 24 hour test drives at any of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Dealers nationwide. Contact your local Volkswagen Commercial Van Centre, call 1850 812 762 or click on www.volkswagen-vans.ie for more details.

Deutsche Post builds its own e-vehicles

The German post office company Deutsche Post has designed and built 1,000 electric delivery vans for use in cities it services, writes Brian Byrne.

The company is replacing Volkswagen vans with its own 'Streetscooters' which can carry out deliveries without adding to pollution in the cities.

Deutsche Post, part of the global DHL group, took advantage of the growth of external suppliers to the automotive industry to build the vehicles. With up to 80pc of a car's components being supplied from outside, established carmakers are becoming vulnerable to new entrants like Google, and possibly Apple, going the route to build their own vehicles.

Deutsche Post said carmakers had turned down requests to build the Streetscooter-type vehicle because of relatively small production runs.

The company plans to build 5,000 units a year to replace its smaller vans for local deliveries. The vehicles will be of varying sizes, and electric cargo bicycles and tricycles are also in the production mix.

Electric vehicles are simpler in design than traditionally-engined cars and require less people to build them.

New Peugeot Expert goes on sale

Peugeot has launched the new Expert van in Ireland at a retail price starting at €21,520, writes Brian Byrne.

The latest version of the Expert is available in three lengths, two grades and can accommodate payloads of up to 1400kg.

Engines are 95/115hp 1.6 and 120hp 2.0 diesels.

Standard equipment includes twin side sliding doors, twin panel rear doors, full steel bulkhead, 16” wheels, ESP, central locking with deadlocks, driver and passenger airbags, DAB radio, Bluetooth, and LED daytime running lights.

Optional extras include hands-free sliding doors, a Safety Pack with Lane Departure Warning, Speed Limit Recognition, Intelligent Speed Adaptation and more.

New ProAce range from Toyota

A new ProAce van range from Toyota includes a Compact version of just 4.6m in length, bringing the nameplate into a new segment, writes Brian Byrne.

Two other lengths are available in the range, which has a starting price of €20,495.

Power options include 1.6 diesels with 95/115hp options, and 2.0 diesels in 120/150/180hp outputs. The higher outputs in each case are for Combi/Shuttle variants of the ProAce.

The Combi/Shuttle variants can carry up to nine people.

e-Crafter revealed

The prototype for a fully electric Crafter van has been revealed by Volkswagen at the Hanover Commercial Vehicles Show, writes Brian Byrne.

Based on the brand new generation Crafter, the electric version will be arriving with customers in 2017, and will have a range of 208km. Charging time is claimed to be as low as 45 minutes.

Loads capacities of up to 1.7 tonnes will be available.

Crafter is European Van of the Year

The new Volkswagen Crafter has been voted European Van of the Year 2017, writes Brian Byrne.

The vehicle won the accolade from an international jury of commercial vehicle journalists from 24 European countries.

The announcement was made in conjunction with the Hanover Commercial Vehicles Show.

Mercedes shows Future Van concept, delivery tech

A Mercedes-Benz concept ‘Van of the Future’ unveiled in Stuttgart will showcase a range of initiatives when the brand is developing for the light logistics area, writes Brian Byrne.

The event provided the opportunity for presentations on a number of these initiatives, under the broad banner of AdVANce.

They include initiatives in digitisation, automation and robotics, as well as integrated parcel delivery systems using drones and sidewalk robots.

The concept van has an all electric powertrain, and envisages a range of up to 270km.

Speakers at the event noted a number of ‘megatrends’ which will require new ways of managing the logistics business — increased urbanisation, the rapid growth of e-commerce, and the need for greater sustainability in transport are among these.

Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, told journalists at the ‘Van Innovation Campus’ that the company is focusing its attention ‘beyond the vehicle’ and on to the entire value chain and business environment of its customers.

Mercedes-Benz’s vans division is developing from being a mere vehicle manufacturer into a provider of system solutions in the transportation of goods and services sector.

New Crafter detailed

Volkswagen Commercials have revealed full details of their new generation Crafter, writes Brian Byrne.

The completely new vehicle will be available in a number of drive options, FWD, RWD and AWD, and buyers will have a choice from manual and automatic gearboxes.

A wide range of Volkswagen driver assistance packages will be optional, and the 2.0 diesel is a new unit developed especially for the vehicle.

The engine will be available in four outputs from 102hp-177hp.

Up to three different vehicle lengths will be on sale, with three different optional roof heights.

New Vito arrives

The new Mercedes-Benz Vito Van range has gone on sale at a starting price of €18,650, writes Brian Byrne.

The new generation gets a 1.6 diesel engine for the first time and FWD for the first time, and a special intorduction offer includes a third year of warranty and three ... MORE