Business Car Manager - vauxhall takes Six Best Small Trades awards in the recent ceremony.

Vauxhall has scooped a total of six top honours at the Business Car Manager Awards, across car and van categories, which were presented today in London.

Beating off stiff competition, the Astra was the big winner at the ceremony, picking up the headline award of “Business Car Manager SME Company Car of the Year 2017”, while the Astra 1.6-litre CDTi Design (110PS) Start/Stop ecoFLEX variant was named as the “Best Value SME Company Car” too. 

Vauxhall was also recognised in the “Best Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Company Car Programme” category, again taking away the top prize.

The success didn’t stop there for Vauxhall though, as its van range won a hat-trick of accolades in the Business Van of the Year 2017 awards. The Corsavan picked up the “Best Small Delivery Van” award, while the accolade of “Best Small Trades Van” was given to the Combo. The Movano rounded off the success, being named as the winner in the “Best Heavy Van” category.

“The independent judges placed the Astra ahead of highly competitive opposition – but it’s not hard to see why,” said Ralph Morton, Editorial Director at Business Car Manager. “From the fantastically low operating costs to really competitive benefit-in-kind company car taxation, the Astra has it all – and that’s before we get to the brilliantly competitive specification.

“Each year Vauxhall has been refining its company car programme for SMEs, and each year it has got better and better to the point that is has knocked BMW/MINI Partnership programme off its perch as the best in the business.”

Consisting of a group of independent experts in the SME field, the judges used criteria such as company car tax and whole life costs to judge and rank each entry.

“We’re delighted Vauxhall has been recognised by Business Car Manager and Business Vans,” said James Taylor, Vauxhall’s Fleet Sales Director. “The company car market is an important sector for the Astra. It’s great to see how well-received it has been so far, and we are also pleased to be recognised for our company car programme, and that Corsavan, Combo and Movano remain firm favourites.”

WHAT VAN ? - The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 4Work takes the green award at this years awards.

• Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 4Work wins Green Award at 2017 What Van? Awards for providing the “best solution for environmentally-conscious operators.”
• Businesses benefit from low running costs and 100% capital allowance in the first year
• Priced from £22,879 (excluding VAT and including £7,255 grant – based on GX3h)

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 4Work has scooped the What Van? Green Award for 2017 at the special awards luncheon in central London. 

Based on the UK’s best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 4Work offers the same style, comfort, equipment and technology as the passenger version, but with a load volume of 1,603 litres (measurement up to roof) and a payload of 495kg. 

There’s also easy access to the flat load area via the rear tailgate and rear side doors.

Unlike diesel- and petrol-powered vans, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Commercial is at its most efficient and environmentally-friendly in urban areas thanks to its electric range of up to 32 miles, but for longer journeys or on occasions when a rapid charger isn’t available there’s the backup of a 2.0-litre petrol engine which helps give the Outlander PHEV a total maximum range of 541 miles. It’s also extremely capable in the toughest of weather conditions with on demand all-wheel drive and S-AWC (Super All-Wheel Control) to assist the driver while cornering in low-grip situations, plus the added security of M-ASTC (Mitsubishi Active Stability and Traction Control).

From the operator’s point of view, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 4Work offers a comfortable car-like driving experience and the convenience of an automatic transmission; cruise control, speed limiter, dual zone climate control, Bluetooth hands-free and auto dimming rear view mirror, while businesses benefit from its low running costs – it has an official combined-cycle fuel economy figure of 156mpg – and 100% capital allowance in the first year and reduced National Insurance contributions.

Editor of What Van? James Dallas commented, "The Outlander PHEV 4Work remains the best solution for environmentally-conscious operators who require more range than an electric van can offer. It rides and handles well on road and offers operators the capability of venturing off the beaten track. It also makes sense from an economic and environmental point of view with official fuel consumption of 157mpg coupled with CO₂ of just 42g/km.”

Lance Bradley, Managing Director of Mitsubishi Motors in the UK said, “Whatever segment the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV competes in, it’s a winner. We’re delighted that the What Van? editorial team appreciates the environmental and commercial benefits of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Commercial and has seen fit to bestow the vehicle with its prestigious Green Award for 2017. Plug-in hybrid vehicles can deliver huge savings for private and commercial users and represent a key stage in helping to move motoring towards a cleaner future.”

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV was launched in the UK in 2014 and since then over 25,000 has been sold, making it the best-selling plug-in hybrid in the UK. Two versions of the  Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 4Work are available, the GX3h priced from £22,879 (excluding VAT and including the £7,225 grant), and the GX3h+ version which adds an electric pre-heater, smartphone app and heated front seats for £23, 512 (excluding VAT and including the £7,425 grant). Grants are based on 20% of the vehicle list price, up to a maximum of £8,000.

WHAT VAN ? - The Ultimate award goes to not one, but three models, all made on the same underpinnings.

The Citroen Dispatch, Peugeot Expert and Toyota Proace are the 2017 What Van? Light Commercial Vehicles of the Year. It is the first time the award has been shared between three outstanding vans.

Citroen, Peugeot and Toyota collected the coveted trophy at the exclusive What Van? Awards luncheon held in partnership with Truckman, FORS (the Fleet Operators Recognition Scheme), Crystal Ball and Trucksmith at the Brewery in central London on 13 December.

The models also jointly won the won the Medium Van of the year Award.

PSA Peugeot-Citroen builds the new Dispatch, Expert and Proace at its Sevelnord plant near Lille in northern France and What Van? Editor James Dallas said:

“The vans represent a significant step up in terms of quality, practicality and economy compared with their predecessors.”

The trio have entered the biggest-selling sector of the UK light commercial market and one that is extremely competitive with high-quality models such as the Ford Transit Custom, Renault Trafic, Vauxhall Vivaro, Volkswagen Transporter and Mercedes Vito all vying for attention.

Dallas added: “The PSA pair and Toyota needed to up their game – and with the new generation models they most certainly have done.”

There were two new inductees into the What Van? Hall of Fame, Dave Petts of Ford, who has done so much to establish the Transit as the UK’s most famous and biggest-selling van brand, and What Van? magazine itself, which was originally known as the Good Van Guide and is celebrating its 30^th anniversary before undergoing a major redesign in the New Year.

Fiat Professional scooped both the Small Van and Light Van of the Year prizes for its respective Fiorino and Doblo Cargo vans while the Iveco Daily was crowned Large Van of the Year.

The Nissan Navara took the Pick-up Award and Volkswagen was recognised for having the best website.

Other winners included Dacia, Renault, Vauxhall, Mitsubishi, FORS, Trucksmith and MediaFleet WrapidCoat.

“The last 12 months have been exceptional in terms of the outstanding new product that has come to market,” Dallas said, “so it’s a pleasure to be able to recognise the best in the business.”

WHAT VAN ? - Fiat Professional wins two honours at What Van? Awards 2017

• Fiat Professional wins two honours at What Van? Awards 2017
• Doblo Cargo named Light Van of the Year for second successive year
• Fiorino Cargo wins Small Van of the Year category
• Awards underline strength in depth of the Fiat Professional LCV line-up
• Range further strengthened with arrival of all-new Talento and Fullback pick-up

The strength in depth and all-round appeal of Fiat Professional’s light commercial vehicle

line-up has been highlighted again with a brace of coveted category wins at the prestigious What Van? Awards 2017.

First the hugely successful Doblo Cargo was named Light Van of the Year by the influential title for the second year running.

This capped an incredible 12 months for the widely-acclaimed model in which it was also named Light Van of the Year by VansA2Z and Best Small Van by both Van Fleet World and Trade Van Driver.

Meanwhile, the Fiat Professional Fiorino Cargo – the compact van built for the city – fought off fierce competition to be named Small Van of the Year.

The awards judges were impressed by the Doblo Cargo’s versatility and practicality as well as the driving dynamics and comfort delivered by advanced features such as the van’s sophisticated bi-link suspension.

In the case of the Fiorino Cargo, the model’s frugal engines and compelling whole-life financials set it apart from the competition.

James Dallas, Editor of What Van?, said: “Being both versatile and practical, the Doblo Cargo remains the best light van around.

“And with its frugal, Euro6 engines, the Fiorino Cargo makes a great deal of sense for any city-based operator.”

Accepting the award, Alejandro Noriega, Country Manager at Fiat Professional, said: “We are hugely proud of both the Doblo and Fiorino and are delighted to see them claim two more high profile awards for our brand.

“These awards are particularly special as they are awarded by a panel of experts who truly understand the LCV market and who know what van customers are looking for.”

He added: “These awards are further evidence of the strength and competitiveness of Fiat Professional’s van line-up, which has recently been bolstered by the arrival of the all-new Talento and Fullback pick-up, and underline the huge strides the brand is making as it aims to achieve its growth aspirations and further enhance its reputation.”

With a payload of up to one tonne, a load volume of up to 5.0m³ and a range of highly efficient engines, the multi award-winning Doblo Cargo has proved a big hit with fleet operators. The Doblo 1.3 90 HP MultiJet II Tecnico is currently available from £149 per month (exc VAT) on business contract hire.

The Fiorino meanwhile is perfectly designed for the city – agile in traffic and easy to park while retaining and impressive load capacity of up to 2.8m³ and a payload of up to 660kg. The Fiorino 1.3 75 HP MultiJet II is available from £139 per month (exc VAT) on business contract hire.

AUTO EXPRESS AWARDS - VW's Transporter takes Van of the Year and the Caddy gets a commended nod too.

• Transporter named ‘Van of The Year’ at this year’s Auto Express New Car Awards
• New Caddy panel van also commended in the category
• High standards of comfort, refinement and quality key to securing accolade

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ sixth-generation Transporter has claimed another overall ‘Van of the Year’ award, this time thanks to Auto Express, with the Transporter’s car-like level of quality, high level of comfort and class-leading residual values giving it the edge over rivals.

The leading consumer motoring title also commended the Transporter’s smaller sibling, the fourth-generation Caddy panel van. With class-leading reliability plus a smooth and responsive drive, the Caddy impressed the judges with its impressive fuel economy, load carrying capability and strong residual values.

Offered with an extensive range of wheelbases, roof heights, load volumes and payload options, the new Transporter, which went on sale in the UK in September, caters for all business needs within the medium van sector. Available as a passenger carrier, panel van or more recently chassis cab and dropside variants, the Transporter comes equipped with a range of economical EU6 2.0-litre engines, manual and DSG transmissions, and two- and four-wheel drive. The new Transporter boasts a comprehensive list of safety equipment, including standard Driver Alert and Automatic Post Collision Braking System, plus optional Adaptive Cruise Control, City Emergency Braking and High Beam Assist.

Auto Express editor-in-chief, Steve Fowler, said: “The Volkswagen Transporter sets a very high standard in terms of comfort and refinement while the cab environment delivers genuinely car-like levels of quality. The level of safety technology built into the van is excellent, while class-leading residual values contribute to a powerful value proposition. It all goes towards making the Transporter an excellent tool for businesses of all sizes.”

Commenting on the awards success, Carl zu Dohna, Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said: “The Transporter continues to gain recognition from across the industry and this latest award demonstrates its high quality. To have the latest generation Caddy commended by the judges is also extremely pleasing and further recognition of the strength of our brand.”

This latest award builds on a number of impressive results for the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand. The Transporter has won the prestigious ‘International Van of the Year’ award as well as Van Fleet World’s ‘Best New Van’ award, overall Van of the Year titles from VansA2Z and Trade Van Driver, and Honest John’s ‘Most Popular Van’ accolade.

Vauxhall takes the top prize and a trio of other awards at this years Business Van Of The Year ceremony.

Vauxhall’s Brit-built Vivaro has been named overall winner at the Business Van Awards 2016, which were presented today in London.

Martyn Collins, editor for Business vans stated “Which van is great to drive, affordable to run, plus has a well-equipped interior that can double as an office? That’ll be the Vauxhall Vivaro.” He added “When combined with the practical load area with the clever FlexCargo load-through bulkhead, it’s not difficult to see why the Vauxhall is our top van.”

For the second year running the Vivaro has also been presented with Best Large Trades Van.

“The reason the Vivaro has kept its Best Large Trades Van award is thanks to its impressively practical load area, exactly what trades need. And it’s British built, as well.”

The Vivaro was also awarded Best Green Van.

“Vauxhall’s development of the latest 1.6-litre, (120PS) Bi-Turbo diesel version of the Vivaro is class-leading,” added Collins. “47.9 mpg consumption figure and theoretical 800 mile range, wrapped in one of the most attractive and easy to drive vans on the market.”

This accolade is the fifth in recent months, with the Vivaro also taking Medium Van of the year and Used Van of the Year at the What Van? Awards, Fleet Van of the Year at the Motor Transport Awards and Best Medium Panel Van at the Commercial Fleet Awards. The Vivaro is a popular choice for companies including BT Fleet, British Gas and Homeserve.

The largest van in Vauxhall’s range, the Movano, also scooped Best Heavy Van 2016.

“This class of van needs to be tough yet reliable, the ability to be fuel-efficient and offer a wide range of different versions to suit all tastes is also key. That’s exactly what the Vauxhall Movano offers.” Added Collins

“We are delighted to be recognised by Business Vans,” said Richard Collier, Vauxhall’s National Commercial Vehicle and B2B Sales Manager. “The Brit-built Vivaro continues to succeed due to its practicality, efficiency and comfort.”

The Business Van Awards are decided by an independent panel of judges, with each category reflecting the way customers perceive vans.

New FIAT Doblò Cargo launched to media before hitting UK showrooms

• New FIAT Doblò Cargo launched to media before hitting UK showrooms
• In addition to its new exterior design, there are important technical enhancements for the 2015 model
• New FIAT Doblò also debuts ultra-efficient new “EcoJet” derivative
• The FIAT Doblò is the first vehicle to be badged “FIAT Professional”

The 2015 FIAT Doblò has been launched to the UK media at a special event staged in the Midlands. The new fourth-generation FIAT Doblò features a fresh exterior design, improved engine performance for key models and a new "EcoJet" version engineered to lower fuel consumption and reduce running costs even further. 

The new Doblò is also the first vehicle to wear the full “FIAT Professional” logo on its tailgate, a signature which will appear on all new FIAT Professional commercial vehicles from now on.

With 1.4 million sales and numerous award accolades, including International Van of the Year in 2006 and 2011, the new FIAT Doblò retains many of the class-leading traits that have defined its critical and commercial success, such as its excellent dynamics, comfort and best-in-class load and volume capacities. 

But for 2015 these attributes are further supplemented with significant improvements for the cornerstone 1.3-litre and 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engines, which benefit from enhanced responsiveness –  more torque from lower revs – and improved efficiency of up to 12 percent. 

In the case of the 1.3-litre MultiJet II engine, for example, this responsiveness has increased by approximately 40 percent compared to the model it replaces, resulting in greater flexibility for more relaxed and efficient driving as well as livelier performance when circumstances demand.

The 90hp 1.3 MultiJet II and 105hp 1.6 MultiJet II engines are also available in new “EcoJet” versions which offer a further reduction in fuel consumption and emissions levels thanks to the use of Start&Stop; low rolling-resistance tyres; low-viscosity oil; an ‘intelligent’ alternator; a variable-displacement oil pump and a new aerodynamic pack. All this makes it possible to achieve a fuel economy figure of up to 64 MPG (4.4 L/100km) and CO₂ emissions of just 115 g/km.

The technical improvements are only part of the story, of course. The 2015 FIAT Doblò Cargo also benefits from a complete redesign in line with the new, muscular design language first seen on the new FIAT Ducato. 

The sculpted bonnet and distinctive new headlamps combine with the bold new grille to add an air of sophistication and elegance to the 2015 FIAT Doblò’s design. The sleek new front bumper, lower air intakes and fog light shrouds adopt a more car-like refinement while also hinting at the new Doblò’s solidity and robustness, and at the rear new light clusters, with their sleeker shape and more sophisticated graphics, round out the Doblò’s style revisions for 2015.

Inside, Doblò retains its current interior, which is highly regarded amongst UK customers for its ease-of-use; ample storage space; high comfort and specification levels and its ability to shrug off the rigours of daily use with ease. Responding to customer feedback, the 2015 Doblò benefits from a lighter and more fluid clutch action coupled with a shorter and more positive gear change, while additional soundproofing has resulted in an average reduction of 3dB in the cabin.

In terms of safety, the Doblò’s safety credentials are enhanced by a full suite of standard driver aids including ESC (Electronic Stability Control), ABS brakes with EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution), ASR (Anti Slip Regulation), HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assist) and Hill-Holder systems that help the driver during hill starts. 

A passenger airbag and lateral airbags, as well as TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) are part of theDoblò’s optional safety arsenal. Underpinning all of this, of course, is the FIAT Doblo’s class-leading chassis, the highlight of which is its sophisticated bi-link rear suspension which combines a smooth and quiet ride with sharp yet predictable handling, even when laden – an ideal set-up to prevent drivers getting into the trouble in the first place.

Naturally, the hugely versatile load compartment remains central to the vehicle’s appeal. With a payload of up to one tonne, the Doblò’s load bay is defined by a flat floor with minimal wheel arch intrusions and practical squared-off shape – again, thanks to the bi-link rear suspension! The load area, which can be specified up to 5m³, is accessed via rear doors which helpfully open to 180-degrees with hard-wearing and ergonomic handles (the rear door, for example, can be opened and fully extended using just your “pinkie” finger – perfect when holding heavy boxes).

New options for the 2015 Doblò include a new Gateway module for vehicle telematics, a power folding door mirror function, DAB preparation for aftermarket audio systems and, available shortly after launch, the Traction+ system which has already proved itself in the Fiorino and Ducato. Traction+ enables drivers to make sure-footed progress even on low-grip surfaces, such as snow or mud, without increasing the weight of the vehicle, thereby avoiding the increased running costs associated with full 4x4 systems.

Available to order in the UK now, the new FIAT Doblò Cargo range comprises four body-styles; two roof height options and two wheelbase lengths, with five engines, ranging from 90 to 135hp, and four trim levels available: Standard, EcoJet, SX and Tecnico.

Standard features on all FIAT Doblò models include adjustable-level headlamps, a full-size spare wheel, full bulkhead, overhead storage, electric windows, central locking, full wheel trims, side rubbing strips, full-height twin panelled rear doors; offside sliding side door, (plus a nearside sliding side door on Maxi and XL models) and a speed limiter (upon request). The EcoJet version adds smart alternator management, variable displacement oil pump, Start & Stop, low-friction oil, and low-rolling resistance tyres and a new aerodynamic pack.

The SX model adds bulkhead soundproofing and load area PVC lining, as well as front fog lamps; electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors with body-coloured covers; remote control central locking; height adjustable drivers’ seat with lumbar support; in-cushion storage in the passenger seat and an upgraded stereo with MP3 compatibility.

The range-topping Tecnico model includes air conditioning; rear parking sensors, Bluetooth connectivity, Start & Stop; remote steering wheel controls and a dealer-fitted satellite navigation system.