Citroen celebrates with a number of commercial vehicle awards.

Citroën LCVs have just scored a hat trick at the Business Van of the Year Awards 2015, presented by Business Vans, in association with Low Cost Vans. Announced at a ceremony in London earlier this week, Citroën LCVs were honoured with:

Van of the Year- Berlingo HDi 75 manual L1 625 Enterprise

Best Heavy Van- New Relay 35 L3H2 HDi 130 6-speed manual Enterprise

Best Small Trades Van- Berlingo HDi 75 manual L1 625 Enterprise

Ralph Morton, Business Vans’ Editorial Director, remarked; “Citroën is to be congratulated for its major success in the Business Van of the Year Awards 2015, presented by Business Vans. Winning three of these prestigious awards reflects the exceptional range of benefits that the Berlingo and New Relay offer van operators. 

The Business Van Awards are recognised industry-wide, thanks to the strict operational and financial criteria laid down by the judging panel, which this year included directors and senior managers from three major leasing companies; the FTA; Glass’s BCA and our sponsors Low Cost Vans.”

Jeremy Smith, Citroën’sHead of Commercial Vehicles & Business Sector Operations, commented; “To win one of the prestigious Business Van of the Year Awards is an achievement, but to win three is exceptional. The double win for Berlingo is a reflection of the great all-round capability and versatility of our best-selling LCV, which recorded its highest-ever annual sales in 2014. 

We are also delighted that the New Relay 35 L3H2 HDi 130 6-speed manual Enterprise impressed the judges sufficiently with its exceptional range of operational, financial and load carrying benefits to win the ‘Best Heavy Van’ prize. The New Relay is also winning new customers, with sales of this model up by over 35% in 2014.”

“The Citroën Berlingo is smart, practical and versatile, plus it's affordable to run - no wonder it's perfect for trades wanting a small panel van. It is a great all-rounder, supported by a network that understands the requirements of small business van operators. If you only need one van, this is it: our Business Van of the Year,” comments Ralph Morton.

Winning the ‘Best Heavy Van’ Award against tough competition, the New Relay 35 L3H2 HDi 130 6-speed manual Enterprise convinced the judging panel of its strong combination of operator benefits. These include load carrying practicality, driver safety, comfort and convenience. There are also low whole life costs to consider, thanks to very competitive contract hire rates, long service intervals (up to 30,000 miles) and excellent combined cycle fuel economy of 38.2mpg. 

This model also provides the highest payload (1,525kg) in its class and a very practically laid out load compartment. Other New Relay features noted by the judges were its high levels of standard equipment, such as air conditioning, rear parking sensors, Bluetooth hands free and USB connectivity, Teletrac Smartnav satellite navigation and Trackstar stolen vehicle tracking. 

The judges commented that the Berlingo HDi 75 manual L1 625 Enterprise won the ‘Best Small Trades Van’ Award, as it suits all trades wanting a compact van and has excellent built-for-business specification. This Berlingo model offers operators low contract hire costs, excellent fuel economy, in-service reliability and low emissions. 

It also has strong driver appeal with high levels of standard equipment, including Bluetooth, rear parking sensors and air conditioning, as well as the unique Citroën Teletrac telematics package. As with the New Relay, this includes Smartnav intelligent satellite navigation and Trackstar stolen vehicle tracking for additional productivity, cost savings and safety gains.