Vauxhall’s Brit-built Vivaro won the award for best medium panel van at this year’s Commercial Fleet Awards.

Vauxhall’s Brit-built Vivaro won the award for best medium panel van at this year’s Commercial Fleet Awards, held at The International Centre, Telford on Thursday.

Judges described it as “an excellent fleet package”. They commented: “Vauxhall took a risk when it completely re-engineered this van, but it has paid off with excellent build quality, a great driving experience, good fuel economy, improved payload and an impressive load length. It is also strong on safety technology and comes with a solid three-year/100,000-mile warranty.”

Hosted by television presenter Gaby Roslin, the award was presented to Richard Collier, Vauxhall’s National Commercial Vehicle and B2B Sales Manager, in front of over 400 industry figures, all recognising and celebrating the critical role the industry plays in keeping British business moving.

“We’re thrilled to see the Vauxhall Vivaro honoured, once again, for being the best in its class,” said Richard Collier. “Built at our Luton plant, its excellent practicality, efficiency and comfort makes it the perfect choice for commercial vehicle operators.”

The win is the second in recent months, with the Vivaro also taking Fleet Van of the Year at this year’s Motor Transport Awards. The medium-sized van is a popular choice for companies including BT Fleet, British Gas and Homeserve.

For the second year running, the Isuzu D-Max has won the ‘Pick-Up Truck of the Year’ prize.

For the second year running, the Isuzu D-Max has won the ‘Pick-Up Truck of the Year’ prize at the Commercial Fleet Awards. The triumph was announced at the ceremony held last Thursday at The International Centre in Telford.

Stephen Briers, Commercial Fleet editor, commented:  “Isuzu specialises in pick-ups with a network that understands the needs of fleets. The judges praised the D-Max’s five-year warranty, level of safety equipment and 3.5-tonne towing limit, and said that it is very competitive from a total cost of ownership perspective. As well as being a rugged performer and very capable off-road, the D-Max is equally at home on-road and delivers a comfortable, impressive driving experience.”

The prestigious annual Commercial Fleet Awards are highly regarded by motor manufacturers, supplier and fleet groups and individuals, since the judges base their selections on those who have achieved the highest possible level of excellence in their sector. The jury is made up of the Fleet News editorial team and experts from across the industry.

Isuzu’s UK’s General Manager, William Brown, commented: “This is well-deserved recognition of the continuing hard work and impeccable service delivered by our fleet sales team and our dealer network. It’s also testament to the attributes with which the D-Max continues to make a compelling case for fleet buyers: an unrivalled combination of class-leading capabilities, exceptional refinement and low ownership costs.”

The Isuzu D-Max is one of the most cost-effective pick-ups on the market with ultra-low insurance groups (8A to 10A), class-leading residual values and fuel economy (38.7 mpg combined), industry-leading fleet packages, all backed-up by the company’s pioneering five-year / 125,000-mile warranty.

Following record sales of more than 5,500 units in 2014 (up 33.7% over 2013), registrations for the first eight months of this year up again by 27.7%, demonstrating the continuous growth of the reputation of the D-Max.

The Isuzu D-Max is available in three body styles – single, extended and double cab – with prices starting from £14,999 (CVOTR) for the entry-level single cab 4x2 rising to £25,999 (CVOTR) for the range-topping Isuzu Blade. The Isuzu D-Max is fitted with a super-efficient 2.5-litre twin-turbo diesel engine, producing 163 PS and 400 Nm of torque, is able to tow a class-leading 3.5-tonnes (braked) while still returning fuel economy of 38.7 mpg (combined), and is available with a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission.