WHAT VAN ? - The British Built Vivaro takes the Best Used Van Title for the 2nd year running.

Vauxhall has picked up another award to round off a highly-successful year, with the Vivaro being named as What Van? Used Van of the Year for the second year in a row.

Now in their fourth year, the prestigious What Van? awards celebrate the best of the best in the LCV sector, with all 14 winners receiving their gongs at the awards lunch this afternoon. 

The Brit-built Vivaro was again recognised at the awards, successfully defending its title as ‘Used Van of the Year’.

“The Vivaro has again proven itself to be the most thought-out and user-friendly medium van on the market, and that combines with its stylish appeal and best-in-class Bi-Turbo engines to create an appealing proposition,” said What Van? Editor James Dallas. “The fact that it’s British-built and supporting the UK economy is the icing on the cake of a well-thought-out light commercial vehicle proposition.”

This year has seen Vauxhall’s trophy cabinet fill considerably, with the manufacturer receiving multiple awards for models across its commercial vehicle and passenger car ranges. For its CV range, Vauxhall has been recognised by Trade Van Driver, Fleet World, and Business Van magazines, among others, in a year that has also seen Vauxhall’s Luton plant – where the Vivaro is made – receive awards for health and safety.

Steve Bryant, Vauxhall’s Head of Commercial Vehicle Brand, said: “The Vivaro is a model we are very proud of, and to build it in the UK is something that is very important to us. To see it recognised yet again is great to see, as it continues to prove itself to CV operators with its style, practicality, comfort and efficiency.”

What Van? offers light commercial vehicle buying and owning advice, and the awards are decided by its expert editorial panel comprising decades of experience in the industry.

Vauxhall opens Europe's biggest Emergency Services production facility at Luton, specialising in Police, Fire and Ambulance models,

• Largest Police car factory in Europe opens in Luton, Bedfordshire
• 2,500 vehicles per year converted for Police, Fire and Ambulance
• 50 new jobs in Luton after production moved in-house
• UK supplier firms benefit with 90 per cent material sourced locally

Vauxhall has officially opened its Police car factory, the largest of its kind in Europe, at its manufacturing plant in Luton, Bedfordshire.

The factory will convert 2,500 vehicles per year, including cars and vans, for use by Police forces, and Fire and Ambulance services nationwide.

Bringing 50 new jobs to Luton, the new facility has been created after moving production in-house from its previous location in Millbrook, Bedfordshire.

Supplier firms around the country also benefit with 90 per cent of blue-light content, the materials used to convert a standard car in to a Police car, sourced locally from UK suppliers. Local firms include Border Engineering in Luton who make brackets and AV Engineering in Royston who make fascia mouldings.

An array of Vauxhalls will be converted for use by the emergency services at the Luton facility with cars including Corsa, Astra, Insignia and Mokka, and CVs, such as Combo, Movano and the Luton-built Vivaro vans.

Vauxhall is the only manufacturer to offer a one-stop shop for blue-light vehicles. Everything is done in-house from testing to converting and even remarketing of decommissioned vehicles.

Policing has changed dramatically in recent years with new types of crimes and the increased terror threat. With technology like 4G Wi-Fi and rugged Toughbook tablets, Vauxhall can offer the emergency services everything they need to stay connected on the move.

“Through our flexible production facility, Vauxhall is able to offer a one-stop shop purchasing experience to UK emergency services,” said Dick Ellam, Vauxhall’s Manager, Special Vehicles.

“We can deliver a wide choice of car and van models, specifically designed and rigorously-tested to meet the stringent demands of our emergency services. We can also supply turn-key vehicle solutions that enable rapid turnaround of replacement vehicles, plus we can now offer a unique in-house de-commissioning and re-marketing service.”

Vauxhall is the number one supplier to Police fleets with a 70 per cent market share of competitive segments.

Vauxhall is awarded the gold level award in the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2016.

Continuing its winning streak, Vauxhall has claimed a gold award at the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2016. This year marks the 60^th year for the annual scheme run by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, which has recognised Vauxhall’s Luton plant for excellence in safety. 

Vauxhall won an Achievement Award where it reached the Gold level, with the plant able to demonstrate its excellent health and safety management systems and performance. The award is based on occupational health and safety performance.

“To win an award at such a highly-regarded event as the RoSPA Awards is a great achievement for our winners, recognising their commitment to maintaining an excellent health and safety record,” said Julia Small, RoSPA’s Head of Awards and Events. “This year is a special one as the RoSPA Awards celebrates its diamond anniversary. The longevity of the awards is a ringing endorsement of the thousands of businesses and organisations that have committed to continuous improvement in accident and ill-health prevention.”

The awards will be presented at the diamond anniversary awards ceremony at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole hotel on 13^th July.

“We have had an outstanding start to the year and have won awards in numerous sectors for our cars and vans. Now our manufacturing facility in Luton has been recognised for its outstanding health and safety record,” said Rory Harvey, Vauxhall’s Chairman and Managing Director. “Our team at the Luton plant works hard to ensure they work to the highest safety standards and we are pleased that this has been acknowledged by RoSPA, with the team achieving the highest level of award.”

Vauxhall built over 60,000 vans in the UK last year, making it Britain’s number one van maker for the 14^th  year running. Driven by UK Vivaro sales of over 28,000, Vauxhall manufactured 60,280 vans in Luton.

The all-new Vivaro, launched in 2014 secured 1,800 jobs at the UK’s only dedicated light commercial vehicle plant after workers won a ten-year contract and a £185 million investment.

Vauxhall has been honoured in two categories at Trade Van Driver magazine’s annual awards.

Vauxhall has been honoured in two categories at Trade Van Driver magazine’s annual awards. The Brit-built Vivaro was named as Trader’s choice, while Vauxhall also picked up the award for Best Trade Van Range, acknowledging the strength of its entire commercial vehicle offering.

Judged by an expert panel of journalists, as well as a carefully selected panel of readers, the Trade Van Driver Awards give recognition to manufacturers, firms and people who offer the very best to retail van buyers.

Vauxhall’s commercial vehicle range has continued to grow in recent years, with each van offering variants that accommodate all kinds of operator needs. Smaller compact vans include Corsavan and Combo, while the larger Vivaro and Movano models are ideal for larger, heavier loads. A wide range of conversions are available on Vivaro and Movano vehicles, giving a level of versatility not seen across other parts of the market.

It was this versatility and range of applications across the line-up that gave Vauxhall the award for Best Trade Van Range.

“Small, medium and large, plus many permutations of these, the Vauxhall commercial range has transport solutions for all the professional trades,” said Trade Van Driver Magazine editor, Matthew Eisenegger. “For businesses that operate a single-brand policy Vauxhall has it all.”

The Vauxhall Vivaro is the newest model in the CV range. Built in Luton, variants include panel van, doublecab, combi and platform, already making it the van of choice for thousands of operators. Named as Trader’s choice, Matthew Eisenegger said of the Vivaro: “Ever popular with the various trades, the Vivaro benefits from functional design, comfort and extreme practicality. It’s built in Britain too, which is another big plus point.”

Vauxhall’s commercial vehicle range has picked up a host of awards already this year, with the Trade Van Driver accolades following quadruple wins at both the Fleet World Honours and the Business Van Awards.

“This year is proving to be a very successful one for our CV range, both in terms of industry recognition and sales performance,” said Steve Bryant, Head of Commercial Vehicle Brand. “The Brit-built Vivaro is taking many of the accolades thanks to its practicality, efficiency and comfort. And it’s also great news for us to pick up awards across the whole range.”

Renault Trafic van achieves 200,000 sales in the UK after 35 years, and 3.4 million global sales.

• Renault Trafic van achieves 200,000 sales in the UK
• 3.4 million Trafics sold globally since 1980
• Renault has been European LCV leader for 18 consecutive years

The Renault Trafic has surpassed 200,000 sales in the UK, having been a staple of the British LCV landscape for almost 35 years. 

The Trafic has evolved considerably across the years, and now in its third generation, offers van users all the features and comfort of a passenger car as well as the class-leading practicality and innovation you would expect from Europe’s number one LCV manufacturer.

Now in its third generation, the latest Renault Trafic went on sale in the UK in late 2014, bringing a modern, fresh take on the practical van. It is available in a choice of four bodystyles – Panel Van, Crew Van, to carry up to six people and equipment, Platform Cab and Passenger, which seats up to nine people in comfort, and in over 70 variants in the UK.

Steve Wilson, LCV Product Manager, Renault UK said: “The Trafic has proved very successful in the UK since it was first launched here 35 years ago. To achieve 200,000 sales shows the Trafic really hit a chord with business users in the UK. 

It has innovated in the van market since 1981, offering a robust, user-friendly vehicle in a wide number of bodystyles and conversion options. The latest Trafic has proved fantastically popular since launching here in late 2014 and helped Renault LCVs to a record year in the UK in 2015.”

Trafic I

Replacing the Estafette, the original Renault Trafic was unveiled in 1980 and went on sale in the UK in 1981 – the same year that saw the inaugural London Marathon and MTV broadcast for the first time. Available up until 2001, the original Trafic saw three facelifts during its 20-year tenure and was offered in a total of 32 different variants, split between front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive and petrol and diesel engines. 

The Trafic I was available at launch with a payload of up to 1200kg, and recognised the increasing importance of driver comfort by improving seating, driver control, soundproofing and ventilation over its predecessor. 

It was also easily accessible for loading and unloading goods, with a choice of rear and side doors, robust thanks to special treatment against corrosion and safe due to advanced semi-cab visibility and assisted braking with ventilated discs at the front. The original Renault Trafic went on sale in 1981 from £3,950.

Phase II followed in 1990, as the first generation Trafic underwent a major facelift with a slightly longer body, rounder front end and new, plastic bumpers. Five years later, the Trafic received another facelift with a new grille, new taillights, large double rear view mirrors and a new interior with modern dashboard and multi-adjustable seats. Through all three phases, 80,442 first generation Renault Trafics were sold in the UK.

Trafic II

Trafic II was unveiled at the 2000 Frankfurt Motorshow and launched in the UK in May 2001. Trafic II was the first Renault to be manufactured in the UK in thirty years and hit the roads in the year the first Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings films premiered, and the original Apple iPod was released. 

Built in Luton for UK customers, the Trafic II offered a refrigerated glove box, radio with CD player and central locking as standard, while options at launch included mobile ‘phone connectivity, air conditioning and a full-glazed bulkhead. Available in a range of twelve colours such as Desert Yellow, Laser Red and Storm Blue, it went on sale from £11,995 (excluding VAT). Between 2001 and 2014, 102,486 Trafic II were sold in the UK.

Trafic III

The current Renault Trafic, which went on sale in late 2014, is available with four efficient turbodiesel engines, in a choice of four bodystyles – Panel Van, Crew Van, to carry up to six people and equipment, Platform Cab and Passenger. Trafic boasts fuel economy of up to 50.4mpg (NEDC Combined) and CO₂ emissions as low as 149g/km, and is priced from £18,245 excluding VAT.

The Trafic provides the best load capacities on the medium panel van market today with clever solutions to make the loading area more practical. Innovative features such as keyless entry, touch-screen infotainment, mobile office storage and functionality, as well as sophisticated stability control, are available.

Trafic III can also be customised more than its predecessors with 70 variants in the UK, two different heights, two different lengths, panel van, crew-van, platform cab and passenger versions, not to mention all the solutions offered by approved converters.

Thanks to its new range of downsized, turbocharged engines, the Renault Trafic III is also more flexible and economical than ever before. The engines are based upon the 1.6 dCi unit and feature advanced technology to combine fuel consumption savings with real driving enjoyment. 

The downsizing of the engines offer brisk pick-up and greater low-end torque for responsive acceleration, even when the vehicle is fully loaded. In the UK, as of the end of March 2016, 18,189 of the latest third generation Trafics have been sold since launch in late 2014.

Renault’s expertise has earned recognition in the demanding and growing LCV segment. Groupe Renault engineers and produces not only for its own brands but also for other manufacturers.

The Renault Trafic is built in Sandouville, Renault’s plant in Northern France, where Renault also manufactures vans for Nissan (NV300) and Fiat (Talento) as well as high-roof versions of Vivaro for Opel and Vauxhall.  

The Renault Kangoo, and the Mercedes-Benz Citan, are produced at the Renault factory in Maubeuge and at the Batilly plant, Renault manufactures the Master for Renault and Renault Trucks as well as vans for Nissan (NV400), Opel and Vauxhall (Movano).

The Trafic has won numerous awards throughout its lifetime and most recently became a two-time consecutive winner of What Van?’s ‘Best Medium Van of the Year’ in 2015 and 2016. It has also demonstrated its economical credentials by winning the LCV titles of ‘Best MPG’ in 2014, and ‘Best Percentage Improvement’ in both 2014 and 2015, at the MPG Marathon. 

The Renault LCV range consists of the Kangoo small van – comprising Kangoo, Kangoo Maxi and all-electric Kangoo Van Z.E – the Trafic, as well as the larger Master. A comprehensive range of factory and approved LCV conversions are also available to order. The all-electric Twizy Cargo is also a part of the LCV line-up – a unique way of transporting smaller items around urban environments.

Renault provides a specialist dealer network for its business customers through its Pro+ specialist dealers. The dealers offer sales and service advisors with specific B2B expertise. In the UK, all Renault LCVs are available with the reassurance of four years’/ 100,000 mile warranty and four years’ roadside assistance, providing the ultimate peace of mind.

Renault has been Europe’s leading LCV manufacturer for eighteen consecutive years, with sales in 2015 rising by 17 per cent compared to 2014 to 347,679 vehicles. In the UK, Renault had its best ever year for LCV sales in 2015 with 25,458 vehicles – up 40 per cent.  In the first quarter of 2016, Renault registered 6,618 vehicles – up 21 per cent on Q1 last year. 

Trafic: Then and Now

Trafic I – 1981 Petrol 1397cc – 47.5bhp @ 4,750 rpm	Trafic III – 2016 dCi90 – 90bhp @ 3,500 rpm
• Two-speed front windscreen wipers	• Rain-sensing automatic windscreen wipers
• One key for ignition, doors and fuel filler cap	• Hands free keycard entry
• Heating controls and sun visors	• Air conditioning with pollen filter
• Reversing lights	• Rear parking sensors and colour reverse parking camera
• Manual front windows	• Electric front windows
• 2 seatbelts and optional head restraints	• Driver’s airbag and 3-point height-adjustable seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters
• Internally adjustable door mirrors	• Electrically adjustable heated door mirrors
• Map pocket in driver’s door and tray running full length across dashboard with centre and passenger side glove compartments	• 54-litre underseat storage
• Interior light in centre of cab	• Mobile Office: Adjustable smartphone & tablet cradle, fold down central seat incorporating detachable A4 clipboard holder to be fixed in place to face the driver or passenger and laptop storage and holder
• FM/AM radio	• Renault R-Link Multimedia system: 7” touchscreen, TomTom® LIVE Navigation, FM/AM/DAB tuner, 4x35W speakers and Renault Bass Reflex, Bluetooth® audio streaming and hands-free calls, USB and AUX sockets, voice control and vehicle applications
• From £3,950 (+VAT)	• From £18,475 (+VAT)

Vauxhall celebrates the 14th year of being the UK's #1 commercial vehicle maker.

• Over 60,000 vehicles built in Luton, Bedfordshire
• Booming UK Vivaro sales help drive production
• Over 90,000 Astras made in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire

Vauxhall built over 60,000 vans in the UK last year, making it Britain’s number one van maker for the 14^th year running, according to figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Driven by UK Vivaro sales of over 28,000, Vauxhall manufactured 60,280 vans at its plant in Luton, Bedfordshire.

The offer of four years’ zero per cent APR finance, four years’ free servicing, a four year warranty and four years’ AA cover, was particularly popular with retail customers where Vauxhall was number one in this segment.

Meanwhile, Vauxhall also built over 90,000 Astras at its manufacturing plant in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. The much-lauded, all-new seventh-generation model is available in showrooms now.

“We are delighted to be the UK’s leading van manufacturer for the 14^th year running,” said Rory Harvey, Vauxhall’s Chairman and Managing Director. “The Luton-built Vivaro is the lynchpin of our award-winning van range and we are very proud of our 113 year heritage of building vehicles in Britain.”

Vauxhall’s all-new Vivaro, launched in 2014, and secured 1,500 jobs at the UK’s only dedicated light commercial vehicle plant after workers won a ten-year contract and a £185 million investment.

Thanks to the outstanding attitude and work ethic of the workforce, the Luton plant beat world class competition from across Europe to build the new van.

Rival Ford shut its Transit factory in Southampton 2013 making Vauxhall’s Luton facility the sole flag bearer for UK van manufacturing, on a site where over eight million vehicles have been built since 1905. The factory is a major exporter with 52 per cent of production destined for European markets.

Supplier firms across the country also benefit from £600 million of business over the life cycle of the second-generation Vivaro with 40 per cent of content sourced locally from UK suppliers, up from 24 per cent for the previous van.

For the 2nd year running, the Vauxhall Vivaro joins its Renault Stable-mate to take Best Medium van award.

Vauxhall’s Brit-built Vivaro has been named Medium Van of the Year, for the second year running, at the prestigious 2016 What Van? Awards, while the previous generation Vivaro picked up the Used Van of the Year title.

“The Vivaro has again proven itself to be the most thought-out and user-friendly medium van on the market, and that combines with its stylish appeal and best-in-class Bi-Turbo engines to create an appealing proposition,” said What Van? Editor Paul Barker. “The fact that it’s British-built and supporting the UK economy is the icing on the cake of a well-thought-out light commercial vehicle proposition.”

“We’re thrilled to see the Vivaro recognised yet again,” said Richard Collier, Vauxhall’s National Commercial Vehicle & B2B Sales Manager. “It continues to prove itself over and over to commercial vehicle operators, offering style, practicality, comfort and efficiency.”

The win is the third in recent months, with the Vivaro also taking Fleet Van of the Year at this year’s 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.

Vauxhall’s popular Corsavan was also highly commended in the Small Van of the Year award.

What Van? offers light commercial vehicle buying and owning advice, and the awards are decided by its expert editorial panel comprising decades of experience in the industry.