FLEET WORLD - The Citroen Dispatch takes the honours as best medium van in this years ceremony.

New Citroën Dispatch has continued its award-winning ways by taking the Best Medium Van prize in the 2017 Van Fleet World Honours.

The New Citroën Dispatch has been named Medium Van of the Year in the 2017 Van Fleet World Honours. The award was won jointly with the Peugeot Expert and Toyota Proace at a prestigious ceremony earlier today at the RAC Club in Pall Mall.

This latest award in the New Citroën Dispatch trophy cabinet joins the What Van? Light Commercial Vehicle of the Year 2017 and Medium Van of the Year 2017 awards, which were presented at the end of last year. 

Van Fleet World Editor, Dan Gilkes, said; “The New Dispatch is quite simply a great mid-weight van that has taken a huge step forwards from its predecessor. 

The van is not simply a like-for-like replacement, as the addition of a third compact model broadens the line-up, opening up new opportunities and providing customers with increased choice to suit specific operating requirements.

“There’s a good choice of 1.6 and 2.0-litre engines delivering a good mix of economy and low emissions, with power and refinement. The vans can also be supplied with a very high specification, including industry first head-up display and hands-free side door opening.

“Citroën has managed to deliver strong load volume and payload capacities, while providing a comfortable, car-like driving environment in a van with perfect dimensions for urban use.”

The Van Fleet World Awards are chosen by a panel of expert journalists at the publication, who have considerable experience of the van market.

Commenting on the award, Jeremy Smith, Citroën UK’s Head of Commercial Vehicles & Business Sector Operations, said; “We thought we were on to a winner with the New Dispatch range.

The awards from What Van?, and now Van Fleet World, show that others with experience in the van sector think so too. We are delighted that the experts at Van Fleet World have recognised the strengths of the New Dispatch with this latest award.”

WHAT VAN ? - The New Citroen Dispatch takes it's first two UK awards at the Van of the year ceremony.

New Citroën Dispatch has just picked up its first UK accolades since it was launched earlier this year.

The new mid-size panel van was named joint winner of both the overall Light Commercial Vehicle of the Year prize and the Medium Van of the Year trophy at the 2017 What Van? Awards. 

The honours were presented at the prestigious What Van? Awards luncheon in London earlier today.

What Van?’s panel of experienced judges considered the model to be “an outstanding new van that has come to the market this year”, adding that the New Dispatch “breaks new ground in the largest and most important sector of the market.”

James Dallas, Editor of WhatVan?, commented; “The Citroën Dispatch represents a big step up compared with its predecessor in terms of quality, refinement and practicality. It should propel the brand to the forefront of what is a very competitive market sector. The new Dispatch brings useful innovations to the market and it now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best medium vans on offer.”

The What Van? Awards are voted for by an expert panel of judges who use their combined decades of experience to decide the winners. The awards highlight the best products, companies and services in the industry, and reward those making the biggest difference to van operators and drivers across the UK.

The design of the New Citroën Dispatch was inspired by the world of passenger cars and SUVs. Its styling is fluid and practical, with the all-new modular platform allowing New Citroën Dispatch to be available in three lengths. Its practicality is illustrated by an optional hands-free function for the sliding side doors and numerous improvements in the cabin that make the life of the driver significantly easier.

Besides useful everyday functions like hands-free entry and start, New Citroën Dispatch also features technology such as Mirror Screen smartphone connectivity that brings the van right up to date.

Jeremy Smith, Citroën’s Head of Commercial Vehicles & Business Sector Operations, said; “We are delighted that the New Citroën Dispatch has been voted as the best new light commercial vehicle on the market by What Van? magazine. To gain industry recognition on such an important new product, in a highly competitive market, is very important to us. We are confident that new and existing customers will be equally impressed when they get behind the wheel to experience the new van for themselves.”