Northern Ireland Housing Executive takes delivery of 85 Renault commercial vehicles, in a large purchase order.

• Northern Ireland Housing Executive orders 85 Renault LCVs
• 33 Trafic Panel Vans, 44 Master Panel Vans and eight ‘off-the-shelf’ Master Tippers
• Low emissions and attractive costs contributed to order win through Crown Commercial Service (CCS) framework
• Renault LCVs purchased outright and replace NIHE’s leased maintenance vehicles
• Vehicles come with four-year/100,000-mile warranty

Northern Ireland’s strategic housing authority has replaced its entire fleet of leased maintenance vehicles with 85 Renault LCV models.

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) ordered 33 Trafic Panel Vans, 44 Master Panel Vans and eight officially-converted Master Tippers after running a tender through the Crown Commercial Service (CCS). The Renault LCVs secured the order due to their excellent value and low emissions.

The company, which offers a range of services to people living in socially rented, privately rented and owner occupied accommodation as well as supporting and working with a number of other public bodies, will use the mix of Renaults in the maintenance of the 89,000 dwellings that it is responsible for across Northern Ireland.

NIHE opted for the Trafic panel van in short wheelbase, low-roof format with the efficient dCi 115 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine, while its Master panel vans were ordered in medium wheelbase, medium-roof specification and powered by the dCi 110 2.3-litre turbo diesel engine. The Master Tippers – available to order ‘off-the-shelf’ through Renault’s dealer network and with 45-degree rear-tipping ‘Scattolini’ bodies fitted by accredited Renault supplier VFS – were ordered in front-wheel drive, medium wheelbase specification with the dCi 125 2.3-litre turbo diesel engine.  

All ordered models feature the generous Business specification, which includes DAB radio with Bluetooth, ESC (Electronic Stability Control) with HSA (Hill Start Assist) and Grip Xtend, electric front windows and remote central locking.

The new Renaults also come with a four-year warranty that provides the ultimate peace of mind for this period or 100,000 miles.

The Trafic and Master Panel Vans were sourced through Charles Hurst Renault in Belfast, with the Master Tippers supplied by Shelbourne Motors in Craigavon. Unlike the vehicles that they replace, the Renault LCVs were bought outright by Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

David Roe, Fleet Manager, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, said: “We considered a number of vehicles through the tender, but none could rival the value or the emissions offered by Renault.

“Despite the large size of the order and our urgent request for the vehicles, all have arrived on schedule and now that we have the first few out in the field, we’ve had excellent feedback from our operatives."

He continued: “Fuel economy is proving to be very impressive and the teams are especially pleased with the quality feel of the vehicles, the level of equipment and the fact that they drive like a car.”

Darren Payne, Sales Director, Groupe Renault UK, said: “We are exceptionally pleased that in the face of some very strong competition and through a very extensive selection process, Renault LCVs were deemed to be the best fit for Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

“This is a particularly sizeable order for the region and is a perfect illustration of the broad appeal of our award-winning Light Commercial Vehicles, including the availability of our in-house Master conversion programme that has made it very simple for Northern Ireland Housing Executive to enhance its fleet with quality Tippers that have the official manufacturer seal of approval.”

Available with a choice of four efficient turbo diesel engines, the award-winning Renault Trafic is available in Panel Van, Crew Van and Passenger bodystyles. It is priced from £18,475 ex. VAT.

The Renault Master is available from £21,420 ex. VAT. Customers can choose from five different engines, front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive; and three bodystyles – Panel Van, Crew Van and Passenger.

Renault Master Conversions start from £23,600 ex. VAT, available directly from the factory straight to the dealer. In addition to the Master Tipper that is priced from £27,350 ex. VAT, other ‘ready-made’ Master conversions include a Dropside, Box Van and Luton Loloader.

All Renault LCV vehicles come with the reassurance of the Renault Business Quality Commitment – the manufacturer’s 13-point plan that guarantees customers will receive the very best service. Designed to keep customers moving no matter what and deliver hassle-free business motoring, the plan covers everything from an impressive warranty and transparent pricing to the availability of courtesy vehicles and a dedicated customer hotline.

Renault’s UK van sales increased significantly in 2015 to 25,458 vehicles – up 39.5 per cent compared to 2014 and significantly outpaced the UK van market which grew by of 15.5 per cent, according to official figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers.

The strong UK result contributed to Renault being the best-selling LCV brand in Europe for the 18^thconsecutive year. In a market that was up 11.4 per cent, Renault’s LCV sales rose to 16.9 per cent – equivalent to the sale of 29,000 additional vehicles across Europe

ISS UK Ltd orders 123 Renault Master Tippers takings it's total to more than 1,100 units.

• ISS UK Ltd orders 123 Renault Master Tippers
• ‘Off-the-shelf’ conversion adds to customer convenience
• ISS now has more than 1,100 Renault vehicles on fleet
• Vehicles come with industry-leading four-year warranty

World-leading facility services provider ISS has placed an order for 123 efficient and versatile Renault Master Tippers, taking advantage of the manufacturer’s convenient and straightforward ‘off-the-shelf’ in-house conversion programme.

The company, which offers facility solutions including technical service, support services, cleaning, catering and security, opted for the twin-wheel RWD Master in both medium-wheelbase single cab and long-wheelbase crew cab versions.

The vehicles – available for order through Renault’s dealer network – feature 45-degree rear-tipping ‘Scattolini’ bodies, fitted by accredited Renault supplier VFS, and will be used by ISS’ Landscaping Business to service a major new contract at locations across the UK.

Supplied by Renault Retail Group in Coulsdon, South London, each tipper has been specified with an optional heavy duty towing upgrade, allowing them to tow up to 3.5 tonnes, and an electronic steering lock for added security.

The vehicles have been financed through LeasePlan on a five-year contract hire with full maintenance. They also benefit from the industry-leading Renault four-year warranty that provides the ultimate peace of mind for this period or 100,000 miles.

The tippers are complemented by ISS’ recent purchase of 17 Renault Master-based beavertails with a further five on order. Offering benefits that include the speed of loading and unloading mowing machinery and there being no requirement for the driver to hold a driving licence with trailer entitlements, these vehicles feature a TGS purpose-built lightweight aluminium beavertail body which affords a payload of around 1.2 tonnes and can also be fitted with optional cages for leaf and litter clearance use in winter months.

ISS is a long-standing strategic partner of Renault UK and Groupe Renault internationally and the latest acquisitions mean the company now has around 1,100 Renault vehicles on its 2,500-strong UK fleet. This includes a wide range of passenger cars including the Clio supermini, Mégane and Captur crossover shortly the All-New Kadjar and the full array of Renault light commercials.

Nigel Rowden ISS UK Group Fleet Manager said: “ISS has been working with Renault for many years and as a strategic partner, they were able to deliver a seamless service, from order to delivery, at the best TCO, after stiff competition from our other suppliers, for the 123 tippers required to deliver this service to our new customer, around the UK.”

Darren Payne, Director of Sales, Renault UK said: “We are delighted that a major partner of Renault UK, especially one with such an impressive and diverse fleet as ISS, has seen the benefits of our in-house Master conversion programme, which has been designed from the ground up to simplify the whole vehicle ordering and specification process.

“It’s also very pleasing that ISS was attracted by our market-leading Renault Business Quality Commitment, with four-year warranty and assistance - a promise that’s unrivalled in the LCV sector - and the huge impact this can have on keeping vehicle downtime and whole life costs to a minimum.”

The Renault Master is available as a chassis cab or platform cab and with a variety of manufacturer approved conversions that give operators the unbeatable convenience of a ‘one-stop-shop’ approach to specifying their vehicle and choosing between different weights, lengths and engines.

In addition to the Tipper, ‘ready-made’ Master conversions include a Dropside, Box Van and Luton Loloader.

The Master Tipper, priced from £27,050 (ex VAT), is available in medium or long wheelbase form and with front wheel drive, rear wheel drive or twin-wheel rear wheel drive for added traction and greater towing ability.

Meanwhile, a high strength but lightweight steel body with aluminium side and rear panels keep the unladen weight down to maximise payload. RWD models can carry up to 1,199kg while FWD models can lug a hefty 1,349kg.

Two powerful yet efficient common rail diesel powerplants are available – one producing 125PS and the other 135PS.

The Master also offers a practical and well-equipped cab, with a raft of popular features including DAB radio, Bluetooth and a USB port as standard. An array of safety features such as ESC (Electronic Stability Control) with Grip Xtend, Hill Start Assist and Trailer Swing Assist also come as standard.