The humble van. It might not look like much but these warriors of our roads are absolutely crucial to businesses. The shops you love, both big and small, will all use a van at some point during the day to transport goods. Without them, local businesses in particular, would be sent into the dark ages fetching and carrying stock in small quantities. With the van being such a key ingredient it is very important to make sure that you have the right van insurance. That way, if the worst was to happen, you have a safety net to fall back on.
In an amusing little video produced by the insurance company AXA, we witness a day in the life of the unluckiest van. Providing cover for branded or neutral vans, the statistics show why insurance is a very good idea.
Did you know that van drivers are 142% more likely to crash reversing than other drivers? Accidents happen and with van drivers using unloading bays, sometimes in tricky to reach spots, this isn’t quite so surprising. The number of vans on Britain’s roads is growing 2.5 times faster than cars, but their owners also have to battle with thefts of, not just valuable stock, but also catalytic converters. In the past 3 years stollen catalytic converter crime has doubled. However, one of the most worrying facts is that van drivers are the prime target for “crash for cash” fraudsters. For those who don’t know, “crash for cash” is a fraudulent technique used by someone who deliberately causes an accident but then claims that it is your fault.
Vans are a vital part of a businesses supply chain, an important component that is wise to protect.
Sometimes in life there is no getting around a need for a man with a van. Moving house? You need a van. Avoiding the delivery charge on that new fridge you just bought? You need a van. Is your full-time occupation being a decorator? YOU NEED A VAN! The Citroen Berlingo, ever since its inception, has made no apologies for being a van with windows and it is this refreshingly honest character of the car that has made it a success. You see, for those who have a use for a car capable of carrying both the children and awkwardly shaped items, the Citroen Berlingo makes perfect sense. This week I have been testing the latest Citroen Berlingo Multispace.
Visually it isn’t going to win any beauty pageants with its rather slab-sided appearance and boxy rear end. That said, this top specification XTR model does sport some contrasting trim and sits a bit higher for a more rugged appearance. From the outset the Berlingo choses function over style, but to be perfectly honest, this cars core customers are going to have the very same mindset. The Citroen is a tall machine but its proportions make much more sense once you get inside.
The interior of the Citroen Berlingo Multispace is enormous. Its vast quantity of space and versatility is immediately apparent from the moment you enter. The high roof dons overhead storage compartments galore and even includes an aircraft style locker at the rear. Robust individual seats, the rear ones are completely removable, await their torture by growing children. Further storage compartments in the dashboard and doors ensure that you will forever have somewhere to put an ice scraper or a bag of boiled sweets for long journeys. Though initially mocked for “looking like a taxi” on a visit to Portsmouth to see some friends, they were later impressed by the sheer amount of alcohol, for the pending house party, that could be stored in various compartments. I bet Citroen never though that this car could be marketed as a mobile brewery! (Obviously drinking and driving did not occur, nor should it.) The Citroen Berlingo Multispace also has the option of being equipped with 7 seats with the extra row making itself at home in the Grand Canyon of a boot that this car possess. Another useful design feature is the cars van inspired sliding rear doors. They reveal a big opening that allows for easy access and the fact that they slide, as opposed to swing like a normal door, means that worrying about your child slamming the door into the Mercedes you are parked next to is a thing of the past. Rear passengers can also enjoy a completely flat floor and the use of the XTR’s built-in sun blinds. The dashboard is very utilitarian with a rectangular blocky aesthetic that isn’t too appealing to the eye, but again is functional in its layout. Our test car also had satellite navigation and Bluetooth but lacked a DAB radio. Big windows and additional transparent roof panels flood the cabin with plenty of natural light.
Powered by a 1.6 litre diesel engine the Berlingo XTR HDi pulls well with enough power to get you up to speed, however, this car does have the aerodynamic properties of a shed and so expect a notable amount of wind noise at motorway velocity. The Berlingo is very good at soaking up the humps and bumps of British roads, even taking on large speed bumps without much of a fuss. The ride is very good and makes for a comfortable journey over most surfaces. This car has a 5 mode traction system that includes snow and ice, sand, mud, normal and off (that is if we are counting off as a setting.) Body roll is much less than expected for such a tall car and as a result it can deal with mildly exuberant driving. What I didn’t like about the way the Berlingo is set-up was its steering. Whilst its lack of weight makes urban driving effortless and parking no strain at all, when away from the town it lacks feel and comes across as being numb. Yeah sure, it is a people mover and so I’m not expecting the steering characteristics of an MX-5, but I just didn’t like the almost complete lack of connection between car and driver. Armed with large windows visibility is always good and in tandem with its parking sensors, owners should have no trouble parking the car. It is geared well and the torque from the diesel engine is most welcome at roundabouts.
The Citroen Berlingo Multispace does what it is designed to do very well. It provides huge amounts of space for both people and large objects whist returning a reasonable 47MPG in the real world. Our top specification test car came to a rather pricey £20,260 but you will be glad to know that you can have a Berlingo from £16,960. This segment is rapidly expanding and with rivals such as Ford entering the market, Citroen have to clutch hold of their hard earned “class leader” status a bit tighter. For those who require such a car, you can not go too far wrong with the Berlingo.
Do you know of the Ford Tourneo? Odds are you do but never really took much notice of it. The last time you and a large group of friends stumbled into a taxi it was quite likely a Tourneo. Basically its a Transit van with lots of seats and Ford has just announced an all-new one.
You are much more likely to take notice of this model as the design team have sculpted a rather attractive people mover. This also bodes well for the up and coming all-new Transit as it previews the direction the blue oval shall take. It is powered by a reworked 2.2 litre Duratorque four cylinder with either 99, 123 and 156BHP options. Fuel economy is up to 34MPG and emission down to 182g/km.
The Mini range over the past 6 years has boomed. Once the simple hatchback was all that was on offer but now a vast range consisting of convertibles, coupes, crossovers and estates populate the showroom. Mini have taken a look back at their past once again for inspiration and come up with this… The Clubvan.
Based on the rather obscure Mini Clubman estate, the Clubvan aims to be a classy alternative for businesses needing to carry “stuff” (technical term) from location to location. That said, the Clubvan doesn’t have the capacity to store Narnia behind its doors and so trades much more on its image. Fitting a human cargo of two and retaining it’s third door, the new Concept takes centre stage for Mini at Geneva.
Motor shows are seen as different opportunities dependent on the manufacturer. Some will use the show to launch a new model, others to preview a new design direction. Some, however, attend just to throw a spanner in the works. Enter Citroen and a van that has been designed using hallucinogenic monkeys.
This is the Citroen Tubik Concept, a van that was created simply because the French company was bored. The bare aluminium skin and tubular body do make the Tubik look like something from the future. Inside it resembles a lounge from a club in 1964 more than anything with plush purple sofas and psychedelic lighting. It’s interesting but a complete waste of time in our eyes. Citroen, stop building quirky concepts that will never make it to market and hurry up with that cheap sports car you promised us!
Ford has developed some crazy “supervans” out of the legendary Transit; F1 powered vans, rally vans… But what happens when people outside Ford get creative with this legend? Well, this…
Who is in charge of the design team at Renault these days? Clearly someone with multiple personalities as one moment they are producing slick little french hatchbacks but the next eco vans that will never be. This is the Frenzy concept, an electric van here to save the environment. Despite its Ikea inspired seating there is nothing much to this fantasy and we really do think Renault should drop the whole “happy van” idea and get on with building some proper cars.
They were effectively Beetles with a tin can on top. Not much cop for cornering, painfully slow at getting up to speed but you could fit a kitchen in the back. The definitive hippy mobile became a cult classic and today prices of these rust buckets are ever increasing. The fans have been calling for a modern day incarnation for decades and it is only now that VW have complied with their protest. Damn hippies!
The VW Bulli Concept is said to be the spiritual successor of the “door mobile.” Though it’s awkward boxy shape somewhat resembles the original with the addition of a two-tone paint scheme, purists will complain it still isn’t radical enough. Where is the blunt nose? The split windscreen? The answer is that health and safety has yet again stolen your hopes and dreams… The Bulli has a 3+3 seating arrangement and though smaller than the original, it still offers masses of practicality. 260Nm of torque comes thanks to an electric motor meaning this car is as green as the ideals of the protesters that will drive it. 0-62MPH will take over 11 seconds and the top speed as been limited to 87MPH.
The Ford Transit has been the backbone of Brittan for more than 45 years and has been used for just about every purpose imaginable; bank robberies, racing, transporting large objects etc. The workhorse is not only a household name but these days has over 13 million combinations of optional extra’s making it one of the most individual cars you could buy. But what if you want your Transit a bit more… ASBO? Well Ford since 2006 have been offering a limited run of SportVans and now there is a new one.
Only offered in Colorado red with white stripes, this SportVan is our sort of Transit. All previous models are sold out: Performance Blue with white stripes (500), Sea Grey with silver stripes (80), Panther Black with silver stripes (500), Frozen White with blue stripes (80) and Ink Blue with silver stripes (150). Powered by a 135BHP 2.2 litre TDCi and limited to 100 units it is both the practical workmate you seek and the B-Road raider that you crave. The beauty of this particular Transit is that it gives owners the opportunity to have two binary opposites that really shouldn’t mix. A sporty van? Whatever next, a practical Lamborghini? This Sportvan starts at £22,630 included in the price is a set of dual exhausts as well as those 18″ graphite grey rims.
The Ford Transit… For 45 years now it has carried the weight of Brittan on its back! From minibus to flatbed, rally van to builders work horse, the Transit has always been the UK’s bestselling van. Today it is more of a British icon than the box on wheels that you can sling a cement mixer in, and let’s not forget during the 1960’s a Transit could hit 90MPH and easily overtake some of the best cars of the era.
There are over 13 million different combinations of Transit you can choose from with varying body styles and trim. At this very moment in time there are 6,000,000 of these scattered around the globe doing honest work for the population, but the Transits history hasn’t always been honest. The vans previously mentioned performance was used to great effect in the 60’s and 70’s by bank robbers, with 70% of all bank-jobs involving a Transit at some point. The police had no other choice than to use the old saying “if you can’t beat them, join them.” As a result it is more often than not a Transit that unloads the brave warriors of the police into hell during riots.
Transit has become the synonym of van and very few other cars in the history in motoring have managed to cement themselves so securely within society. Happy Birthday, to the Ford Transit!
