The new van market may have entered a gentle decline as the UK’s economy struggles to keep up a head of steam in a period of political uncertainty but sales of light vans weighing between 2.0 to 2.5 tonnes are bucking the trend.
In the, albeit low-volume, month of February the whole market enjoyed a fillip following a slow start in January – rising by 6.4% to 14,135, according to the SMMT – but light van sales jumped 20% to 2,586 units year-on-year. In the first two months of the year the sector was up 8.8% to 5,792.
In February, a trio of light vans made it into the top 10 sellers’ list, bunched together at five, six and seven, but most notable was Ford suffering the rare indignity of not providing the sector’s bestseller with the Transit Connect (803) being outsold by Peugeot’s Partner (856). The Citroen Berlingo was tucked in behind this pair on 604 sales.
Over the first two months of 2018, however, the Transit Connect was the nation’s fifth best-selling van on 1,860, just 25 units ahead of the Partner on 1,835, with the Berlingo still keeping pace on 1,524 registrations.
During the full year of 2017 the light van sector increased 2.3% to 55,047 in an overall market that fell 3.6% to 362,149 units compared to 2016.
The Transit Connect led the way by growing sales from 15,494 to 19,805 year-on-year, ahead of the Partner, up marginally on 14,991, and the Berlingo, down slightly on 13,875. The top five was completed by the VW Caddy (6,761) and the Vauxhall Combo, which endured a tough year with sales down from 5,982 in 2016 to 4,181 last year.
Rivals trying to keep up with Ford’s light van will be bracing themselves for the launch of a revised Connect in mid-2018. New to the Connect will be a 1.5-litre Ecoblue engine and eight-speed auto transmission. It will also be available with Ford’s 1.0-litre petrol Ecoboost engine and a six-speed manual gearbox.
Ford has given the van an external makeover to bring it in line with its latest design discipline. This includes a three-bar Transit grille combined with slimmer headlamps, with HID Xenon lamps and LED daytime running lights available on high-series models. A front spoiler enhances the new look.
Inside, an upgraded cabin features a revised instrument panel with a new central control area that incorporates a floating, tablet-inspired six-inch colour touchscreen on high-series models and features Ford’s Sync 3 communications and entertainment system.
The brand has extended service intervals on manual diesels to two years/25,000 miles from two years/20,000 miles.
We should see Vauxhall’s Combo Life before the year’s out
In February Vauxhall released images of its new Combo Life – the passenger-carrying version of its Combo light van. The model marks the Combo’s transition from being based upon the Fiat Professional Doblo Cargo to being built on PSA Peugeot-Citroen’s leisure-activity vehicle and light van platform.
Vauxhall says the Combo Life will arrive before the end of this year and be available in two lengths (4.4m and 4.75m), and as five- and seven-seaters with two sliding doors. It will come with a choice of turbo-charged, direct-injection petrol and diesel engines and with either five- or six-speed manual transmissions or as an eight-speed automatic.
New Peugeot Partner and Citroen Berlingo vans are also expected to be rolled out before the end of the year.
Prior to this, Nissan’s e-NV200 will get a battery beefed-up from 24kWh to 40kWH in Q2, which the brand claims will boost its range by 60% to 174 miles on the New European Driving Cycle. Even on the new more real-world Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure, the e-NV200 still records a claimed 125-mile combined figure
It’s subject to confirmation, but a new Renault Kangoo should come to market in 2019. In the meantime, Renault has added its double-clutch auto transmission to the current versions of its 90hp and 110hp diesel models. Mercedes bases its Citan on the Kangoo, but to date has not followed the French brand by launching an electric derivative, something Merc says it will rectify when the next generation arrives towards the end of 2019.
On the horizon
Nissan e-NV200 (40kWh battery) May 2018
Ford Transit Connect facelift June 2018
Vauxhall Combo Life December 2018
Peugeot Partner December 2018
Citroen Berlingo December 2018
