News - Page 1824

TELEMATICS provider Masternaut has moved to a new £2 million depot following a ten-fold expansion during the past 18 months.

CAR production rose by 10,067 units in May and commercial vehicle output increased by 20.9% to 16,884 units.

MANUFACTURERS are increasingly aiming for high safety ratings when designing fleet cars of the future, a major safety body has noted.

A SNAPSHOT of the UK motor industry created by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has thrown into sharp focus some of the key issues facing fleet decision-makers today.

PICK a car, any car. Company car drivers are increasingly being given free rein when it comes to choosing their next vehicle.

THE French firm reckons that its radical new 407 has what it takes to win in the upper-medium segment. We ask our panel for their views, rates and vital statistics on six of the best cars available.

THE Liquefied Petroleum Gas industry decided to put on a brave face at its annual show in the wake of a series of recent set-backs to the green-fuel movement.

MORE than 70,000 people work at Heathrow Airport every day of the year, equivalent to almost the entire population of the city of Lincoln encased inside a 17-mile perimeter fence.

FLEET News' sister title AM has a revamped website at www.am-online.com.

LAUNCH dates for key fleet models.

THE latest appointments in the fleet industry.

LDV finally revealed the shape of its future at the CV Show in March after a year of speculation.

COMMERCIAL vehicle manufacturer LDV has launched a 16-seater minibus. <P></p>

RENAULT is launching a series of roadshows across the country this spring and summer, in which ex-Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies and ex-England captain Stuart Pearce will be offering health checks for van drivers.

A LOOPHOLE behind rocketing sales of double-cab pick-up trucks has been closed with a 600% increase in benefit-in-kind taxation for some vehicles.

JEEP is launching its first commercial vehicle in the UK, a van based on the Cherokee 4x4.

PEUGEOT has launched a special edition of the Partner van aimed at small businesses which may have occasional need to use the vehicle as a private means of transport.

NISSAN’S evergreen Cabstar has been treated to a raft of improvements for 2004, including a 14% boost in power, new gearbox and new front suspension, fresh exterior styling, improved interior comfort and longer service intervals.

THE Nissan Terrano van has been upgraded for 2004, with ABS brakes, CD player and passenger airbag now featuring as standard.

IN the third of his series of articles from the Lex Rough Guide to Vans 2004, Peter McSean looks at add-on extras.

VAUXHALL is exploring every niche in a bid to accelerate its van sales. And with models like the Combo crew van on offer, it deserves success.

MOST 4x4 offerings nowadays look more suited for the catwalk than the highway. <P><p></p>

DUNCAN Ward explains just why pre-sale preparation is vital to maximise residual values at remarketing time. <P></p>

WITH a strong first quarter behind us, some might have expected demand to soften over the Easter period, which has often been a watershed in the marketplace in previous years. <p></p>

<P></p> THE light commercials market has enjoyed periods this year where shortages of stock have led dealers and traders to buy work, rather than go without. <p></p>

THE first three months of 2004 have shown consistent strength for the used commercial vehicle market. So much so that Alex Wright, commercial vehicle director at Manheim Auctions believes, the past 12 weeks have been the strongest start to the year he can remember in 15 years.

THE Citroen Berlingo may be getting a tad long in the tooth, but there is plenty of life in the old stager yet.

THE 1.8-tonne van sector is filled with funky little performers like the canny little Renault Kangoo, the cheeky Citroen Berlingo and the feisty Vauxhall Combo.

AS the storm clouds gather over the use of alternative fuels, TREVOR GELKEN investigates whether liquefied petroleum gas is still a viable option for Britain’s van fleet operators.

FORD has joined the high horsepower market with the introduction of a 135 bhp diesel version of its rear-wheel drive 2.4-litre Transit. Or rather it hasn’t, for instead of power, Ford prefers to talk about torque. <P></P>