The Geneva Motor Show is one of the largest and highly reputed automotive gatherings of the year. However, as with the Paris and Frankfurt shows, commercial vehicle displays are few and far between. Even so, there were a number of exhibits that may be of interest to commercial readers – and here they are:
Brabus B63S
We’ll start with the bold and brash. It’s difficult to imagine which trades the Brabus B63S is applicable to, but we can safely say it’s a small niche. If the £400,000 list price doesn’t cripple the company finances, the running costs certainly will. The B63S does boast some impressive attributes, it has a 650kg payload and the 522Nm of torque will pull it easily on a full load.
DFSK C35
For those wanting cheap city run-arounds, DFSK has the perfect solution. In addition to the Loadhopper, the Chinese manufacturer is looking at launching the C35 panel van to the UK market. Employing the same Euro-5 compliant 1-litre and 1.3-litre engines, the C35 is the commercial derivative and the passenger-carrying C37 on display at the Geneva Show.
Mitsubishi took the opportunity to showcase the all new Mitsubishi L200 to a European audience for the very first time. The L200 has been a top seller in the UK for the past ten years, and the new model looks certain to carry on this tradition.
The Japanese manufacturer predicts that the 2015 Mitsubishi L200 will be class leading in terms of fuel economy and CO2 emissions thanks to the all-new 2.4-litre engine and 6-speed manual transmissions. The L200 is just one of six new pickups expected to be brought in over 2015 and 2016.
Peugeot has played around with its seven-year-old small panel van for the 2015 model year. While the 2015 Peugeot Partner exterior alterations aren’t ground breaking (a slightly revised grille, bumper and lights), it is now compliant with Euro-6 emission standard and it receives a whole host of new safety systems like Active City Brake and rear reversing cameras.
Also on the Professional spec (and an option on SE), the new telematic system has been integrated into the large seven-inch colour touch screen, with Bluetooth, USB port, auxiliary jack socket, voice recognition and the MirrorScreen function with compatible smartphones with satellite navigation is an option.
A couple of weeks after showcasing the all-new Caddy, its slightly larger sibling was unveiled to the audience at Geneva. The new Volkswagen Caddy Maxi boasts a 320mm longer wheelbase than the standard, a bigger, 4.2 cubic metre loadspace and a tonne payload to rival many others in the segment.
Practicality and safety have been the main aims of the update, while the chassis and underpinnings remain relatively untouched. As with the standard model, it appears not much has changed on the outside either. The lights, bumper and grille are all new, but because they’re relatively similar to the previous generation, the overall impression is nearly identical.
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