The Commercial Vehicle (CV) Show returns this week to Birmingham’s NEC Arena (April 27 and 28), and this years’ show promises to be bigger and more exciting than ever.
While a number of high-profile manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Vauxhall won’t be attending (the larger IAA Commercial Vehicle Show takes place this September in Germany), there will be a number of world premieres, as well as the return of LDV and Toyota after an eight-year absence.
Citroen
The big news on the Citroen stand will be the international reveal of the 2016 Dispatch panel van. The current model (along with its Peugeot and Toyota partner vehicles, the Expert and Proace respectively) is by far the oldest in the segment, and the next generation will hit the market later this year.
Citroen’s Relay Ready to Run programme is also being extended to include a car transporter and plant transporter, which have both been developed by KFS bodybuilders. The programme has grown from about 120 units in 2013 to just under 500 in 2015.
Ford
The CV Show will also be the first time the recently facelifted Ford Ranger will be showcased in the UK. We tested the new model in February, though we were bemused by the lack of improvements.
There will also be announcements on the new Euro-6 engine that will be used in the Ford Transit and Ford Transit Custom from September 2016. Despite downsizing from 2.2 to two litres, power ratings will increase from 99bhp to 104bhp, 124bhp to 129bhp and 153bhp to 168bhp. Fuel economy has also been increased by 12 percent on average.
LDV
When LDV closed its West Midlands factory and suspended sales operations in 2009, many thought that would be the last we would see of the Maxus van. But the UK-developed vehicle has since been selling in high numbers in Asia, and now Irish firm J Harris has been appointed as the official distributor for the UK and Ireland.
There will be three body styles of the van: a short-wheelbase, low-roof (with 6.4-cubic metre payload), a long-wheelbase, low-roof (10.4 cubic metres) and a long-wheelbase high-roof (11.6 cubic metres). There will also be two nominal gross weights of 3.2 and 3.5 tonnes, and power will provided by the same 2.5-litre diesel engine from Italy’s VM Motori as in the previous model.
Peugeot
Like its alliance partners Citroen and Toyota, Peugeot will be showing its all-new medium panel van for the first time at the CV Show. The third-generation Peugeot Expert has been eagerly anticipated as the current model is by far the oldest van in its sector. The passenger version of the van will be on display at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2016.
Isuzu
Isuzu is celebrating 100 years in business in 2016, and it will be showcasing a special-edition paintwork to mark the occasion. The Isuzu D-Max Blade, which became the flagship trim level in 2015, will be available in the eye-catching Venetian Red.
The Blade is priced at £25,249 and £26,249 plus VAT for the manual and automatic version respectively, and the new paintwork will be a no-cost option but limited to the first 400 customers.
Toyota
Japanese manufacturer Toyota will be exhibiting at the CV Show for the first time since 2008, as both of its commercial vehicles, the Toyota Proace medium panel van and the Toyota Hilux pickup truck, are being updated for 2016.
Very little is known about the Proace until the show, but Toyota’s new LCV manager, Gareth Matthews, emphasised that Toyota engineers were heavily involved in the development process.
As for the new Hilux, we know that there will be two new diesel engines: a 2.4 and a 2.8.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen rolled out two new models – the Caddy C4 and Transporter T6 – in 2015, and the facelifted Amarok and all-new Crafter are earmarked for later in 2016.
None of these upcoming models, however, will be displayed at the CV Show. Instead, the German manufacturer will be focusing its attention on new derivatives of its existing vehicles, like the new petrol engines that are available on the Caddy and chassis-cab versions of the Transporter.
