New FIAT Doblò Cargo launched to media before hitting UK showrooms

• New FIAT Doblò Cargo launched to media before hitting UK showrooms
• In addition to its new exterior design, there are important technical enhancements for the 2015 model
• New FIAT Doblò also debuts ultra-efficient new “EcoJet” derivative
• The FIAT Doblò is the first vehicle to be badged “FIAT Professional”

The 2015 FIAT Doblò has been launched to the UK media at a special event staged in the Midlands. The new fourth-generation FIAT Doblò features a fresh exterior design, improved engine performance for key models and a new "EcoJet" version engineered to lower fuel consumption and reduce running costs even further. 

The new Doblò is also the first vehicle to wear the full “FIAT Professional” logo on its tailgate, a signature which will appear on all new FIAT Professional commercial vehicles from now on.

With 1.4 million sales and numerous award accolades, including International Van of the Year in 2006 and 2011, the new FIAT Doblò retains many of the class-leading traits that have defined its critical and commercial success, such as its excellent dynamics, comfort and best-in-class load and volume capacities. 

But for 2015 these attributes are further supplemented with significant improvements for the cornerstone 1.3-litre and 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engines, which benefit from enhanced responsiveness –  more torque from lower revs – and improved efficiency of up to 12 percent. 

In the case of the 1.3-litre MultiJet II engine, for example, this responsiveness has increased by approximately 40 percent compared to the model it replaces, resulting in greater flexibility for more relaxed and efficient driving as well as livelier performance when circumstances demand.

The 90hp 1.3 MultiJet II and 105hp 1.6 MultiJet II engines are also available in new “EcoJet” versions which offer a further reduction in fuel consumption and emissions levels thanks to the use of Start&Stop; low rolling-resistance tyres; low-viscosity oil; an ‘intelligent’ alternator; a variable-displacement oil pump and a new aerodynamic pack. All this makes it possible to achieve a fuel economy figure of up to 64 MPG (4.4 L/100km) and CO₂ emissions of just 115 g/km.

The technical improvements are only part of the story, of course. The 2015 FIAT Doblò Cargo also benefits from a complete redesign in line with the new, muscular design language first seen on the new FIAT Ducato. 

The sculpted bonnet and distinctive new headlamps combine with the bold new grille to add an air of sophistication and elegance to the 2015 FIAT Doblò’s design. The sleek new front bumper, lower air intakes and fog light shrouds adopt a more car-like refinement while also hinting at the new Doblò’s solidity and robustness, and at the rear new light clusters, with their sleeker shape and more sophisticated graphics, round out the Doblò’s style revisions for 2015.

Inside, Doblò retains its current interior, which is highly regarded amongst UK customers for its ease-of-use; ample storage space; high comfort and specification levels and its ability to shrug off the rigours of daily use with ease. Responding to customer feedback, the 2015 Doblò benefits from a lighter and more fluid clutch action coupled with a shorter and more positive gear change, while additional soundproofing has resulted in an average reduction of 3dB in the cabin.

In terms of safety, the Doblò’s safety credentials are enhanced by a full suite of standard driver aids including ESC (Electronic Stability Control), ABS brakes with EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution), ASR (Anti Slip Regulation), HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assist) and Hill-Holder systems that help the driver during hill starts. 

A passenger airbag and lateral airbags, as well as TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) are part of theDoblò’s optional safety arsenal. Underpinning all of this, of course, is the FIAT Doblo’s class-leading chassis, the highlight of which is its sophisticated bi-link rear suspension which combines a smooth and quiet ride with sharp yet predictable handling, even when laden – an ideal set-up to prevent drivers getting into the trouble in the first place.

Naturally, the hugely versatile load compartment remains central to the vehicle’s appeal. With a payload of up to one tonne, the Doblò’s load bay is defined by a flat floor with minimal wheel arch intrusions and practical squared-off shape – again, thanks to the bi-link rear suspension! The load area, which can be specified up to 5m³, is accessed via rear doors which helpfully open to 180-degrees with hard-wearing and ergonomic handles (the rear door, for example, can be opened and fully extended using just your “pinkie” finger – perfect when holding heavy boxes).

New options for the 2015 Doblò include a new Gateway module for vehicle telematics, a power folding door mirror function, DAB preparation for aftermarket audio systems and, available shortly after launch, the Traction+ system which has already proved itself in the Fiorino and Ducato. Traction+ enables drivers to make sure-footed progress even on low-grip surfaces, such as snow or mud, without increasing the weight of the vehicle, thereby avoiding the increased running costs associated with full 4x4 systems.

Available to order in the UK now, the new FIAT Doblò Cargo range comprises four body-styles; two roof height options and two wheelbase lengths, with five engines, ranging from 90 to 135hp, and four trim levels available: Standard, EcoJet, SX and Tecnico.

Standard features on all FIAT Doblò models include adjustable-level headlamps, a full-size spare wheel, full bulkhead, overhead storage, electric windows, central locking, full wheel trims, side rubbing strips, full-height twin panelled rear doors; offside sliding side door, (plus a nearside sliding side door on Maxi and XL models) and a speed limiter (upon request). The EcoJet version adds smart alternator management, variable displacement oil pump, Start & Stop, low-friction oil, and low-rolling resistance tyres and a new aerodynamic pack.

The SX model adds bulkhead soundproofing and load area PVC lining, as well as front fog lamps; electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors with body-coloured covers; remote control central locking; height adjustable drivers’ seat with lumbar support; in-cushion storage in the passenger seat and an upgraded stereo with MP3 compatibility.

The range-topping Tecnico model includes air conditioning; rear parking sensors, Bluetooth connectivity, Start & Stop; remote steering wheel controls and a dealer-fitted satellite navigation system.

Ford invests $2.3 Billion in Spanish plant to increase production by 40%

• Ford Motor Company invests €2.3 billion since 2011 in Valencia, Spain, manufacturing operation; largest ever investment in Spain’s auto industry

• Vehicle production in Valencia will increase 40 per cent to around 400,000 units in 2015; new high-tech bodyshop raises daily production capacity to 2,000 vehicles

• With six nameplates in 2015, even more bodystyles, and the capacity to manufacture up to 450,000 vehicles a year, Valencia is one of Ford’s largest and most flexible plants worldwide
• Ford Valencia operations now employ 8,000 people, up from just below 5,000 in early 2013;  supplier operations supporting Valencia production have increased employment by 1,500 jobs since 2013

• Valencia plant currently builds Mondeo wagon, five-door, and four-door including Mondeo Hybrid, Kuga SUV, Transit Connect light commercial vehicle and Tourneo Connect people-mover; all-new S-MAX multi-activity vehicle, Galaxy seven-seat people-mover and Vignale Mondeo go into production later this year

• Valencia is one of Spain’s top automotive exporters, with 80 per cent of its production to 75 countries worldwide, including North America

Ford Motor Company today announced it is completing the final part of a €2.3 billion investment in its Valencia, Spain, manufacturing operations, transforming it into one of the world’s most advanced, flexible and productive auto plants.

The investment by Ford is the largest in the history of Spanish auto industry and will allow the Valencia plant to increase vehicle production by 40 per cent this year to about 400,000 vehicles, and will have the capacity to potentially build up to 450,000 vehicles a year.

Valencia also is today one of Spain’s top automotive exporters, with 80 per cent of its production being exported worldwide.

Ford now employs about 8,000 people at the facility, up from just below 5,000 in early 2013. Supplier operations supporting Valencia production also have added 1,500 jobs since 2013.

“This world-class facility will help Ford’s accelerate its growth in Europe and around the world,” said Mark Fields, Ford president and chief executive officer. 

“Valencia is not only a major hub of production – building vehicles and engines exported to 75 countries worldwide – but also a centre of innovation employing some of the industry’s most advanced lean, flexible and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes.”

In 2015, Valencia will build six Ford nameplates and even more body styles. The plant currently builds the all-new Mondeo wagon, five-door, and four-door including the Mondeo Hybrid, Kuga SUV, Transit Connect light commercial vehicle and Tourneo Connect people-mover. The all-new S-MAX multi-activity vehicle, Galaxy seven-seat people-mover and the Vignale Mondeo go into production later this year.

The investment consisted of an initial €1.1 billion announced in 2011, followed by a further €1.2 billion since 2013. Valencia will be the sole European production source for all six Ford nameplates assembled at the plant.  

Flexible, modern and efficient

The Ford Valencia facility has produced more than 11 million vehicles and 15 million engines since production started in 1976. The plant was officially opened by King Juan Carlos and Henry Ford II helping Spain emerge from decades of isolation from the global economic stage.

Almost 40 years later, the plant is at the forefront of Ford’s plan to accelerate the pace of the progress on its One Ford plan, deliver product excellence and incorporate innovation into every part of the business.

A new 89,000 m2 bodyshop constructed over nearly eight months raises the plant’s vehicle production capability to about 2,000 units per day. For production of Mondeo and Mondeo Hybrid, the plant was retooled to deliver an industry-first application of hydro-formed high strength steel.

Ford has constructed an additional paint shop, installing automated paint processes that remove the need for paint-drying between application stages, and dirt detection technology. This improves quality while delivering energy and productivity savings.

New assembly line processes make Valencia among Ford’s most efficient facilities, essential to managing the increased complexity of producing more models and derivatives than any Ford facility in Europe. For example, in line with the global Ford Production System, all production components are now transported alongside the vehicle in a pre-assembled kit, saving time and effort.

Since 2011 more than 900 new robots have been installed in the Valencia bodyshops, and 34 in the final assembly areas to help deliver the highest quality standards. Nearly 600 highly skilled engineers are involved in supporting the high-tech production processes in Valencia.

“Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy will grow the number of parts we manage from 7,000 to 18,000, requiring some fresh and innovative solutions,” said Tony Ades, operations manager, Valencia. 

“Strong relationships with unions and local government have been essential to developing a flexible facility that can respond quickly and efficiently to changes in demand for our vehicles, with a highly trained and motivated workforce able to operate across our assembly lines.”

Last year, the plant contributed to Ford’s sustainability goals by recycling 3,850 tonnes of wood, paper and cardboard, and by improving its efficiency in water and electricity consumption per car by three per cent. 

Vignale Center

Valencia will in 2015 also complete a new Vignale Center, a specially-created department dedicated to ensuring exacting levels of quality and fulfilling customer expectations of Ford’s new upscale Vignale product and ownership experience.

Vignale debuts this year with the Ford Vignale Mondeo, and each vehicle will pass through an additional sign-off process where trained experts will assess criteria including paint finish and panel alignment assisted by the latest laser and camera technology.

“Ford is the engine behind automotive industry growth in Spain,” said Jose Machado, chairman, Ford of Spain. “The combination of innovative product, forward-looking investment, strong local relationships, and hardworking, flexible employees will continue to deliver meaningful progress in improving our overall business in Europe.”

Peugeot's Commercial Vehicle sales in 2014 improve by over 50% against 2013.

• Exceptional success from PEUGEOT’s LCV division – up 50%
• Market share rose more than 2% year on year
• More enhancements due in 2015 as PEUGEOT celebrates 120-years of commercial vehicle sales

The PEUGEOT range of versatile Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) delivered exceptional sales results for 2014. Demand increased by a massive 50% on 2013 – the largest growth of any LCV manufacturer – and has seen the French brand leapfrog from sixth to fourth position in the UK.

In total, an impressive 32,254 PEUGEOT LCVs were sold, up 50.5% on the year before, with showroom success that has also seen continued market share growth - from 7.7% in 2013 to 9.8% in 2014.

Gareth Pockett, PEUGEOT LCV Product Manager, commented: “It was a fantastic result for Peugeot and our extensive LCV business. We’ve improved our market share considerably and at the heart of this growth has been the durability and versatility of our vehicles.”

Making a major contribution to this was the PEUGEOT Boxer which benefited from a restyle and enhanced specification in 2014. UK sales of 8,956 units means demand was up by a substantial 89% and the Boxer was a top three performer in the K3 (3.26t-3.5t) and K4 (3.5t-5.0t) sectors. The largest of PEUGEOT’s commercial vehicles, the Boxer has always been a well-specified chassis/van.

The mid-life restyle permitted a reappraisal of the latest LCV customer expectations and the specification was tailored with their requirements in mind. As an example, Bluetooth connectivity is now standard across the Boxer range, while ‘Professional’ level vans come with a 5” colour touch-screen with integrated satellite navigation – an obvious benefit to any commercial business. This feature is almost unique in the LCV market place, and thanks to consultations with residual value experts, will contribute to lowering overall running costs.

Gareth continued: “With the inclusion of features like a steel bulkhead and security alarm, coupled with passenger car levels of comfort and styling, we have put the PEUGEOT Boxer on the wish list of many more CV users.”

PEUGEOT was also the number one brand in 2014 for new LCV sales for motorhome conversions, with the Boxer the primary vehicle of choice.

Another sales success in the PEUGEOT LCV range was the growing demand for the Expert, with sales of 3,572 units, up 85.5% over the previous year, but it was the Company’s most-popular LCV – the Partner van – that was the number one choice in the compact sector. In 2014 it attracted 16,633 business customers (up 46%), boosted mid-year by a much wider choice of options.

In the small van sector, the Bipper remains another popular choice for compact deliveries and PEUGEOT’s smallest light commercial vehicle won a further 3,093 new customers.

Gareth concluded: “Peugeot has been producing light commercial vehicles since 1895 and in our 120^th year we are looking to continue the progressive growth with success over many years. With a broad customer choice in the four-model LCV range, these PEUGEOT vehicles provide a durable, stylish and versatile service to our business customers.”

UK SALES - PEUGEOT - Growth over 2013 shows there is STILL life in the old Lion.

• Peugeot Retail new car sales up 12%, outperforming the market, with over 52,000 registrations
• December retail demand up 27% thanks to desirable new models such as 108, 2008 and 308
• LCV sales up a massive 50% year on year, the highest growth of any van manufacturer
• Strategy to further grow retail sales will continue during 2015

PEUGEOT’s drive to expand its retail share of the UK’s new car market has continued to pay dividend, with outstanding end-of-year figures for both Passenger Cars and Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs).

Customer demand has been exceptional thanks to a model range that is the youngest in PEUGEOT’s history. It’s packed full of sophisticated design, exceptional value for money and high desirability.

The product range is also matched by customer experience with owners of the cars with the ‘Lion’ badge not shy about broadcasting the virtues of their vehicles either. PEUGEOT has recently joined forces with independent online customer review service Reevoo.

As part of an on-going commitment to customer satisfaction PEUGEOT publishes online assessments from genuine owners of its cars on www.peugeot.co.uk. Since March 2014, Reevoo has collected, collated and verified 2,063 reviews, with the average satisfaction rating an impressive 8.6 out of 10.

Total Sales:

Full-year total sales for 2014 stood at 135,834 – up more than 7% on the 2013 total; PEUGEOT’s 2014 total sales volume is the highest in seven years.

Passenger Car sales:

Full-year total retail new car sales for 2014 stood at 52,792 – a figure that’s up more than 12% on the 2013 total. It’s significantly higher than the industry average (+9.9%), and has seen PEUGEOT’s retail market share grow to 4.5% in 2014. Retail sales in December alone reached 2,679 units, a year-on-year rise of over 27%.

The sales growth is primarily thanks to exceptional retail sales performance from three critically acclaimed new models:

• The all-new PEUGEOT 108 proved it has what it takes to succeed in the city car segment, selling 7,579 units in the first six months of its life.
• Strong demand for the PEUGEOT 2008 Compact Crossover also continued to be exceptional with 17,419 sales in the model’s first full year.
• The PEUGEOT 308, the reigning European Car of the Year, put in an outstanding performance, with sales of 14,697.

Light Commercial Vehicle sales:

Dealers have had stunning success in 2014 with PEUGEOT’s versatile and practical range of commercial vehicles. The grand total for the year was 32,268 vans sold – up a massive 50% on 2013.

It’s the biggest UK market growth of any LCV manufacturer during 2014. It means PEUGEOT ended the year as the fourth largest player in the market, a jump of two places compared to 2013. The Brand’s market share grew from 7.7% in 2013 to 9.8% in 2014.

PEUGEOT Partner was the number one choice in the compact van sector, while the PEUGEOT Boxer was a top three performer in the K3 (3.26t-3.5t) and K4 (3.5t-5.0t) sectors. PEUGEOT was also the number one brand in 2014 for sales to Motorhome converters.

PEUGEOT’s strategy throughout 2014 was to drive growth in the retail sector and carefully selected fleet channels. It was supported by a managed reduction in sales to certain high-cost corporate sectors.

The sales strategy has been hugely successful and will continue in 2015, with demand across the range spearheading more success.

Neil Moscrop, previously PEUGEOT’s Sales Director and newly appointed Brand Director, commented: “2014 was a superb year for Peugeot, our best sales performance for seven years, with retail demand for our cars up 12% and outperforming the market. Our Dealer Network has played a significant role in our success this year, delivering exceptional levels of customer service and excelling not just with retail customers, but with fleet and small business. That coupled with an excellent sales performance in light commercial vehicle shows that PEUGEOT is very much ‘Back In the Race’.”

He added: “Our strategy for retail sales is very simple. We have a very competitive list price with higher specification levels than the sector average, supported by improving residual values, and we try to be transparent in the way we treat our customers. PEUGEOT’s desire to drive demand in the retail sector will continue over the next 12 months, supported by new product launches and exceptional customer service.”

Vauxhall's UK made Vivaro Van takes double honours at What Van ? Awards ceremony.

• Luton-made Vauxhall Vivaro wins What Van? 2015 Best Medium Van
• Innovation Award for Vivaro’s innovative blind spot mirror
• New BiTurbo engines also highly commended

Vauxhall’s Luton-built Vivaro van won two What Van? awards at a ceremony in London.

The two honours included best medium van and the innovation award for its blind-spot mirror, a very simple solution to a big problem. 

“The new UK-built Vauxhall Vivaro is a huge step forward from its predecessor, and provides an unprecedented level of user-friendly interior functionality for operators that need their vehicle to double-up as a mobile workspace,” said What Van? Editor Paul Barker. “Class-leading refinement and excellent new engines add to the innovative ideas to offer an efficient and cost-effective all-rounder.”

Vivaro was also highly commended for its BiTurbo engines in the editor’s choice category.

"We're delighted to receive these awards from What Van?," said Richard Collier, Vauxhall's National Commercial Vehicle and B2B Sales Manager.  “The all-new Brit-built Vivaro has proved to be a very popular choice for our customers and has been our most successful commercial vehicle launch ever.”

Building on the success of the previous two generations, the all-new Vivaro offers class-leading build quality and practicality with improved cargo dimensions and excellent payload capability.

The bold new exterior design features Vauxhall’s trademark sculptural design language used for the very first time on a commercial vehicle.

It also is equipped with a range of new powertrains including a cutting edge BiTurbo that delivers up to 47.9mpg and CO₂ emissions as low as 155g/km.

The enhanced cabin is designed for comfort and control with high levels of specification that turns the new Vivaro in to a mobile office incorporating the very latest infotainment. Van drivers spend hours behind the wheel and now they have car-like comfort and technology to go with a great driving van and a brilliantly practical workhorse.