Delivery Magazine Issue 63 DEC-JAN 16

AUSTRALIA’S GUIDE TO UTES, VANS, LIGHT TRUCKS & PEOPLE MOVERS

www.deliverymagazine.com.au

ISSUE 63 DEC/JAN 2015-16 RRP: $8.95

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ute segment is currently the Golden Goose of vehicle sales and continues to grow, along with SUVs, pretty much at the expense of everything else except the small car category. It’s certainly highly competitive, and with the move to Euro 5 compliance, and pending the subsequent introduction of Euro 6 emissions standards, we are already seeing a restructuring of power and torque outputs.

Dependent on your actual usage, it now becomes easier to develop a short list of which ute is the right one for you. Irrespective of the fact that the majority of utes all claim a 3500 kg towing limit, as engine sizes reduce the final choice really does separate the men from the boys (euphemistically speaking).

If you want to carry or tow combined gross weights that can now max out at 6000 kg, you need to steer towards the large capacity engines such as the 3.0-litre Isuzu D-Max and the 3.2-litre five-cylinder engines used jointly

by Ford with the Ranger and Mazda with the BT-50.

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Irrespective of the power and torque that can be extracted from smaller cubic capacity diesels through dual turbocharging, if you follow the “what goes up must come down” principle the result is that you get stronger, more capable performance going up hills, but you also get better engine braking coming down the other side.

Without the cubic capacity the towing vehicle will be relying more heavily on its service brakes, running the risk of overheating and subsequent reduction of braking efficiency.

With the Mazda BT-50, the buyer gets to choose between the 3.2-litre five-cylinder and the 2.2-litre four-cylinder. Literally, it’s a case of horses for courses.

If you tow heavy weights you opt for the 3.2-litre, and if you just want an honest workhorse that may pull a light trailer you go for the 2.2-litre.

Mazda set its own styling course with the introduction of the current BT-50 back in October 2011, at the time going for a more swooping, softer image, especially around the front nose area. The latest upgrades have sharpened up the frontal styling to give a greater impression of toughness, and this has been matched by an ad campaign where now the orientation is more towards work and play, rather than play and possible work.

ZOOMING IN It’s never been satisfactory to mount a control unit where it can cause injury in the event of an accident, but that’s where most of these brake control units have ended up.

Mazda has done some lateral thinking on this and incorporated a unit control into the dashboard itself. Using a RedArc remote head electric brake controller, the over-ride and the brake control are all within the normal dashboard controls, while the actual control unit is mounted behind the dashboard.

There are 23 variants of the new BT-50, including 10 with 4x2 and 13 with 4x4 capability, the choice of two engine capacities and either six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.

Pricing starts at $25,570 for the 2.2-litre six-speed manual, single-cab/chassis 4x2 version, heading up the scale through the Freestyle design with its deeper cab and rear half-doors, plus 3.2-litre engine at $32,745, to a dual-cab/chassis for a further $2000. The six-speed auto adds a further $2000.

In 4x4 territory the engine choice is restricted to the 3.2-litre, starting with the single-cab/chassis with six-speed manual at $36,850 and working its way through to the top-of-the-line GT dual-cab 4x4 utility with six-speed auto and lots of extras at $53,790.

The external appearance of the previous BT-50 did polarise public opinion more towards fashion than toughstyle o -road function but with the latest styling changes Mazda has redressed the balance. At the same time the company has introduced some distinct advantages that currently other makes don t o er in their specifications.

Those amongst us that tow regularly will probably be coping with an auxiliary trailer brake unit mounted usually on the base of the dashboard around knee-strike level.

Another feature that will appeal to those drivers that do head o into what was previously uncharted territory is the optional availability of Hema topographical mapping, within the onboard satellite navigation system.

This opens up the outback as a distinct advantage from conventional bitumen road based mapping systems. The infotainment system, which includes the sat/nav mapping, now displays through a 7.8-inch high screen on XTR and GT models, also including reverse camera vision. here s an obvious benefit from having a design team that seems to actually drive o -road and experience at first hand what customers need from their vehicle. hen the - and ord anger were first launched it was Ford that took the role of lead engineering team for the project. As Mazda’s programme manager, Takasuke Kobayashi, told Delivery, this time around it’s been Mazda that had significantly more input than before capitalising on its experience to fine tune the model specifications for this upgrade.

Since 2011, Mazda has sold 50,000 current generation BT-50s into the Australian market, with single-cab, freestyle-cab and dual-cab accounting for 25 percent, 15 percent and 60 percent of sales respectively. XT has been the most popular grade, making up 55 percent of sales, with the XTR taking 35 percent and the GT a further 10 percent. The 4x4 versions have been the dominant players, accounting for 77 percent of sales in 2015.

In line with the Australian preference for automatic transmissions, the majority of sales until now have been with the six-speed automatic. That said, the previous shift quality of the six-speed manual gearbox was notchy to use and was not the smoothest to select ratios.

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IN THE

y l i m a F the s d n i f e t y h Dave W Kangoo Maxi Renault hold iTs own Crew canmily in any fa

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ince the release of the updated models last year the enault angoo range has proven a hit. As you may remember, I reported on two models – the Kangoo SWB and the Kangoo Maxi – just after their release, and was pleasantly surprised. Since that time, the rest of the crew from Delivery, including the judging panel for our annual awards, have driven and tested various Kangoo models.

Each member of this panel was independently impressed with the Kangoo. The handling, driver friendliness and versatility of the Kangoo, along with the list of standard features, contributed to its win in the Small Van of the Year category at our awards ceremony earlier in the year.

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Following on from this, we here at Delivery thought it might be worthwhile looking further into the Kangoo, and have taken delivery of a Kangoo Maxi Crew for long-term testing and evaluation.

The Kangoo Maxi Crew is the top of the range in the Kangoo model line-up. Powered by a 1.5-litre diesel, and driven through a six-speed manual transmission (with no auto option), the Kangoo Maxi has enough power and the right gear for any situation. With the assistance of a shift light in the instrument cluster which ashes to prompt economical gear changes, the Kangoo also returns good efficiency. aving used the little enault as my daily driver for the last month, which includes plenty of short local trips, the fuel consumption is currently at 6.3 l/100 km.

This has meant I’ve only had to refuel twice in a month, which I do when the gauge reaches one quarter full.

IN THE FAMILY WAY

It’s a neat and tidy cabin and the wide opening sliding doors make access for rear seat passengers very easy.

he angoo Maxi rew with five seats and a large load space has proven very handy indeed for me personally. hile do a lot of solo driving also do plenty of running around with my wife and two boys on board. his often includes running some errands on the way to our final destination and has seen the four of us travelling to Melbourne about . hours from home with two spare truck tyres in the back. n the past this would have been a two-car trip. he versatility doesn t come at the cost of comfort though with car-like handling and passenger comfort making for four happy travellers. hen the need arises for more load space it s a simple case of folding down the rear seats to provide a at oor from the rear doors to the back of the front seats. etting in and out of the Maxi is a piece of cake with long front doors and sliding rear side doors. he roof height also adds to the ease of entry while the low oor height means you don t need to climb up to your seat. ront-wheel-drive means a at oor for the rear seat passengers with plenty of leg room. t s the same story for front-seat passengers where the available leg room is enormous and even the driver has plenty of room around the pedals to be comfortable over long distances. oise levels inside are low with just a little wind noise coming through the rear load area walls which are not lined. ngine noise is almost non-existent at highway speed with the little diesel ticking over at just over 2 rpm.

he sound system gives good reproduction and is easily heard from the rear seats without deafening the front seat occupants which is surprising given the lack of speakers in the back. he angoo Maxi also has plenty of technology on board to add to the car-like experience. tandard e uipment includes sat nav luetooth connectivity climate control cruise control rain sensing wipers and auto headlights. Most of these features can be operated without taking your hands o the steering wheel though the sat nav is an exception here. hile the touchscreen is a long way forward of the driver perhaps on purpose it can be operated using a dash mounted dial. aving the audio and phone controls mounted on the steering column means the steering wheel itself only contains the cruise control buttons which are easy to locate identify and operate. his is uite a change from the current trend of having as many buttons as possible on the steering wheel which can be confusing and hard to get used to. he rear doors on our demo unit are split barn doors and provide the only indication of its left-hand-drive origin with the bigger rear window demister and wiper on the left-hand side. his has an e ect on rearward vision from the central windscreenmounted mirror especially in wet conditions. he large side mirrors go some way to compensating for this though.

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FEATURE

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here s no doubting the past successes of the i ux as it provided the staple diet of ute and cab chassis alternatives for countless numbers of ustralian tradies. n some months not only was it the leading performer in the ute segment it also held its own as the top-selling vehicle of any category.

ith competition getting fiercer every year only time will tell whether the strength of the oyota dealer network and some major rework completed to the i ux brand will be sufficient to maintain that edge in the sales statistics. he 2 i ux comes into the challenge with 3 di erent models 2 of which can claim to carry a genuine kg payload. ike the majority of its competition i ux is now o ering single-cab space-cab and dual-cab versions powered by a new family of turbo-diesel engines of 2. and 2. litres. he downsi ing of diesel engine cubic capacity results from engine manufacturers striving to match lower uro level emissions but buyers needn t worry that smaller combustion chambers result in reduced power and tor ue. ccording to a oyota spokesperson the 2. -litre diesel engine produces 2 percent more tor ue than the outgoing 3. -litre with m while the 2. -litre diesel in x s generates an acceptable m figure cut back to 3 3 m in x2 versions .

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he x2 orkmate kicks o the range with a price of 2 including for the first time air conditioning as standard fitment suggesting that oyota has finally realised the importance of looking after good workers. hat said the company presumably believes the driver of the manual version is incapable of making smooth gear shifts without electronic intervention adding what it calls an ntelligent function that matches engine speed to road speed for a smoother ratio change. ollowing the suspension advances of its competitors oyota has extended the rear leaf springs by mm also widening the leaf pack and revised the rear mounting point forward by mm and lower by 2 mm. uspension performance hinges on the torsional rigidity of the chassis and the 2 i ux claims to have increased chassis rigidity by 2 percent adding 3 mm extra thickness to side rails and cross members. he tub is stronger with a revised deck structure that incorporates extra ribbing and reinforcements plus a reinforced header board thicker outer panels and steel-plate brackets on tailgate struts.

THE NEW BROOM HiLux's more rigid body makes greater use of high-tensile and galvanised steel while the upper body has 45 percent more welds.

There’s a large question mark hanging over the HiLux that suggests Toyota product planners have aimed for looks rather than substance by o ering three x2 versions as a i- ider configuration matching the ride height of 4x4 models. Disregarding the supposedly tougher stance that raising the ride height achieves in the appearance to bolster the mindset of prospective customers that it can go anywhere the reality is that ride comfort and stability su ers because the centre of gravity rises along with the tray deck height that makes loading more inconvenient. he two four-cylinder diesels 2. -litre and 2. -litre feature variable-nozzle turbocharging plus an intercooler and exhaust gas recirculation with a diesel particulate filter to hit uro targets. njection pressures through solenoid-operated injectors are now running at 2 bar.

Transmission options are now upgraded to six-speed manual and six-speed automatic alternatives but those shifting gears manually will find the tor ue output cut back to 2 m from the m obtained with the six-speed automatic.

here petrol power still ranks in importance i ux is o ering a choice of two engines a redesigned fourcylinder 2. -litre and the established . Maximum power for the 2. -litre is 22 k at 2 rpm with peak tor ue of 2 m at rpm. he . -litre produces k at 2 rpm and 3 m at 3 rpm.

THE NEW

BROOM Toyota sharpens up its HiLux range in the hope of maintaining market leadership DELIVERY

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TESTED s the winner of the 2015 Delivery Magazine Ute of the Year award, we’ve been looking very closely at what extras the latest Ford anger Mk range o ers buyers in the ustralian market.

hen compared to other models from di erent manufacturers our judges for the annual awards were unanimous in their appreciation of the way that ord has lifted safety levels bringing into line an expectation of passenger car safety and moving away from the more industrial light commercial performance standards.

A week behind the wheel of the latest PX Ranger in uper ab x format has simply reinforced our appreciation of the ability of the ord and shown just how much more the buyer gets in the form of technology. he focus for Delivery Magazine has always been to evaluate how a vehicle performs its intended function. he x aspect of a vehicle in our assessment programme relates to enabling a tradie to access difficult worksites or travel more safely on snow gravel or slippery surfaces. e are not focused on climbing the highest rocky outcrop.

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in u d r a d n a new st er a s t e s r Cab y Jake Brew e p u S r e T Rang hotography b L X s ’ d r P Fo

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SUPER SMOOTH That said, we have put the Ranger through its paces on various o -road terrain and found that the onboard electronic control systems that monitor traction control, minimise wheel slip and enhance safety such as when descending steep hills, are clearly market leading, rivalled perhaps only by olkswagen with the marok.

Well mannered and extremely comfortable, with low interior noise levels, Ranger has safety features that set it up as market leader in this segment.

When traversing steep ascents or descents the electronic management control systems work in harmony to keep the driver and passengers safe. nd they perform their function in our view better than the general competition. ill descent control plus a lockable rear di erential are very capable of getting the vehicle to the safety of the bottom of a steep hill without driver intervention.

It’s when travelling on the highway that the Ranger PX moves up a notch in safety that the competition simply cannot match at this stage. daptive cruise control with forward collision alert driver impairment monitor lane departure and lane keep assist are all options that have previously been available only on luxury cars or high-end uropean prime movers.

For those that have not driven with an adaptive cruise control system it becomes an enlightening option that can prevent the likelihood of running up the back of a slower moving vehicle when cruise control has been engaged. he onboard radar system measures the safe distance between the front of your vehicle and the vehicle ahead reducing the speed of your vehicle automatically to match that of the vehicle in front. n a perfect world the driver should be alert and maintain the correct safe following distance but in the real world there are moments of inattention that can induce a rear-end collision. daptive cruise control safeguards against this sort of collision but can be over-ridden by the driver operating an indicator to move out of position into a clear lane at which point the system will return the vehicle to the previously selected cruise speed.

lthough the dynamics of handling a vehicle that was designed to be a load carrier can be a little daunting to a novice driver the inclusion of adaptive load control which adjusts the dynamic stability control system based on vehicle load and the emergency brake assistance are a great failsafe benefit. hese systems provide additional pressure to the brake system to increase braking force when the brakes are applied uickly in an emergency situation but prevent the vehicle getting out of control. here s also a trailer anti-sway control system to prevent things that are hanging o the tow bar getting out of line and becoming unstable. he anger actually features some other valuable safety initiatives such as the ync2 system for voice actuation of functions including dictating telephone numbers.

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TESTED

The

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THE TOP OF THE LINE

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igh hopes are held for the incoming Navara – both by fans of the breed and those within the halls of Nissan Australia.

It has been a long time coming and the light-commercial utility segment is one of growing volume and growing competition – Ford, Volkswagen and Toyota (the dominant force until recently) are all making good ground in the segment.

Nissan is wanting a larger chunk of the growing segment, which sees the contenders in the ute and cab/chassis market towing tools during the week and toys on the weekend, with the brood in the cabin.

Witness the introduction of the new Navara – first seen in agship - guise with lashings of exterior and interior chrome trim, leather in the cabin and the most family friendly of the range, as the remainder of the range waits in the wings until the final month of this year.

Priced from $51,990 in six-speed manual guise, the top-spec auto asks for $54,490, which brings with it a three-year/100,000 km warranty, roadside assistance and capped-price servicing for the first six scheduled services or 2 km whichever occurs first .

The top-end model won’t be the workhorse of choice for those looking to load up the rear, but it will be the one chosen for dual duties (school runs and then site inspections), when the missus and/or kids will spend as much, if not more time, occupying the leather-clad seats than workmates will.

For a start, it’s payload of 930 kg has a cloud overhanging it – four occupants slice a fair chunk out of that, and the rear coil-sprung suspension doesn’t exactly hanker for a load, requiring extended bump stops to back up the springs and dampers within the multi-link rear end.

Yes, it will carry the load, but, where other leaf-sprung opponents benefit from a half a tonne in the tray to settle the ride down, the Navara feels too close to the travel limit for comfort.

Lightly-laden behaviour is the other side of that coin, as the new Navara has a ride quality that’s up there with the segment’s best. It still chatters a little over the smaller road imperfections and the bodyon-chassis wriggle remains, but for the most part ride quality is good.

Bigger bumps will still test the limits of the dampers more than anything else it s not difficult to see why aftermarket spring and damper outlets are doing a good trade in replacing the OE gear.

It produces 140 kW at 3750 rpm, with 450 Nm of torque on o er from through to 2 rpm. eamed with a seven-speed auto, there is a manual change mode, with drive directed to the rear wheels it s not D uick between ratios, but it’s smooth enough and the narrowgated manual isn t good enough to make it first choice over the auto. The range can also be had in a single-turbo 2 k 3 m 2.3-litre diesel or the entry-level is o ered in a 2.5-litre 122 kW/238 Nm petrol variant.

Fuel economy claims range from the low 6s in 4x2 manual guise to 7.0 litres per 100 km in the 4WD automatic. We had a trip computer showing 9.4 litres per 100 km after 400 km at an average speed of 34 km/h, which would suggest an 850 km range from the 80-litre tank.

Rear drive is the only option on the road, as the Navara doesn t o er an open centre di to allow all-wheel-drive on sealed surfaces. t does have a rear di lock 22 mm of ground clearance, a brake-derived limited-slip function, hill start and hill descent control, all of which complement the dual-range transfer case so o -roading cred is there for weekend getaways or slippery work sites. he safety features list for the five-star rated ute includes stability and traction control, seven airbags (front, side, curtain and a driver’s knee bag), height-adjustable loadlimited and pre-tensioner-equipped seatbelts, a reversing camera and rear sensors.

’s n a s s i N f o t s r X i f T e S h , the t s e iv ange r d tin vara r r a M a t N r a w ne Stu

he agship is powered by a twin-turbo intercooled, common-rail, direct-injection, 2.3-litre four-cylinder, which it shares with the Renault side of the alliance where it serves under the snout of the Master.

While retaining the traditional thrum of a four-cylinder oil-burner, it is quieter and more distant in overall noise than others in the segment.

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FIRST

impressions j Delivery evaluates the Falken WildPeak H/T on-highway tyre ust how important are your tyres? Do you go for price rather than product, or do you analyse what you need and find the right tyre to give you the best results?

At Delivery we are somewhat unusual in that we find tyre technology really interesting. he more you delve into the reasons why interaction with your tyre choice is necessary, the more benefits you get in terms of extended tyre life better handling improved fuel economy increased safety, less noise and a lower TCO otal ost of peration .

Our latest acquisition at Delivery Magazine is a 2013 model year and over Defender . ome readers may question our sanity, but the answer is quite simple – it’s all down to nostalgia and heritage. ith and over announcing the end of production of the Defender, it concludes an era that spans 67 years since the first eries turned a wheel. he latest 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel with a six-speed gearbox and full-time four-wheel-drive has brought a more exible and fuelefficient driveline to a vehicle that still manages to attract interest out on the road in the form of friendly waves from other and over drivers.

That immediately means the speedometer and odometer are in this example running 2. percent fast giving an inaccurate reading on the speedo but also clocking up the recorded kilometres 2. percent faster that it was actually travelling. ake that a little further and with a tolerance for error evidenced by comparing the actual speed through a at av unit in the case of the Defender it was actually running . percent higher in rpm to achieve a set cruise speed of km h and the indicated service intervals are actually occurring . percent earlier than re uired. he sidewall of the tyre actually provides a lot of information albeit in very small letters. hat the onny sidewall showed was that the maximum load rating per tyre is kg at a maximum in ation pressure of 2 k a 3 psi while the indicated tyre load index at e uated to kg per tyre with a maximum speed rating of km h. his si e rotates at 2. revolutions per kilometre.

ur and over arrived with a set of onny tyres in 2 si ing that had been fitted by the previous owner. his tyre fitment certainly provoked our interest, because with the designated original equipment tyre si e being 23 it meant there was a variation in tyre circumference from the fitted specification at 2 mm versus the 2 3 mm of the original e uipment si e of 23 . aving discussed the purchase with the vehicle s previous owner Delivery learned the onny tyres had been fitted when the Defender had just 2 km on the odometer to improve traction on sand. ecause the rolling circumference of the onny tyres is smaller than the recommended tyre fitment it revolves 2. times for every kilometre it travels compared to the 3 . revolutions per kilometre of the original e uipment tyre si e of 23 .

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lo d

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS

new tyre ow compare the replacement tyres we fitted in the form of the Falken WildPeak H/T with a size of LT235/85R16.

The WildPeak H/T is an all season highway performance tyre designed to o er a combination of dry handling and responsive wet braking on all roadway surfaces. he tread depth when supplied new is claimed by alken to be 16 mm, and it rotates at 395.1 revolutions per kilometre.

When Delivery measured the tread depth it was a uniform 13 mm across the width of each tyre, prior to fitment using the same tread depth gauge as when measuring the Sonny tyres).

With its non-directional tread pattern, Falken claims it is optimised for traction and control through its combination of a high-tension casing ply and sti wide steel belts. his construction promotes stability and comfort with a high mileage tread pattern that combines optimal ride comfort for on-highway application.

When supplied new, the Sonny SU-800 features a tread depth of 10 mm. After travelling a distance of 32,000 km, the average tread depth in millimetres was 7.0/6.5/7.0 mm (outer/centre/inner) for the front nearside, 8.0/7.0/7.0 mm for the front o side . . . mm for the rear nearside and . . . mm for the rear o side.

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STAR gazing It’s the key to better fuel efficiency for Mercedes-Benz, but for Australian operators of light commercials the prospect of AdBlue is a new concept

elcome to the world of Euro 6 emissions legislation, where the global pollution levels caused by motor vehicles take a significant drop and all of us can breathe more easily at least in theory.

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Australia has been slow to regulate for the introduction of the toughest exhaust emissions levels, and in the case of heavy truck engines the introduction of uro still remains a mystery, rumoured by some to be as far away as 2 2 .

In Europe, the legislation for having a cleaner exhaust is already set in stone. ut when you are a vehicle manufacturer selling your products globally, it makes sense due to the cost advantages of product standardisation to keep everything e ual and where possible to stay with one specification rather than producing di erent products to match the lesser technical re uirements of some markets.

The new Vito, Valente and V-Class vans and people movers from Mercedes-Benz embrace all this new diesel-engined technology, plus the company adds to its reputation for safety by expanding its driver and passenger protection systems. nd it does so all the while reducing fuel consumption and total cost of operation .

Entry level Vito is front-wheel-drive while other models remain with rear-wheel-drive.

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Although Mercedes-Benz splits the responsibility for selling the Vito variants and the Valente to the commercial division, leaving the more luxurious V-Class to its prestige car outlets, for the purpose of Delivery Magazine we’ll combine the options largely because of the similarities in specification rather than the di erences that occur.

For van buyers there are four short and long-wheelbase variants (the Vito 111, 114, 116 and 119), plus midwheelbase crew-cab models in the form of the 114 and . nly the . -litre used in the model is ranked at uro with all the other versions of the 2.2-litre diesel already set at conforming to uro emissions regulations. he ito kicks o the product range with a . -litre four-cylinder diesel engine with a ariable o le urbocharger that drives the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. he payload is 2 kg and with a double overdrive gear ratio for 6th speed it’s up to percent more fuel efficient and manages to reduce its 2 emissions by up to 2 percent when compared with its nearest previous model.

When moving into the 114, 116 and 119 models you shift the drivetrain from front-wheel-drive to rear-wheeldrive. nd to answer the obvious uestion of why the has a front-wheel-drive set-up the official answer is that it s cheaper and uicker to manufacture enabling the to be ultra price competitive.

STAR GAZING

Mercedes-Benz is using selective catalytic reduction systems with AdBlue to achieve low emissions levels.

When moving to rear-wheel-drive for your Vito van you go up in cubic capacity to 2.2 litres, move from a VNT turbo to a two-stage turbocharging system and get a greener result from running at Euro 6 emissions levels compared to the Euro 5 of the 1.6-litre.

Two-stage turbocharging means that your engine has two turbos, one small high-pressure unit that spins up uickly to apply boost pressure from low revs and a larger lower-pressure turbo that pumps in greater volumes of air at higher engine rpm. The combination of the two gives you smoother performance and a stronger tor ue capability right through the rev range.

The 2.2-litre engine is up to 30 percent more fuel efficient with a matching reduction of exhaust emissions when compared to the nearest e uivalent outgoing models. he engine uses elective atalytic eduction to achieve these cleaner exhaust levels, which simply means that a uid based on urea is s uirted into the exhaust system where it sets up a chemical reaction that reduces the emissions. he urea-based uid is called AdBlue in Europe and Australia, or DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) in North America, and it is stored in its own tank, accessed by a separate cap (coloured blue) that is mounted next to the diesel filler cap.

With a very narrow diameter pipe the d lue filler pipe cannot be confused with the diesel filler pipe. he d lue D tank capacity does need to be checked occasionally, but for most car and light commercial applications the vehicle manufacturers try to keep its replenishment a matter for your mechanic, when the vehicle is in for a service.

An engine like the 2.2-litre diesel in the Vito will consume AdBlue in a ratio of approximately 97/3 percent (diesel/AdBlue), so it’s no big deal. That said, if you run out while driving, the engine would reduce its power and performance and go into limp mode, enabling you to get to the local fuel stop.

As soon as you replenish the AdBlue supply it will be back to business as usual. ne final point only top up the AdBlue tank with AdBlue, and don’t try to use any other substitute as it will not work and will prove to be an expensive outcome, an experience much the same as trying to run a diesel engine on petrol. ith one . -litre engine of fixed output those looking for choice in di erent power and tor ue ratings will focus on the 2.2-litre engine with the o ering 100 kW/330 NM, the 116 with 120 kW /380 Nm and the 119 with 140 kW/440 Nm. The previously available V6 in the old model range has been discontinued.

The only manual gearbox option is for the 1.6-litre 111 and the 2.2-litre 114, but the 114, 116 and 119 all feature the seven-speed full uid automatic transmission with individual ratio selection by steering column mounted paddles. The driver can also select their preferred driving mode for preferred ratio shifts to suit economy, comfort or manual.

For the design of the new Vito everything centres on safety. The ESP system (Electronic Stability Programme) is standard across the range, bringing with it anti-lock brakes, traction control, rollover mitigation, electronic brake force distribution, hydraulic brake assist, enhanced understeering control, automatic brake disc wiping in wet conditions to promote overall shorter stopping distances, trailer stability control, attention assist and crosswind assist. t the top of the options tree you ll also find adaptive cruise control, lane departure assistance and collision prevention assist, all designed to stop you wandering about between lanes or running up the back of something.

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volkswagen - MOVING FORWARDS FEATURE

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The quest for global leadership may take a little longer to achieve, but Volkswagen has the intent and the ability – Chris Mullett reports

he world of social media and instant communication has spawned an amazing number of overnight experts, each convinced their own blog or website has significant if not awe-inspiring in uence and authority. The reality of this access to information in a microsecond is that much of the rhetoric is un ualified and comes from a commentator that is ill-advised.

The implementation of strict emissions controls is obviously of immense importance, but Australia lags behind most of Europe. North America and even South Korea in legislating for Euro 6 compliance.

Much of the reason behind the inactivity of the federal government to demand Euro 6 compliance results from providing support to the Australian carmakers as they run down their production commitment to cease local car making in 2017. This situation allows Holden and Ford to continue to sell engines that can’t match Euro 6 re uirements without significant expensive development before they shut up shop and move to full imports.

Although the Volkswagen brand has gained worldwide comment for allegedly disguising its emissions performance for vehicles with specific powertrains

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in Australia it’s not that big a story. If you bear in mind that our requirements for cleaner exhausts fall way behind those of many other countries, plus there are no government-driven incentives for owners to trade up to cleaner and greener vehicles, the emissions debate currently taking place becomes largely a media beat-up.

Volkswagen commercial vehicles play an integral role in transport applications throughout the world.

Their technology and ability have set new standards of comfort and safety amidst the creation of a reputation for producing functional, reliable vehicles that provide driving pleasure.

The company growth in sales of its commercial vehicles has been supported by the introduction of new models, but its reputation dates back to the original Beetle and the Transporter. These two models set the scene, and the arrival of the Caddy, Crafter and Amarok covered pretty much all the bases for buyers seeking the ideal van, or ute.

Still to come is the next development for the VW Group that comes from the start-up of the Volkswagen Truck and Bus Division, formed with the merging of the brands of Scania and MAN and under the control of Andreas Renschler.

VOLKSWAGEN - MOVING FORWARDS Caddy has a new range of Euro 6 diesel engines and lots of improvements for the 2016 market year.

As both divisions gather momentum through close cooperation, VW as a brand will continue to grow, blending economies of scale to encompass a broader spread of products throughout the commercial vehicle industry on a global basis.

From a global perspective, between January and October 2015, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 356,400 urban delivery vans, Transporters and pick-ups all over the world. The brand's deliveries therefore continue to be at the level of the previous year (January to October 2014: 363,900, -2.0 percent). Growth was posted for the Transporter model range, of which 139,100 vehicles were sold (+1.9 per cent), and for the Crafter model range with 40,400 deliveries (+2.9 percent).

As we look forward into 2016, Volkswagen Group will be launching new versions of its Caddy and Transporter range. It has also announced a joint venture with MAN, part of the VW Heavy Commercial Group, to co-build a totally new replacement model for the Crafter at a brandnew manufacturing plant currently being built in Poland.

Amarok continues to be a success story for the brand, with production now in Germany as well as Argentina.

Although we will have to wait until the IAA Show in Hanover in the third quarter of 2016 to view the all-new Crafter before it goes on sale in 2017, Australians will be able to buy the latest versions of the Crafter and Transporter T6 from early in 2016.

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51

HIGH Class FEATURE

The new Mercedes-Benz V-Class takes people-moving to a new level

ack in September of last year Delivery Magazine caught the first drive of the all-new - lass in the spectacular countryside of the Alsace region of France, a full 2 months before it arrived on these shores. ow with the blessing of the Mercedes- en car division - lass can be found in the dealership showrooms around the country albeit separated by intent from being associated with the more light commercial variants of ito and alente with which it shares some commonality of design.

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he launch of the - lass has to a certain degree redefined the whole category of the people-mover and Mum us taking the brand and the buyer into a new level of luxury that wasn t previously available in this segment. ndoubtedly it s not proper eti uette to suggest the - lass is an upmarket version of the alente peoplemover. More correctly it s better described as an attempt to stretch buyer imagination into how best to move eight people in the level of luxury associated with an - lass or - lass sedan maintaining the upmarket look and feel without a hint of the utilitarian light commercial.

Dieter etsche Mercedes- en chairman and head of the passenger car division set the official tone when he described the - lass as being the result of expanding the Mercedes- en premium passenger car range with a saloon for up to eight people. e then went and spoilt the analogy slightly by referring to it as an M Multiurpose ehicle . he pace of engine development has contributed in no small way to the - lass which is able to extract k and m of tor ue out of a 2. -litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine when the closest version of the previous model carried itself with a 3. -litre . ertainly there were a few nervous executives and dealership salesmen that were concerned performance might not be up to scratch, prior to launch. hat might also give a clue as to why the 2. -litre engine is actually carrying the nomenclature of 2 suggesting larger capacity.

The reality of this concern though is completely unfounded. During Delivery’s drive of the - lass ahead of the official launch we headed o at maximum warp speed from rance onto the basically unrestricted speed limits of the erman autobahn system. ven when pushed it to its limits the - lass showed it had the appropriate pedigree

HIGH CLASS with some clever electronic engine mapping providing an additional 10 kW of power and 40 Nm of torque when needed for maximum acceleration.

With the appropriate peaks of 150 kW and 480 Nm of torque, the 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 9.1 seconds is certainly not shabby chic. What puts this into a new perspective is the adoption of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology to reduce exhaust emissions to Euro 6 standards by incorporating AdBlue/DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid). The BlueTEC system used by Mercedesen produces a fuel economy figure of .3 l km (combined), and exhaust emissions of 166 g CO2/km.

In terms of safety, the V-Class has every box ticked.

The grouping of Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive incorporating crosswind assist, with attention assist, active parking assist, blind spot assist, lane keeping assist and probably mother-in-law assist is included in the package. dd the very clever and efficient PLUS automatic transmission with paddle shifters, behind an engine management and suspension package that provides four selectable modes (economical, comfortable, sport and manual), to alter handling and performance and there s every reason you ll find yourself in your favourite happy place.

The development of a full LED lighting system, including headlamps, was completed in conjunction with leading lighting experts, Hella, and is unique in this vehicle category. Apart from the impressive light performance, the system includes cornering lights.

But it is the interior that is going to impress anyone that climbs aboard, accessing by large electrically-powered sliding side doors to the main passenger compartment.

Lugano leather upholstery is standard across the range, and the interior can be lit having chosen one of the three colours available for ambient lighting. With light camelcoloured leather trim there’s none of the depressing black mausoleum look that so many erman vehicles appear to favour.

For Delivery’s taste the infotainment system is overly complicated, requiring quite a high degree of personal tuition before gaining mastery over how to find the right radio station, central mapping system or other music sources. What is amazing, though, is the clarity of the screen display that rivals high quality digital TV. If you take your music seriously you will appreciate the Burmester® surround sound system with 16 highperformance speakers including a bass re ex speaker.

If you want to talk over the music to the rear-seat occupants the driver s voice is amplified via a microphone in the front through to the rear speakers.

As mentioned, although the exterior is always going to be reminiscent of a van, the interior is more akin to a luxury passenger car. he front seats o er four-way lumbar support and active seat ventilation with reversing fans to ensure a consistent relative humidity at the contact area with the leather seat for driver and front passenger.

Teamed with the THERMOTRONIC automatic climate control system, there’s every reason to believe you’ll be totally comfortable in all areas and overly pampered in some. Another clever touch is that the ventilation system judges when the vehicle enter a tunnel and stops inhaling air, preventing any excessive pollution and pongs by reverting to recirculated air. The climate control system uses the map information from the navigation system and the location data to close the air recirculation ap automatically when the vehicle enters a tunnel subsequently re-opening it when the vehicle emerges from the tunnel.

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