Delivery Issue 34

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

www.deliverymagazine.com.au ISSUE 34 FEB/MAR 2011 RRP: $7.95

Delivery Magazine is an AFMA Strategic Alliance Partner

CADDY UPGRADES

INSIDE

Colorado on Gas D-Max Farm Mate

Navara’s New Engine More power for HiAce

The Full Canter The new Mitsubishi Fuso Canter has been launched onto the Japanese domestic market with export to other countries starting through this year.

The new Canter meets the Japan New Long-Term Emission Regulations (JP09) introduced in 2010. Claimed to provide the lowest fuel consumption values in the light truck segment, the entire series also meets Japan’s fuel efficiency standard for trucks, which will go into effect in 2015.

Powered by the Fuso 4P10 diesel engine, claims of improved fuel efficiency are of between five and eight percent, compared to the previous model. Further claimed improvements include an engine brake efficiency that can reduce maintenance costs by up to 20 percent.

The new Fuso Canter is fitted with the Duonic dual-clutch transmission, making it the first commercial vehicle to feature this type of transmission as standard. The Duonic dual-clutch transmission combines the advantages of automated driving with those of a manual transmission. Fuel consumption and, consequently, emissions levels are reduced compared to a fully automatic converter transmission.

The Fuso Canter’s interior and exterior design has also been completely revamped, with improvements in the frame design, axle suspension, and brake system, all of which make the vehicle lighter and safer than its predecessor.

Yes We Kangoo While it’s big in Europe but almost unheard of in Australia, Europe’s foremost light commercial vehicle brand has delivered a bigger, better specified, and more helpful new generation Kangoo to Renault’s Australian LCV dealers.

Drawing on the international experiences of 1.5 million Kangoo customers, Renault’s engineers and designers have created an even more capable vehicle, with the ergonomics, reliability and efficiency demanded by traders, merchants and delivery drivers across the business spectrum.

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Big Ute Deals

Queensland-based American vehicle importer, Performax International, is offering a helping hand to people who lost their cars, trucks or caravans during the State’s disastrous floods.

Bona fide victims of flood loss will be able to buy any vehicle from the company’s current stock at dealer rates, saving them thousands of dollars.

Performax International’s head office and factory are at Gympie, which was one of the many regional towns to go under water, although the premises and stock were not damaged.

The Performax International range of new and nearnew, right-hand drive American vehicles includes the Chevrolet Silverado truck with V8 diesel power, fourwheel drive and 7500 kg towing capacity.

In Europe, the Renault Kangoo has been the segment’s best selling vehicle for the past 12 consecutive years, a tribute to its well thought out design and suitability for a variety of roles.

The new Renault Kangoo is priced at $25,990 drive away, for either the 1.6-litre petrol version mated to a four-speed automatic transmission, or the 1.5-litre turbo-diesel version fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox.

The petrol version produces 78 kW of power at 5,750 rpm and peak torque of 148 Nm at 3,750 rpm, while the turbodiesel engine generates 63 kW at 3,750 rpm and maximum torque of 200 Nm at 1,900 rpm.

February / March 2011

Mazda Gives a Sneak Peak Mazda Australia has announced that Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) will be available on the All-New BT-50, a move that raises safety standards in the utility segment.

Happy Hyundai’s Hyundai’s iLoad, winner for two consecutive years of the Delivery Magazine Van of the Year Award, has received the 2010 carsales.com.au ‘People’s Choice Award’ in the Light Commercial Van category.

Launched in early 2008, the iLoad range has connected with buyers by offering an outstanding combination of practicality, reliability, and versatility. Coupled with low cost of ownership, a 4-star ANCAP safety rating and a five-year / 130,000 km warranty, iLoad is simply hard to beat.

Dynamic Stability Control is already a standard feature on every Mazda passenger car, and this announcement signifies a desire to offer utility owners similar levels of safety features to those enjoyed by owners of Mazda passenger cars.

The All-New Mazda BT-50 will make its Australian debut in late 2011.

D-MAX

Goes Gangbusters Isuzu UTE Australia (IUA) lifted sales of its premium Isuzu D-MAX ute range 43.4 percent in 2010 with 5,114 units sold, up from 3,566 in 2009.

The increase reflected success in penetrating some fleet and government markets on top of D-MAX’s established appeal to private and small business buyers.

Nearly 80 percent of D-MAXs sold were 4x4s. The most popular D-MAX was again the range-topping LS-U 4x4 crew ute.

Welcome India

Isuzu Ute has now moved into the top 20 of the 60 passenger and light commercial marques sold in Australia – overtaking Land Rover and Volvo in 2010.

The Mahindra Pik-Up utility vehicle will make its debut in South Australia this month as Mahindra Automotive Australia (MAA) announces another addition to its national dealer network. Morphett Vale Mahindra will be the first stand-alone Mahindra dealership to join the 25 strong network across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. An additional stand-alone metro dealership in Parramatta, Sydney, will also be announced shortly.

IUA is now targeting 6,500 D-MAX sales in 2011, which is expected to be a tougher sales environment.

The 5,114 D-MAX sales tally exceeded IUA’s target of 5,000 for 2010.

Close on 9,000 D-MAXs had been sold in Australia, by year’s end, since launch in October 2008.

IUA started operations with 38 dealers nationally, but this number will more than double by February, and is supplemented by well over a dozen satellite outlets nationally.

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NEW RELEASE n Europe they’re called car-derived vans, and pretty much each vehicle manufacturer has a few different types available. They’re popular, they’re easy to park, they’re fuel efficient and they’re just about everywhere you look as they carry out a wide range of jobs from courier deliveries to office cleaning.

Volkswagen has stuck to its guns, from day one, with the marketing support of the Caddy, and it’s finally paid off with 2010 being the best year of sales on record, with 2243 Caddy variants registered nationally. It’s currently the leader in this segment, but the picture advances when you look at its success globally, where close to 800,000 Caddy’s have been sold in the six years from 2004 to 2009.

Now, as we move into 2011, Volkswagen is stepping up the activity and the competition against other small van alternatives such as Fiat, Peugeot, Citroen, Holden and Suzuki.

The Caddy for 2011, and beyond, now benefits from new engines, new transmissions and new trim levels. Safety levels increase with the inclusion, for the first time, of ESP (Electronic Stability programming) as standard, together with Hill Start Assist and daytime safety running lamps.

If the idea of driving with your lights on in the daytime doesn’t particularly float your boat, then ponder on the statistic that your risk of accident rate can be reduced in the daylight hours by up to 28 percent. That’s the findings of research completed in Europe, and it more than justifies the inclusion on the grounds of added safety. It’s also now mandatory for new cars in parts of Europe.

The new engines for the entire Caddy range start with the choice of two petrol and two diesel alternatives. All are turbocharged, with the petrol versions using direct fuel injection and the diesels using high-pressure commonrail fuel injection with a diesel particulate filter to lower emissions.

The four-cylinder, TSI petrol engines develop 63 kW or 77 kW from a diminutive cubic capacity of 1.2 litres, and offer fuel economy improvements when compared against the previous petrol engines of up to 14.6 percent. The 77 kW version is claimed to return a combined fuel economy consumption of 7.0 l/100 km with emissions output of 163 g/km.

Over to the diesel camp, and power options here come in at 75 kW and 103 kW, both again from four-cylinder engines. The fuel injection system here has now switched from unit injectors to common-rail, and, with capacities of 1.6 litres and 2.0 litres, both engines bring a change of performance, fuel economy and emissions levels.

The 1.6-litre, 75 kW engine brings a fuel consumption level of 5.7 l/100 km, and the van with the higher output 2.0-litre, 103 kW engine uses 6.3 l/100 km and returns166 g/km of 12

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emissions. In terms of torque output, the 1.6-litre is rated at 250 Nm with the 2.0-litre rated at 320 Nm, both from as low as 1,500 rpm.

Volkswagen has been pushing its DSG twinclutch transmission in just about every model it produces, and the Caddy Van is no exception. The standard van comes with a five-speed manual gearbox, and this is available with the entry-level petrol 1.2-litre or the 1.6-litre diesel. Those looking for an automated manual will find their choice extends to a seven-speed DSG with the 1.6-litre diesel.

Buyers of the larger capacity Caddy Maxi Van, which is powered by the 2.0-litre diesel can select the six-speed DSG transmission, or downsize to the 1.6-litre diesel for the seven-speed DSG, or drop back to a five-speed manual with either the 175 kW petrol engine or the 1.6-litre, 250 Nm diesel option.

SMALL MOVES If you are looking for true dual-purpose vehicle capability, then the Caddy Life might be the perfect choice. With fully glazed windows and sliding doors on both sides, the Caddy Life comes with the choice of a second centre row of seats, plus a further third row of seating in the Maxi Life, each of which can be removed if you want to concentrate on load carrying for the day.

With the Caddy Life or the longer Caddy Maxi Life alternative, the engine and transmission options provide the buyer with the choice of the 250 Nm, 1.6-litre diesel as a sixspeed manual or seven-speed DSG for the Caddy Life, and the 1.6-litre with seven-speed DSG, or the 2.0-litre with sixspeed DSG for the Caddy Maxi. There’s no manual gearbox option for the Caddy Maxi at this stage.

It’s our view that once you’ve decided the Caddy fits your needs exactly, then the engine and transmission choice will probably be dictated by price. The cost equation all starts at $21,990 for the 1.2-litre petrol engine Caddy Van and its 63 kW of power and 160 Nm of torque rated at 1,500-3,500 rpm.

Moving up to the 1.6-litre diesel and manual gearbox brings the cost up to $26,650, and the inclusion of the seven-speed DSG adds a further $3,000.

If you intend to run fairly low annual distances, of under 20,000 km per year, around the city, and keep the Caddy for a five-year replacement, Delivery’s suggestion would be to stay basic and run with the petrol engine with manual transmission.

If you are running high distances interstate, covering +100,000 km per year, the diesel manual looks the better option.

Having owned and operated our own Caddy within the Delivery company fleet, we can vouch for the excellent performance, reliability, comfort and general behaviour of the Caddy. The latest upgrades add nice additional storage touches inside the vehicle, and with electro-mechanical power steering now across the range, the directional stability of the Caddy is even better than on the original. The new engine range has added more life and liveliness to driving pleasure, but, in overall terms, it remains a solid, well built and pleasing vehicle to drive.

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FEATURE

Chi n a Insight As the largest vehicle manufacturer in the world, China has the ability to dominate global demand

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or many Australians their first introduction to the might of present day China was probably through watching the telecast of the Beijing Olympics. Prior to that, the influence of China was perhaps much more subliminal,

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manifesting itself in the supply of cheap T-Shirts and low priced electrical goods. If that’s the case stand by, for vehicle supply as we know it is just about to change.

As our politicians strive to be accepted on the international negotiating scene as a voice to be heard, their negotiating skills often appear to be confined to announcing the removal of trade

CHINA INSIGHT barriers with Australia. And, as that scenario continues, this opening of our borders and boundaries to free trade will see the established competitiveness of the auto industry shattered by a new addition to our market, that of China.

China is moving forwards at a rate unmatched in the Western world and it appears to be unstoppable. The country’s urban population is set to surpass its rural population for the first time by 2015, with those living in towns and cities set to top 700 million out of an estimated total of 1.39 billion. Of this number, over 200 million are aged over 60 years with a further eight million Chinese expected to turn 60 each year.

The infrastructure needed to support this population trend means that industry has to grow. And grow it does, with some car and truck makers reporting a consistent year on year growth rate of 50 percent per annum for the past decade.

If you needed convincing about the speed at which the Chinese move forwards here’s just one example.

In Australia we’ve been discussing a fast rail link between Sydney and Melbourne for what seems like 15 years. We currently neither have a confirmed plan, a route nor a projected cost.

In April 2008, work started on the Beijing to Shanghai high speed railway, a distance of 1,318 km. Designed for 380 km/h maximum speed commercial running, the journey time will be under four hours. Built at a cost of $32 billion and with a workforce of 132,000, the track laying was completed in November last year. Planned to open in October 2011, after the completion of associated rail infrastructure, it will carry 220,000 passengers daily with a peak hour service interval of five minutes.

Manufacturing moves at a similar pace. China is the world’s largest motor vehicle market, both by sales and production.

Sales in China in 2009 rose by 45 percent to reach 13.6 million

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NEW RELEASE

Basically Beautiful At last - A no-frills ute that takes hard work without throwing a tantrum

H

ave you ever wanted a mobile phone that only made and received phone calls? No Apps, no mapping, no facebook or internet connection, no camera or video, just a simple phone that rings when someone wants to talk to you.

If the answer is yes and you drive a ute, the chances are that all you want is a ute that works hard and doesn’t have unnecessary and expensive options. Well, while we can’t help you with finding a simple mobile phone, thanks to Isuzu and the D-Max Farm Mate, we can suggest a ute that fits the bill.

The Farm Mate is a limited edition, base model, that’s resulted from the Isuzu Ute Australia people actually asking their public what they want, rather than relying on the views of a 20-year-old advertising agency planner who sits on facebook all day.

If you work with your ute, then here’s what you get: A bench seat that takes two passengers, plus a driver, so you can drop the kids off at the school bus stop without them sitting on top of each other as you drive them down to the front gate of the property.

You get wind-up windows that work, even if the ute is five feet under the surface of the dam.

You get doors that only lock or unlock when you stick the key in the door.

You get rubbery/plastic floor mats, a fully galvanized, steelbodied, dropside tray body, with tubular headboard and steps on both sides, you get rope rails, a strong cab rear window mesh guard, chequerplate floor and taillight guards, you get a steel bull bar powder-coated in satin black, and you also get a tow bar kit with wiring to a 7-pin flat plug, a square-section removable tongue, tow ball and D-shackles.

You even get a little metal toolbox slung under the rear left section of the tray to carry the towbar if you don’t want it sticking out the back all the time, ready to whack you playfully on the shin.

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And inside the cab, you even get a hands-free Bluetooth connection that will couple up to your basic, hands-free mobile phone (if you ever find one). Don’t go looking for the cruise control because there isn’t one.

All up, Isuzu Ute Australia has added accessories and a body to the value of around $5,000 in a unique package aimed at ABN holders, and it’s available with either the single cab 4x4 D-Max EX version or the space cab option that has room in the back for the dogs and a chainsaw or two small people sitting on small flap down seats.

Farm Mate single cab’s 2.55 m tray load floor is 150 mm longer than the standard trays fitted to Triton, BT50, Ranger and HiLux Workmate. The tray loading height is also lower than other 4x4s, thanks to its underslung rear leaf springs, which are unusual in 4x4, don’t cost ground clearance, and help lower the centre of gravity.

“Whether you’re fencing, feeding, or just ferrying, Farm Mate D-MAX is the farmer’s ideal small truck, with the turbo-diesel torque and economy, features, durability and engineering excellence you’d expect from an Isuzu,” IUA’s Managing Director Hitoshi Kono said.

The four-cylinder, turbocharged Isuzu 3.0-litre engine ranks, in our view, as the best diesel available in the ute market. With its 360 Nm torque, the combination just lugs along, whether on the highway or in a paddock, doing its job well without ever complaining. It’s also the most economic of the current ute crop, returning 8.1 litres/100 km on the ADR 81/02 combined city and highway test. For the space cab this is class best and compares with diesel Navara D40’s using 9.8, Mazda BT50/ Ford Ranger’s on 9.2 and diesel HiLux’s 8.3 l/100 km.

All Farm Mates come with a three-tonne maximum tow capacity, high 225 mm ground clearance, paddock-crawler ultra-low low-range first gear with anti-stall, steel plate sump and transfer case guards and a fuel tank shield. Push-button dash controls simplify 2WD/4WD/low range selection and allow shift-on-the-fly up to 100 km/h between 2WD and 4WD High.

BASICALLY BEAUTIFUL Both Farm Mates offer standard air conditioning, rear LSD, dual airbags, pre-tensioners on outer front seat belts and CD/ FM/AM MP3 audio. The space cab Farm Mate does go a bit more upmarket over the single cab version by adding ABS with EBD (which disables on steep slippery slopes to allow wheel lock-up), power windows, remote entry door locks, cruise control, front bucket seats with a storage binned centre floor console, rear window demister and door protection strips.

Both Farm Mates have the longest endorsed tray load floor length from cab to axle among Asian conventional-cab onetonners, for optimal loaded stability and safety. Their Isuzu chassis has a uniquely longer wheelbase (by a sizeable 150 mm) in cab/chassis models than in its utes, and, at 3200 mm, is longest in the class.

Each rear space cab seating position has a three-point seatbelt, cup-holder and a side pocket in the cabin side trim, plus enhanced visibility via the space cab’s signature low-sill, rear opening rear side windows. This latter feature is another favourite with the dogs.

D-MAX Farm Mate single cab is $33,990 driveaway, and Farm Mate space cab is $39,490 driveaway. Farm Mate production volume is less than 100, but final availability will depend on demand.

Twin rear ‘jump’ seats with multiple folding modes are a feature in Farm Mate space cab. Lifting each seat squab reveals a box with a flat load platform lid under which is a segmented small tool storage area. These boxes can flip forward and fill the rear footwell recesses, their flat backs levelling with the prop-shaft tunnel to present a near flat load platform across the whole cabin floor width. This is a feature that is greatly appreciated by all farm dogs, as they don’t have to sit on a hot steel tray floor in the summer.

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TESTED

Going For Gas S

ome might say it’s been a long time coming, but, for Holden, the inclusion of an LPG option in the Colorado range makes a sensible addition to that of the LPG availability in the Commodore ute.

This is dual fuel territory, where a touch of a button can switch you from petrol to LPG power and back again. The advantages of this are more power when on petrol but a reduction in fuel cost when on gas. The other advantage comes in the form of increased range when both fuel options are used to compliment the overall range of the Colorado.

In practical terms, about the only trade-off is the lack of space under the rear tray in which to store the spare tyre. In the case of the dual cab ute version, the tyre ends up in the tray, chopping back space, which is already far from premium. In the single cab ute version, it’s not such a concern with many owners already losing space, intentionally, to toolboxes. Although we haven’t yet seen

a cab chassis LPG version, we are presuming it might be possible to find an alternative mounting position for the spare tyre somewhere under the tray.

Colorado has until the end of this year to run its course, before being replaced by a totally new platform and engine, so this latest release does enable a little more showroom traffic to be generated before we hit runout phase around the end of the third quarter.

There are three models in the Colorado range to benefit from the availability of LPG. These are the Colorado 4x2 Single Cab Chassis, and the Crew Cab pickup models, in both LX and LT-R guise, and all are powered by the Australian-built, dual-fuel LPG Alloytec V6 engine. LPG is not available as an option with 4x4 variants.

In its base format, the Colorado currently presents well, and time has shown it’s an honest workhorse. Sure, it doesn’t come fully loaded with lots of upmarket specification, together with the significant additional price of some of the competition, but we are talking work utes here, so let’s keep it all in perspective.

Holden adapts its LPG technology into the Colorado 30

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GOING FOR GAS

Holden Director of Marketing, Philip Brook, said the LPG option added to Colorado’s reputation for offering practical and user-friendly features for heavy-duty work.

“We think the introduction of the LPG option to the Colorado range is a clear advantage for the customer,” Mr Brook said.

“Customers have the space, power and performance that they need, while slashing their fuel bill in a big way.

“LPG is widely available across Australia, and, perhaps most importantly, gives customers access to heavy-duty truck benefits with small car running costs,” he said.

The three models add to Holden’s EcoLine range, which highlights the company’s vehicles that use an alternative fuel or fuel saving technology.

Colorado’s dual-fuel system, which complies with the Euro 4 emissions standards, delivers 155 kW of power at 5,400 rpm and 300 Nm of torque rated at 2,700 rpm. It employs Sequential Vapour Gas Injection (SVGI) technology, which injects gas directly into the engine’s intake manifold, mimicking the petrol injection sequence.

Both models can be fitted with a default LPG switch that sounds a warning tone when the LPG tank is empty and the vehicle is running on petrol. The 4x2 Cab Chassis comes fitted with a 56-litre cylindrical LPG tank located between the chassis rails, while the Crew Cab models use a 76-litre toroidal tank located in the spare wheel casing. On all variants, the existing petrol tanks are unchanged. The towing capacity for a

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FEATURE

HiAce Hiatus Can Toyota’s van range stand the test of time?

W

ith over 250,000 sales, it’s been the leading van on the Australian market since its first appearance, but with increasing pressure from Korean products, such as Hyundai’s iLoad, there are some cracks appearing in the Toyota HiAce sales figures that might need more than a facelift to repair.

Through 2010, Australians bought 7,610 HiAce vans and 2,235 HiAce buses, giving Toyota a clear 33.1 percent of the van market and 95.9 percent of the light bus market. Hyundai chased the HiAce hard, with its iLoad scoring 5,990 sales for a market share of 26 percent. Into third place tumbled the Ford Transit, dropping sales from 2,213 units in 2009, to 1,682 last year, and a market share reduction from 9.0 percent in 2009 to 7.3 percent.

With HiAce supremacy under threat, it’s interesting to look at how its current competition is fairing. Also to be considered is the “Gathering of the Clans” when it comes to Chinese made vans that could soon be flooding our market with HiAce look-alikes available a greatly reduced pricing.

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From a situation where Ford, with its Transit range, was a consistent second place achiever, the company appears to have simply lost interest in light vans. The lack of national print media campaigns and the inability of the company to develop an automatic transmission to suit the Transit all helping to create its fall from favour.

With a market share of 5.7 percent and sales of 1,312 units, the fourth place position went to Mitsubishi and the Express, proof indeed that no matter how old the product, there are some buyers out there that will simply make their decisions on price alone. This was evidenced by the Kia Pregio in past years, and continues with the Express today.

Volkswagen is the interesting European infiltrator for light van sales figures, and, with combined sales of the Caddy and Transporter, this German manufacturer can claim a total market share of 15.7 percent for total sales of 3613 units. With 1,630 sales attributable to the Transporter, the success of the VW medium van range should alone ring warning bells at other European importers.

HIACE HIATUS The German attack is also being continued by MercedesBenz with the Vito range, and a revision of specifications, plus a livening up of appearances, might help lift sales performance, nationally, from a poor average of 977 units for a market share of 4.2 percent. Mercedes-Benz, like Ford, has tended to overlook marketing opportunities in the light commercial division, leaving much of the activity to individual dealerships rather than leading from the front line. The release of new upgrades for 2011 does, however, provide MB with the opportunity to kickstart interest for what is an excellent range of vehicles.

Meanwhile, back at the Toyota campfire, executives have been planning how to redress the reduction in appeal of the HiAce that saw it lower sales in 2010 by 1313 units and by 3.2 percentage points.

The answer, for Toyota, has been to take the existing 5th generation range of HiAce vans and Commuter buses, and increase engine performance by boosting the power of its turbo-diesel range by 25 per cent, to 100 kW, and increase active safety across the board.

By contrast, the remaining European manufacturers have been left trying to balance their marketing budgets by favouring the higher volumes of passenger car sales, while still maintaining some budget for van promotion. Citroen’s Berlingo and Dispatch jointly gained a market share of 1.6 percent with sales of 370 units, down by 12 units from 2009, while Peugeot, with its Expert and Partner, scored 0.9 percent of the segment with sales of 201 units. Fiat scored 0.7 percent of market share with sales of the Scudo at 153 units.

Toyota has recalibrated the 1KD-FTV turbo-diesel engine to deliver an additional 20 kW of power and 14 Nm of torque - coupled with fuel-economy and emission improvements of up to seven per cent. Also, the company has now finally included the added safety of ABS anti-lock braking systems, as standard equipment, as part of an upgrade to the HiAce range, adding to the dual SRS airbags already standard across the range. The HiAce Commuter bus has lap-sash seatbelts for all 14 seating positions, and a new Option Pack offers the choice of an Auto Door closer for the side sliding door.

A major loser here was Renault, and with a combined performance for its Kangoo and Trafic of just 1.0 percent, and sales of 229 units, its performance was a far cry from the previous year where volumes totalled 784 units for a market share of 3.2 percent.

HiAce’s improved engine matches a taller final drive ratio of 3.727:1, compared with the superseded 3.909:1 ratio, making full use of increased maximum torque.

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FEATURE

Full Power

Captain It’s a Nissan Ute Jim, but not as we know it!

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you are a Startrek fan you’ll know all about moving into warp drive. While not exactly changing matter into anti-matter, Nissan’s new V6 turbo diesel isn’t far off achieving the impossible.

The end of last year heralded previews of new products due to be launched through 2011, and most of the traditional ute manufacturers and importers trotted out revisions to specifications that added a few kilowatts here and a few Newton-metres there, all adding up to a mild power or torque increase for the latest buyer.

Not so Nissan, which surpassed expectation with its new Navara by announcing an absolute stump puller by comparison.

Available in the top of the line Navara ST-X 550 and shared with the Pathfinder SUV in the Ti 550 model, is a full turbocharged

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and intercooled, 3.0-litre, V6 diesel with common-rail, direct fuel injection that produces a class-leading 170 kW power at 3,750 rpm and a massive torque output of 550 Nm from 1,750 rpm.

The quest for ultimate power and torque usually comes with a default position on fuel economy, but here, Nissan is claiming the new engine provides the best of both worlds in terms of power and economy. The Alliance developed V6 is claimed to return a fuel consumption figure of 9.5-litres per 100 km on the combined cycle, and has full compliance with the Euro 5 emissions requirements.

And, if you are still reeling in the appreciation of 550 Nm of torque from a 3.0-litre engine in a standard ute weighing in at a typical ute weight of around 1,840 kg, then slow down for

FULL POWER CAPTAIN Nissan hasn’t actually stated a kerb weight or tare weight for the new ST-X 550 Navara as yet, but it’s not hard to work out that it’s going to be higher than the regular 1,840 kg expected in a crew cab ute. It’s also interesting to find that, for the Pathfinder Ti 550, the stated Gross Vehicle Mass of 2,880 kg is under the quoted trailer towing capability that is listed at 3,500 kg. This means that not only is the accepted maximum trailer weight higher than the kerb weight, which is our standard guide for safety, it’s actually exceeding the gross vehicle mass itself.

So far Nissan has not started quoting the weights for the new Navara, but this top-of-the-range flagship comes pretty much fully loaded. And where better to start than with a seven-speed automatic transmission, the only such gearbox available in Nissan’s light commercial range.

For the Nissan Navara ST-X 550, the additional equipment list comprises a tub liner, satin black sportsbar with LED high level brake light, a hard tonneau cover complete with remote central locking, smoked bonnet protector, front fog lights, headlamp washers, privacy glass, roof rails and V6 badges. The maximum payload is 909 kg.

ABS anti-lock braking, Brake Assist (BA) and electric brake distribution (EBD) are all standard, along with Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with Active Brake Limited Slip Differential (ABLS).

The safety package includes front to rear curtain airbags, driver and passenger side impact airbags and driver and passenger front impact airbags.

a moment and hold your enthusiasm until we get some more figures from Nissan as to the tare or kerb weight figures for the new little truck.

Power and performance comes down to the vehicle power to weight ratio, and, without decrying Nissan the credit for bringing this engine to market, the tare weight of the Pathfinder TI 550 3.0-litre is now over the 2,200 kg weight range, so some of all this extra power and torque is going to be absorbed getting the show on the road and mobile.

Nissan is understandably extremely vocal in singing the praises of the new engine, illustrating that the Navara, in V6 turbo-diesel guise, manages to produce an impressive 200 Nm torque advantage over its closest rival’s best effort, while the Pathfinder is a muscular 109 Nm stronger than its nearest (and larger) competitor. If nothing else, it fires a broadside over the new five-cylinder engine slated for introduction in the next generation Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50, and it certainly dims the lights at Volkswagen on the eve of its launch of the 2.0-litre, diesel, four-cylinder engine Amarok.

This new engine, code-named V9X, gives Nissan the muscle to out-manoeuvre Medium SUV category competitors, as well as appeal to buyers of larger Japanese 4x4 wagons.

It will also have the torque and image to attract buyers of DELIVERY

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PROFILE

C

hanging a vehicle regularly is not a regular occurrence for Australia’s tradesmen. For some, even washing their trusty conveyance can be a chore that is often forgotten, and, of course, there are some tradies that see the suggestion of servicing on a regular basis as something that only others do.

Electrician Bob Van Os realised the time had come to replace his reliable Toyota HiAce and looked around for a suitable van as a substitute to a vehicle that had started life with Telstra before finding a new life on the electrical circuit.

“I added a sliding drawer that is mounted on the floor of the van and slides out through the rear tailgate,” said Bob. “This was supplied by Cargo Drawers Australia, of Canberra, and has been a fantastic addition. The drawer has a payload of 400 kg and it slides out effortlessly, giving me access without having to bend forwards and lean into the cargo area,” he added.

In addition to the sliding cargo drawer, the Hyundai also includes a wide, non-slip rear step with grab

“I didn’t even know Hyundai made vans when I first started looking for a replacement to the old HiAce. It had been a good old van, but I was tired of bouncing around in a basic van, and it was getting a little long on the tooth,” said Bob. “I had a test drive in an iLoad, owned locally, and thought it was a big step up from the HiAce. The power and performance from the diesel engine was a big improvement over the HiAce and the ride comfort was certainly a lot better.

It was also a lot nicer to drive. The big question was how to incorporate all the equipment and parts I carry with me,” he added.

After visiting the local Hyundai dealerships, Bob settled on a white, diesel-powered iLoad van with five-speed manual transmission. With a regular load that sees weights running at the three tonnes mark for the iLoad, he added auxiliary airbag support to the rear springs and also looked at the best way to distribute his daily inclusion of ladders, conduits, pipes, cables and spare parts.

Sparking 56

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into Life

SPARKING INTO LIFE handles either side of the tailgate opening, and Hyundai supplied roof racks on which are mounted the conduit carriers.

“Even when fully loaded, the performance comparison with the HiAce is amazing. I can now climb the hill at Mount Ousley, near Wollongong, in fourth gear in the Hyundai easily.

The HiAce was only able to manage the climb in second gear with the engine screaming its head off,” he added.

Now achieving second place in the annual Australian van sales segment, the Hyundai iLoad, in Bob’s case, is powered by a four-cylinder, 2.5-litre CDI diesel engine that produces 125 kW at 3,800 rpm and peak torque of 392 Nm rated at 2,000-2,500 rpm.

The engine design includes the use of common-rail direct fuel injection, a variable geometry turbocharger with intercooler and either a five-speed manual gearbox or five-speed automatic transmission. Optionally available is a 2.4-litre, petrol four-cylinder engine that produces maximum power of 6,000 rpm and peak torque of 228 Nm rated at 4,200 rpm and uses sequential multi-point fuel injection.

With a turning circle of 11.22 metres, the iLoad features hydraulic, power assisted steering, four-channel, four-sensor antilock (ABS) braking and electronic brake force distribution (EBD). The kerb weight for the diesel van is 2,084 kg with a GVM of 3,160 kg, offering a payload of 1,132 kg. Fuel economy for the combined fuel cycle of the diesel manual is 8.5 l/100 km, 9.6 l/100 km for the diesel auto and 10.1 l/100 km for the petrol manual version. Brakes are disc front and rear, and the emissions level is shown as 225 g/km (diesel manual).

Running on 215/70R16 tyres with steel rims, the safety features include driver and passenger SRS airbags, automatic door unlocking on impact, a four-ring strengthened body with rigid cabin and crush zones front and rear, impact absorbing bumpers and side-impact anti-intrusion bars in the front doors. Security features include central locking, an engine immobiliser and keyless entry with burglar alarm.

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TESTED

Multivers

Multiv Transporter variants seem to be coming thick and fast. Delivery looks at a value for money

S

o far, in the trilogy of Transporter people movers under our evaluation, we’ve reported on the very special Multivan that comes with leather trim and a hire car level of opulence, and we’ve reported on the Caravelle as the practical transport alternative. Now we hit middle ground with the Multivan without the leather trim but with almost all the advantages of the higher priced model.

Like us, you might be starting to think that as far as Volkswagen is concerned, you can have any colour as long as its metallic silver. Well, I suppose it’s better than the ever present examples of white vans and white utes, but it does make everything look annoyingly similar, at least externally.

The Multivan Comfortline starts the ball rolling with twin bucket seats in the front, twin captain’s chairs, in the second row seating, that swivel and spin to face forwards or rearwards, and a three-seater bench seat in row three.

You can move the second row and third row seats forwards and backwards on their location rails to increase or decrease passenger space, while gaining or losing parcel and luggage space behind row three, in the area accessed by the tailgate.

It’s also possible to flip the row three seatback backwards or forwards. When in the upright position, there’s a roll out security cover that hides items in the luggage area by clipping onto locking catches at each rear “D” pillar.

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Not optioning up to leather trim throughout the seating makes the pricing several thousands of dollars keener, and, in reality, the quality of the cloth trim and its presentation shouldn’t give any passengers cause to complain. There is, however, the expectation of those travelling in a Multivan used for high-end airport transfers, and the like, that leather is what the customer demands. So, here the choice comes down to application rather than personal preference.

MULTIVERSATILE MULTIVAN

satile

van upmarket option for shifting the family

doors, the optional 32-litre warming or cooling box that comes with a second battery installation, the optional additional window blinds, waste bin and drawers in the rear bench, that’s called the Good Night Package, or the optional integral Sat/Nav unit in the dashboard.

As you can now see, nothing in the specification list is seemingly without an element of variation.

Pearl or metallic paint finish is also optional, but it’s at this point that we start to find some common details, such as the dark tinted windows in the passenger compartment and leather trimmed, multifunction steering wheel, which are standard in the Highline and again optional in the Comfortline. Other standard features in the Highline, that are optional in the Comfortline, include fog lights with a cornering function, dusk sensing headlamps with a coming home function, rain sensing wipers and an auto dimming rear vision mirror.

There are even more features that are optional no matter what level of Multivan you buy, and these include a powered sunroof and electric folding door mirrors. The advantage of all the options, especially with the Comfortline, is that the purchase price will sit more easily with your finance advisor if you don’t tick all the boxes. You can determine at what level of fiscal fortitude you indulge yourself, precluding things that you’d never use and taking advantage of those you would. One example is actually the powered sliding side doors. You’d think it’s no great effort to open and close the door, but being able to power them from the driver’s seat is probably the most impressive asset you can select.

The Comfortline and the more opulently specified Highline share the general engine, transmission, suspension and safety options with each other. The differences come as a result of whoever ticks the options boxes and selects the higher powered engine, the optional 4Motion all-wheel-drive transmission, with or without the optional differential lock, the optional larger diameter rim and lower aspect ratio tyre fitment, the optional sports suspension package, the optional powered open/close sliding

We have to stop and take stock of all the option box ticking here and discuss roadholding, handling and general driving pleasure. It’s in these three categories that the latest model of the Transporter, the T5, really excels.

The standard suspension is by independent MacPherson struts on the front, with sub-frame mounted coil springs and gas dampers, while, at the rear, the set-up uses coil springs and a semi-trailing independent axle. Remember here that the drive from the engine goes to the front wheels, only heading rearwards as an additional inclusion with those buying the 4Motion all-wheel-drive package.

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AUSTRALIA’S GUIDE TO ECO FRIENDLY, FUEL EFFICIENT CARS

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

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