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Page 14
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Heavy vans have come a long way since the 1970s. Nowadays, a prime example will boast a number of creature comforts, including air-con, electric windows, sat-nay and a CD player. John Lewis takes a look at a selection of the models on the market.
With turbocharged and charge-cooled common-rail diesel engines capable of delivering levels of fuel economy that would make an oil sheikh weep, plus slick gear changes, and carefully engineered steering and suspension systems, panel vans are more of a pleasure to drive than ever before. Build quality is, for the most part topnotch, and the standard of equipment would leave a van driver of the early 1970s speechless.
CD players are commonplace, so are electric windows and mirrors, and air-con and sat-nay are cropping up more and more. If the item you're after is not fitted as standard, then it will probably be on the options list. Additionally, more and more drivers are quite rightly enjoying the protection afforded by ABS and ESP,as well as greater insulation from noise, vibration and harshness.
Thoughtful cab layouts mean there is a purpose-built cubby hole or storage pocket for everything, from your clipboard with its sheaf of paperwork to that vital flask of tea.
In one key respect. though, panel vans are far less practical than they were 20 or so years ago. All the extras they are laden with mean they are not able to carry as much weight as their predecessors.
Two decades ago, an operator who carefully selected and specified a 3.5-tonner could expect to achieve a top payload of around 1,800kg. These days, you would be lucky to get a payload of 1,500kg out of a vehicle of equivalent gross weight.
Manufacturers are increasingly becoming aware of this limitation, and one or two are aiming to do something about it. Iveco, for example, is looking at ways in which it can reduce the, quite high unladen weight of the chassis-based Daily Those extras keep on coming, however, so as soon as it has trimmed off a few kilos in one place,it may find its vehicles have piled them on elsewhere. Fighting the flab is a continual battle—and one that not everybody wins...