Neil Dowling reviews the all-new Hiace van Preparing to go to work punting a delivery van through city traffic is usually as warmly anticipated in terms of excitement and pleasure as waiting at the dentist before root canal surgery. Vans can be the coldest, noisiest and most body-shaking mobility machine on the market, with levels of acceptability directly correlating to ...

Iveco shows it is well placed for local urban distribution – Words and Images by Brenton O’Connor. With the massive growth in e-commerce and online business, including a grocery home delivery trend led by the likes of Coles and Woolworths, light trucks sales have risen dramatically. When someone is contemplating purchasing either a single van or a fleet of light ...

Toyota announces its sixth-generation HiAce It has taken 15 years for Toyota to finally replace its current but ageing cab-over-engine delivery van with a shift to the SBV (Semi-Bonneted Van) design that has been so successful for its global competitors. The HiAce story started in 1967 with the first HiAce, which was offered as a cabover ute, a delivery van ...

With an EV in the family it’s a question of maintaining the right connections – Words by Scott Murray The jury in the case of light commercial electric vehicles hauling any form of significant payload is still out, because of the traditional nature of heavy battery technology. In the real world, where small business goods need transporting 24/7, there’s a ...

Can Ford regain lost ground with Transit? – Words by Chris Mullett Recent history shows that Ford Motor Company has been incapable of performing even basic marketing activities when it comes to presenting its light commercial range to the Australian buyer. Despite producing excellent products such as the Ford Transit Custom and Transit standard van that rank competitively against all-comers ...

Renault’s Trafic Crew blends business and pleasure – Words by Warren Caves, Images by Torque it Up.  The European assault on the hotly contested, 1.0- to 3.5-tonne van market continues to gain traction, with the likes of Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, Fiat and Renault all taking firm swipes at traditional Australian consumer choices, Toyota’s HiAce and Hyundai’s i-Load. If you move ...

Competitive pricing helps LDV to  more than double its market share. Chinese van maker LDV flew under the radar in 2018, quietly growing its market share and producing a growth rate to the end of November of 145 percent (source: VFACTS). Sales increased from 2017 to the corresponding 11-month period of 2018 from 2315 to 5679 vehicles, represented by the ...

Hyundai’s iLoad shows that a semi-bonneted van design still retains maximum appeal for the average PUD fleet operator – Words by Warren Caves, images by Torque it Up. Hyundai’s popular and hardworking iLoad LCV (light commercial vehicle) range has received a styling makeover and significant appointment upgrades to draw new buyers to the Korean makers 2018 offering. Originally released a ...