• Renault foresees UK van sales surge ahead of Euro 4 deadline
• New entry-level diesel Kangoo Van aims for added success – costs £755 less than current entry-level Euro 3 model. ABS and 30W CD/radio standard
• Renault calls for halt to van ABS rip-off in UK

Renault foresees rising demand for Euro 3 vans in months ahead

The deadline for light commercial vehicle Euro 4 compliance* is fast approaching, with Renault expecting a marked increase in demand for its Euro 3 vans in the UK in the next few months.

Although there are undoubted benefits associated with cleaner, more fuel efficient Euro 4 engines, many van owners are realising that Euro 3 vehicles still represent sound purchases, not least because of their immediate availability and lower list prices. As a result, many customers are expected to bring their fleet orders forward before the year end.

Renault is one of the few manufacturers to have anticipated this need in terms of both product and resource, so is now ideally placed to meet this demand from its UK customers.

Although the new Trafic and Master ranges have recently been launched with Euro 4 engines, Renault has stockpiled enough Euro 3 products to meet forecast demand and will also continue producing a Euro 3 version of its new Trafic van until mid-October. As outlined below, a new entry-level diesel Kangoo van using a Euro 3 engine is also now available.

Confirming the buying pattern which is expected to emerge in the months ahead, Renault UK’s LCV Brand Manager, Louise O’Sullivan, commented, “While some of the larger fleet operators have obviously assessed the situation and realised the cost savings associated with running Euro 3 vehicles, some sectors of the market are only just seeing the light. Therefore we’re trying to do as much as we can for our UK customers by urging any of them considering a purchase within the next few months to take advantage of this last opportunity to secure Kangoo, Trafic and Master Euro 3 models before product availability is exhausted.”

New Renault Kangoo Van SL19 D 70 Euro 3

Ideally positioned to take advantage of the expected wave of Euro 3 orders is a new version of Kangoo Van – the best-selling compact van in Europe since 2001 – the SL19 D 70 Euro 3.

The Renault Kangoo Van range is already competitively priced, so with a basic price of £9,195 - £755 less than the next model up in the SL Euro 3 range - the newcomer is set to give its rivals even more cause for concern when they see that ABS and CD/radio are both fitted as standard.

The potential for the latest addition to the Kangoo Van range to entice buyers away from other compact vans is immediately apparent when you compare it to three of its rivals.

The Ford Transit Connect looks particularly expensive by comparison, the 1.8 TDdi swb version costing £10,025 once ABS is added - £830 more than the Kangoo. A CD-radio is not even available as an option. The Kangoo Van’s two direct French rivals fare only marginally better. The Citroën Berlingo 600D X 1.9D for example, costs £50 more at £9,245, yet neither ABS or CD/radio are available as options. Its sister vehicle, the Peugeot Partner 600 L 1.9d, costs £450 more than the Kangoo Van at £9,645 once these two items of equipment have been factored into the equation.

The new Kangoo Van model offers a 1.9-litre diesel engine, with maximum power output of 65hp at 4500rpm and 120Nm torque at 2250rpm. As with the other Euro 3 models in the Kangoo Van line-up, service intervals are every 9,000 miles or two years.

The Kangoo Van SL19 D 70 Euro 3 is available to order now, priced at £9,195 excluding VAT and on the road charges. It also qualifies for four years zero per cent finance.