Vauxhall and Renault share top What Van? Award
The Vauxhall Movano and its Renault Master sister van have shared the top prize in one of the industry’s most prestigious prize-givings – the What Van? Awards.
The two, so closely related that it was unjust to separate them, are jointly awarded the publication’s Van of the Year title, and also take the top spot in the Large Panel Van of the Year category.
“The Vauxhall Movano and Renault Master are excellent new additions to the light commercial vehicle market and have proved themselves to be worthy recipients of the top What Van? Award,” said What Van? Editor Paul Barker. “The increased breadth of range, including rear-wheel drive models for the first time, and the industry-leading levels of interior functionality and practicality in particular swayed the judges’ decision.”
Renault also tasted success with its forthcoming electric Renault Kangoo ZE, which took the Technology prize, and the customer service initiatives iCare and Pro+ earned the Editor’s Choice award. Other category winners included the Ford Fiesta Van, Fiat Doblo Cargo, VW Transporter, and Mitsubishi L200, while the Safety prize went to Mercedes for its efforts to improve crash avoidance and protection in its light commercial vehicles.
“These awards are increasingly difficult to judge as the quality of product in the market continues to surge forward, but that’s a brilliant problem to have,” continued Barker. “The entire industry deserves credit for the way it has progressed despite the very difficult market conditions, and it’s nice to be able to reward those we feel are top of the pile.”
What Van? Award winners:
Van of the Year: Vauxhall Movano/Renault Master
Small Van of the Year: Ford Fiesta
Light Van of the Year: Fiat Doblo Cargo
Small Panel Van of the Year: VW Transporter
Large Panel Van of the Year: Vauxhall Movano/Renault Master
Pick-up of the Year: Mitsubishi L200
One-Stop Shop Award: Citroen
Minibus of the Year: Ford Transit
4x4 Van of the Year: Ford Transit AWD
Safety Award: Mercedes
Green Award: VCA
Technology Award: Renault Kangoo ZE
Editor’s Choice Award: Renault