Peugeot Expert and Citroen Dispatch voted International Van of the Year 2008

The Peugeot Expert, Citroen Dispatch (Jumpy outside the UK) and Fiat Scudo family of compact vans, which were styled and developed by PSA Peugeot Citroen in cooperation with Fiat, has been named “International Van of the Year 2008”. Marketed since early 2007, the vans are manufactured at PSA Peugeot Citroen and Fiat’s Sevel Nord production plant in Valenciennes, France.

The award, the most important for light commercial vehicles in Europe, underscores the features and performance of the new family of compact vans, of which more than 110,000 units have already been produced.

In addition to a broad line-up, the title recognises the family’s elegant combination of styling, usability and comfort, handling and safety features, which are comparable to those found on the latest passenger cars.

The vans are fitted with the latest ABS and EBA primary safety systems as standard equipment, whilst the bodies are engineered to deliver exceptional secondary safety performance, with a collapsible front end featuring several impact absorption structures. A driver’s airbag is standard, with front passenger and side airbags optional depending on the version.

The award clearly endorses the PSA Peugeot Citroen strategy of developing a consistent, aligned range of light commercial vehicles. The range has either been renewed through the Peugeot Boxer and Citroen Relay (Jumper outside the UK) large vans and the Peugeot Expert and Citroen Dispatch compact vans, or broadened in cooperation with Fiat, through the Peugeot Bipper and Citroen Nemo small delivery vans.

PSA Peugeot Citroen is Europe’s leading manufacturer of light commercial vehicles, selling more than 310,000 units in the first nine months of 2007; a 7.2% increase over the period in 2007 and an 18.5% share of the market.

The title of “International Van of the Year” has been awarded every year since 1992 by a panel of international commercial vehicle journalists, this year representing 20 European countries. This is the third time that PSA Peugeot Citroen has earned the title, following the Peugeot Boxer/Citroen Relay in 1995 and the Peugeot Partner/Citroen Berlingo in 1997.