The timing for Ford's launch of the latest version of its Ranger pick-up is a strange one especially when one considers the market for these types of vehicles is down nearly 50% for 2009.

Despite the numbers, Ford has taken the view that attack is the best form of defence and it is hoping the updated Ranger will bring about a return to the happy times.

Four trim levels are on offer starting with the base XL, followed by the XLT, Thunder and finally the range-topping Wildtrak. Softer styling, engine refinement and commanding driving position ticks all the right boxes and the Ranger is one of the few commercial vehicles that manages to be comfortable, luxurious and practical all at the same time.

We're not sure about the Wildtrak's on-road performance, which is mainly down to the larger 18-inch wheels and tyres that fail to soak-up bumps in the road.

Off-road the Ranger is as you'd expect it to be, but with the anti-stall device installed (principally designed to stop the dual-mass flywheel from overheating) it makes off-road driving a little too simple and unengaging.

If you're in the market for a tough, reliable and comfortable pick-up then the revised Ranger is definitely worth a look. The revisions help to increase appeal as does the high level of specification on each respective variant. Read the rest of the first drive in Commercial Motor 27 August.

There are few commercial vehicles that cross the business divide and gain recognition in the wider public psyche. Ford's Transit is one example, leading the way in a mass movement of tradesman (and tools) that has become as much a part of the landscape as the Premiership and Tikka Masala. And Toyota's Hilux is another. Whether in this country, were it dates back to 1972 or abroad, where it has backed revolutions, shipped drugs and saved lives. What we have here is the sixth generation version, complete with 2009 facelift, which adds a restyled exterior, tweaked suspension and larger brakes, while the D-4D 3.0-litre version (producing 169hp) gets a five-speed transmission to replace the previous four-speeder. Prices start at £13,995 for the single-cab HL2 120 and rise to £21,795 for our all-singing, all-dancing test vehicle, the automatic Invincible. While the addition of an extra cog wasn't going to produce any revelation in terms of fuel consumption, it did lift the figure from 30.1mpg to 31.0mpg for a laden run, while unladen saw it creep up to 35.0mpg from 34.5mpg. In the rear a payload of 1,075kgs stands up well, while the load bed dimensions work out at 1.0m cubed. The Hilux also provides arguably the best cabin in the class,from the driving position, which is commanding without being overbearing, to the clarity of the control layout, the it avoids any pick-up clichés. On the move the suspension tweaks are impressive producing possibly the most confident riding pick-up on-road. While off-toad no matter what the conditions are thrown at it, it remains unruffled, digging in with confidence, while the suspension does a good job of soaking up peaks and troughs without transferring the action into the cabin. Contributing to this effectiveness is the 3.0-litre engine. Full of torque and urgency, it offers more than enough power to get up any gradient without stressing, allowing you to concentrate on staying on track. If we had to pick a machine to go into battle with, or just off-road, the Hilux would be at the top of the list.

On first impressions we thought this PSA Group/Fiat developed van to produced the Nemo/Bipper/Fiorino was a tad too small for most tastes.
However to show that we're open minded about such things we've taken an example on a long-term test and this being the Fiat version it gets its own engine - a 1.3-litre unit from the company's acclaimed Multi-jet range producing 75hp and 190Nm of torque.
Available in two trim levels - priced £9,360 and £10,035 respectively - the base model gets ABS with EBD, ladder bulkhead, radio/CD player and not much else, while the LX (our test vehicle) adds remote central locking, electric windows and nearside sliding door.
Small van, small engine, do we need to continue? The laden run for the Fiorino produced an impressive 51.4mpg, while unladen the figure of 55.8mpg gave some insight into its potential when running light.
Packing a load volume of 2.5m cubed is not a bad deal considering, and this extends to 2.8m cubed when you spec the folding passenger seat option (£85). This combines with a payload of 610kg, which again is impressive for a van of this size.
It's a given that the Fiorino's interior isn't going to be a palatial spread, but tight packaging has made it far from a squeeze. Importantly, for a vehicle this size and its assumed role, driver access is more than adequate, and with the ladder bulkhead there's enough rear seat travel to allow for sufficient leg room (though a previous encounter with the full height bulkhead option reduces this).
Complementing the arrangement is an adjustable (for reach and rake) steering wheel and a seat that comes with lumbar support and arm rest as standard - a smart move that'll be appreciated on the urban grind.
Of course being compact it's highly manoeuvrable around town, with the quick steering allowing you to change direction smartly, but it's out on the open road where the Fiorino really surprises.
It feels exceptionally stable and confident at high speeds, with little disturbance from cross-winds and larger passing vehicles.
This is helped by the perennially smooth Fiat Multijet engine. It's a more tempting proposition than the equivalent 1.3-litre unit used by its Citroen/Peugeot counterparts and allows for a relaxed driving experience; however this good work is partly negated by the sloppy five-speed shift that's noticeably loose in operation, slowing down the swapping of cogs due to ill defined gates.
By adding its own Multi-jet engine to the mix, Fiat has enhanced its version of this little van.
Fiat's take is by no means a step up in overall power; it's more about the progressive way it delivers it, plus it's smoother and more fuel efficient than the Citroen/Peugeot offering.
This positive compliments the Fiorino's impressive overall ability, which tricks you into thinking you're driving a larger vehicle - in a good way.

To read the full road test check out the 30 July issue of Commercial Motor

Double-cab commercials are still considered niche vehicles, not only because they have reduced payload but because the market for shuttling a small workforce to work sites is frankly not big either.

Despite this, Ford has accounted for every eventuality and has stuck with the double-cab version for operators with that exact business requirement. Enter the Transit double-cab, or as Ford calls it, double cab-in-van.

Roadtransport.com has been given the keys to the test track and the Ford Transit 280 2.2-litre 140. Want to know what it's like? Watch the video below on RTTV... now also available in HD.

Here is a round up of today's news - 9 July 2009

Paccar instigates 'prudent' dividend cut

Magna co-CEO says on course to reach Opel deal

Asda cuts petrol price to 99.9p a litre

McBurney Transport spends £4m on 50 new Volvo FH-460s

Narrow victory for garage owner

A1 safety surface work in south east Scotland

The issue of rates per mile for hauliers raised its head again when a traction-only operator lost work to a bigger logistic business.

Given the opportunity to match the new, lower rates by the company requiring third-party traction, the incumbent haulier politely declined.

It seems in every sector traction-only hauliers are hammered by major logistic operation who have diversity on their side. Warehousing and storage gives a staggering economy of scale with which a company can deliver transport at a greatly reduced price, or in some cases at no cost at all.

To businesses who want their products moved traction-only hauliers become too expensive. Their only option can be to get sub-contracted work from the big, multi-faceted logistic businesses at rates varying between 50p at worse to £1 at best.

As an operator, says John Phillips, author of Motor Transport's Cost Tables [MT, 7 May 2009], for 44t over 120,000 miles a year you should be charging £1.47 a mile.

Is anyone getting that rate today?

The news on Owner and Fleet Operators Forum on TruckNetUK suggests otherwise...

Word is eight potential buyers have thrown their hats into the ring for LDV.

Not that PricewaterhouseCoopers would confirm such scurrilous rumours; it announced that the offers received ahead of last Wednesday's deadlines would be assessed over the coming weeks to see which would provide the best deal for the failed van maker.

Sources claim that of the eight bids six would see LDV relocated to sunnier climes, while two would ambitiously reconstruct the company on existing premises. 

See Previous stories...   

Councils say no

Future in doubt

Dealers lose warranty

Weststar table bid

Jobs go at LDV

Ford Fiesta Van. We've had the ice age, stone age, rock ages and now the digital age and CM is embracing this brave new world by taking our industry-benchmarking roadtests online and on camera.
"This will be easy" I though to myself but as you can see in the next video. However, things aren't as easy as they seem. Placement, posture and confidence are all vital ingredients but a good memory is your greatest ally, only this time my memory failed me with disastrous (for me) and hilarious (for you) consequences.

At the end of the very long day you'll be pleased to know that we actually managed to fashion a proper workable video out of all that. Keep checking back to roadtransport.com to see the proper Ford Fiesta Van video.

If LDV needed a final slap across the face as it ponders oblivion then it came from Translinc.

The company that provides vehicles for local authority contracts confirmed that LDV, once the wheels of choice for councils, had not been a contender for the past five years.

As many LDV van owners with its no defunct warranty assess their position, Translinc revealed that it had less than 100 vehicles on its books from LDV, less than 2% of its portfolio, with just 25 exposed to the warranty issue. 

It is an indictment of British vehicle manufacturing that the van maker's end in modern times mirrors that of AWD, Bedford, ERF, Foden, Rover and Seddon Atkinson, to name a few. What fate Vauxhall? 

German truck manufacturer MAN has a unique name in the industry. It can do what no other manufacturer can do - wordplay.

It started with Trucknology, a made up word to describe MANs new brand of TG trucks in 2000. Today the term reappeared in the press release, attributed to Des Evans, the UK's CEO, to describe the line up of products offered by the Germans.

Today wordplay progressed. The Trafford Park site was launched in M-A-N-chester, named after the M-A-N-ufacturer, all right we made the second one up. 
Tenuous links to the nearly-all-conquering M-A-N-chester United followed before giving way to a reworking of Neil Armstrong words, when he took the first step on the moon in 1969: the site was "a small step for M-A-N-kind but a bloody big step for M-A-N". 

That last reference was to the £9m cost of the site; a good idea two years ago, a costly one in today's economic climate with decreasing sales. Bernd Maierhofer, member of the executive board, confirmed the plight of European sales of trucks 6.0t and over, scheduled to drop by more than 50% in 2009. 

Still, wordplay aside, nothing like this site exists in the UK. Its got everything; 22 test bays, dedicated VOSA and ADR lanes, enclosed inspection bays, diagnostics lanes, enclosed wash lane, a Special Fitment Centre for additional chassis work, 40 technicians, eight apprentices and nice flat tarmac. It'll house the new and used sales teams, delivery of 'all makes' parts, it has a driver training unit and a financial services team.

The next question is will it work?