Citroën Dispatch wins What Van? Award
The new Citroën Dispatch has picked up a major accolade. The new mid-size panel van was named joint winner of both the overall Light Commercial Vehicle of the Year prize and the Medium Van of the Year trophy at the 2017 What Van? Awards.
What Van?’s panel of experienced judges considered the model to be “an outstanding new van that has come to the market this year”, adding that the New Dispatch “breaks new ground in the largest and most important sector of the market.”
James Dallas, Editor of What Van?, commented; “The Citroën Dispatch represents a big step up compared with its predecessor in terms of quality, refinement and practicality. It should propel the brand to the forefront of what is a very competitive market sector. The new Dispatch brings useful innovations to the market and it now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best medium vans on offer.”
The What Van? Awards are voted for by an expert panel of judges who use their combined decades of experience to decide the winners. The awards highlight the best products, companies and services in the industry, and reward those making the biggest difference to van operators and drivers.
The design of the New Citroën Dispatch was inspired by the world of passenger cars and SUVs. Its styling is fluid and practical, with the all-new modular platform allowing New Citroën Dispatch to be available in three lengths. Its practicality is illustrated by an optional hands-free function for the sliding side doors and numerous improvements in the cabin that make the life of the driver significantly easier.
Besides useful everyday functions like hands-free entry and start, New Citroën Dispatch also features technology such as Mirror Screen smartphone connectivity that brings the van right up to date.
Louise Murphy, Citroën Ireland’s Marketing Director, said; “We are delighted that What Van? Magazine has voted New Citroën Dispatch as the best new light commercial vehicle. In a highly competitive market to gain industry recognition on such an important new product is very important to us.”
The all-new Citroen Dispatch van, which went on sale recently offers customers a compelling and competitive product range with exceptional capabilities and efficiencies. It also looks very well with the latest brand identity and robust and modern design.
Built on a brand-new vehicle platform (the base or under-pinnings of a vehicle), it benefits from all the advantages of the efficient ‘Modular Platform 2 (EMP2)’. Citroen says that it exhibits compactness, weight reduction, versatility, as well as highest build quality. The new platform has a reinforced structure with special new front and rear axles. It supports a payload of up to 1,400 kgs and can tow up to 2.5 tonnes.
The modular design is reflected in two wheelbases (2.92 metres and 3.27 metres) as well as two rear overhangs (0.80 metres and 1.15 metres). These can be combined to propose three lengths: XS at 4.60 metres (a first in the segment) with the short wheelbase, and M at 4.95 mmetres and XL at 5.30 metres with the long wheelbase. This new platform presents the possibility of compact exterior dimensions while boasting load volumes of up to 6.6 cubic metres.
That same compact design applies to the height of the new Dispatch. At just 1.90 metres, it is ideal for all situations and locations, including underground car parks in city centres, residence and shopping malls. This feature helps professionals save time and gain in efficiency as it enables them to get to their customers as quickly as possible.
Moduwork
The new Citroen Dispatch is built on an impressive new modular platform and also offers unrivalled modularity of the cab with what Citroen calls ‘Moduwork’.
What is this about? Well it is about making everyday life easier. For example in the new Citroen Dispatch van, the side passenger seat can be lifted up against the partition to provide extra space with a flat floor and the large flap in the partition, which extends the load length by 1.16 metres. This provides an expanded and very useful length of up to 4 metres. It is also accompanied by an anti-slippage net on the side of the driver’s seat. The great flexibility of this additional load length capability is very useful for ladders, pluming pipes etc.
Moduwork also transforms the new Dispatch cabin into a true mobile office with the central arm rest lowering to provide a pivoting tablet with an elastic and adhesive strip to keep objects (such as PCs or tablets) in place. In addition, special supports for smartphones and tablets are available as accessories.