TWENTY-FOUR judges from the business, industrial, and transport car sector have voted the Mercedes-Benz Citan and Renault Kangoo as joint winners of the 2022 Worldwide Van of the 12 months (IVOTY) title.
The duo topped 14 gentle business automobiles from 11 manufacturers to win the coveted award; the fashions carried out strongly in varied sides, together with effectivity, security, and sustainability.
The win marked Renault’s fourth IVOTY title in 23 years – the model beforehand took the highest spot with its Grasp (1998), Trafic (2002) and Kangoo Z.E. (2012). Mercedes-Benz, which gained IVOTY trophies for its Sprinter (1995) and Vito (1997 and 2005), equalled Renault’s tally,
The fifth-generation Volkswagen Caddy completed runner-up, whereas Stellantis’s small electrical vans and the Toyota ProAce Electrical have been tied for third place.
“Because the award program enters its fourth decade, the philosophy and goals stay unchanged, regardless of the excessive degree of expertise and innovation being achieved by producers and likewise in assembly market traits,” IVOTY chairperson Jarlath Sweeney defined.
“The primary standards for the Worldwide Van of the 12 months Award is the automobiles’ contribution to the effectivity, security, sustainability, and environmental requirements of the sunshine business car sector.
“For the IVOTY 2022 award, the candidates included conventional diesel-powered vans and a choice of electrical variants. Initially, there have been fourteen new cans that have been just lately launched by eleven gentle business producers for the pan-European IVOTY jury to elect one general winner,” he mentioned.
The collectively developed Mercedes-Benz and Renault gentle business duo have been praised by IVOTY judges for his or her standout options – together with the state-of-the-art MBUX infotainment system within the Citan and distinctive Open Sesame door system of the Kangoo.
Security and driver help applied sciences throughout the pair have been additionally extremely recommended.
“We’re delighted that our new Mercedes-Benz Citan has been awarded the Worldwide Van of the 12 months Award 2022,” Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans Marcus Breitschwerdt mentioned.
“The Citan was solely redeveloped by professionals for professionals and completely enhances our present Mercedes-Benz Vans portfolio. Each the panel van and the Tourer provide our clients a variety of potential makes use of and a excessive diploma of performance – with extraordinarily excessive driving consolation and the confirmed Mercedes-Benz security requirements.
“As a real Mercedes-Benz, it completes our vans household. A giant thanks for this nice award to the Worldwide Van of the 12 months jury,” he added.
Renault Group senior vice chairman of LCV enterprise unit Mark Sutcliffe additionally thanked the IVOTY jury. He mentioned the award was a supply of nice pleasure for the producers’ groups.
“I want to thank the complete IVOTY jury for having elected the brand new Renault Kangoo Van Worldwide Van of the 12 months for 2022,” he mentioned.
“This award is a supply of nice pleasure for our groups. It rewards their effort in designing and manufacturing a van to the best high quality requirements and whose improvements, distinctive available on the market, have been designed to boost the every day lifetime of our skilled clients.
“This prestigious award is the most recent recognition of Renault’s innovation and management within the Mild Business Automobile section relationship again greater than 120 years,” Mr Sutcliffe concluded.
