Renault vehicles now make up the majority of the LCV fleet of the UK’s largest independent wholesaler, distributor and retailer of tyres following an order of 100 Renault Master Panel Vans.
Micheldever Tyre & Auto Services – the parent company of the award-winning Protyre fast-fit retail network – will use the Renault Masters in its wholesale tyre distribution operation and also in its increasingly popular mobile tyre fitting service. The new vehicles will represent a third of the company’s entire LCV fleet.
On the distribution side, the Masters will contribute to the delivery of tyres to the 8,000 nationwide retailers that Micheldever Tyre & Auto Services supplies from its network of 15 distribution sites. The specially-equipped Master breakdown vehicles will provide private and business customers with an emergency and comprehensive mobile tyre fitting service that encompasses tyre replacement and puncture repair on virtually any car, van, truck or agricultural vehicle.
Replacing vehicles from other manufacturers on the Micheldever Tyre & Auto Services fleet, the Renault Master Panel Vans were chosen over rival LCVs due to their payload, value and impressive warranty. Finished in the striking Protyre corporate livery, the Renault Masters mark a return to vehicles manufactured by Europe’s leading LCV brand; Hampshire-based Micheldever Tyre & Auto Services having operated previous generation Masters.
Ordered in long-wheelbase, high-roof format (LH35), the front-wheel drive Masters are powered by the efficient dCi 125 2.3-litre turbodiesel engine. Producing 125 hp and returning over 35 mpg (NEDC Combined), the advanced engine utilises a variable geometry turbocharger to provide a high degree of efficiency.
Offering a payload of up to 1,490 kg, the Masters were ordered in Business specification. Providing Micheldever’s drivers with high levels of comfort, safety and convenience, the Business level of trim includes DAB radio with Bluetooth, electric front windows, remote central locking, ESC (Electronic Stability Control) with HSA (Hill Start Assist) and Grip Xtend; which over loose surfaces such as gravel, light snow and mud, allows one wheel to spin to help aid traction.
Micheldever tailored its vans with the factory options of 270-degree opening, unglazed rear doors and a 68 mph speed limiter. Additionally, the breakdown vehicles have been equipped with onboard, engine-driven compressors and full tyre changing facilities to Micheldever’s bespoke specification.
All of the Masters have been bought outright by Micheldever and the company enjoys the reassurance of the impressive four-year/100,000-mile warranty and roadside assistance package that comes as standard with all Renault LCVs.
Malcolm Turnbull, Group Fleet Manager, Micheldever Tyre & Auto Services, said: “Against the other LCVs we considered, the Renault Master was unrivalled when it came to its combination of price and payload. The vans we have taken delivery of have arrived with us on schedule and, now that they are starting to be operative in the field, are exceeding our expectations and generating some good feedback from our drivers.”
Nick Tame, Sales Director, Groupe Renault UK, said: “We’re very pleased that such a successful business has chosen to rely on the Master for two vitally important roles in its growing operation. The significant size of the order underlines their confidence in the Master and our commitment to provide customers with a level of service throughout their ownership experience that is second-to-none.”
The Renault Master range is available from £21,420 ex. VAT. Customers can choose from five different engines, front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive; and many bodystyles, including Panel Van, Crew Van and Passenger.
All Renault LCV vehicles come with the reassurance of the Renault Business Quality Commitment – the manufacturer’s 13-point plan that guarantees customers will receive a class-leading service. Designed to keep customers moving no matter what and deliver hassle-free business motoring, the plan covers everything from an impressive warranty and transparent pricing to the availability of courtesy vehicles and a dedicated customer hotline.
Renault van sales in the UK grew by 21 per cent to 6,618 vehicles in the first quarter of 2016, in a van market that slightly decreased by 0.5 per cent, according to official figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. LCV market share for the first quarter stood at 6.6 per cent – up 1.2 percentage points on 2015.
Renault’s growth in the van market builds upon a record year for LCV sales in the UK last year, with sales up 40 per cent on 2014 to 25,458 units, and also the manufacturer being the best-selling LCV brand in Europe for the 18thconsecutive year.
