A car show…but some important vans sneaked in

Geneva Show report by Mark Bursa

The Geneva Show is exclusively for cars…but among the fast cars and glamour girls there were some important new vans. Even if they were disguised as cars. Photos: Business Van Manager, Headlineauto, Newspress, UnitedPictures.

Nissan NV200

Nissan’s ‘world van’ broke cover at Geneva. Show rules meant only the passenger-carrying version of the NV200 was on show, but it was easy to get an idea of what the Kubistar’s replacement will be like.

Really, this is the true successor to the Vanette – a small panel van, rather than a car-derived van. It has a cargo volume of 4.1cu m, maximum payload of 771kg and a loadspace length of more than 2m.

Nissan announced NV200 would be built at its Barcelona plant from late 2009 – before that it’ll go into production in Japan and China, with other countries to follow. It won’t have a Renault sibling – though it does use a lot of Renault-Nissan alliance parts, including the B-platform (Micra, Clio etc) and Nissan’s excellent 1.5-litre dCi diesel.

Ford Ranger

Ford showed the top-range Wildtrak version of its all-new Ranger at the show. This is the leisure-oriented double-cab version, but there will be two other cab variants – a standard cab and an extended ‘RAP cab’ with rear-hinged rear doors and no B-pillar, giving unobstructed access to the interior for ease of entry and cargo loading. This has fold-away rear seats, giving the option of secure in-cab storage for tools and so on.

Like most 1-tonne pick-ups, it’s made in Thailand, which helps keep costs down. And because Thailand is a right-hand drive market, UK will be one of the first to get the new Ford Ranger – European sales start in April.

It will have a choice of engines – 2.5-litre or 3.0-litre TDCi turbodiesels, as well as manual or automatic gearboxes and two-wheel or four-wheel drive. In addition a chassis-cab version is available on both the single cab and RAP cab.

Ford Tourneo Connect BEV

This electric version of the Ford Tourneo Connect – the people mover version of the Transit Connect – has been developed in the UK by Smith Electric Vehicles, part of the Tanfield Group. Ford plans to sell it in the US from 2010 and it’s likely to be built for Europe too.

It uses a 21kWh Lithium-Ion Phosphate battery pack driving a 50kW permanent magnet motor. The drive torque is transmitted to the driveshafts by a single-speed transmission, giving a 70mph top speed and a range of up to 100 miles. Recharging uses an onboard battery charger plugged directly into a standard mains socket, and a full battery charge is accomplished in 6 to 8 hours.

Look closely at the Ford Tourneo Connect BEV concept and you’ll see a few differences in terms of exterior styling. This is because the Geneva show car is giving a sneak preview of the Transit/Tourneo Connect facelift, due this year. Changes include revised front bumper and grilles featuring Ford’s characteristic trapezoidal shape, and new headlamps and tail-lamps enhance the fresh appearance. The interior has been reworked, with a new car-like dashboard and improved seats.

Tata pick-up

Tata is planning a European comeback in 2010 – but the company hasn’t decided whether or not the impressive Xenon 1-tonne pick-up will be part of its European range. The Indian brand’s relaunch will focus on the Indica hatch and the tiny Nano city car – but Tata used to sell pick-ups over here – remember the Mercedes-engined Loadbeta?

Xenon replaced the Loadbeta in 2007, and has been a hit in India. Tata is also planning to build it in Thailand, the global centre of pick-up production, so the company has confidence it can compete with the main Japanese and US-branded rivals.

The show car has the five-seater XT cab, and is powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine. Tata offers the Xenon with two-wheel or four-wheel drive, and it is already being exported to Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Italy.

Volkswagen Polo

Probably the most significant car of the show was the fifth-generation VW Polo – and judging by its handsome lines, it’ll make a good van. Only the five-door version was shown, and VW says the three-door will be a bit more racy in terms of styling, though it’s probably not going to break cover until Frankfurt in September.

But that’s been the trend in the hatchvan sector – just look at the Vauxhall Corsa, Peugeot 207 and the forthcoming Ford Fiesta LCV derivatives. The next Polo van will be powered by a 1.6-litre TDI common rail diesel engine, and VW’s advanced and lightweight seven-speed DSG gearbox could be an option.

In 2010 a new, second-generation BlueMotion model will also join the range. This will have an all-new 1.2-litre three-cylinder common rail diesel engine developing 75PS, capable of returning 85mpg on the combined cycle while generating just 87 g/km of CO2.

Dacia Duster

Dacia, Renault’s Romanian budget brand, launched its first-ever concept car at Geneva, an innovative leisure vehicle that revives the Duster nameplate. It’s a kind of coupe-SUV crossover with three doors – a single door on the driver’s side and two doors, including a rear-hinged ‘suicide’ door, on the passenger side.

And with its extremely functional interior, it could form the basis for an innovative and unusual light commercial. The passenger seat slides below the driver’s seat, allowing a large, 2-metre long load bay capable of accommodating a bicycle or even a small motorbike. A tailgated box structure also slides out of the rear of the car, creating an extra pick-up load bed.

Unfortunately for the UK, the global economic crisis means we’ll have to wait a little longer for the Dacia brand to be launched in Britain. The launch was scheduled for 2010 – but now it’s been pushed back “indefinitely”. The original Dacia Duster was a compact, utilitarian 4x4, sold in the UK in the late 1980s and early 1990s – and there was a van version.

Geneva Show new car news

Volkswagen launched its new Polo, and Fiat its pretty 500 Cabriolet. But these were just two of over 80 new models. For a full round up of the new car news, and some of the glamour that went with it, go to our sister site – Business Car Manager – by clicking on the highlighted link for their Geneva Show report.