Proprietor David Elgey scooped his prize at dealer Ciceley Commercials’ launch event by correctly guessing the 65.7mpg economy figure of the Citan 109 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY and 108 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY models.
Now Elgey is testing the vehicle’s low diesel consumption himself with the addition of Ciceley’s Citan 108 CDI Long demonstrator to his delivery fleet.
The company is a contractor for TNT Business Solutions and runs 15 small vans by a variety of manufacturers, as well as a larger Mercedes-Benz Vito, and a pair of 3.5-tonne Sprinters, which each rack up an average of 140,000 miles per year.
He commented: ‘Until now I’ve had to go elsewhere for small vans but the arrival of the Citan has changed all that. These are early days, of course, but it looks to be in a different league from other vehicles in this class in terms of build quality and fuel economy. And it’s great to drive too.
‘The 24,000-mile service intervals and three-year Mercedes-Benz unlimited mileage warranty are far better than anything the competition can offer. Most small vans come with warranty cover that’s limited to 60,000 miles or thereabouts, but mine can easily cover that distance inside the first year!’
Elgey’s Citan is averaging well over 1,000 miles a week, carrying loads including internal mail for large business clients.
‘It’s the perfect size for us,’ he added. ‘Most of our work entails carrying relatively small loads over long distances. That means we don’t need a large van, and that fuel economy is much more important than payload or size. With mpg figures like we’ve seen, and the back-up from Mercedes-Benz and Ciceley, the Citan is certainly a very attractive proposition.’
