The new Renault Kangoo and Mercedes-Benz Citan have been named joint winners in the International Van of the Year award (IVOTY) 2022 as voted by a jury of 24 European journalists.
The award was presented to the German and French manufacturers at a recent ceremony in Lyon, France, where the 30th anniversary of the award was also celebrated.
They were voted as the best light commercial vehicles out of the 14 models from 11 different brands released during the past year.
The main award criteria are the vehicles’ contribution to the efficiency, safety, sustainability, and environmental standards of the light commercial vehicle sector.
It was the fourth occasion on which both Mercedes-Benz and Renault received the coveted award.
The new Kangoo Van is aimed mainly at corporate fleets, tradespeople, and business owners, looking for a tailor-made vehicle that boasts the latest technology and innovation to suit their business needs.
An ‘Easy Inside Rack’ retractable interior rack safely store long objects high up for better use of the main storage space.
Best-in-class features with standard version boast up to 3.9m3 of storage capacity, a maximum payload of 600kg that can be increased to 800kg as an optional extra, and 1500kg towing capacity.
Choosing Citan, judges pointed to the inclusion of the Mercedes-Benz MBUX infotainment system and other safety features the vehicle has to offer.
On receiving the award, Marcus Breitschwerdt, head of Mercedes-Benz Vans
commented: “We are delighted that our new Mercedes-Benz Citan has been awarded the International Van of the Year Award 2022. The Citan was entirely redeveloped by professionals for professionals and perfectly complements our existing Mercedes-Benz Vans portfolio.
“Both the panel van and the Tourer offer our customers a wide range of possible uses and a high degree of functionality – with extremely high driving comfort and the proven Mercedes-Benz safety standards. As a true Mercedes-Benz, it completes our vans family,” Breitschwerdt says.
Renault Group light commercial senior vice president Mark Sutcliffe says his team “was delighted” to receive the joint prize.
“This award is a source of great pride for our teams. It rewards their efforts in designing and manufacturing a van to the highest quality standards and whose innovations, unique on the market, have been designed to enhance the daily life of our professional customers. This prestigious award is the latest recognition of Renault’s innovation and leadership in the light commercial vehicle segment dating back more than 120 years.”
