Vans

Is there a conversion kit available to put a Commodore V6 or something similar into my 2009 Hyundai iLoad? The current diesel motor has lost oil pressure and my mechanic has said it is beyond repair.

Renault Australia’s Trafic mid-size van is now available with a limited-run Formula Edition variant.The F1-inspired grade has returned for 2019, based on the 103kW/340Nm 1.6-litre turbo-diesel Trafic, and once again boasting unique exterior styling and a strong list of standard equipment.Available in both short- and long-wheelbase guise, the Trafic Formula Edition can be had from $41,490 plus on-road costs and $43,490, respectively, which translates to a $3000 and $3500 premium compared to the vehicles upon which they are based.The Formula Edition is equipped exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox.For the extra bags of sand, the Formula Edition features dark cloth upholstery, a heated driver’s seat, unique floor mats, climate control, a wide-view reversing mirror, LED interior lighting, a dashboard storage compartment and a start/stop button.The interior also gains chrome touches on the instrument panel surround, gear knob, and speaker panels, and gloss black surrounds are added to the air vents.Renault will also include a high-security dead-locking system, a stainless-steel bumper lip to make the load bay more secure and a dealer-fitted timber cargo floor.The flooring is made from nine-millimetre hardwood with a hard-wearing, non-slip surface.Distinguishing the Formula Edition is a red exterior decal kit, which is included with both the White and Storm Grey paint options, black 17-inch alloys and body-coloured bumpers.According to Renault Australia LCV product manager Lyndon Healey, the brand is confident that the Formula Edition will help drive light-commercial sales.“Over the past few years the exclusive Formula Edition has brought many new customers to Renault LCV,” he said.“In addition to referencing Renault Sport’s involvement in Formula 1, the feature-rich list of extra equipment and the stand out design elements really appeal to SME (Small to Medium Enterprise) and tradie buyers,” he said.“More importantly for keen Trafic drivers, the manual six-speed gearbox is the same as that used in the high-performance Renault Sport Megane hot-hatch, so there’s a little bit of Renault Sport magic in every Trafic,”Only a “small number” of Formula Edition vans will be available in 2019, however, it is unclear exactly how many units are allocated.“With only a small number of Formula Edition vans available in 2019, fans of sporty Trafics are encouraged to race into their local Renault dealer before they sell out.” 

Need to get something delivered somewhere slippery? Volkswagen is here to help.

This is not your father’s daggy Toyota Tarago.

I went to the Ford website to do a build and price of the Ford Custom Sport but to no avail. Ford Customer service advised this model is not available in Australia. Do you have any more news on this?

Renault has launched updates for its Master large van and Trafic medium van, which will be updated in late 2019. Upgrades are focused mostly on drivetrains, the most important news being the Trafic is now available with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It is currently only available with a six-speed manual. Drivetrains on the Trafic and Master have been updated. The Trafic is now only available with a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine in 89kW, 108kW and 126kW power forms.The 2.0L replaced the former 1.6-litre unit, while the Master features an upgraded 2.3-litre turbo-diesel engine. Both models have received attention in their cabins with the Master picking up a new dashboard design, and the Trafic new materials and new multimedia screens with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring. Both models have also received light styling changes with new bumpers, revised headlights with LED lighting, and new wheel designs. Safety kit has been upgraded with AEB now an option on the Trafic, and features like blind-spot monitoring will be available on the Master. Renault has also launched the Master ZE (zero emissions), which uses the 33kWh battery pack and 57kW electric motor from the Zoe EV. Aimed at city van drivers, it has an electronically-limited top speed of 100km/h and a real world range of 120km. It can be recharged in around six hours. Renault Australia has confirmed the Master and Trafic will be launched locally in the fourth quarter of 2019, with local pricing and specifications to be confirmed before then. 

Peugeot has relaunched in Australia yet again, this time with a range of commercial vehicles. Can the Peugeot Expert help turn the brand's local fortunes around?

Toyota Europe has launched a new compact van called the ProAce City, which goes on sale in European markets at the beginning of 2020. Part of a commercial tie up with the PSA Group, the ProAce City is based on the Peugeot Partner and Citroen Berlingo, and will be available in two lengths - 4.4 metres and 4.7 metres - as well as three bodystyles: a panel van, a crew cab van and a passenger van.Available with petrol and diesel drivetrain choices ranging from 63kW to 96kW and with either five/six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission choices, the ProAce City enters Toyota into a new segment: compact vans. Offering what Toyota calls the ‘Smart Cargo’ option, which allows the passenger seat to fold and part of the bulkhead to be removed for extra cargo length, the ProAce City offers up to 3.4 metres of cargo carrying ability in its load area. The ProAce City can carry up to 1000kg of payload. Standard safety kit in Europe includes AEB, forward collision warning, road sign assist, lane keep assist and cruise control with a speed limiter. Optionally available is adaptive cruise control, auto high beam, lane sway control and blind-spot monitoring. Despite strong credentials, the ProAce City won’t be offered in Australia. Brodie Bott, spokesperson for Toyota Australia told CarsGuide the company “hadn’t had much interest in the ProAce locally as it’s a Europe-only offering.” “While we are always reviewing our model line-up, at this stage we have no plans to introduce the Toyota ProAce into Australia,” he said.“We already offer the HiAce in the van segment and it has been one of our most popular commercial vehicles to date.”

Peugeot has standardised AEB on all its new commercial vehicles, starting with the Expert scheduled for local on-sale on sale from May 1st, 2019, priced from $36,490 plus on-road costs.To be followed by the smaller Partner and larger Boxer vans later in 2019, the standardisation of AEB continues the potentially life-saving technology’s spread across the commercial vehicle world. In all grades of the Expert, city speed AEB is accompanied by other safety tech including adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, auto high beam, lane departure warning, speed sign recognition, four airbags, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera that mimics a surround view camera through memory. Competing with other medium-sized vans such as the Toyota HiAce , Volkswagen Transporter, Ford Transit Custom, Renault Trafic and Mercedes-Benz Vito, the Expert is one of two vans to currently offer AEB as standard across its range.Local pricing and specs for the Partner and Boxer are yet to be confirmed, though they’re both due to arrive later in 2019. 2019 Peugeot Expert pricing (plus on-road costs):85kW manual: $36,490110kW manual: $39,990110kW auto: $42,490110kW auto LWB: $44,190130kW auto LWB: $45,890

A few months after releasing the updated Multivan passenger van, Volkswagen has facelifted the Transporter van ahead of a first quarter 2020 Australian release.Featuring revised styling, new technology and fresh drivetrains, the updated Transporter range follows the Multivan closely with updated headlight and tail-light designs, revised multimedia systems and upgraded active safety tech. Using the same dashboard layout as the updated Multivan, the new Transporter is more modern inside with new dials, new materials, a new multimedia system taken from the latest Passat, a new steering wheel and more storage compartments littered throughout. However, pictures released point to a downgrade in available tech from the Multivan - the brand’s digital dials are unavailable, as is the larger 9.2-inch multimedia screen that debuted in the Golf 7.5. However, the Transporter's cabin is still a big step up on the model it replaces. Volkswagen has updated the Transporter’s driving experience with a new electro-mechanical power steering system, as well as lane keep assist, automatic parking, trailer assist, road sign recognition and cross-wind assist. New powerplants are also available in the 2019 Transporter, with a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel available in various states of tune ranging from 66kW to 145kW. Like the Multivan, an electric version of the Transporter is also available, with an 82kW motor fed by a 77.6kWh battery pack for an estimated 400km range.