The Renault Kangoo Van and Mercedes-Benz Citan have been named joint winners of the International Van of the Year 2022 (IVOTY).
As the International Van of the Year marked its 30th anniversary at the event, it was the fourth occasion for Renault and Mercedes-Benz to be bestowed with this title. Mercedes-Benz won IVOTY previously in 1995, 1997 & 2005, while Renault was successful in 1998, 2002 & 2012.
The 5th generation Volkswagen Caddy finished runner-up with Stellantis’ small electric vans range along with the Toyota Proace City Electric third.
The award was presented at the Solutrans Diner de Gala on 17 November, attended by 900 guests.
“As the award programme enters its fourth decade, the philosophy and objectives remain unchanged, despite the high level of technology and innovation being achieved by manufacturers and also in meeting market trends,” explained Jarlath Sweeney, chairman IVOTY. “The main criteria for the International Van of the Year Award is the vehicles’ contribution to the efficiency, safety, sustainability and environmental standards of the light commercial vehicle sector.
“For the IVOTY 2022 award, the candidates included traditional diesel-powered vans and selection of electric variants. Initially, there were 14 new vans that were recently launched by 11 light commercial manufacturers for the pan-European IVOTY jury to elect one overall winner.”
Upon appraising the new Kangoo and Citan, the jury heard about the multi-year collaborative project between the French and German automotive companies, with each brand bringing their own DNA and thereby unique features to the joint development programme, resulting in two vehicles with distinct characteristics. Such as the ‘Open Sesame’ doors in the Renault Kangoo and the inclusion of the Mercedes-Benz infotainment system MBUX and other safety aids on the Citan.
“We are delighted that our new Mercedes-Benz Citan has been awarded the International Van of the Year Award 2022,” said Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans. “The Citan was entirely redeveloped by professionals for professionals and perfectly complements our existing Mercedes-Benz Vans portfolio.”
Mark Sutcliffe, SVP, LCV Business Unit, Renault Group, added: “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.”
