Renault takes double win at Fleet World Honours 2009

Renault is celebrating double success at the 2009 Fleet World Honours after winning both the Best Medium Van and Safety awards.

Receiving the trophies at today?s prestigious ceremony at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, Van Fleet World editor John Kendall commented, ?The Renault Trafic (and its sister products) still has a great deal to offer.

?Inside there is plenty of storage space in the cab and the driving position is still one of the most comfortable. Even with a bulkhead fitted, taller drivers will find plenty of leg room. It remains a good van to drive with quiet engines and a fine balance of ride and handling either empty, or fully loaded.?

In addition to picking up the latest fleet industry award for its best-selling van, the French marque also walked away with the coveted Safety award.

Fleet World editor, Ken Rogers, commented, ?Renault is the only vehicle manufacturer to have secured Euro NCAP?s top, five-star rating no less than eleven times. In fact it was Renault?s New M?gane that recently achieved that accolade with a score of 37 points out of 37 ? the highest score ever achieved.

?New M?gane particularly highlights Renault?s safety philosophy. There are twin side-impact sensors, an innovation that d?buted with Laguna III and six airbags. ABS and Emergency Brake Distribution come as standard. Renault?s approach does not stop at technology. Educating road users is also a priority. Its aim is to improve the behaviour of road users through programmes such as its ?Safety for All? campaign and the Global Road Safety Initiative.?

Adding to the plaudits, Chairman of the judges, George Emmerson, said, ?Renault are regular winners of this award, based on their outstanding efforts in ensuring the NCAP ratings are such a vital consideration when they introduce a new vehicle.

?The majority of fleet managers now take into account the NCAP rating of any new vehicle being evaluated for inclusion in their choice lists. However, few of them will realise that Renault, almost single-handed, introduced these ratings years ago and that they are now taken for granted as a standard requirement for all new vehicles being introduced in a company choice list.?