GARAGE equipment service provider Transervice has ordered 100 Citroen cars and vans worth more than £1 million at showroom prices for use by its engineers and management.

The vehicles, which will replace Vauxhalls in the fleet, will be split between 70 Citroen Xsara 2.0 HDi estates and 14 C5 2.0 HDi saloons and estates, along with a number of Berlingo and Relay vans.

Replacement vehicles will be joining the fleet over the next two years and the decision follows a major wholelife cost analysis.

Pippa Smith, Transervice's management accountant, said: 'Citroen came out best in this cost investigation and also delivered the best value for money specification. Our engineers spend a considerable amount of time every day in their cars and both the Xsara and the C5 offer superior levels of safety and comfort equipment compared with the competition.'

The new Citroen cars and vans are supplied through Citroen Birmingham and will run on three-year/100,000-mile contract hire agreements, with maintenance, supplied by Lloyds TSB autolease.

The Citroen Xsara estates will make up the bulk of Transervice's orders and will be used by engineers, who maintain and calibrate brake testers, exhaust emission analysers and diagnostic equipment.