As such, Citroën fits Trafficmaster Smartnav satellite navigation to the majority of its range and is the only manufacturer in the UK to fit technology of this type as standard to its LCVs.

FV: One of the problems Citroën must face is that many of its vans are essentially the same as those on sale by Fiat and Peugeot. How do you go about making your products different from the others?

MH: Citroën has enjoyed the benefits of shared LCV technology for many years. While these joint ventures have benefited all three companies, we have developed our own strategy to set us apart. In turn, this has traditionally seen Citroën outsell both of the others within the UK LCV sector.

Over the years, we have continually evolved in order to offer our LCV customers different solutions to their requirements.

This has led them to enjoying greater operational and therefore financial benefits. This policy has included improved warranties, the Ready to Run special-bodied vehicle range, fitting Trafficmaster Smartnav satellite navigation and Trackstar stolen vehicle tracking as standard on all ranges except the Nemo panel van and optimising specification levels.

Most recently, we have set ourselves apart even further with the introduction of our business class programme.

This is designed to offer small and medium-sized fleet operators more focused sales and after-sales services at a local level. Citroën dealers are properly qualified to ensure they work with customers to offer the right van and the optimum specification to best match individual requirements, thereby resulting in the ideal Citroën LCV package.

A host of new models set for launch in 2011

FV: What new vehicles will Citroën be launching in the next 12 months?

SM: Citroën started 2011 with the launch of the Nemo Euro V range. The previous Euro IV Nemo was already the UK’s most economical van and the Nemo Euro V has taken this a stage further.

The Nemo Euro V ticks all the boxes for business users operating in a tough economic climate.

It has more power, better fuel consumption, lower CO2 emissions and it has a higher payload. Stop & Start is standard on all diesel-powered Nemos and this, together with a very efficient diesel particulate filtration system, has played a major role in the Nemo Euro V’s exceptionally low CO2 emissions and even greater fuel efficiency.

We have just expanded the Nemo Euro V range with the new EGS-equipped model. This provides the driver with the benefits of two-pedal automated manual transmission, together with the operational advantages of a further reduction in CO2 levels to just 109g/km and a near-5% gain in fuel economy – all for just an additional £400 + VAT.

For the remainder of 2011, we will be rolling out our advanced super-clean, even more fuel-efficient Euro V HDi engines across our entire LCV range.

As part of this process, we will be expanding the availability of our advanced EGS automated manual transmission and adding an automatic transmission.

Alongside the introduction of Euro V engines, we will also be carrying out ongoing specification updates of a minor nature.