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Allied Vehicles Group, the UK’s leading supplier of adapted and special purpose vehicles, has launched a new fleet of mobile service and repair vans supplied by Mercedes-Benz Retailer Western Commercial.
The Sprinters wear the branding of aftersales business Allied Autocare. They are assigned to engineers who provide on-site maintenance to customers of other Allied Vehicles Group divisions including Allied Mobility, which supplies adapted vehicles under the Motability scheme, leading taxi conversion specialist Cab Direct, and dedicated minibus sales division The Minibus Centre.
The new vans are all medium-length L2, high-roof H2 Sprinter 315 CDI variants. Six are on the road already, while another 14 are being fitted with racking systems for tools and spare parts in Allied’s own workshops.
A further 26 – eight of which will be dedicated to a parts delivery service – are on order for delivery in 2022. They are replacing the existing Allied fleet, which will become 100% Mercedes-Benz.
Mobile Fleet Manager Michael Robertson said: “The first consideration for a mobile service fleet is to have the most reliable vehicles, with the best support package available – the last thing we want is a technician unable to reach a customer because our own van has broken down.
“These are our first Sprinters but we know that Mercedes-Benz vans are built to an extremely high standard. We have a background in sales of the Vito Taxi model through our Cab Direct brand, and we receive consistently great feedback from customers across the UK.”
He continued: “The Mercedes-Benz Vans support package is the best in the business too. Our Sprinters came with three-year, unlimited mileage warranties and MobiloVan cover, which includes 24/7 breakdown assistance.
“This industry-leading back-up, and the reduction in downtime and running costs that we expect our Sprinters to deliver, were the primary reasons behind our decision to work with Mercedes-Benz.”
Mr Robertson also praised Western Commercial’s Fleet Sales Executive Mercedes Morrell. “The period during which we discussed, ordered and began taking delivery of these vehicles saw not only the COVID 19 pandemic but also the global semi-conductor shortage, which has caused some difficulties in vehicle supply chains,” he said.
“Mercedes has been very attentive throughout. She’s kept us fully informed, delivered our new vans on time, and remains in close and regular contact. The high level of customer service we’ve received is very reassuring.”
Allied’s Sprinters are powered by fuel-efficient 2.0-litre diesel engines that generate 150 hp and 340 Nm of torque, and drive through the rear wheels. Front- and all-wheel drive versions are also available.
The vehicle specifications include driver aids such as cruise control, rear sensors and reversing cameras. The MBUX infotainment system features Bluetooth, satellite navigation and a voice recognition system which is triggered by the spoken command “Hey Mercedes”.
“Our mobile technicians spend a lot of time out on the road so a comfortable, well-equipped cab is very important,” said Mr Robertson “The Sprinter is a definite winner in this respect, with excellent build quality and a premium feel.
“The ‘Hey Mercedes’ function is a very useful tool. Colleagues use this for making hands-free calls throughout the day, which negates the need for them to manually find contacts and makes life much easier while they are working their shifts. The reversing cameras and sensors also assist when manoeuvring and should help to restrict minor accident damage.”
Western Commercial’s Van Sales Director Simon Murray added: “We’ve worked with Allied Vehicles Group for many years and developed a strong relationship based on our commitment to high service levels, understanding our customer’s business and providing top-quality vehicles. Naturally, therefore, we’re delighted to build on that partnership by supplying the first Sprinters to wear Allied’s colours.”
The Allied Vehicles Group was established in 1993 and is now the UK’s leading supplier of adapted and special purpose vehicles. The Allied Autocare division specialises in UK-wide mobile servicing, and brings vehicle maintenance expertise directly to the doors of its wheelchair-adapted and special purpose vehicle customers. The vans will also be used by to service and repair taxis and private hire vehicles, either at customers’ premises or at the roadside.
Calls may be monitored for quality and training purposes. Eastern Western Motor Group Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for credit broking and insurance distribution activities under reference number 310505 – we are a credit broker not a lender. Registered Office: 8 Westerton Road, East Mains Industrial Estate, Broxburn West Lothian EH52 5AU Registered in Scotland No. 14833 VAT Registration No. 269233051 We work with a number of carefully selected credit providers who may be able to offer you finance for your purchase. We are only able to offer finance products from these providers.