26 November 2001: The Opel Vivaro and Renault Trafic have been jointly voted Semperit Irish Van of the Year 2002 by the Irish Motoring Writers Association. The announcement was made at an awards ceremony in the Berkeley Court Hotel, attended by leading figures from the motor industry.

The Vivaro and Trafic saw off competition from the Fiat Doblo, Hyundai Sante Fe commercial, Iveco Daily, Peugeot 206 commercial, Piaggio Porter, Suzuki Jimny commercial and Suzuki Grand Vitara commercial. Value-for-money, reliability, versatility and lasting residual value were among the attributes sought by the judging panel.

Presenting the awards to Iede Aukema, Managing Director of Opel Ireland and Bill Cullen, Chairman of Renault Ireland, Brian Smith of Semperit Ireland commented: ‘The joint award is well warranted in the case of these two vehicles. They are set to make a big impact on the commercial market and the endorsement of ‘Semperit Irish Van of the Year’ will no doubt help."

The Vivaro and Trafic succeed the Ford Transit, last year’s winner.

The award marks a unique double for Renault. The Renault Laguna was voted Semperit Irish Car of the Year 2002, making Renault the first manufacturer to claim both the Car and Van titles in single year.