After a visit to the Mercedes-Benz VanExperience Live event husband-and-wife Alan and Jackie Bennett decided on more Citan vans.
The couple behind ADB Alarms, of Stoke-on-Trent, had just taken delivery of an Approved Used Citan 109 CDI from the local branch of dealer Roanza Truck & Van, and have since commissioned three new Citan 111 CDIs.
The 14th annual Mercedes-Benz Van Experience was staged again at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire. The manufacturer welcomed a record 2,867 guests over nine days – between them, the visitors clocked up almost 50,000 miles in the 258 vehicles in test drives.
“Awesome!,” said Jackie Bennett. “That’s the best word I can think of to describe Mercedes-Benz VanExperience Live. My husband had been before but this was my first time… I didn’t know what we’d be doing, or what I’d be driving, so I was more than a little nervous at the start. I needn’t have worried, because the instructors were very reassuring.
“The wet skid pan session was my favourite. I thought when I was told not to touch the brakes that the van was sure to topple over but nothing happened. And that’s the great thing about this event – it’s terrific fun, but there’s a serious side to it too.
“I’m very conscious of our duty of care to staff and other road users, and I wouldn’t send them out in a vehicle I wasn’t happy to use myself. From a safety point of view, it has to be a Mercedes-Benz every time.”
Founded by Alan Bennett in 1980, ADB Alarms is approved by the SSAIB (Security Systems Alarm Inspection Board). The company also opened a branch in Cheltenham last year. Pictured are Alan and Jackie, with daughters Sam, left, and Sarah who also work in the business as, respectively, Engineering Supervisor and Head of Accounts.
ADB now runs five Citans, which are assigned to installation and maintenance engineers. Roanza took back three Euro 5-engined versions in part-exchange, against their Long-bodied, Euro 6 successors. The Citan is the smallest Mercedes-Benz van, and the manufacturer says fuel-efficient. The 111 CDI variant produces 110 hp and, like its 90 hp 109 CDI stablemate, is capable of returning 61.4 mpg (combined cycle).
ADB purchased its first Citans in 2014, a year after the model’s UK launch. Mr Bennett recalled: “Having tried various types of vehicle over the years, we were using another brand’s vans and estate cars but suffering reliability issues, as the gearboxes and steering pumps were packing up after 50,000 miles. One of my daughters showed me an ad for the new Mercedes-Benz, so we contacted our local Dealer and have never looked back.
“Although most assignments are undertaken within a 200-mile radius of base, we sometimes go as far afield as Scotland. The Citans are out six days a week and never break down, while despite being bigger than the vehicles we were using previously they are also more economical to run.
“The fact that we can get our Mercedes-Benz vans serviced at night by Roanza is another important plus, because it means they’re never off the road when we need them. The engineers love them too – the Citan is exceptionally comfortable, so they arrive on site refreshed and ready for work.”
ADB took a 0pc interest finance offer when purchasing its Approved Used Citan from Roanza. “That vehicle had 13,500 miles on the clock when it arrived,” said Mr Bennett. “It was very well presented and a cracking deal.”
He added: “People like to be associated with companies that are doing well, and the prestige associated with the three-pointed star reinforces the premium image that we want to project of our own business during this current period of growth.”
