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Details: As well as a large number of crew ferry minibuses and engineer's vans, Go-Ahead London also has a number of smaller vans for other roles. Several Ford Fiesta vans have been sold recently and we were wondering what might have replaced these. On 5th December 2021 Andrew found this unmarked white van parked outside the company offices next door to Merton Garage. Signs inside the vehicle suggested that it was a Go-Ahead vehicle so it could well be one of the replacements. The previous vans were also unmarked, although most were red, which made them a bit more noticeable. The most interesting aspect about HG21XBL is that, even though it looks very familiar, it is a new type not seen before on LTSV. Evidently based on a Renault Kangoo, it is actually a Nissan NV250. Launched in late-2019, this is the second case of badge-engineering for the Kangoo model, with the Mercedes Citan having been available since 2012. While looking up this information, I also discovered that an all-new Renault Kangoo is on the way. Referred to as the Kangoo III (or Third Generation), it has a slightly sleeker design, losing some of the type's individuality. There will also be a Nissan-badged version, the Nissan Townstar, and this will replace both the NV200 and NV250 models. And there will be a Renault Express, similar in appearance to the Kangoo III but slightly smaller and based on the Dacia Dokker (which was actually built by Renault). All slightly confusing, but I look forward to seeing photos of these new types if/when they are acquired by any of the service vehicle operators! Given LUL's extensive use of the Kangoo model over the past decade, they are likely to at least try the new variant.

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