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Peugeot Citroen is the second largest car manufacturer in Europe and in December 2006 reported record revenues of 56,594 euros million (£44,638 million) – an increase of 0.6 per cent on 2005.

Citroen started 2008 by announcing its best-ever light commercial vehicle sales with a total of 25,530 C2 Enterprise, Berlingo, Dispatch and Relay vans sold during 2007.

Robert Handyside, Citroen's commercial vehicle operations manager, said: "Citroen has started its LCV business in 2008 in the best possible way, with these record January sales figures.

"With the forthcoming launch of the new…models we will be able to add even greater sales potential to our existing four strong range, which has already demonstrated its popularity with both large and small LCV operators."

The firm has also received critical acclaim for its Ready to Run van conversion service, which allows customers to request standard vans that are modified by Citroen to their own needs.

In 2007, What Van? awarded the Ready to Run service its One-Stop Shop conversion programme award and earlier this year it became the first scheme of its kind to meet the new Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders' best practice recommendations.

The Citroen Ready to Run programme is a service, which allows buyers to request conversions of vans and add-on packages, to ensure their vehicle is tailored to meet their requirements.

Scott Michael, Citroen's commercial vehicle sales manager, said: "The converters involved in the Citroen Ready to Run programme are already recognised throughout the industry as leading specialists in their respective sectors.”

Citroen's experience in manufacturing light commercial vehicles dates back to the beginning of the last century.

Between 1939 and 1941 Citroen produced its first ever van, the TUB, which was also the first commercial vehicle to feature a door that slid open horizontally.

Since then the firm has gone on to produce a range of vans, the most recent of which is the new Berlingo which made its world debut earlier this month at the Commercial Vehicle Show.

The vehicle will officially go on sale in June 2008 and is being billed as a "giant step forward for the high-cube van sector".

Robert Handyside says: "The fantastic new Berlingo retains all the successful key ingredients of its predecessor…and builds upon these to redefine the benchmark in this all-important sector."

The new Berlingo has been updated to carry a larger load, while driver comfort and safety have both been improved.

The Citroen Berlingo is available in two trim levels, three engines and two lengths and will appeal to a wide range of customers.

The Berlingo also features a Trafficmaster’s Smartnav and stolen vehicle tracking system – the first of its kind to be fitted in a commercial vehicle as standard.

Smartnav connects the driver to a central control centre 24-hours a day, where a personal assistant can find them the optimum route, by entering their current details into a traffic information system. It will then monitor the journey, warning the driver of delays and find them a quicker route, if necessary.

Another new addition to the Citroen van range is the Nemo, which has been called the "smallest biggest van", offering bigger load dimensions than many of its high-cube rivals.

The Nemo starts at £7,995 plus VAT and is just 3.86 metres long with a turning circle of 9.95 metres, making it perfect for use in busy cities or on tight country lanes.

The Nemo has been introduced to fulfil a wide range of business needs and has low carbon emissions, featuring an automatic transmission which manufacturers say offers the fuel efficiency of a manual vehicle.

Other vans manufactured by Citroen include the C2 Enterprise car-derived van, the Dispatch Window Van and the Relay Panel van, to name a few.

The C2 Enterprise van is a "unique combination of practicality, safety, comfort and low running costs", according to its manufacturer.

It is just 3.67 metres long and boasts a payload of 331 kilograms, as well as a load space of 0.84 metres cubed.

The van has been awarded a four-star Euro NCAP safety rating, due to its ABS with electric brakeforce distribution and emergency braking assistance provisions, which come as standard.

Citroen's Dispatch Window van also comes with these breaking facilities and boasts electric windows all around the vehicle, as well as an adjustable padded steering wheel.

It is designed for work men or women who require a greater payload and Citroen have worked hard to ensure that the van maintains a high level of comfort despite its bigger size.