The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van is hanging the competition out to dry - just ask Regency Laundry & Dry Cleaning.
The Bath-based firm has just replaced a previous batch of Sprinters with six new ones from Westbury dealer Rygor Commercials.
The latest arrivals are all fuel-efficient 313CDI models with low-emission Euro 5 engines. Like their predecessors, they are the subject of a Mercedes-Benz Financial Services finance lease - Regency runs its vehicles for three years then simply hands them back to the dealer and updates them with new models.
The family-owned company's relationship with Rygor Commercials stretches back nearly 20 years. It relies on its Mercedes-Benz vans to collect and deliver customers' laundry and dry cleaning, primarily around Bath but also further afield.
Five are Long-bodied models and used to service commercial clients, most of which are hotels; the sixth, a Medium-length version, is assigned to domestic duties. The vehicles are lined internally and fitted with hanging rails; each also features a partial bulkhead that allows easy access to the cargo area from the cab.
In addition to its Sprinter vans, Regency Laundry & Dry Cleaning runs a box-bodied 7.5-tonne Fuso Canter for larger laundry collections and deliveries, which was also supplied by Rygor Commercials - the German manufacturer's dealer network is also responsible for sales and support of the popular Japanese light truck range in Britain.
The 129hp Sprinter 313CDI model is 15 per cent more fuel efficient than the Euro 4 311CDI it replaced - this equating to an extra 4.5 miles per gallon - while CO2 emissions are down by 13 per cent. Like its Vito sibling, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter also bristles with active and passive safety features, including the remarkable Adaptive ESP® anti-skid system.
Regency has been providing laundry services for more than 125 years. Transport & Production Manager Bill Wallace said: "Our customers rely on us to provide them with a timely, dependable service, so as our Sprinters have always been reliable workhorses we've never seen any reason to change.
"Our employees appreciate the fact that their vans are so comfortable and car-like to drive, while as a company which is always conscious of its Duty of Care obligations to staff and other road users it's also reassuring to know that Mercedes-Benz leads the way when it comes to safety."
He added: "Our customers include some of the finest hotels in the country, so creating the right impression is vitally important - the Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star speaks volumes for the quality of our own business."
Regency's vans are maintained by the workshop team at Rygor's dealership on the West Wilts Trading Estate in Westbury - like all Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Vito models retailed through the manufacturer's franchised dealer network, they came with a free Service Package (terms & conditions apply) covering all labour, materials and lubricants required in routine servicing at an official Mercedes-Benz workshop for up to five years or 60,000 miles, whichever is reached first.
Mercedes-Benz vans are also covered by market-leading, three-year, unlimited mileage manufacturer's warranties.