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ESC rules for vans and mini buses

Clarification of rules for MB and MD classes
Posted on 08 February, 2018

Reminder: all used MA vehicles (passenger cars) with engine capacity greater than 2 litres, border-checked on or after 1 March, will be required to have ESC as OEM equipment. 
To clarify the status of van-type vehicles equipped with seats (e.g. Toyota Hiace), MB Class vehicles do not require ESC until 1 March 2020.The definition of an MB Class vehicle is as follows:
MB (Forward control passenger vehicle) A passenger vehicle (other than a Class MC vehicle): (a) that has not more than nine seating positions (including the driver's seating position); and (b) in which the centre of the steering wheel is in the forward quarter of the vehicle's total length
A van-type vehicle with 10 seats falls into the MD Class, which is not required to have ESC. MD Class is defined as:
MD 1 An omnibus that has a gross vehicle mass not exceeding 3.5 tonnes and not more than 12 seating positions
Please note: Due to their design, van-type vehicles (like the Toyota Hiace) can only be classified as a Class NA or MB, and therefore never classed as MA. For any questions, please contact VIA Technical Manager Malcolm Yorston on 0800 VIA VIA (842 842) or email technical@via.org.nz.