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Personal Car Leasing.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
How much is your company car costing you? Chances are it could start costing you a little more with April’s budget changes and it could be time to switch to personal car leasing. Kate Finburg examines the Chancellor’s intentions.Being Green is a confusing business. It is no longer enough to purchase Jamie Oliver farm assured chicken and recycle cat litter into compost, one must now offset ones carbon emissions by planting a forest every time one takes a long haul flight. In order to ensure we comply with an ever greener country, the government are using a clever method – incentives in the form of cold hard cash - cash which you could towards a new personal car leasing deal.When it comes to cars, you are never going to achieve full green kudos if you own one - or have taken out a personal car leasing deal on one - (better to get on one of Boris Johnson’s city bikes for that), but the government wants to persuade you that greener cars – i.e. ones that emit a low amount of carbon are not only better for the environment, but will be better for your pocket if you were to choose them.If personal car leasing is not for you, especially those with the perk of a company car, Labour’s final budget in April further incentivised choosing a carbon friendly car (or as some might say, narrowed the choice to two options; be a gas guzzler and taxed, or choose something more modest and have the ability to buy daily bread).
Labour’s budget will mean that come Olympic Year, if you drive a company car that currently is taxed at 10% with CO2 emissions of 120g/km or more, you will now be taxed at 15%. For diesel motors the sting is even more, with tax rising to 18% on cars emitting more than 120g/km, which makes the case for personal car leasing even more compelling.Luckily car manufactures are savvy to the government’s requirements and indeed the country’s zeitgeist for anything eco-friendly. In 2008 there were just 272 models of car with CO2 emissions of below 121g/km, now there are 639, meaning more choice, more money left after tax and more smug green feelings (although if you want to be completely smug invest in your company’s cycle to work scheme…).To register fairly high on the smug scale the greenest car has to be an electric one, which are even available on personal car leasing contracts.
Currently only six are on sale and the practicalities of having to stop and charge your car whilst on the way to a sales conference in Slough might not be particularly practical.Despite sounding like something invented by Steve Jobs to cause 4 hour queues outside the Apple store, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV looks like it could be a contender for an electric city runaround. Costing only 96p to fully charge you could drive 12 000 miles for £115, that leaves a lot of change for free range eggs. However, company car drivers aren’t as persuaded by cars that run on anything other than good old fashioned petroleum.The RAC’s Report on Motoring 2010 states that they are marginally less likely to buy (or sign-up to a personal car leasing contract on) a car powered by alternative fuels, with more than a third unlikely to consider such vehicles as opposed to 3 in 10 of private car drivers.
If electric cars do still seem a little absurd (the Nissan Leaf - now available on a personal car leasing plan - only does 100 miles on full charge and there is no fuel back-up), there are plently of other eco-friendly-er options.Businesscar.co.uk lists its top five fleet cars that could transport you from meeting to meeting not only in style but at a tax effective price.The BMW 320d Touring and Volvo V70 1.6 Drive are included in this list and whilst some may baulk at the lower weight of the Volvo’s engine, Autocar’s tests show that whilst not a fast car, it is very capable if not completely overloaded.Whilst many people are keen to board the low CO2 emitting bandwagon, not everyone wants to give up a gas guzzling, yet undoubtedly more powerful model of car, especially those who already use personal car leasing as a way of funding their new car, as - of course - there is no company car tax to pay on a personal car leasing contract.How can the Con-Libs persuade a high proportion of company car owners or personal car leasing customers to essentially downgrade? Oops, did I say downgrade? I meant become more eco-friendly.
Peter Fries of freight company Salvesen explains the tax conundrum faced by company car owners; “Company cars are such an ingrained perk that most of us will have them no matter what cost as it is the only way we can get one up on neighbours and relatives who still run their own ancient cars.However the tide is now turning and many at my company have realised that low CO2 is more tax efficient. I can only hope this continues for the sake of the environment but in truth the cost of the cars is more about how many miles they cover which determines the price we as a company pay!”The RAC’s 2010 Report on Motoring would suggest that whilst company car drivers claim to think green, the reality is quite different.Only 26% said they would definitely consider a more environment-friendly model for their next vehicle whilst 53% said it was ‘maybe’ an option. Which leads us to suspect that an environmental conscience isn’t what is driving (ahem) choices when it comes to picking a company car.
Other factors come into play of course; is it practical for the family? How safe is it? How much luggage can you fit in the boot? Will my employer offer me a car allowance so that I can take out a personal car leasing deal in my own name and stop paying hefty company car tax altogether?The new budget will also affect fuel allowances with the free fuel benefit charge rising from £16 900 to £18 000 which is yet another thing to take into consideration.With all these things to think about the Chancellor is possibly steering company car drivers to only one option. The new tax bands will have an impact and with salaries fixed for many and the cost of living rising the only choice might be to pick a lower CO2 emitting vehicle – and to probably grow your own veg.Would you give up a more powerful car for the sake of the environment? Will your next personal car leasing contract be on a more fuel-efficient car? Please get in touch with us and let us know. Thanks Article written by Thomas Wellburn...
Go green or go under.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
Sunglasses? Check. Latest stereo sound system installed? Check. Lowest carbon emitting car on the road? Erm…Car owners across England have had a mouthful from the government about buying the most fuel-efficient vehicle with TV ads hammering home the newest hybrid available for purchase and flashy red electric cars whizzing across TV screens. So the time has come for a crackdown on company car drivers.Our ‘hybrid’ government have backed Labour’s previous plans to massively increase company car tax. So if you are not willing to switch over to a more fuel-effective engine this means ditching those holiday plans for Europe and taking a trek down to the countryside instead on the long bank holiday weekends.
There is no escaping it - even for business car leasing customers; for company motorists looking to save their hard-earned pennies a switchover to low-emitting cars is the only option. As a company car driver you know if you purchase or - if you prefer business car leasing as an alternative to outright purchase - lease a car through your employer, you will have to pay tax on the value of the benefit, the value dependent on the car’s carbon dioxide emissions, among other things.To put it in context, James Abbott of contractor accountant Baker Watkin suggested that if you purchase a mid-range saloon, say if you buy or take out a new business car leasing contract on a Volkswagen Passat Saloon, with a list price of £20,000 and CO2 emissions of 150g per km, the benefit-in-kind offered by your employer will average out to around 20% of the listing price. Abbot explains, “if you buy this through your company, it’s going to put extra income on your personal tax return of £4,000, which for a higher rate taxpayer means an extra £1,600 in income tax.” But hold on, don’t throw your pens across the room or rip up your papers in frustration and curse the government quite yet, if you purchase (or take out a new business car leasing contract on) a ‘green’ car with low CO2 emissions no higher than 120g per km then the benefit-in-kind will swing in your favour and be averaged at only 10% of the list price, meaning for that £20,000 Volkswagen Passat you’ll be charged £800 for tax and around £256 for National Insurance for the company.
To put it simply, the massive increase in company car tax will be heavily placed on vehicles emitting 120g CO2 upwards. The Conservative/Liberal Democrat government have kept green issues high on their hit-list for the future and have decided cars exceeding 120 grams per kilometer are damaging the environment and must be labeled as high CO2 emitting vehicles and consequently must be heavily taxed - even if they are on business car leasing contracts.To be exact overall impact for petrol cars has been confirmed as 50% after the CO2 percentage will jump from 10 to 15% beginning this year with the plan’s full completion set for April 2012. Though there are not many cars or business car leasing deals at the moment with CO2 emissions below 120g/km, the numbers will rise as companies will also benefit from leasing and selling lower emitting vehicles, so keep your optimistic and opportunity caps on.For contractors, cars with a 160g/km rating or less are 100% permissible while cars beyond that figure come hand-in-hand with a 15% penalty. Your employer will be paying less tax by persuading you to buy or lease a low emitting car so it’s a win-win situation for all.
Think about it, the company car tax is halved for ultra-low carbon cars and for cars emitting below 75g/km there is now a 50% discount on company car tax. There is of course the slight set-back of how many cars even emit less than 75g/km however electric hybrids will be arriving in the upcoming years and it is a massive pointer that the government will be favouring and rewarding drivers that opt for lower emitting company cars.Your company - already sold on the idea of business car leasing - will definitely find it more tax-efficient to lease ‘green’ cars. Some car firms have already begun releasing brand new smart models for companies to buy or have come up with tax-busting business car leasing deals on them. So before you shrug off these tax changes with an indignant sneer, do consider the benefits and money that could be saved. The tax changes have been solidly put in place and will proceed. So for all you stubborn company car drivers not willing to switch over to the green low-emission side, just remember it may be a case of go green of go under financially. Plus your boss or your business car leasing fleet manager might just start slipping salt in your coffee and pinching staples from your desk if you don’t swap to the green side.
New Aston Martin Virage 6.0-litre V12 Coupe.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
Aston Martin introduces the new Aston Martin Virage - supremely elegant and powerful, yet juxtaposed as an understated sports car. The marque can now provide customers with a class-leading range, all with different characters, yet with the same unique Aston Martin soul and luxury.Beautiful, dynamic and prestigious, the Aston Martin Virage combines outright sports car performance with luxury, comfort and refinement. The front mid-mounted V12 engine''s torque delivery provides outstanding performance, coupled with the car''s inherent agility and perfect weight distribution delivering the ideal balance between outright sports car performance and trademark sporting luxury exemplified by modern Aston Martin cars.
The Aston Martin Virage sits between the enduringly elegant DB9 and overtly sporting DBS, providing customers with a car that remains luxurious and understated but delivers increased performance and crucially performance that is always accessible for effortless driving.Aston Martin''s revered hand-built 6.0 litre V12 engine produces 497PS and 570Nm of torque and through its carbon fibre prop shaft, is mated to a six-speed Touchtronic II automatic transmission mounted on the transaxle contributing to perfect 50:50 weight balance.The Aston Martin Virage''s dynamics have been tuned to deliver an engaging yet more refined driving experience, where the driver can extract the maximum performance from the car with greater ease.
A newly developed Adaptive Damping System (ADS) intelligently ''reads'' the road to provide optimum road holding, adapting to different conditions. The system now selects up to five different stiffness settings within normal mode, and a further five stiffer settings within sport mode.Discover the current Aston Martin range online: click here.
All-new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé.
Created Date: 18/05/2012
The expressive new C-Class Coupé sees Mercedes-Benz - now in its 125th year of corporate history - entering a new market segment and for the first time offering a compact, classic coupé. This youthful, sporty two-door car has just been unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show last week and will be making its way to customers from June.There will be a choice of three petrol engines and two diesel powerplants to power the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé. All are equipped with direct injection and the ECO start/stop function as standard. All the engine variants are classed as BlueEFFICIENCY units, showing that they are particularly efficient and environmentally friendly in their use of fuel.
All automatic versions feature the further-enhanced 7G‑TRONIC PLUS seven-speed automatic transmission (standard with the C250 and C350 petrol engines). The C220 CDI and C250 CDI diesel variants and the basic C 180 petrol engine come with a six-speed manual transmission as standard.The top engine variant is the V6 petrol engine in the C350 BlueEFFICIENCY featuring the efficient BlueDIRECT method of injection. It delivers 306 hp and 370 Nm. Average fuel consumption is 41.5 mpg. The four-cylinder petrol engines have direct injection and are turbocharged, offering high performance and exemplary economy.The most economical coupé model is the C220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY with manual six-speed transmission and the standard ECO start/stop function. It has an average diesel consumption of 64.2 mpg.
This corresponds to 117 grams of CO2 per kilometre. The C250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY contents itself with a combined diesel consumption of just 57.6 mpg. This corresponds to CO2 emissions of 128 grams per kilometre.In the UK the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé will feature the AMG Sports Package as standard which further enhances the look of the car with AMG bodystyling and 18in AMG alloy wheels. Discover the Mercedes-Benz range online: click here
New Audi R8.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
Beautiful may be an understatement for Audi’s newest R8 model, as it manages to amplify what was great about the old models by twofold. This convertible dubbed the ‘Spyder’ takes everything that was great of the previous versions – stunning looks, incredible performance, comfort and handling, and then lets you do it all while your hair freely blows in its wake. You’d think it would be difficult for Audi to improve on a machine that has already won numerous awards and being voted car of the year for several big car magazines, but they have achieved it here in style.Obviously the main new feature of this car is the folding roof, which definitely isn’t a typical fiddly soft-top folding affair that plagues many a supercar.
The R8 Spyder incorporates a fully functioning automated electric roof that at the mere push of a button will fold away to reveal the world around you. Should you want it up however, you can be rest assured that its aluminium roof will also insulate the sound to the same level as the hardtop models, as it comprises the same materials as the rest of the car. Also, being that it’s built from the same materials it’s very sturdy and definitely shouldn’t be blowing off if you do anything above 30mph. Thankfully, they’ve even managed to keep some space for a boot which many convertibles lack because of the roofs folding mechanism. It may only be 100 litres, but at least you actually get one.
Under its bonnet the impressive trend continues, as there’s no compromise in power like some other convertible models tend to give. You get the same V10 that graced the previous year’s models, available in either a 4.2 or a 5.2 litre version. You’ll be getting 512bhp and a 0-60 time of roughly 4.1 seconds in the larger engine – only 0.2 slower than that of the hardtop, and 424bhp and 0-60 in 4.8 on the other. Both will achieve speeds of up to 195mph flat out, which is only one second slower than its hardtop wearing cousins. You can also pick from a tronic gearbox for easy shifting or a standard six speed-manual for that authentic driving feel. Fuel economy ratings for both models are a modest 19.6 and 19mpg for the 4.2l and 5.2l models respectively, which for a supercar is an impressive figure.The interior carries across the R8’s previous styling of brushed metals and polished leather finishes, but offers a few technological upgrades to what’s already there which enhance the experience. A microphone has been mounted into the seatbelt for easier hands free calling when driving and the seats now feature a high tech anti-reflective fabric that repels the sun’s rays to keep your seats nice and cool on those warm summer days.
The seats still feature a beautiful shiny leather finish with an abundance of chrome trimmings and R8 labelling that run throughout the car. Not compromising on sound quality either, the Spyder comes equipped with a 500 watt Bang & Olufsen sound system comprising of 14 speakers and two amplifiers. A neat little party piece of the system enables it to turn a standard two channel audio CD into a full five channel surround sound experience, meaning even the audio enthusiasts should be pleased with their purchase. The R8 Spyder is definitely the convertible Audi that people have been waiting for, as thankfully it manages to avoid the flaws that sometimes plague the inevitable convertible models. With a true folding hardtop that is actually functional when not retracted and even a small boot for storage, the Spyder is beyond doubt a practical supercar that can be driven on a regular basis. It manages to keep up with its cousins in terms of performance and style yet adds the bonus of a fantastic, functional folding roof for the summer - you can’t really ask for more than that.Your comments and observation on the range of Audi products are highly welcome and do not forget to follow us on Twitter for updates on our blogs and news.For more information about Audi R8 spider, click.Article written by Thomas Wellburn..
All-new BMW 6 Series Coupé.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
The hearts of sports car aficionados with an eye for beauty and a thirst for luxury and innovative technology will beat a little faster with the arrival of the all-new BMW 6-Series Coupé. The third generation of the top-class Coupé sees premium carmaker BMW adding another intoxicating chapter to its decades-long tradition in the production of exclusive dream cars. The new 6-Series Coupé impresses with its irresistible design and inspires with even sharper driving dynamics than its predecessor, noticeably optimised comfort levels and extra space. This is the only car in the segment to offer the combination of top-class sporting ability, exclusive touring comfort and a 460-litre luggage space.
Also on board to deliver the 6-Series Coupé's signature driving experience are a range of innovative driver assistance systems and BMW ConnectedDrive infotainment features. The new car therefore meets the highest - not to mention the broadest - expectations of driving pleasure in a large, premium 2+2-seater in incomparable style.Its unmistakable design language gives the new 6-Series Coupé an aura of athletic elegance. The sweeping bonnet, short front overhang and set-back passenger compartment team up with a 74-millimetre increase in body length (4,894 mm) over its predecessor and a 75-millimetre longer wheelbase (2,855 mm) to create the hallmark proportions of a BMW Coupé. Meanwhile, the extra width of the new car - it is now 39 millimetres wider (at 1,894 mm) thanks to its increased track width - makes for an exceptionally powerful stance that emphasises its impressive roadholding. All of which ensures that observers are struck by the car's dynamic forward-surging presence and promise of majestic driving ability the moment they set eyes on it.
The faithful reflection of the car's character in its exterior styling is given particular appeal by the lines running along the full length of the body and its harmoniously curved surfaces. The inspiration for these design features was the natural movement of waves. In the same way as water is parted by an object in flowing water, the car body's shaping lines fan out from the BMW badge on the bonnet to both sides of the body. BMW TwinPower Turbo technology with petrol direct injection provides both sporty power development and exceptional efficiency in the engines available for the new 6-Series Coupe from launch. In the new 650i Coupe, a V8 powerplant with turbochargers positioned between the cylinder banks develops maximum output of 300 kW/407 hp. An exclusive feature of the 235 kW/320 hp six-cylinder in-line engine in the new 640i Coupe, meanwhile, is the addition of VALVETRONIC variable valve control. Both units are hooked up to an eight-speed Sports automatic gearbox as standard. Also part of the standard specification is an extensive range of BMW EfficientDynamics technology, including the Auto Start-Stop function and ECO PRO mode (in the 640i Coupe).See the current BMW range online: click here.
Homage to the Aston Martin range.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
Aston Martin has led a truly staggering life spanning almost a hundred years of car production. From its founding in 1914 they have gone on to be what many perceive as the designers of some of the world’s most iconic premium supercars. Spanning over half a dozen owners in its lifetime, Aston Martin might not be under British ownership anymore but it will always be at its heart. Originally established by Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin, the company began by building competition cars specifically made for uphill climbing and breaking records. The name Aston Martin came to be in 1915 after Lionel Martins love for competing in the Aston Hill climb, in which he raced a custom car that they had both built together. The pair then moved onto selling production cars shortly after and despite a short blip during world war one, powered on to create several record breaking cars after it had ended. Every Aston Martin is as beautiful as the next and as we will see, this is a rundown of the most iconic models from the companies thriving history.In chronological order, perhaps the most remembered car of the post war period of World War One was the Ulster, which was based on the MKII that Aston Martin had previously produced. Designed by respected engineer Bertelli, it housed a 1.5 litre SOHC engine that would later be used in the Le Mans series Ulsters.
While the Ulster only enjoyed a short two year race program between 1934 and 1935, it managed to dominate most competition it entered. For example in 1934 at the British tourist Trophy at Goodwood, the Ulster stole all three podium place finishing first, second and third respectively. It still stands up as a classic today and was regarded as one of the most beautiful cars available when it was first released.During World War II Aston Martin had survived building parts for aircraft and when the war ended, they were bought out by David Brown Limited. This lead to the birth of pretty much the entire Aston Martin legacy we know today- I’m talking of course about the David Brown range which was abbreviated to DB for short.
David Brown had also purchased Lagonda around a similar time, so the range adopted many of the styling of the Lagonda name but blended them with that of Aston Martins in-house styling. As such it also carried across some of the engineering side of Lagonda, who fitted some of the models with their own 2.3 litre engine. The first of these was the DB2, which was released it was their first post WWII production car and widely regarded as the best British sports car of its time. Released as a production car in 1950, interim models actually raced the year before in the Le Mans series but a fatal crash that killed driver Pierre Marechal dampened their early success. During its three years of consumer production the DB2 sold in very large quantities, with a total of 339 coupes and 102 drop head models ordered. Over the years it was replaced by the Vantage model and the DB2/4, which sold equally as well. It was eventually replaced by the DB4 in 1959.
The DB4 continued Aston Martins success, but didn’t anything achieve anything revolutionary as those above. However when the DB4 grand tourer model was hailed as the most beautiful Aston Martin ever created, they set to work on creating a follow up that would eclipse it in every way. In 1963, the replacement to the DB4 was announced and it was the the legendary ‘James Bond car’, the DB5. Though visually similar to the DB4, it was its participation in the James Bond film Goldfinger that cemented its success as one the classic pinup cars of the 20th century. It took what the DB4 had started and went one step further, with subtle styling enhancements and a totally revamped engine which produced four litres rather than the DB4’s 3.5. It also comprised a full 5 speed gearbox, a premium at the time. Taking inspiration from the DB4 before it the styling remained very close between the two models, with the big difference being the DB5’s more modern curves.
The grill was slightly altered to keep up with the times as were the front lights, which were slightly slanted and followed the curves around the edge.Few iconic Aston Martins were made during the 1970’s and 1980’s, as the company opted for a more industrial approach to further cement their profits. The 1974 Lagonda was a rare gem but highly sought after as only seven were produced, and its follow up was a low point for the company as a whole. However with the emergence of the 90’s the company began to bounce back into their stride with their innovative and beautiful styling. A modern day classic that emerged from this would of course be the Aston Martin DB7, which was released in 1994. This quickly shot to the top of many people’s lists as the world’s most beautiful car, with its grand tourer styling capturing many people’s hearts. It was praised for its smooth ride which made it a fantastic long distance driver’s car. Due to its massive success Aston Martin made several versions of the DB7, ranging from their first V12 powered car the Volante, to the more limited edition Zogato and GT models.
It still ranks as the highest production Aston Martin ever, with over 7000 built between its 1993 and 2004 lifetime until it was replaced its newest equivalent the DB9.The DB9 was launched in 2004 to much fanfare, taking obvious inspiration from the DB7 that came before it. It was a much beefier package with flared arches and a more aggressive look, however it still capitalised on that fantastic grand tourer styling that had made those before it so popular. Coined as the most successful Aston Martin of all time which it shares with the V8 Vantage, the DB9 offered quality and high tech equipment in a spacious, practical sports car. Using a 6.0 litre V12, it was also substantially faster than the DB7 which only used a V8. Carrying on from its success Aston Martin continued to upgrade the range to include convertible models and a Volante models to name but a few. Critics called it the “definitive grand tourer”, a title it still holds in many people’s opinions today.This takes us to the Aston Martins of recent that most people will be familiar with and in a life spanning nearly a hundred years their focus hasn’t really changed.
Since the launch of the DB series Aston Martin have constantly been pushing the boundary for exotic sports cars and it’s only gotbetter and better. Since the DB9’s arrival in 2004, the company have gone on to produce more cars in this short period than ever before, with even more scheduled for the near future. From being sold nine times to one of the most successful car names in the world, I guess it shows that in the end quality pays!Article written by Thomas Wellburn...
Geneva Motorshow UK company Highlights
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
The Geneva Motor-show, the biggest car event of the year – an occasion that sees car companies from all across the world coming together to showcase their new rides. In particular this year, we have taken a roundup of all the British companies on show and what they have in store for us in the upcoming years, (many of them might not be British anymore but it’s the heritage that counts). Here’s a rundown of the best of British highlights of the 2011 Geneva Motor-show - Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lotus, Mini, Morgan, Rolls Royce and Vauxhall.Aston Martin.To begin with we’ll look at Aston Martin, who besides an embarrassing moment when their CEO failed to read his speech properly off his iPhone managed to come up with some pretty exciting things to look forward to.Among these were three new car reveals and a ‘hybrid ownership’ scheme which I’ll get onto later. Of the three cars announced the first was the Aston Martin Virage, which slots somewhere in-between the DB9 and DBS. An update of the old Virage models that ceased production back in 2000, exterior differences between this and the other Aston Martin models are subtle – you would be forgiven for thinking it’s a DB9. Slight adjustments to the bumpers and skirts are the only standout alterations; however Aston Martin say most of the front end is made of fresh new parts.
With a top speed of 186mph and a suitably beefy 490bhp V12 to deliver said power, it’s going to be one potent machine. Available only in a six speed ‘touchtronic’ paddle shifting automatic, it’s backed by carbon ceramic brakes and of course Astons typically lavish interior on the inside. It’s due to go on sale immediately after this reveal, so get out and buy one!Second on their reveal list was an update to their already highly popular Vantage model, now available in an even faster ‘S’ specification to sit between the Vantage and the V12 Vantage models. The update brings with it less weight than the regular Vantage and a tuned 4.7 litre V8 delivering 430bhp. In terms of exterior looks I couldn’t see any differences between this and the V12 Vantage, which would probably be because they based the design on it in the first place. Due to its weight loss and tuning, it’s significantly faster than the regular Vantage, achieving a top speed of 189mph compared to the Vantage’s speed of 180mph.The final and probably most interesting reveal was the Aston Martin Cygnet, which was based on the Toyota IQ and aimed as a city car. Costing £30,995 it is admittedly a more ‘premium’ city car, as most don’t retail for anywhere close to that amount. You’ll soon see why it has that price tag when you climb inside however, as you’ll feel as though you’re in a DB9. In a turnaround to most city cars, Aston Martin is billing this one as “a small car without compromise to either quality or craftsmanship”. Designed by exactly the same team who make the more expensive models, you can expect the same quality here as you would in any of their more high performance machines. However this is still a city car, so don’t be expecting much power to go with that luxury. Housing an eco friendly 1.3 litre engine which produces 97bhp, it’ll only reach 105mph and is a far cry from the powerhouses listed above.
This is probably why Aston Martin has proposed a new scheme named the “hybrid car” scheme. If you buy one of their meatier models they say you can get one of these to go along with it, so you can have the best of both worlds. How well that works in practice is another question.Article written by Thomas Wellburn...
Geneva Motor Show – Jaguar.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
Jaguar sped onto the scene with the suitably fast 2011 XKR-S - which is their fastest Jaguar since the XJ220, and the stunningly beautiful Bertone B99 Concept. Admittedly, there will be another feeling of déjà-vu here as back in 2008 they released a model of the same name. I would keep reading though, as this one honestly blows it out of the water. Compared to the most recent XKR, power has gone up to 542bhp; torque has gone up to 501lb ft and amazingly mileage has stayed the same at 23mpg. Not only that, there are also upgrades to the suspension and Adaptive Dynamics traction/stability control, as well as a 10mm ride height drop, new LED lights, new front and rear bumpers, and a part-carbon rear wing. All these improvements have reduced lift by 26% according to Jaguar, as well as making it look even more potent. Available in colours that reflect Jaguars ‘true racing heritage’, you can choose from Stratus Grey Metallic, Ultimate Black Metallic, Italian Racing Red, and French Racing Blue. No British Racing Green though, which is a shame!The Bertone B99 Concept was not only a sight to behold – it looked incredible, but also an interesting take on the hybrid market. It’s set to feature a hybrid system completely designed by specialists Bertone Energy that will incorporate twin 150 kW electric engines as well as a thermal engine producing 125 kW.
Both engines offer a range extension of 700 kilometres on the motorway versus a typical engine and CO2 emission is practically nonexistent at only 30g/km. There’s even an electric mode that produces zero CO2 if you want to be really eco friendly. In terms of design, it carries the signature XK/XJ grill but angles it slightly forward. Its headlights are sleek and thin, and the whole front end just screams ‘wow’. It also has clamshell-style, pillar-less doors that open in opposing directions. Described as “refined minimalism” by Jaguar, the interior is a deep, dark brown that is awash with two-tone leathers. One is an extra opaque, big grain finish and the other is a pearl, semi-gloss, small grain finish; this is then contrasted by bright accents in both brushed aluminium and high gloss wood.
Geneva Motor Show - Land Rover.
Created Date: 18/05/2012
Not to be outdone this year, the king of the SUV’s came to the show with no less than three offerings. Two of them were style enhancements to existing models and the last was an Eco friendly experimental model. Possibly the most appealing was the Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate Edition, which may as well be called the Range Rover ‘mobile office’. Quite possibly the definitive luxury Range Rover, in terms of ‘techy’ offerings and materials, has a pair of Apple iPads installed into the rear entertainment system as standard along with a keyboard for typing. There’s also a drinks cooler in the rear armrest, as well as an aluminium laptop table should you not want to use either of the two iPads already in there. The rear bench has been replaced by a centre console for the rear entertainment system and this is all finished off in none other than machined aluminium inserts and Kalahari wood veneers. They’ve even gone luxury on the boot space, lining it with teak decking for that ultimate premium feel. Engines for the Autobiography Ultimate start at a 4.4-liter V8 diesel engine that is capable of producing 309 horsepower and 516 lb/ft of torque. This is capable of producing a 0-60 time 7.5 seconds and top speed of 130mph. However there is a much more powerful alternative offering which produces a mind blowing 503 horsepower and 461 lb/ft of torque.
Expect this one to get you from 0-60 in 5.9 seconds and onto 140mph, which for a car of this size is staggering.The second style enhancement was to the Range Rover Evoque, which has undergone a colour facelift and had a few new versions added to the lineup. Range Rover has added a few new colours to the Evoque range, which were previously only available in a very basic select few. Of the colours on offer many seemed to like the lime green variant, which had a contrasting black roof. Colour choices will span beyond just picking the colour however, as there are many style options available in terms of which areas are painted in what colour. As said above the roof can be painted in a contrasting colour, but so can the spoilers and interior. This all adds up to a seriously impressive array of combinations available. They also introduced two new variants, a three and five door model, both available in either the Pure, Prestige or Dynamic packs and having similar specs to current Evoque.Their last revealing was a step into the eco category with the Land Rover Range E – a diesel electric hybrid car. This has been spotted a few times already, but at the Geneva Motor-show people got the first chance to see it working.
Still only a prototype, it works by pairing Land Rover’s existing TDV6 diesel engine and upcoming ZF eight-speed automatic transmission with a plug-in parallel hybrid drive module. This gives the Range E boasts a very tree hugging CO2 rating of only 89g/km, a fraction of your typical SUV. It also has a full electric mode with zero emissions for speeds up to 70mph and if used in hybrid mode will be good for 690 miles between charges. Impressive figures all round if you want the prowess of a Land Rover without the nasty output.See the Land Rover range online: click here.Article written by Thomas Wellburn... Geneva Motor Show – Lotus.Created Date: 25/03/2011.Two new offerings were introduced by Lotus: the Elise Club Racer and an Evora that had been handed to tuning firm Mansory. The Club Racer is their most recent adaption of the classic Elise, which keeps true to its older design rather than falling into CEO Dany Bahar's bold reinvention of the company. As is typical with every Elise, more weight shedding has taken place to make it even nippier in the corners and luxury is out in favour of performance.
The Elise was already a featherweight car as it was, but they’ve managed to strip a further 24kg off the Club Racer which will probably end up in it floating away unless you chain it to your drive. Their list of weight saving cuts consists of the airbags, central locking, sound deadening, audio system, passenger footrest, soft-top and the mud flaps. They’ve even replaced the Lotus badges on the rear with stickers to save those precious few grams. Power remains the same at 134bhp however, so performance increases will only be as result of its weight loss. On the plus side, it is £600 cheaper than the current Elise S though. So if you’re after this pure, undiluted circuit car; then you won’t have to spend any extra.The Lotus Mansory (also known as the Bespoke Concept) divided opinion, with many questioning the company’s new direction. Details on the car were scarce as it is still only a concept, though a model was available on show for people to see. Said to symbolise the future of Lotus, the firm handed a regular Evora over to tuning Firm Mansory and let them go to town on it.
The result was an attractive if slightly disappointing upgrade bearing close resemblance to the original Evora. Lotus has officially denied that the Evora Mansory concept is an official Evora facelift, stating that “it’s a taste of the future of Lotus product customisation.” Rumoured to be a factory approved customisation program, it would explain why the level of customisation that Mansory put in looked strictly professional as opposed to their typical absolute tuning madness. Unfortunately with no in depth technical information it’s difficult to get excited about this one, but expect a full unveiling soon.Lotus also showcased a less consumer based offering, the Evora Enduro GT model, which was based on the Evora GT4 endurance car but beefed up for GT2 competition. Lotus Motorsport plans to compete in the Nürburgring ADAC 24 Hours (23-26 June), Spa 24 Hours (28-31 July) and the Silverstone 24 Hours in October. Judging by its unveil timing this will most likely be the model that ends up racing in them.
Audi A7 Sportback - design masterpiece.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
Fresh from winning the Design Summit 2011 award for its fantastic looks we have the Audi A7 Sportback, which is their answer to a small, sleek saloon which still carries the power of its brethrens. While Audi are billing it as a coupe, its aim is to further blur the line between a traditional saloon and that of a smaller hatchback.Its looks are instantly a striking selling point of the car, with an angular yet elegant design complimented with subtle chrome trimmings. Definitely a businessman’s car, the A7 looks remarkably premium and classy without even a hint of flamboyancy. Its understated modern character continues with the folding rear wing that only appears when needed and the suitably angry but definitely not ostentatious front grille. The back window curves elegantly to the very rear of the car with the back bearing close resemblance to that of a much sleeker Maserati Gransport – certainly not a bad thing at all. The headlights are xenon powered and LED assisted and are angled in a way that helps to aid the grill in giving it that mean German performance look. This all adds to an exterior package of understated class that understandably got the design critics all hot under their collars.The A7 Sportback comes in two trim versions – the SE and S line, with the SE line leading the way as the most expansive and expensive. You get heated leather seats, DAB radio, iPod connectivity and front and rear parking sensors as standard, with upgrades available on top when ordering. For example Audi offers a mind blowing 910 watt Bang & Olufsen sound system for anybody looking for musical prowess, which comprises of no less than 15 intricately tuned speakers.
The interior itself is a beautiful blend of leathers and wooden trimmings, with plastics that are definitely of a premium and don’t look like they’re from an old DVD case. It’s very spacious inside despite its small size and carries a surprisingly large 535 litre boot which can be expanded to a massive 1390 litres with the rear seats folded. In car entertainment is supplied from a handy popup centre console display that also acts as your satellite navigation screen.Engine sizes range from 2.8 to 3.0 litre and you get a choice of either petrol or diesel. The most powerful is the 3.0l petrol model, with a supercharged V6 delivering 296bhp and a respectable fuel economy figure of 34.4mpg. The more fuel efficient 3.0l diesel version sports a less meaty V6 engine at 242bhp but a more distance friendly economy rating of 47.1mpg. More impressive is the diesel engines carbon rating, which manages to achieve a very green figure of 139g/km of CO2. The 2.8 litre versions both run on petrol with 201bhp. All come with a choice of either Multitronic or S Tronic gearboxes, Audi’s own stepless transmission systems.This is a fantastic contemporary looking business car that will stand out in any parking lot simply because of its understated beauty.
It doesn’t need to scream at you how good it looks because it knows it’s good looking. Beauty aside it’s also very functional, with a large boot and a good choice of economy based engines for city driving. In typical Audi charm the amount of in-car entertainment and comfort is second to none and as one would expect, it is of a high quality. If you’re looking for a halfway point between saloon and coupe that you want to be seen in, I can’t recommend this enough for executive class.For a full range of Audi cars, kindly visit here.Article written by Thomas Wellburn...
Geneva Motor Show – Mini.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
Mini heralded their amazing number of sales in the Geneva press conference, with a record 234000 cars sold in 2010 and 30000 sold this year to date. Not short of forthcomings Mini came to show with two solid unveilings, the Mini Cooper SD and the pint sized Rocketman. The Cooper SD is Mini’s answer to solid performance without the footprint, hence its diesel engine. It certainly has the eco friendly footprint figures - running at 65.7mpg and emitting only 114g/km CO2, but it also has a pretty powerful engine to boot. Its 2.0 litre engine produces a very respectable 141bhp which will see it go from 0-60 in roughly 8 seconds and onto a top speed of 134mph, all while happily falling into the £30 a year road tax bracket.The Rocketman was Mini’s super hatchback/micro concept car. Call it what you will, it managed to captivate many people’s hearts as it made us all reminisce back to the Mini’s of old. With an aim of capturing what made the original Mini so good, the Rocketman is only 3419mm long, trimming a good 304mm from today’s Mini hatch. It also carries some clever concepts that try to fix the everyday problems of a car this small. The doors are double hinged for example and split in half at the middle, so that people can get more easily in and out of the front and back seats. Yes I did say that right – back seats.
Thankfully they’ve kept the rear seats in the Rocketman, meaning one extra modestly sized person will be able to squeeze in. Amazingly it even carries a storage boot at the rear, though it is admittedly so small that it’s practically useless. Aesthetically it’s all a blend of high tech materials such as space frame aluminium and carbon fibre – I doubt they’ll get through the concept phase of its design. Inside it’s even more suitably space age, with glowing red lights everywhere and plenty of brushed metal finishes. A cool touch is the glass Union Jack roof which covers the entire top of the car, giving full view of the world above. This is set to be a great little performer when it goes into production, but just how much of it gets through the concept stage will remain to be seen.For a full range of mini online, please click here.Article written by Thomas Wellburn...
Morgan, Rolls Royce and Vauxhall Exhibition.
Created Date: 08/05/2012.
Morgan.Never one for falling into the more contemporary designs of most other car manufacturers, Morgan has always kept their models historic and faithful to the old days. No surprise then that their reveal, the Morgan Threewheeler, did exactly that. Morgan started out producing three wheelers back in 1909, so this is familiar territory for them. Their aim is to keep the classic feel but bring it up to date with more advanced materials and technology. The bodywork is based on a tubular frame wrapped in aluminium, with a leather-padded cockpit protected by two rollover bars. This all adds up to it being incredibly light, with a 0-60 speed of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 115mph if you’re feeling brave. Pricing is still unconfirmed.Rolls Royce.Rolls Royce have jumped on the Eco Bandwagon with the world’s first ever ‘battery electric vehicle for the ultra-luxury segment’. The Phantom 102 EX Concept isn’t scheduled to go into production, but Rolls Royce say it will answer important questions regarding what constitutes an acceptable cruising range between battery charges, and whether a battery Rolls could operate in extremes of weather. EX stands for experimental and this is exactly what the project is, an investigation into future drivetrain alternatives.
Owners of current Rolls Royce models will be invited to give the 102 EX a test drive and then have their opinions documented to further improve the cars performance. They say the technology learnt from their little project will go on to sculpt future cars from the company.Vauxhall.Vauxhall unveiled their direct Ford S-Max competitor the Zafira Tourer Concept, saying that it’s pretty much ready for production. The new Zafira hints very strongly at the car Vauxhall is expected to put into production by the end of this year, with most features showcased on this model expected to carry over. Carrying seven seats like the old Zafira, the middle seat in the second row can now fold down to create armrests for the rear occupants. Vauxhall call this Flex7, with the middle seat also doubling as a 'lounge seat' if the rear passengers don’t need the extra space.
The interior is surprisingly premium for a car that will be expected to put up with toddler related damages. Trimmed in a light brown caramel-coloured leather, with contrasting dark brown trim on the doors, this is not something that sounds particularly child friendly. In-car entertainment sounds interesting, as Vauxhall have included connectivity options for iPads in the middle seats. Putting them in the docks on the back of the front seats allows your kids to watch films or surf the internet while on the move. Up front, the driver gets a touch-screen infotainment system in the centre console and the caramel leather theme continues along the dashboard. Exterior looks stick close to current ranges, with a slight hint of their upcoming hybrid models thrown in such as the more aggressive front headlights.Article written by Thomas Wellburn...
Volkswagen Amarok.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
Its name comes from the language of the Inuit - a group of indigenous peoples who inhabit most of the Canadian Arctic and sub-arctic - meaning "wolf". And like its namesake, the Amarok feels right at home in the wilderness, taking tough conditions in its stride and has been proven - twice-over - in the Dakar Rally as the official support vehicle over the past two years. Indeed, on both occasions, the Amarok accomplished the "toughest rally in the world" with flying colours; neither 50-degree heat, nor vast desert trips across 4,500 metre high mountain passes could stop it. The Amarok wears its "Tested by Dakar" badge with good reason.Designed to tackle the toughest off-road terrain, the Amarok is offered with an electronic differential lock (EDL) and Off-Road ABS to significantly shorten braking distances in off-road conditions or gravel roads. At speeds of under 20 mph it also activates Hill Descent Assist to control hill descents by using selective braking interventions. Furthermore, the ESP Plus system includes Hill Hold Assist, which prevents the vehicle from rolling back by holding it in place on inclines until the driver presses the accelerator pedal.Under the bonnet there will be a choice of two 2.0-litre fuel-efficient, Euro5 compliant, common rail TDI engines producing 163PS, with torque of 400Nm at a low 1,500 rpm, or 122PS with maximum torque of 340Nm from 2,000 rpm; both engines have a six-speed manual transmission and will have impressive fuel economy with low emissions to make the Amarok the first all-wheel drive pick-up in this class offering CO2 emissions of less than 200 g/km.
Featuring a gearchange indicator, it also helps drivers achieve the best fuel economy, which with an 80-litre fuel tank should offer a range of over 600 miles.The large and ergonomically designed interior is the largest in its class and in many ways resembles that of a Volkswagen passenger car. Easy entry, lots of headroom and ample legroom for passengers on the rear bench seat make the Amarok a fully-fledged five-seater. If only two people are travelling, interior storage space can be increased by folding the rear seat.Your comments and observation on the Volkswagen range of products are highly welcome and do not forget to follow us on Twitter for updates on our blogs and news.See the Volkswagen range online: click here
Evoque Coupé Crossover SUVs.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
The Range Rover Evoque has turned the much-acclaimed Land Rover LRX concept car into reality, faithfully capturing the spirit of its landmark cross-coupé design. True to the Range Rover brand, the Evoque effortlessly delivers premium levels of craftsmanship, luxury and performance, but shrink-wrapped into a more compact package.The lightest and most fuel-efficient Range Rover ever, the Evoque demonstrates the marque's commitment to environmental sustainability, bringing sub-130g/km CO2 capability to the premium SUV class. The Evoque will be the first Range Rover to offer customers a choice between the standard, full-time, intelligent, four-wheel-drive system, which delivers outstanding performance and traction on all surfaces, and a low-carbon, two-wheel-drive option for further enhanced fuel economy.
The turbocharged powertrain line-up offers smooth and responsive performance. Customers can choose from the comprehensively updated 2.2-litre turbodiesel with 190PS or 150PS derivatives. The four-wheel-drive version combined with the 150PS 2.2-litre will offer up to an impressive 50mpg and 145g/km CO2. The state-of-the-art new 240PS, 2.0-litre Si4 petrol engine combines direct fuel injection, turbocharging and twin variable valve timing for exceptional driveability and fuel efficiency.At the heart of the control system is Range Rover's much-acclaimed, eight-inch, high-definition touch-screen display with its crisp graphics and simple, intuitive menu structure. The display is available with the innovative dual-view technology, so that driver and passenger can view completely independent content. Tech-savvy customers get the connectivity they demand with a comprehensive package that includes Bluetooth hands-free mobile phone use and audio streaming, plus a range of USB and auxiliary inputs for iPods and other portable devices.
The Evoque is the first Range Rover to offer breathtaking new sound systems developed in partnership with the high-end audio specialist Meridian. The premium Meridian offering is an 825W, 17-speaker system that delivers the ultimate in surround-sound performance.The Range Rover Evoque will be manufactured in the multi award-winning plant at Halewood in Merseyside, UK; it has been engineered for all global markets, and will go on sale in more than 160 countries worldwide from summer 2011.See the Range Rover Evoque range online: click hereArticle written by Thomas Wellburn...
Audi Q3 Premium Compact SUV.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
The all-new Audi Q3 is a premium SUV in a compact form. This genuine Audi sets standards in all aspects of engineering - from its body through drivetrains and chassis to its state-of-the-art assistance systems and multimedia systems. The Audi Q3 is a versatile companion for everyday life - with an urbane character.The design of the Q3 is classic Audi: its coupe-like styling is one-of-a-kind among SUVs and symbolizes its sporty identity. Distinctive lights add a striking touch and the very flat-set rear window emphasize the sporty nature of the Audi Q3.The most powerful petrol and diesel engines will be paired with quattro permanent all-wheel drive and a seven-speed S tronic, which switches gears at lightning speed. And the S tronic features an innovation: during coasting, the dual-clutch transmission disengages the clutch and allows the Audi Q3 to roll freely - provided that the driver has selected efficiency mode in the optional Audi drive select system.
This measure also boosts fuel efficiency.Audi will provide a full range of infotainment technologies for the Audi Q3. The connectivity package, for instance, includes the Audi music interface for integrating mobile playback devices and a GPS interface, which the customer can activate at once or at a later date.Many additional solutions are taken straight from the luxury class. For example, the Bose surround sound system integrates 14 speakers, and the woofers up front illuminate handsomely when the interior darkens. The high-end infotainment cornerstone is the large MMI plus, a hard drive navigation system. Its manually extendable seven-inch color screen displays high-resolution 3D images; the system can also process whole-word voice input.See the full Audi range online: click here
Classy BMW is premium Grand Tourer.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
It’s March and BMW have just landed on the scene with a new 6 series variant to add to the range. The model in question is the 6 series coupe model, sporting various enhancements and tweaks to the previous years. This top range BMW 6 series has only recently been surpassed by a 7 series and both sit atop the BMW pedestal just below the M series. It’s no surprise then that the new coupe model continues this trend of power and executive class.Aesthetically this is once again more of an evolution than revolution with the design sharing various similarities with last year’s model. However, the minor improvements add up to an all round more attractive looking car. The shape is still very reminiscent of last year’s 6 series, with the bonnet slowly arcing downwards to where that trademarked BMW front end grille sits. However, everything has been sprinkled with an extra dose of sleekness this year with the theme seeming to be less angled edges and more flowing curves.
This model sits lower and rides lower than any 6 series before it and as a result looks mighty aggressive. The front lights have been given a slight makeover; they now slope inwards at either side of the car and have an LED strip running along the bottom for added class. This model has continental Grand Tourer written all over it and bears some resemblance to the Maserati models of similar class. It’s a definite departure from the 6 series of old but it also retains what was good about said 6 series of old.The 640i and 650i are currently the only models available and represent the top of the class in terms of performance and features. In terms of engines you get a Turbocharged 3.0 litre straight six engine in the 640i and a twin-turbocharged 4.4 litre V8 in the 650i. The smaller 3.0 litre engine produces an impressive 315bhp and offers a 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds, while the larger twin-turbocharged V8 produces 402bhp and will get you there in 4.9 seconds. Both engines are electronically limited to 155mph for safety and engine lifespan integrity - I can’t begin to imagine what top speed these things could produce with the limiter removed. As with any Grand Tourer the ability to ease past traffic when overtaking on the motorway is always a concern, so it’s no surprise then that in the higher revs both models are exceptional. The 650i for example has a remarkable 600nm of torque all the way from 1750rpm right up to 4500rpm and will ease past without so much as a complaint – thanks in part to its lightness. They’re also surprisingly economical as well, putting out 27.2mpg for the larger 650i engine and 36.7mpg for the smaller 640i variant.On the inside you have four seats with polished leather finishes and a dashboard crafted from high grade plastics that thankfully keeps up the premium image by not feeling cheap and tacky. The rear seats are quite small and will probably only accommodate small adults or children but you have to applaud BMW for at least finding the time and space to put them in. On the plus side they’re not short of novelties, with all the seats being heated and electronically movable for a comfortable seating posture. BMW’s iDrive controller is back and offers one-touch functionality for the centre consoles entertainment unit and satellite navigation comes as standard.All in all, this car offers a welcome package and is a great choice for a reasonably cheap, classy Grand Tourer. Adding on the optional extras will most likely break the bank but the base package is enough to satisfy most people happily. For the price of the standard car you’re probably looking at the best value for money Grand Tourer in its class if you go for the 640i. With both models housing suitably meaty engines they’re more than enough to handle overtaking on motorways without having to constantly shift gears. What’s more, it also carries that premium styling that we’ve come to expect from the German manufacturers and is aesthetically an improvement over last years. An all round package you can’t go wrong with to be sure. For a range of BMW cars online, please click here.Article written by Thomas Williams
George Osborne’s Fuel Cut
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
When George Osborne originally revealed his planned annual budget, it unveiled an unexpected cut on fuel prices by... one penny. Although it is admittedly better than his original plan of hiking the price up by a further 5p, one could see it as sort of an insult regardless. On face value it seems like an absolute joke – how can one penny feasibly make any sort of significant difference to our fuel savings? In short, it doesn’t. In wake of the worldwide recession, oil companies have already had to inflate prices more than they’d like in order to continue meeting revenue targets. While all this is happening, George Osborne believes a one pence deduction is adequate? His underlying explanation is something of a different perspective to the population, with his beliefs being that it will help ease people’s expenses.
This is definitely not the case however, as the public have already expressed outrage at his budget centrepiece. A poll carried out by a National newspaper concluded that 80% of the public believed axing the one penny cut would do nothing to their pockets, ahead of 10% who disagreed and 10% who didn’t know. Adding insult to injury, the RAC recently confirmed that the soaring world oil prices have already knocked away the penny decrease and then some. They reported the average UK price of petrol is now 133.55p a litre, which is 0.02p higher than the average price on March 23 when the duty cut was announced.For those who don’t understand why this happened, it was an obvious step that oil producers were going to make. The five pence rise was going directly to the exchequer, so George Osborne couldn’t cut the fuel price without finding an alternate method to generate the lost tax revenue. He introduced the "fair fuel stabiliser" as a solution - increasing the tax on gas and oil production from 20 per cent to 32 percent, as a way to generate the extra revenue needed.
At which point the oil companies simply upped the buying price for firms, increasing the cost you pay when you go to your local pump. Thus all that was solved was the matter of the government tax hole, with motorists once again being left out in the cold.For companies and motorists alike, this all amounts to a worrying problem where we are once again back to square one. If prices don’t improve many experts predict the possibility of a second recession, which considering that we are only just climbing our ways out of the first one would be catastrophic. This could become something of a reality as soon as next year, when George Osborne introduces the newer, revised annual budget. Many drivers are worryingly pondering the prospect of the meagre penny saving plan disappearing even further under the weight of more inflation to substitute government taxes. Unless things change drastically over the rest of the financial year, we can only expect this hard time for motorists to get even harder as time goes on.
Worthwhile advice to beat the fuel Price.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
With the recent VAT increase and George Osborne’s frankly insulting 1p budget cut crippling most UK drivers, you’re probably not in the minority when it comes to thinking we’re being ripped off for our fuel these days. Aside from camping outside Number 10 until said politician arrives and directing your outrage at his face, most of us will just have to grit our teeth and get on with it. Having just officially hit a record high for current fuel costs, you’re probably beginning to wonder if you’ll ever have the joy of seeing real money again. While there are no sure fire ways to save bucket loads of cash in these times of economic crisis, there are methods that we can use as drivers to minimise our fuel expenditures to more tolerable levels. All it takes is a little perseverance and common sense. This is a little mini five step guide to hopefully help you save those valuable pennies.
STEP 1: SHOP AROUND Probably the most obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people see it as a waste of time. This is usually attributed to a lack of research, as there are plenty of valuable sites out there for fuel pump price comparison. For example, Petrolprices.com will find you the cheapest price in your area, while Whatgas.com will show all available stations in your area with prices for each one. Fair enough, travelling 50 miles to another station for the matter of a few pence might not be worth the effort, but if you do your research you could find a cheaper alternative close by that you never knew existed.
STEP 2: ECONOMIC DRIVINGAnother obvious step is to drive more economically, paying especially close attention to your revs. Needless pedal presses and harsh acceleration accounts for up to 60% of the fuel we end up using, so it literally pays off just to be a bit more thoughtful. When accelerating be gentle on the throttle and ease up to your desired speed; try to stay below 3000rpm if possible. Try to keep your car moving at a constant speed and avoid stops/starts as much as possible Also make sure to change gear as little as possible, as this wastes more of your precious fuel. Finally don’t drive with the air conditioning on, as this is an instant gas guzzler.
STEP 3: A LITTLE HOME SERVICEKeeping a check on your car on even the most basic level will help you save money and improve performance. Declutter the inside of your car to save every ounce of fuel you can; remove anything unnecessary that might be weighing down that all important journey. Something as simple as driving on slightly flat tyres can have a major impact on fuel economy, so always check tyre pressures before you go out. Ideal tyre pressures vary for each car but it’s usually somewhere around the 30PSI mark. A word of advice would be not to overfill the tyres or it’ll have the same effect as driving on flats.
STEP 4: DUMP THE NOVELTIES.Some petrol stations advertise ‘superfuels’ and ’high performance fuel’ which are supposed to enhance the performance of your car. The truth is very much the opposite however, unless you’re driving a notably expensive sports or supercar. Most typical family cars just don’t need these superfuels and the benefits are very much negligible – you’d be hard pressed to notice a difference. The same goes for petrol additives that claim to ‘enhance fuel economy’; the reality is completely different. The fact of the matter is that if these had any benefits they would most likely be added to petrol as standard.
STEP 5: SHARE THE CAR /PUBLIC TRANSPORT.None of us like to sit next to somebody who smells or talks unnecessarily loud on the phone, but sometimes we have to. While nobody can really admit to like public transport, we also can’t deny that it is a fantastic money saver. Arriva recently added a fuel calculator to their Scotland bus service and many users reported the results as a shocking eye-opener to the money they could be saving using public transport. If you’re making a short journey to the centre of town or to the local shops, why not take a bus or just walk? Many of us take our cars for granted anyway so perhaps it’s time to venture outside and try something healthy. Similarly, if you belong to a family with more than one car, why not consider picking their morning journeys together in the same car without much compromise, so maybe a little sharing would come in handy for helping towards the family savings. Your comments and additions are welcome.Article written by Tom Williams Sources wisegeek.com
whatcar.com
moneysavingexpert
compaisleydailyexpress.co.uk
Vehicle Management.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
Vehicle management is an important aspect of the overall management of a company vehicle fleet and can include a range of functions, such as vehicle financing, vehicle maintenance, vehicle telematics (tracking and diagnostics), driver management, speed management, fuel management and health and safety management. It is an important element in allowing companies that rely on transportation in their normal business operations to mitigate the risks and unforeseen costs associated with any form of company vehicle fleet management, by improving efficiency, productivity and reducing its overall transportation and staff costs, whilst also ensuring full compliance with government legislation (also known as "duty of care"). These functions can be dealt with by either an in-house fleet-management department or an outsourced fleet management company or specialist.GPS Tracking.
The most basic function in all fleet management systems, is simply knowing where your company vehicle fleet is; naturally, this is made much easier with the advent of vehicle tracking systems, which use GPS signals — transmitted by GSM/GPRS — to track the vehicle fleet. Once vehicle location, direction and speed have been established by the GPS hardware components, additional tracking capabilities can relay this information to fleet management software. Fleet Managers can see the actual, real-time locations of their fleet on a map, which can be very useful if there is a business requirement to quickly respond to unexpected events on the road.In fact, advanced fleet management GPS tracking systems can connect to a vehicle's onboard computer, and gather data for the Fleet Management Department.
This can include details such as speed, mileage, fuel consumption and heavy braking or harsh steering, which can help to further reduce costs by identifying potentially dangerous driving habits. Indeed, by combining data transmitted by advanced GPS tracking devices installed in a company vehicle fleet, it is possible to form a detailed profile all your drivers and identify any training requirements before an incident might occur.Vehicle Management through Fleet Management SoftwareFleet management software empowers a business to effectively and efficiently accomplish the task of company vehicle fleet management, including any or all aspects relating to normal fleet operations. These tasks can include everything from vehicle acquisition through maintenance to vehicle disposal.One of the primary functions of fleet management software is to gather, store, process, monitor, report on and export detailed management information for analysis and optimization — including identifying cost-cutting measures where possible. Information can generally be imported from external sources including, the DVLA, CAP Motor Research, HM Revenue and Customs, VOSA, Transport for London and the Motor Insurance Database as well as from the company's own data sources, such as Personnel and Finance Departments. Effective fleet management software should naturally be able to manage everyday processes, tasks and events, such as notification of routine maintenance, scheduled maintenance, MOT, car tax and insurance due dates as well as employee driving licence management.Article written by Thomas Wellburn...
Whole Life Costs.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
Removing uncertainty from vehicle policy decisions.Can you run a greener, more environmentally-friendly company car fleet and save your business money and fuel at the same time? How do you really know which cars are best for your fleet and your bottom line?The answers can be found in Whole Life Cost calculations, as they provide an irrefutable means for selecting the right vehicles at the lowest total cost to the business.Why Whole Life Cost decisions are so important.The “credit crunch” has forced increased pressure on businesses to run greener fleets and save money on their car fleet operations. And for businesses, there are stronger than ever incentives to reduce CO2 emissions of their car fleet - not only from an environmental attitude - but also as a way to minimise the impact of volatile operating costs and rising fuel taxes.
Choosing the right vehicles is therefore vital; every fleet decision you make “locks in” CO2 emissions and running costs such as fuel and tax bills for the lifetime of the vehicle on your fleet - and in the case of some tax charges, long afterwards. However, commonly used criteria such as purchase price or front-end lease rental costs will not help you define and run a low-cost, low-CO2, low-tax fleet.The alternative – using Whole Life Costs – is the only tried and tested method when it comes to maximising financial, environmental and tax efficiency.
A Whole Life Cost car fleet policy shapes your fleet around the entire range of known fixed and variable costs. It takes into account future changes such as CO2 -based writing down allowances that will undoubtedly have a significant effect on the feasibility of many currently popular models.Real savings for business and employees.Whole Life Cost policies give your organisation three “wins”:A green win from running cars with low CO2 emissions, thereby lowering fuel consumption .A financial win from selecting vehicles with optimum funding, operational and tax costs .A personnel win from lower P11d tax bills and lower fuel bills.How are Whole Life Costs calculated?Unlike list price or lease rentals Whole Life Cost calculations accurately compare the full lifetime impact of each vehicle choice on your business’s bottom line, as they take into account all factors which make up the lifetime cost.
We can help you model all of these factors and assess Whole Life Costs against a wide range of variables such as contract length, lifetime mileage and expected future fuel prices.Our calculations can help you to do even more than simply comparing vehicles. By modelling the relationship between prices, funding costs, taxes, depreciation and mileage, a Whole Life Cost approach helps you establish the optimum replacement cycle and funding method for your business as well as the best cars for your choice list. Some companies find they can reduce costs substantially by using different funding methods for separate parts of the fleet, for example a Personal Leasing plan for high business mileage users and higher CO2 rated cars and Contract Hire vehicles for cars with CO2 emissions of 160g/km or less.Whole Life Costs and existing allocation policy.
Can you use Whole Life Cost calculations with either a fixed allocation list or a user-chooser policy? The answer is a resounding “Yes!”.If you have a fixed allocation list, using Whole Life Cost calculations enables you to specify the right vehicles for your fleet in every respect – whatever the application. If your priority is simply to minimise overall costs, our Whole Life Cost calculation illustrates the options with the lowest overall costs, accurately factoring-in all costs – many of which are often overlooked at the fleet procurement stage. On the other hand, if status is also a factor, you can take advantage of the fact that a premium model with low CO2 emissions may have a better Whole Life Cost than many typical high-volume models; this gives you the opportunity to give more desirable brand cars to staff at a lower cost to the company, with clear benefits for recruitment and retention.For user-choosers, grade benchmarks can be set according to Whole Life Costs, which will ensure that drivers’ choices fairly reflect the relative cost of providing vehicles and helps prevent poor choices, such as selecting cheaper vehicles with heavy fuel consumption or poor CO2.Implementing a Whole Life Cost policy.And we can also help you to implement a Whole Life Cost policy in your business. We will review your fleet, focusing specifically on choice lists from both the company and the drivers' perspectives. With our Whole Life Cost calculations, we will draw up recommendations for tackling your existing vehicle costs, improving efficiency and achieving green objectives. We have a successful history of implementing innovative solutions, each of which have been adapted to our customers needs by drawing on our extensive knowledge and experience, using proven products from our comprehensive fleet funding product portfolio.Act now on rising company car fleet costs.Fleets are at risk of escalating losses due to rising fuel prices and the impact of CO2 taxes if they continue to base policy on list prices or leasing costs. To find out how moving to a Whole Life Cost policy would help your fleet, call us today on 02871 359106.Change in legislation regarding leasing of business cars.Company cars being leased after 1 April 2009 are treated in one of two ways:For cars with CO2 emissions of 160g/km or less face no lease rental restriction, meaning that the cost of the lease is fully deductable against taxable corporate profits. For cars with CO2 emissions of 161g/km or more, there is a 15% lease rental restriction. This means that businesses can only deduct 85% of rental payments against their taxable profitsExclusions.For leases which commenced before 1 April 2009, all lease rental payments for cars costing more than £12,000 will be subject to the old rules until termination of the lease.What if the lease started before 1 April 2009 but the car is delivered afterwards?The new rules apply, the lease will be regarded as commencing from the date when the lessee is entitled to use the car under the lease.Article written by Thomas Wellburn...
Company Car Allowance.
Created Date: 15/02/2011.
An alternative to providing your employees with company cars.Offering employees a company car allowance instead of a company car will mitigate employers Class 1A National Insurance Contributions (for providing both a company car and — in some cases — fuel) and remove employees' company car tax liabilities — a potential win-win scenario for both parties. A company car allowance, also known as 'cash for car', is — put simply — an salary enhancement paid to the employee in lieu of the provision of a company car.The company also benefits by removing the Whole Life Costs associated with operating a company car and the cost burden that administration of running a car fleet brings with it.
The employees also benefit greatly, as they will effectively see a pay rise in their monthly salary, based on PAYE deductions associated with the Benefit in Kind (BIK) calculations of company car tax.The shift to company car allowances was partially driven by the Labour Government's 2002 Budget changes to Benefit In Kind (BIK) tax, which forced many desirable "status cars" off user-chooser company car lists.Employees can use their monthly salary enhancements to buy or lease a new car, either by using conventional funding methods — hire purchase and lease purchase — or by choosing a personal contract purchase (PCP) agreement or personal contract hire (PCH) agreement, which are offered by many of the UK's top leasing companies.
The latter two leasing agreements involve paying fixed monthly payments or rentals. With PCP contracts, ownership of the car is normally through payment of a final balloon payment, but both options normally provide the lessee with the option to hand the car back at the end of the agreement (normally 2 or 3 years) — subject to a pre-agreed mileage and fair wear and tear.Employees using their own cars for business mileage can recoup some of their motoring costs by claiming back tax and National Insurance Contribution-free (NIC-free) Authorised Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs). The Government has set the target at 40p for the first 10,000 miles in a tax year and 25p per mile thereafter. Caution with such schemes is advised here, as there is a potential risk that these could payments provide employees with incentives to drive more business miles than is actually necessary.
Though they have many benefits, Company Car Allowance schemes can under-deliver in the following areas:Excessive mileage claims.Inadequate insurance issues, as cars may not be properly insured for business use.Vehicle safety issues, as employers still have a duty of care over their business drivers, even if employees drive their own cars.During a recession, Company Car Allowances can become more expensive, while the price of new cars can often fall in real terms. Employers can find themselves paying Company Car Allowances to employees that actually costs them more than providing the employee with a company car.Naturally, some employees may opt to buy a used car with a cash allowance. However, it is generally larger, less fuel-efficient cars that offer the best value second hand.
This could have an adverse affect any environmental goals that the company might have.Managing your "Grey Fleet"Employers retain responsibility for an employee’s safety — even when the employee drives their own car for business — as it is a designated workplace. Often, this can cause unforeseen problems, as these vehicles are typically "off the radar" of most companies — certainly in respect of being fit for purpose.Whilst many companies were unwinding their company car fleets due to increase company car taxation, many businesses failed to recognise that they would still have duty of care responsibilities over their employees who would drive their own vehicles on company business.
These vehicles are referred to as a company's "grey fleet".Here are a few tips that should help businesses to keep track of its "grey fleet" drivers:Support your grey fleet employees, so that they make an informed decision about taking a Company Car Allowance in lieu of a company car. Employees could spend the next three or four years wondering if they have made the right decision. Help them by explaining exactly what each choice will mean to them in terms of their personal tax position and other items of expenditure associated with running a car.Regularly check the driving licences of your "grey fleet" employees. And make it compulsory for all business drivers to regularly submit copies of their driving licences, as businesses are required to have these records by law. Better still, use a third party to run a thorough check with the DVLA Where an employee's own vehicle is used for business journeys, restrict their choices to exclude soft-tops or old cars. Staff will be resistant to any policy that comes across as too heavy-handed, but it’s fair enough to mandate that the vehicle has four doors, four seats and is of professional, business-like appearance.Invest in a robust mileage tracking tool, preferably with a payroll reporting facility.
Tighten-up the management of a mixed fleet. Many companies offer a casual version of this by offering car allowances and company cars alongside each other, but a specialist mixed fleet provider will manage a mixed fleet in the most tax-efficient way, and take care of all the mile-logging, occupation road risk and general administration tasks. This type of scheme would only be suitable for fleets of over 50 cars.Article written by Thomas Wellburn...
Save your money.
Created Date: 16/02/2011.
The statement has often proven to be somewhat of a fallacy in practice, but The April 2010 budget suggested just that, which is good news for contract hire.The 2010 report has been the biggest shake up of automotive tax since the introduction of a CO2 based tax system in 2002, with motorists now being offered varying degrees of tax incentives for low emission vehicles and even a provocative five year tax break for Electric cars.With many of these policies surviving the ‘Emergency Budget’ of the equally inconceivable coalition government, the impact of such measures is sure to resonate among company car drivers for years to come. However, fleet operators and drivers alike must still be questioning whether the lowest rate of Benefit-In-Kind (BIK) tax is obtainable in practice.From the start of April, drivers emitting less than 120g/km still received the lowest band of BIK at ten percent despite the lower benchmark for the main bands of BIK tax falling to 130g/km, although contract hire cars with emissions of less than 100g/km remain free from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) altogether.
Drivers of Petrol cars with CO2 emissions in excess of 230g/km and Diesel Drivers emitting 215g/km now qualify for tax at the highest rate of 35%. Ultimately the changes to VED offer fleets and drivers with foresight, an unprecedented opportunity to reduce long-term expenditure by switching to models with lower CO2 emissions.Alas, it would appear such foresight has not been extended to all drivers. Whilst three-quarters of contract hire company car users acknowledge the correlation between CO2 emissions and what they pay in tax, a Lex Autolease contract hire survey also revealed a disconcerting 66% felt their employee’s neglected fundamental information that would save them money when choosing a company Car. The poll showed a further 33% of drivers felt they were limited to their choice of ultra low CO2 emitting vehicles. A move that will leave many out of pocket and ‘liable for higher rates of capital allowance,’ explains John Webb, associate director of Lex’s consultancy team.
Needless to say there is little excuse on the part of employers and fleet operators. Many manufactures now produce at least one model, which falls within the sub 120g/km band. Conclusively figures published by the SMMT support the growing popularity for alternatively fuelled cars on British roads, as registration has doubled to 11,468 units and in the first half of the year and grew by 157.4% in June. It would appear that employers are taking note as the Volvo ‘DRIVe Report 2010,’ profiled 250 fleets and discovered 98% had taken up environment initiatives to lower carbon emissions despite no formal Policy. Good news for those wishing to emulate the Hollywood A-lister driving a glowing white Prius and bask in 5% BIK tax (producing a mere 89g/km of CO2) and travel at an economical 72mpg.But what of the models emitting between 1g and 75g/km that fall within the April budget’s five-year company car tax exemption, which under chapter 7, subsection 41, promised that ‘ the percentage of list price subject to company car tax would be halved’. Where is the plug in hybrid or the electric car that will save all employees from company car tax woes? They’re not available yet and there could be a wait when they are. Toyota’s much anticipated Plug-in Prius petrol/ electric hybrid with looks set to be the earliest available sub 75g/km model and is not set to grace our isles until some time next year. Further set backs include Nissan’s fully electric and Zero carbon emissions ‘Leaf,’ which is now to be split equally with the retail market despite a spokeswoman admitting they, “could of sold all of next years allocation to fleet customers.” This could result in some fleets waiting until 2012 to fully exploit the government initiatives. BVRLA
Chief Executive John Lewis surmises, “Company car drivers will struggle to find a suitable ultra low carbon car for the moment.”“Company car drivers will struggle to find a suitable ultra low carbon car for the moment.” BVRLA Chief Executive John Lewis.Conversely, many fleets and consumers don’t even wish to contemplate electric alternatives, despite the tax exemption. Out of 80 contract hire fleets polled by ‘Fleet News,’ only five were trialling or planned to trial electric vehicles. “I'm not completely convinced yet about the practicality of electric cars, The technology has a long way to go, there are many obstacles such as range, battery ownership and life,” comments Paul Holmes, Operations Director for Derwent Management Services Ltd and avid company car user.
Paul knows image is important too and to be brash electric cars don’t evoke the executive luxury in the way a Germanic diesel saloon can.The greatest incentives implemented in the April budget are unobtainable at present and the choices of fleet available to drivers can seem limited without incurring higher rates of tax, It would be likely some are questioning the merits of a contract hire company car and consider alternatives in the form of salary sacrifices and private ownership. But this comes with its own pit falls and the mounting costs of purchasing, running, and fuelling of a privately owned car, out weigh the cost of choosing an economical company car that falls within the lower emission bands. The responsibility now falls to fleet contract hire operators, to ensure company car drivers are kept informed and encouraged to select cars that will benefit the environment and their bank balance.The April budget forced employers and company car users to think long and hard about their choice of fleet, but the incentives created a myriad of opportunities which fell within recommendations made by the Association of Fleet Operators whom have long encouraged companies to consider low-CO2 vehicles to keep down running costs. When taking into account whole life costs, low emission cars offer cheaper motoring and cheaper contract hire deals to their drivers in terms of reduced VED tax for the company and BIK for the driver, as well as lower fuel costs. Yet with VAT set to rise again in January companies will once again review their fleet policy and look to reclaim tax wherever possible, making leasing a car all the more appealing compared to purchase.
As Mark Sinclair, Director of contract hire company Alphabet emphasises, “leasing companies can recover VAT on purchase prices and pass on the benefit in the form of reduced rentals.”"98% of fleets have taken up environment initiatives to lower carbon emissions despite no formal policy" Volvo DRIVe Report 2010.Article written by Thomas Wellburn...
Vauxhall Confirm Next Astra to be Built at Ellesmere Port.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
Vauxhall today confirmed that the next generation of Astra will be built at the General Motors owned car manufacturers plant in Ellesmere Port in Cheshire. The news will mean that 2100 people’s jobs are secured at the plant which will help boost confidence in the current economic climate.
This also means that northeast jobs will be secured until the early 2020’s.Ellesmere Port will be the lead plant of two in Europe building the new Astra. Production of the car is due to start in 2015. The plant will also create 700 new jobs in the area to add to the existing staff working there.The decision comes are Vauxhall secured a new labour agreement with their workforce yesterday. The agreement which will have staff working more flexible hours in a 3 shift pattern, spanning 24 hours, rather than the current 2 shift pattern. The new pattern will come into force in 2013 and run through the entire lifespan of the new Astra.Operating on the new three-shift pattern, the plant is expected to run at full capacity.
This means the plant should produce a minimum of 160,000 vehicles each year. To backup the plans, Vauxhall plans on investing £125 Million to revamp and upgrade the plant to achieve its goal.Potentially the most beneficial factor in terms of economy is that up to 3000 new jobs could be created in the supply chain with Vauxhall committing to add 25% to the local suppliers.The future of the Cheshire plant has been under threat for some time. This is due to General Motors (GM) delicate financial position. Since 1999 Opel, the European arm of GM which Vauxhall are a part of, has lost £7 billion.
Despite being Vauxhall’s most efficient plant, Ellesmere Port has been suspected to close because it is cheaper and easier to get rid of workers in the UK than it is in the rest of Europe. However, due to the good news of the Cheshire plant remaining open, it brings the future of Bochum, Germany into jeopardy.Vauxhall Chairman and Managing Director, Duncan Aldred, said: “This is great news for the Ellesmere Port plant, our employees, the local community, our suppliers and the Vauxhall brand and the UK. We have been able to develop a responsible labour agreement that secures the plant’s future. With Ellesmere Port’s proven build quality and a new agreement that ensures excellent cost competitiveness, this facility will provide additional employment and, as the lead plant for the next-generation Astra, will be one of the cornerstones of our European manufacturing footprint.”
Peugeot 508: Company Car Owners Dream.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
The new Peugeot 508 is a direct replacement of the Peugeot 407 and will be competing in the ‘D segment’ against cars such as the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Insignia. One quick glance at the new 508 and you’d be hard pressed to realise it was a Peugeot; such is its departure from the styles of old. It looks utterly fantastic, with the redesign giving an instant feel of expensive luxury. I’d even go so far as to say it’s more than a match for some of its more expensive German rivals in terms of looks, as it’s simply so original and contemporary.As is popular with car styling at the moment, it comes equipped with a huge front grill and angled lights intended to give it a mean edge.
However it’s the overall sleekness of the front that makes it look so endearing - they’ve definitely captured the sporty edge with great finesse and you’d be forgiven for thinking it was Italian. Moving into the interior of the car there is again this distinct feel of class and radical departure, as everything has undergone a very premium makeover. A combination of leather and fabric lines the interior, with perforated trims running along the dashboard. Leather seat cushions expand to give you essentially a recliner, and there is plentiful storage space for cups and bottles located all over the car front and rear. A fantastic trip computer panel is placed right in the centre of the dials behind the steering wheel, giving you access to all the diagnostics of the car. It’s good to see that Peugeot have positioned it so conveniently - rather than other manufacturers who choose to integrate it all into the head unit, meaning you have to look away from the road to check vital information.
Complimenting the panel is a true heads-up display that uses a piece of semi-transparent glass above the steering wheel to show key information; much better than others which are simply images beamed onto the windscreen. Four zone air conditioning and hands free start-up come as standard, with an optional 10 speaker sound system offered up from the likes of JBL should you be willing.The 508 will be shipping in five different levels of trim, starting at as little as £18,150 for the Access model and only £28,750 for the top of the range GT model.
Engine sizes will range from a 112bhp 1.6l to a 204bhp 2.0l, with a choice of diesel and petrol versions. Impressively the 1.6 e-HDi diesel engine manages to achieve a very low emission figure of only 109g/km, which means it falls into the cheapest Vehicle Excise Duty Bands A and B. For a car of its size that is a very notable achievement as the list for cars with 110g/km or less is mostly occupied by hatchbacks. It also means that company car owners should be in for a treat, as the overall tax and running costs should be far lower. Interestingly, the 1.6 HDi diesel engine will also include stop and start system when chosen along with their six speed automated manual gearbox, which cuts down engine idling and should further help to increase its already admirable fuel efficiency. Not surprisingly, Peugeot expect this particular model to be their best seller, as “demand for more fuel efficient models continues to increase”.The new Peugeot 508 will go on sale April this year and its already looking like fantastic value for money. With lots of customisation options available and a fantastic fuel efficiency rating, this is definitely going to be one for the company car owners, who want an inexpensive but highly desirable ride, and could be taken on lease.
Article written by Thomas Wellburn...
New Aston Martin V8 Vantage S.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
New Aston Martin V8 Vantage S - the benchmark sports car.The Aston Martin Vantage range comes of age with the new Aston Martin V8 Vantage S characterised by a host of new driver-focussed features all designed to push the honed dynamics of the standard Vantage to a new benchmark level.Aston Martin's own 4.7 litre V8 engine has been engineered to deliver peak power of 436PS at 7300 rpm and torque of 490Nm at 5000 rpm and is coupled with a new ground-up developed Sportshift™ II transmission specifically designed for the Aston Martin V8 Vantage S with seven short ratio gears to deliver the most engaging and intense driver involvement.
Dynamic revisions are central to the Aston Martin V8 Vantage S, with a quickened steering rack ratio of 15:1 (compared to 17:1 on the standard car) and a larger diameter front brake disc with new six-piston front brake calipers. New springs and dampers, and wider rear wheels also contribute to chassis revisions. A new dynamic stability control (DSC) system specifically tuned to the Vantage S along with a new brake module providing features such as Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA) which provides assistance in emergency braking situations, and Hill Start Assist (HSA). Bespoke tyres have been developed with Bridgestone to optimise road holding enhancing dynamic feel.At the core of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage S is the new seven speed Sportshift™ II automated manual transmission, offered as standard and delivers exceedingly rapid gear changes, twenty per cent quicker than Sportshift™. The extra gear permits shorter well-spaced ratios taking advantage of the optimum torque, which combined with a shorter final drive ratio of 4.182:1 delivers quicker acceleration and an enhanced sporting feel.
The inherent benefits of a single clutch system reduces complexity and significant weight over a dual clutch solution. Sportshift™ II allows the driver to take an increased level of control, modulating the throttle pedal to achieve the desired type of gear change. In addition, the Vantage S features a 'Sport' button which quickens the gear changes and gives the driver a more aggressive throttle response while also opening the exhaust bypass valves across most of the engine speed range perfectly characterising the 'S' variant.
Article written by Thomas Wellburn
Mercedes SLS.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
The SLK was always one of those revolutionary automobiles that helped make a lot of the cars what they are today. It was the first car to adopt the metal folding hardtop for example, so you could drive a fully functioning convertible without the disadvantage of a fiddly, canvas roof. Rather than being a technological showpiece this third generation offering bodes far more to blending classic Mercedes design and fierce contemporary styling, with its modern angular bodywork and homage to the 1950’s and 1960’s classic SL series, it is sure to impress the Mercedes fanboys.
Drawing obvious inspiration from the Mercedes SLS supercar, the grill and lights are almost identical and carry across that supercar appeal. The bodywork takes on more of a slanted, angular view than that of the SLS, but still maintains its very sporty similarities. Not to be taken lightly on technology, Mercedes has really gone to town on giving plenty to look forward to inside the SLK. The theme of this car is one of a fierce powerhouse and one look at the interior will again justify that statement. Inspired once again by the SLS, four large air vents on the dashboard rule the interior and are complemented by expensive looking brushed metals and plastics.
Aggressive red mood lighting illuminates the centre console and door panels, with everything spelling out a big, classy, monster of a car. New this year is something truly revolutionary, a fully functioning sunroof built into the convertible folding roof. Mercedes call it a “Magic Sky Control sunroof” and while it’s an optional extra it will no doubt be well worth having. It works by giving the driver control over whether the glass on the roof is opaque or transparent. At the touch of a button the roof can go clear, or if it’s a dull, rainy day vice versa. However all these innovations can’t hide the fact that they designed this car to look fast... which given the engine choices is no surprise, as the SLK is going to be one quick number for sure.Mercedes are shipping the SLK with two petrol engine choices when it goes on sale this summer, with the most powerful being a 304bhp V6 monster that gets you from 0-60 just shy of the five second mark and onto a top speed of 155mph.
Impressively for an engine of its size it still manages a very respectable fuel economy of 39mpg, which will please those hoping to use this as their main mode of transport. The mid range offering is the SLK 250, which houses a 201bhp powerplant and can hit 60 in 6.6 seconds, while the SLK 200 finishes off the line with 181bhp and 0-60 rating of just under 7 seconds. Impressive figures all round then, backed up all the more by the fact that even the 181bhp SLK 200 will reach 150mph should you desire.Later on in its lifespan Mercedes plan to release more versions to accompany the above. The first of which will be a 201bhp CDI diesel version, which should show some pleasing fuel economy figures. The second and more exciting for those of us into power and speed will of course be the AMG model, which with its twin-turbo V6 will be sure to impress when it goes on sale. More is set to be released on this car in the upcoming Geneva Motor show in March, so keep your eyes peeled on this one and don’t forget that Car Leasing Made Simple gives you the best deal in Mercedes Car Leasing.
Audi A6.
Created Date: 18/05/2012.
As far as German automotive luxury goes, you can’t really get much better than an Audi. Their A6 model is the bigger brother of the A4 and manages to knock everything that is great about its little brother up to an even higher notch. Cool, classy business motoring is the call of the day with the A6 – with the line-up sporting 3 variations. As is common with Audi, each variation fills the place in its intended market perfectly. The typical A6 will appeal to businessmen and those wanting the looks and desirability of a saloon car, while the Avant and Allroad Quattro will appeal to those wanting that same style but with the space of an estate or that off-road feel.The model of focus today is the new A6 saloon, which has recently been given a 2012 facelift and is due for release in April this year.
Aesthetically it has undergone quite a change, with a completely new front end paying very close resemblance to that of their supercar the Audi R8. Having officially taken ideas from the A8 model, the headlights are now angled and curve around the edge of the body to give it that mean, aggressive stare, and the grill has been redesigned to be sharper and more edgy. The bodywork has also undergone considerable change from last year’s model; with a far sleeker design. What results in the redesign is a car that carries a business like class with it, while also still harbouring a mean sporty glance. It works surprisingly well and the A6 manages to maintain its class despite its edge.Available in two iterations – the SE and the S Line, the new A6 will be sporting 4 engine sizes when it ships, ranging from 2.0l right up to 3.0l and a choice of either Diesel or Petrol.
The less expensive option is of course the SE, but don’t for a second think that compromises quality. Interior is typical Audi class with a blend of fine woods and Milano leather intended to give that premium business feel. An excellent Bang and Olufsen audio system accompanies the interior comforts, with a total of 15 speakers and many of the technology used taken from their renowned BeoLab 5 home speaker range. An incredibly powerful 1200 watt amplifier drives the system, while the CD player incorporates SD card slots to enable playback of portable storage and mp3 files. Moving to the exterior of the car we get Alloy wheels as standard with both models and a handy electromagnetic parking assistant sensor, so keeping your priceless A6 away from those dreaded curbs has never been easier.
Confirmed prices for the new A6 are excellent value for money; for the 2.0l model of the standard A6 you’ll only need to pay £34,355 which keeps it firmly in line with that of its competitor the BMW 5 series. Don’t underestimate the size of the engine either, as the 2.0l still has more than enough grunt at 177bhp to get you where you want with time to spare. Not to mention the cheerfully low emission output of only 129 g/km that should make saving up for your next luxury purchase a lot easier. This is definitely shaping up to be a great purchase for any businessman who wants a high performance sports car that doesn’t compromise on quality and luxury. Offering a healthy number of engines at launch and with a choice of diesel or petrol, there should be something for everybody. Put this on your list as it's one to watch out for without doubt
Fastest Ever Production Mini Revealed.
Created Date: 14/05/2012.
Mini has revealed its fastest ever road-legal production car, the Mini John Cooper Works GP at the Mini United festival in France. The new Mini will go into limited production later this year and be built in Oxford.With the 3rd generation Mini current being developed, the Works GP will be built using the existing 2nd generation model. Mini has yet to reveal the specific performance details on the car, it went round the world famous Nürburgring Nordschleife in 8min 23sec during its development beating its predecessor and the current Fastest Mini, which is a Mini Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit, by 18 seconds.
The old car had 210 BHP in order to achieve the total time around the Nürburgring of 8 minutes 41 seconds. The new production Works GP is expected to have between 220-230 BHP. And feature a range of different design improves in order to be able to produce a time 18 seconds better than its predecessor.Jorg Weidinger, head of chassis and suspension development on the Mini John Cooper Works GP: “This is a track car, but it is also developed for everyday use. It is not a car you put on a trailer to take to the race track; you drive it there.”A limited production of 2000 vehicles will be produced later this year after the car has ended its final stages of testing.
It has yet to gain a price tag, however with limited production cars, they usually require a premium price in order to drive them away.
Car Leasing news
Nationwide Car Leasing.
Are you looking for a car leasing company that provides Nationwide Car Leasing, but with the service levels and dependability of a local company? Car Lease 4 U is the company to choose.
Company car tax changes push drivers toward a greener future.
Introduction.
As nationwide car leasing companies and an ever-increasing number of disgruntled company car drivers are aware, the Government has implemented changes to the tax paid by company car drivers to persuade them to select a ‘greener’ car. The new Lib-Con Government of 2010 has further reinforced these changes, with the deficit that David Cameron is determined to halve “within four years” adding fuel to the fire as the Chancellor hopes to raise 120 million extra from company car drivers. Is that really for the sake of the environment, or more for the sake of the Government’s pocket?
Either way, company car drivers and people with an interest in nationwide car leasing need to fully understand the changes that have been made to ensure they are getting the most out of their company car. The Government’s new tax changes mean zero emissions company cars, including electric cars, will not be taxed. But with such a small number of electric cars on the road or even in production in Britain, until the Government provides the extra financial support they have promised car manufacturers to increase production of these cars it is currently an unrealistic option.
Decifering the jargon
The tax to be paid by employees who make use of company cars is determined by three primary factors; the list price, CO2 emissions, and fuel type of the car.
The most important change that drivers and nationwide car leasing customers need to be aware of is the reduction in the CO2 emissions figure which sets the 15 per cent tax rate (the percentage of tax liability of the company car) – this has been reduced from 135 to 130 g/km. This is set to be further reduced to 125 g/km in 2011/12.[1]
The tax bracket for company cars with zero emissions has been reduced to zero per cent for five years with effect from 6th April 2010, and the percentage for cars with CO2 emissions not exceeding 75g/km has also been reduced to five per cent for five years (subject to the diesel surcharge where appropriate).[1] Fantastic, if you can actually find a car that fits this description…
Another notch on the green post is the fixed AMAP, which has remained at 40p per mile since 2002. In order to make any benefit from this it is vital that more fuel efficient cars are selected.
[2]Eco-warriors.
Environmentalists and nationwide car leasing enthusiasts are welcoming the changes to company car tax, hoping it will help the fight against greenhouse emissions, but you have to wonder how much the eco-warriors really understand the changes and the resulting impact it will have on the company car driver’s choice of vehicle – as it may not be a choice they like. For example, it is questionable that the Government is continuing to retain the three per cent differential for diesel cars; diesels are widely renowned for their fuel efficiency over petrol, but by punishing diesel drivers with this additional surcharge many drivers may start ignoring the benefits in driving a diesel and opt for a petrol car – going against the Government’s pledge of a greener Britain.
And don’t fall under the illusion that these are temporary measures. From 6th April 2011, the £80,000 price cap on company car list prices for tax purposes will be abolished, and the company car tax discounts that currently apply to alternatively-fuelled vehicles (electric-petrol hybrids, ‘Flex-Fuel vehicles’, bi-fuels, road fuel gas and bioethanol) will also be axed. Then from 6th April 2012 the special 10 per cent tax bracket for company cars emitting 120 g/km or less will be the new 15 per cent – the 10 per cent tax rate will instead apply to company cars with emissions up to 99g/km. In addition, the system of bands will then increase by one percentage point with every five g/km up from 10 per cent.[1]
Britain’s convention with the EU is putting additional pressures on the Government and nationwide car leasing firms where greener fuels are concerned. By 2012, all EU countries have a legally-binding target of 130 g/km for average emissions of which all manufacturers need to comply.
All these changes force the company car driver into a corner – choose the most fuel-efficient car as possible in order to ensure you aren’t left out of pocket. This is another reason why a nationwide car leasing company is high on the company car driver's agenda.
Conclusion
There are many helpful tools on the web that can help you calculate the company car tax that you would be liable for on any selected vehicle, but rather than wade through masses of car types hoping to stumble across an economic little runner that will still suit your needs, which include both comfort for those long hauls up and down the motorway as well as having the space for comfortable journeys with colleagues and the luggage that will invariably follow, here is a run down of potential winners to be considered.
In the first half of 2010 compared to the first half of 2009, a number of car manufacturers made significant reductions to their C02 emissions. The top scoring manufacturers included Lexus, Alfa Romeo and Seat.[3] All these brands can be supplied by any reputable nationwide car leasing firm.
When selecting a model for space and comfort, look to the top three with the most improved emissions figures (for the first half of 2010 compared with the first half of 2009) - Lexus RX, with a 23.10 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions and average emissions of 148.03 g/km, Porsche Cayenne with a 17.87 per cent reduction in emissions averaging at 234.56 g/km, and the Volvo V50 with 14.59 per cent reduction in emissions averaging at 128.12 g/km. If space isn’t such an issue and you want to save cash by keeping within the 15 per cent tax bracket here are the top three models with emissions all under 130 g/km; the Toyota Prius with emissions of 91.20 g/km, the Honda Insight at 103.80 g/km and the Suzuki Alto at 104.60 g/km.
[3]With so many manufacturers working hard to push their cars towards lower emissions figures, there is no need for company car drivers to feel outdone by the tax changes – whether the requirement is for a large MPV or a supermini, there is a green option out there for everyone and a nationwide car leasing company to supply it.
References:[1] www.hmrc.gov.uk/cars/rule-changes.ht
[2] www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimanual/EIM31240.htm
[3] www.cleangreencars.co.uk
Nationwide Car Leasing For the best leasing quote on your next P11d tax-busting car, contact a great nationwide car leasing provider.<
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2013 Porsche Cayenne GTS.
Created Date: 13/05/2012.
Porsche have announced the successor to their Porsche Cayenne GTS, the replacement which is due on sale in July 2012 will keep the SUV’s distinctive sporty luxury looks and sports performance. The car has been announced ahead of its debut at the Beijing Motor Show next week.The new Cayenne GTS will be priced from £67,000 in the UK — a £12k increase over the Cayenne S. The GTS badge certainly warrants a higher quality finish but with a sporty edge to the SUV.
Styling
The 2013 Cayenne GTS has had a slight style adjustment, although keeping with Porsche tradition; the styling differences are minimal, particularly to the front-end. However the car does borrow the some stylish front-end features from the Porsche Cayenne Turbo. The car also has prominent side skirts, wider wheel arches, and a distinctive spoiling added to the roof.The interior as always with Porsche is of the highest quality with a sporty elegance ambience. The Cayenne GTS features a full leather interior with Alcantara elements as standard. The car also features adjustable sports seats for the front.
Under the bonnet
Featured under the distinctive Porsche bonnet is an updated V8 engine kicking out 420 BHP. The engine is based on Porsche’s Cayenne S Power unit, coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission Tiptronic S with an integrated stop/start feature. The new dynamically tuned engine and transmission reinforces the Cayenne GTS sporty characteristics enabling continued bursts of speed. The Porsche Cayenne GTS sprints from 0 to 62 mph in 5.7 seconds, and has a top speed of 162 mph. The combined fuel consumption is 26.4mpg.The specially tuned chassis ensures a thrilling driving experience.
The car is equipped with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and lowers the body by 24 mm from the Cayenne S. As a result, the new Cayenne GTS is even closer to the road offering a more sporty composure with the ride quality of a luxury SUV.
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Mercedes Concept Style Coupe.
Created Date: 13/05/2012.
Mercedes are planning to reveal the Mercedes Concept Style Coupe (CSC ) at next week’s Beijing Motor Show. The car is purely a concept design showing off more of Mercedes unique styling design. However the car is merely a preview of the new CLA junior saloon car which is expected to be put into production in 2013 or early 2014.The CSC is slightly longer than the existing C-class and also a lot more stylish in its design.
The car shares the medium front-drive architecture (MFA) which Mercedes has named as the building blocks for their latest range of cars including the new A-Class and B-Class.So what’s under the bonnet? Well a new turbo-four 2.0-litre engine has been fitted into the CSC which kicks out 208 BHP. The engine is likely to make its way into the CLA250 once the CLA class enters production. The engine will also appear in the new A-Class A250.
The Mercedes CLS is due on sale next year with prices starting from around £19,000. Coupled with the exciting new look for the Mercedes A-Class, the German motoring giant is aiming to capture more revenue from the lower end of the market. Mercedes boss Dieter Zetsche said: “We are staking our claim very clearly here. This is the model against which vehicles in the executive segment will have to measure themselves in the future.”The CSC also supports a 7-speed gearbox attached to the powerful engine.
The drive is channelled via a duel-clutch to all four wheels. Completing the range for the CLS are two other petrol engines a 120bhp 1.6 liter in the CLA180 and a 154bhp 2.0 liter in the CLA200.Although the CSC looks extremely outlandish in its style, expect the CLS to be a little more relaxed with its styling. You may keep the basic outline of the style but don’t expect things like the subtle red glow the front lights make when they are off or the expensive carbon interior. However the CLS will no doubt still be a quality car with traditional German build quality and engineering. Car Leasing News
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Lamborghini Urus SUV Concept.
Created Date: 13/05/2012.
The Lamborghini Urus was previewed at the Beijing Motor Show by the Italian car giant and is expected to go into production in 2016. The car is considered crucial in order for Lamborghini to achieve their goal and triple their sales and securing its future.The Urus is a long awaited concept by Lamborghini featuring their first 4x4 SUV in two decades.
The car is scheduled to go on sale alongside the Aventador and Gallardo as their three money makers. Lamborghini are so ambitious about the Urus that they predict it will out sell their other models, including the popular Gallardo, in its first year after release.“The extreme supersports segment is very cyclic and very sensitive to new product launches and economic downturns. Therefore, it is clear Lamborghini needs a wider customer base to ensure long-term profitability.” Added Lambo boss Stephan WinkelmannThe sports car manufacturer also stated that the BMW X6 and Range Rover are cars singled out as the main rivals for the Urus, Winkelmann further added “Our studies have shown that nearly all existing Lamborghini owners also have a sport utility vehicle in their garage, so in this respect we consider it the perfect extension to our existing supercar business”.As you can see, the Urus is a looker.
It has Lamborghini’s distinctive sharpness and sporty exterior. Don’t expect much to change when it hits production except the oversized 24 inch wheels. The company has kept quiet on what exactly is under the bonnet but they have said the production car is aiming to produce 600bhp, possibly using a modified version of the V8 used in the high end Audi S range. Lamborghini have also stated that it will be the fastest 4x4 in the market, meaning it will have to beast the 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds which the X6 is capable of.The Urus is expected to be priced around £150,000, in between the Aventador and Gallardo. Again, the car is expected to go on sale in 2016
Car Leasing news
The Audi Q5 2013
Created Date 13/05/2012
The facelift version of the Q5 has been announced and will go on sale this summer according to Audi. The facelift extends Audi’s attempt to update their model range with fresher looks. The Q5 is a top end SUV originally released in 2008.The Audi Q5 is spacious, comfortable, multifunctional as well as sporty. The car has a unique character about it making is a successful car in Audi’s range. The facelift makes the Q5 even more attractive and easy on the eye, not to mention being more fuel efficient while maintaining its sporty influence.
Audi have added new solutions in design, infotainment, chassis and engines. The Q5 hybrid quattro, the brand's first production hybrid model, unites the power of a V6 engine with the fuel economy of a four cylinder engine.Keys changes from the existing Q5 include a newly designed set of head lights. The new lights have not only been restyled, but bi-xenon lights can be specified, in which the car will also get a curved band of stylish LED daytime running lights around the headlights.The Audi Q5 will continue to have a choice of six engines - three TDI Diesel engines and three TSFI Petrol. However, Audi say that all of these engines will be more fuel-efficient and economical than the previous versions. CO2 emissions will be cut across the range, largely thanks to the electromechanical steering as standard being added.
The introduction of start-stop technology on all engines and transmissions also has a profound effect to fuel efficiency.Many engines' power outputs will increase but these improvements won't compromise their fuel economy, with fuel consumption cut across the range by up to 15 per cent. The power output for the 6 new engines will range.
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from 143 BHP to 272 BHP
The All New Flagship K9 launched by Kia
Created Date 13/05/2012
Kia have launched their all-new flagship car, the K9 in Korea, and are expected to start exporting later in 2012. The K9 introduces Kia to a new sector of the global automotive market with the car being Kia’s first luxury saloon.The car has been built with space and luxury at the forefront of its style. The K9 being 5,090mm in overall length and has a 3,045mm wheelbase. The cabin, which has an overall width of 1,900mm and height of 1,490mm making it incredibly spacious.
Once the car is launched overseas, it is likely to be powered by an upgraded 290 ps Lambda V6 3.8-liter MPI engine. However, next year, Kia are expected to add a 334 ps 3.8-litre GDI engine to the global engine line-up next year.The all-new K9 will feature a range of new features and advanced technologies , including adaptive all-LED headlamps, Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), Blind-Spot Detection (BSD), a Lexicon (by Harman) sound system, Smart Cruise Control (SCC) and an Around-View Monitor (AVM) with four cameras. All in all, this new advanced technology is could easily put the K9 in a competitive position in the luxury saloon market.
The K9 comes with Kia's all-new eight-speed automatic transmission."K9 is all about elegant simplicity, balanced proportions and simple surfaces," says Kia's Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer. "The class-leading long wheelbase, the prestige distance, large wheels, sharply upright short overhangs and a long sweeping shoulder line all work together in a harmony to give K9 a sporty, athletic proportion and a confident stance quintessential to a premium large rear-wheel drive vehicle.
" He added."K9 is a clear signal of our intentioEuropean luxury brands. And for Kia, our customers, and for me - this car is like a dream come true," concludes Schreyer.Currently there are no plans to bring the K9 to the UK. However, Kia plan to launch the car in key overseas markets in quarter four 2012 so we will find out then whether the K9 will grace the UK.
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and determination to compete head-to-head with the
Kia Rio named diesel car Magazines Best Small Car 2012
Created Date 13/05/2012
Diesel Car Magazine has named the Kia Rio as their best small car of the year for 2012 during their annual car of the year issue. This award makes it the 3rd B-segment award the Rio has claimed in less than a year.Diesel praised the car for its practicality and style and the fact that the interior was very roomy and well equipped for a small car. Other features that were highlighted include the Rio’s seven year warranty and that the Kia "proves you don't have to compromise if you downsize".The Rio, which was launched in August 2011, other awards are Business Car Manager's "Best sub 100g/km business car" award and WhatCar? "Ultra-low carbon" award. Which was picked up earlier this year.Diesel Car magazine's editor, Ian Robertson comments "Small size, big talent, the Kia Rio shows how good a modestly sized car can be. It's a downsizer's dream."
"It looks good, drives with panache, and proves unarguably that a low price does not have to mean bargain basement." He added.Michael Cole, Managing Director, Kia Motors UK Limited said: "It's a great honour to win yet another Diesel Car award, and I am particularly pleased that our all-new Rio has been recognised for its excellent value and great advantage in the all-important B-segment. Rio is winning lots of new friends, particularly in the retail market, and this award will strengthen its appeal amongst diesel fans.
"The Kia Rio is available with four engine options - 1.25 litre and 1.4 litre petrol and 1.1 CRDI and 1.4 CRDI. Leasing on the Rio starts from around £125 and can come with a variety of different features.
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Nissan to put Juke-R into production
Created Date 13/05/2012
The Juke-R was originally considered a concept car that was very unlikely to be released. However Nissan has surprised the motoring industry by confirming that they are putting the car into “very limited production”.Nissan has made this decision because of the positive reception the car has received during viral marketing campaigns.
The Juke-R has more power output than a Ferrari California with 545 BHP coming from its engine.It does more than just have a lot of horse power too, it was filmed in Dubai in January beating a Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and Ferrari 458 Italia in a race down a closed road. With that video alone prompting 3 orders of the car which is likely to cost buyers a hefty 6 figure sum.It is the cars performance in the videos that has generated interest in the car.
The Juke’s marketing manager, Gareth Dunsmore, said “people were making offers for the original on the street”.“With such a strong reaction, and with three genuine offers on the table, we decided we had to make the concept a reality,” he added.The Juke-R is powered from a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 engine that will quickly send the car to a top speed of 160 MPH which is actually even faster than the Juke-R seen in the video which only had 480 bhp.
Car Leasing News
Personal Contract Hire
Created Date 08/05/12
Tales from the Minds of the Muddled Green MPs.In early 2010, in our pre-Conservative, come-Lib Dem, come-who the heck knows anymore Britain, New Labour were still plugging away at their attempts to spend another four years lingering in the murky shadows of Downing Street, picking up the scraps of Tony Blair’s transatlantic obsessions whilst trying to stay upright as Gordon Brown delivered another party conference speech. After some of the most unimpressive performances from a recent government, following the catastrophes of the MPs’ expense scandals and the recession, the country was left with a government wholly disconnected from the world outside Westminster. But never fear! In our country of cycling MPs, environment-conscious parties and David Cameron, many British politicians took to the streets to secure the title of most Green MP, to reconnect with the disillusioned public.
Many, however, seemed less concerned with “being green” than with “being seen”, hopping on a bike or bus for a change with P.R officers whispering in their ears that by plonking their bottom on a bike seat every once in a while was sure to get them noticed. These green MPs however, whilst being showered with love and praise from every news channel in the country, were almost always escorted by several armoured police units and a half-dozen 4x4s. “Being green”, it seemed, had less to do with one’s CO2 emissions, than with how many shots it could get of you smirking like a smug 6 year old who has received a smiley-face sticker from the dentist. As more MPs jumped on the green bandwagon, declaring their dedication to the environment from the front of tabloid newspapers, New Labour continued with more bureaucratic attempts to cut the country’s CO2 emissions; deciding it was time to target the working men and women issued with company cars across the country each day, hence the shift towards personal contract hire (PCH).
As the fatal political D-Day of the 6th of May fast approached, Alistair Darling presented the Labour Budget for the next economic year to a House of Commons brimming with cynical hoots and hollering from the Opposition. As Darling delivered what some saw as a hopeless budget endeavour, considering the devastating occurrences of New Labour’s last few stumbling and often clumsy years, Darling continued with his want to reward those using lower emission vehicles, a measure originally set in place back in 2001. Along with the usual buzz-words about efficiency, productivity and effectiveness regarding the reason for the measure, the government issued a somewhat confusing series of instructions regarding VED rates and the taxes on certain vehicles in an attempt to keep buyers and company cars users from registering or using less fuel-efficient vehicles.
The government could sleep well at night, knowing it was doing its bit for the environment as well as raising more than just an eyebrow from more potential personal contract hire customers in the shift away from company cars and the dreaded company car tax burdens. The system, in use since April 2001, regarding the taxing of vehicles (which excludes cars on personal contract hire) has been split into 13 simple bands, depending entirely on a vehicle’s CO2 emissions, giving people the simple choice of whether to have a green conscience or not. However, in an odd and rather meandering way, in 2010 the government continued with its attempts to ward off members of the public and those with company cars from using the less fuel-efficient vehicles, with a measure entitled ‘the first-year rates’: A title which wouldn’t seem unfitting to be used by some quasi-political rock group from the Canary Wharf area.
This meant that any car - except cars purchased outright by individuals or those on personal contract hire - using less than 131 -140 CO2 (g/km)(Bands A-D) would pay no additional tax on their vehicle for their first year, while a vehicle issuing from 131 to over 255 CO2 (g/km) could be charged up to an extra £950, and so on and so forth. So whilst politicians swanned about being issued with brownie points for using a push bike while coughing on the exhaust fumes of their heavily fortified cycle route, the working men and women using company cars - rather than opting for a new car on personal contract hire - and registering vehicles realised they were paying the real price, as the government yet again imposed a measure which prevented people from freely driving what they wished without having the niggling little environment issue pull at their heels and look at them through big puppy dog eyes.
With the issuing of tables and graphs from different companies and governmental offices to help people understand the numbers; figures are banded around in an attempt to identify how much company car users will be paying. But it seems that the mathematics of working one’s bill out at the end of a company car trip seems so long, laborious and downright difficult, you would have been better opting for a slightly “greener” option by jumping on one of the country’s exceptionally un-efficient train services or opting to take out a new personal contract hire deal. And perhaps this is entirely what the scheme intends to do: confound every normal person who doesn’t have the mathematic mind of an executive accountant at some fancy firm, so that we all just say “bugger it” and get the bus or choose personal contract hire. Then, we pour more money into the pockets of government and exec types in office blocks towering over London skylines, and die with a couple less hundred quid in our pockets.
Hyperbolic and cynical, but who can be blamed?The measures set in place mainly effect company car drivers who are using cars for long trips, weeks away at a time. If the government put more money into public transport and better connections between towns, with higher levels of comfort, perhaps this would bring down CO2 emissions more than just charging the people who need to work and earn money to support families. In our current un-secure economic climate, the government’s attempts to encourage people to “go green” seems somewhat contradictory, as we see the MPs skulk from the steps of their million pound homes into the back seat of some 5 litre Bentley. The increase in the popularity of personal contract hire can be attributed to the taxation of individuals in company cars, but also the value for money that personal contract hire agreements give people; a new car, every two or three years without the hassles of ownership.And one can’t help but question, how much are the MPs being charged for their trips? And exactly how much of my hard earned money is being put into Mr Cameron’s Jaguar tank every week?
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Pricing and specification for 2012 Vauxhall Ampera Announced
Created Date 07/05/12
The pricing and specification for Vauxhall Ampera has been announced by Vauxhall. Ampera which has received rave reviews across the UK including Top Gear Magazine’s their Green Car of the Year 2011 is an 100% electric drive car.Ampera will be built with Lithium–Ion Battery which will be able to drive up to 50 miles before the range extending petrol engine kicks in to generate more power proving a smooth driving experience like that of any other Vauxhall car.
The Ampera which has a 1.4 16v VVT 86PS engine generating electricity for the 150PS electric drive unit, is said to have an EU Combined Fuel-efficiency figure of 235mpg and CO2 27g/km, it will need to be plugged in to a power source to recharge the battery and the 35 litre petrol tank need to filled to a reasonable extent.With its sporty look, clean surfaces, boomerang headlight and indicator design, deep lower grille and Griffin design sitting within proud winged-chrome fins the Ampera indicates a new direction for Vauxhall.The Ampera will be launched in two different models, the Ampera Positiv and Ampera Electron. The models differ only in their internal specification, having the same power train.
The Ampera Positiv will available from £30,412.50 while the Ampera will go be available for a slightly higher price of £31,866.67.For green car lovers in the UK looking to grab a Vauxhall Ampera, Electric Vehicle Charging point installed by local councils and private companies are available across the UK for when you are out and about and the battery is running low. Visit http://www.ev-network.org.uk/ for more information about electric vehicle charging points in the UK.
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BMW X1 Gets a Facelift
Created Date 07/05/12
BMW have announced that the X1 is to undergo a facelift as part of a mid-lifecycle refresh on the current model. The facelift version will start production in July 2012 at BMW’s Leipzig plant in Germany. The European introduction of the new BMW X1 will take place at the 21st Auto Mobil International show in Leipzig on 2nd June.The new X1 will have enhanced standard equipment for all ranges with the SE models getting features such as Bluetooth hands free facilities with USB audio interface, Drive Performance Control and Roof Rails. Whereas the M Sports models will get all of the SE features plus 18” M light alloy wheels and Nevada leather upholstery in Beige, Black or Coral Red as standard.
All the new equipment will be available without any price increase on the SE model, however the M Sport model will see a modest increase of only £650-£1,005.The exterior of the X1 has of course been updated to bring a fresher design to the facelift. There is a greater use of body-colour around the front and rear bumpers, the front foglights have been moved, as have the side indicators which are now in the side mirrors. The rear lights now also feature LED light bars as standard.An optional visibility pack featuring Xenon headlights also includes white LED corona rings (daytime driving lights) and a white LED eyebrow strip above the headlights gives the car even more visual appeal.The interior sees the centre console given an update with a better focus on driver-orientation and a new level of refinement.
Other features such a black gloss around the audio equipment offer a top quality ambiance to the interior. The X1 also makes greater use of chrome throughout, including on the leather steering wheel.The pricing will start around £25,000 for entry level models and go up to around £32,000 for the top M Sport model. However if it’s speed you’re after the M Sport models are worth the money with a 0-62 mph speed of 6.8 seconds. The new BMW X1 is available to order today
Car Leasing News
Alphabet Leasing
Created Date: 04/05/2012
Alphabet is a multi-marquee fleet funding company owned by BMW group. They offer a comprehensive range of fleet products, fleet funding options and fleet management options which cover a wide variety of the fleet market. They currently manage in the region of 47,000 vehicles in the UK alone and over 300,000 worldwide, supplying vehicles for top corporate players such as the BBC, Oracle, McDonald's, Yell, Shell and the BOC Group. As well as supplying top companies the world over, they have also won numerous awards for their success such as the “Car scheme supplier of the year 2006” and the “British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association Industry Hero award”.
They have also been deemed a preferred and accredited supplier by the Institute of Transport Management and topped the Employee Rewards & Benefits magazine four years running from 2005 to 2008 in their annual Landmark Pre Sale Customer Satisfaction Index Surveys. As a sign of their most recent success, Alphabet recently announced in July 2011 that they had acquired the ING Car Lease group for a sum of 637 Million Euros, expanding their market to approximately 540,000 vehicles when the deal is finalised in Q4 2011.Alphabet offer a number of leasing contracts which cater for every customer. They consist of contract hire, fleet management and a unique Motivational leasing scheme exclusive to their company. The contract hire and fleet management schemes are both fairly self explanatory, offering standard services for both individual vehicles and more enterprise sized fleets. The Motivational leasing scheme is aimed at those looking for a green fleet, with tax benefits from the benefits-in-kind system meaning cheaper running costs for eco friendly cars which emit less than 120g/km of co2.Along with the above fleet management they also offer high quality service management in several other areas, ranging from accident management and maintenance to strategic consultancy for those new to the fleet business.Alphabet also love to keep their potential and current customers up to date with the latest news and information, running a weekly blog for the leasing market.
The chief executive officer Richard Schooling is the writer and editor of its content and it can be found at www.businesscar.co.uk ; it covers everything from the current state of leasing the market to just general light hearted conversation.Alphabet leasing can be contacted via their headquarters in Europa House, Hampshire. Alternatively, you can phone them using the customer service number.
Car Leasing News
£900m Pledge for SMEs<><>
Created Date: 30/04/2012
Car Leasing 4 U always looks to help your business gain vital financing for its vehicle acquisition. And from April 2012, we hope to make finance options for your business car leasing much more straightforward - and a little easier to access!
This is a result of our main finance provider just announcing a most welcome, 20% increase in their funding level to businesses in the SME sector by 2014/15. This will bring their funding commitment to car and van leasing to £900m.Andrew Kirby, Director of SME Sales at Lex Autolease, said: “We recognise that transport is one of the key building blocks of growth and want to help mobilise more SMEs and their employees.
We intend to play an active part in lending to smaller firms, especially those with a similar approach to business as ours.”This announced boost of SME funding to almost £1 billion means it could be easier for SME’s to be approved for finance and leasing applications, with more money available for lending out for vehicle finance.
So if you have considered car leasing or financing before and have wondered about the state of your credit rating, now might be the time to contact us.To access part of this £900m leasing fund, call us on 02871 359 106 today.
Car Leasing News
The Jaguar XJ Ultimate revealed in Beijing
Created Date: 29/04/2012
Jaguar have revealed their most expensive car yet, the Jaguar XJ Ultimate, at the Beijing Motor Show. The new car is filled with innovative technology and the most luxurious design and interior the company has ever produced.Jaguar have yet to officially put a price tag on the new XJ Ultimate but it is expect to be priced at around £128,000 when it goes on sale in the UK this November.
The car takes some inspiration from Land Rover with their Range Rover Ultimate Edition which sold out successfully in 2011.The main focus of the XJ Ultimate edition is luxury finishing. The interior is kitted out with a modern expensive finish and the rear, of the interior has been fitted with a fully adjustable folding aluminum business table, a champagne cooler, including storage for champagne flutes.
Along with this, Jaguar have rearranged the interior slightly to give rear passengers more room for complete comfort and luxury feel. Ideal for a high-end businessman with a personal driver.Each rear passenger also gets their own built in iPad mounted to rear of the fronts seats and keyboard. Plus a TV screen with individual wireless headphones. Great for doing a bit of early morning or last minute business with, or simply unwinding after a long day at the office.The engine in the XJ Ultimate is the first use of the brand new Jaguar supercharged 3.0 liter v6 petrol engine that pumps out 375bhp.
The existing engines, the 5.0 liter v8 petrol and 3.0 liter v6 turbodiesel engines will also be offered as alternatives in the XJ Ultimate.Ralf Speth, CEO, Jaguar Land Rover said: "I expect the Jaguar XJ Ultimate to sell best in China, but it's on sale in all markets. We'll see how it does but I expect it to be very successful, as the Range Rover Ultimate was."
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Good Value Leasing companies
Created Date:25/04/2010
We’ve never been a company that aims to compete on price – I think that you can probably see that from our blog posts and the fact that we offer so much more than other car leasing companies. I’ve always been one to be happy to pay for quality and to charge a decent price for a quality service.
I thought I’d have a bit of fun with this message and I’ve produced a small video which highlights the problems that you may have if you are just shopping around for the cheapest price.
Hope you enjoy the video.
Car Leasing News
Lamborghini Urus SUV Concept
Created Date: 23/04/2012
The Lamborghini Urus was previewed at the Beijing Motor Show by the Italian car giant and is expected to go into production in 2016. The car is considered crucial in order for Lamborghini to achieve their goal and triple their sales and securing its future.
The Urus is a long awaited concept by Lamborghini featuring their first 4x4 SUV in two decades. The car is scheduled to go on sale alongside the Aventador and Gallardo as their three money makers. Lamborghini are so ambitious about the Urus that they predict it will out sell their other models, including the popular Gallardo, in its first year after release.“The extreme supersports segment is very cyclic and very sensitive to new product launches and economic downturns.
Therefore, it is clear Lamborghini needs a wider customer base to ensure long-term profitability.” Added Lambo boss Stephan WinkelmannThe sports car manufacturer also stated that the BMW X6 and Range Rover are cars singled out as the main rivals for the Urus, Winkelmann further added “Our studies have shown that nearly all existing Lamborghini owners also have a sport utility vehicle in their garage, so in this respect we consider it the perfect extension to our existing supercar business”.As you can see, the Urus is a looker. It has Lamborghini’s distinctive sharpness and sporty exterior.
Don’t expect much to change when it hits production except the oversized 24 inch wheels. The company has kept quiet on what exactly is under the bonnet but they have said the production car is aiming to produce 600bhp, possibly using a modified version of the V8 used in the high end Audi S range. Lamborghini have also stated that it will be the fastest 4x4 in the market, meaning it will have to beast the 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds which the X6 is capable of.The Urus is expected to be priced around £150,000, in between the Aventador and Gallardo. Again, the car is expected to go on sale in 2016.
Car Leasing News
Volvo V40 Prices Announced – From £19,745
Created Date: 18/04/2012
Volvo have announced the prices and trim ranges for the new Volvo V40. The V40 is due to go on sale in September and hopes to compete against the likes of the Volkswagen Golf and BMW 1-Series.
At launch the range will have two petrol engines and 3 diesel engines available, the most economical being the 113bhp 1.6-liter diesel D2 with a 6 speed gearbox. It emits just 94g/km qualifying it for zero road tax and returns 74mpg according to Volvo. The optional 6-speed automatic gearbox is only available on diesel models.
The most powerful engine in the range is the 178bhp T4 petrol engine at launch with a more powerful T5 being available at a later date.
The v40 will come in three trim levels – the ES, SE and SE LUX. As standard across all trim levels are a stop-start button, climate control, Bluetooth, entertainment system with a 5-inch screen, 16 inch alloys and Volvo’s own City Safety System including an innovative pedestrian airbag.
Optional extras for the mid-range trims include cruise control, keyless entry and chrome exterior components. While the top of the range vehicles will benefit from a leather interior, 17-inch alloys, and LED daytime lights. The most expensive of the top range cars is the D4 (175bhp) SE Lux which costs £26,795.
Car Leasing News
Renault Plan Volkswagen Passat Rival
Renault are planning to build a new model to rival the Volkswagen Passat. The car will sit above the Laguna in Renaults hierarchy. The new model, which has still to be given the go-ahead by the bosses at Renault is not expect until 2016.
Renault eyed up the Volkswagen Passat as a potential realistic rival, the Passat was the 3rd best-selling “upper-medium” range car last year behind the Vauxhall Insignia and BMW 3-Series. The Ford Mondeo is also a viable alternative to the class of car. This leaves Renault no shortage of competition to attempt to gain market share off.
Stephen Norman, Renaults marketing chief said “We can’t leave the Passat to succeed on its own in the upper-medium market” Norman also predicted that the UK would be the ideal market for the new model, with the “upper-medium” ranges totally 13% of all UK cars. “Fifty per cent of the upper-medium car market is in the UK and Germany. If you want to succeed in that market, you have to succeed in those countries”
The car is by no means a replacement for the Laguna, in fact the new concept for the Laguna is expected shortly and the release is due in 2015. The new model is specifically designed to attract a new type of audience.
Car Leasing News
Car leasing explained
How do I know if car leasing is right for me?
Are you the type of person who likes to change their car every few years...?
If so, then ask yourself a few simple questions:
How much did you spend when buying your last car?
How long did you keethe car for?
How much did you sell the car for?
To work out roughly how much your last car cost you per month, let's do some simple arithmetic:what you spent minus what you sold it for divided by number of months you owned it Of course, you'll also need to add the cost of any road tax that you had to buy during the time that you owned the car and work out how much interest you paid out (if you took out a loan), or how much interest you lost (if you took the money from a savings account).And the costs and inconvenience don't end there; when you finally sold the car, how long did the process take and much did you spend on advertising. Even worse, if you part-exchanged your car, how much less than the market rate did the dealer offer you.On balance, when you add everything u– the costs, the hassles, the inconvenience – and you look at what you could have leased for the same money or less, you have to ask yourself: "why on Earth would I ever buy a car again...?"
Still not convinced...? why not read "A typical new car buyer's journey" below:Contract Hire and Personal Contract Hire (PCH)One of the most popular forms of car leasing in the UK is Contract hire(including Personal Contract hire), which is available to both business users and consumers (private individuals).Contract Hire offers most of the benefits of car ownership, but without many of the hassles normally associated with it; in essence, you lease (long-term hire) a brand new car for a fixed period - normally two or three years - at a predetermined annual mileage allowance to suit your needs.Contract Hire is a simple and very cost effective way to fund any number of vehicles. Simply choose the vehicles you want, we deliver your new car to your door and you pay a fixed amount every month.These payments go on for an agreed period of time, usually between one and four years. At the end of your car lease agreement, we collect your car (which is then sold back to the motor trade, normally through a trade auction) and you're free to choose another vehicle.Importantly you never own the vehicle, we do. As it never appears on your balance sheet, it remains a business expense. Because we take the vehicle back, we agree ufront the mileage your drivers will do on an annual basis and the number of years the contract will run.Using this information, we calculate how much the car will be worth at the end of the contract, which is factored into your monthly payments.A typical new car buyer's journeySo, how do you go about buying a new car...?Well, your quest might start by taking a look at a manufacturer website for a car that you’ve seen advertised or that drove past you in the street one day. This is normally followed by a visit to your local dealership, so that you can see the car for yourself.Of course, not wanting to be “taken for a ride” - so to speak - you’ll want to compare the price that your local dealershigives you with one - or even two - other dealerships, just to make sure that you’re getting the best price.Finally (and certainly for the more tech-savvy) you’ll want to shoaround online, just in case there are better deals somewhere out there in cyberspace.So, although it has taken some time and considerable effort, you’re somewhat satisfied that you’re getting a good deal, so you buy your new car. But whether you buy the car with money from a savings account or you take out a loan to cover the cost, you’ll need to factor interest into your calculations, not to mention road tax (for as long as you keethe car) and depreciation (which is the difference between what you bought your car for and what you will sell it for in the future) when working out your motoring costs.And the headaches don’t stothere; after happily motoring along for 2 or 3 years, you’re ready to change your car again. You’ve already decided on your next new car, but, you have a problem: How do you dispose of your current car...?Naturally, you could advertise your car for sale online or in the newspaper, but you’d really prefer not to have strangers coming to your house. Besides (given your hectic schedule), weekends and evenings are sacrosanct - quality time to be spent with your family; you’d rather not waste your precious time haggling with “tyre-kickers” over what they think your car is worth.Or you could always trade-in your car at the dealershiwhere you’re going to buy your new car, but of course you probably won’t get the best price for it, as they need to build in a margin to resell your car on their forecourt.However you do finally manage to sell your car, it’ll certainly take time, effort and may even end ucosting you money.And what’s the alternative...?Well, leasing a new car could be your answer.With used car values falling year-on-year, coupled with an uncertain economy and rising household bills, the growing risks associated with new car depreciation have forced car buyers to look at cost-saving alternatives.And being the most advanced car leasing market in Europe, the UK has no shortage of leasing companies, whose expertise is in buying hundreds of thousands of new cars every year and recycling them back into the increasingly voracious used car market at end of contract.More often than not, if you’re looking to change your car regularly (say every 2 or 3 years), car leasing works out less expensive than ownership, because not only are you tapping-into the buying power of the big leasing companies, you’re also removing the costs and hassles of selling your car when you’re ready to change again.An even more compelling reason is that you don’t even need to hunt from dealershito dealership, as the best leasing rates can often be found online, at a time that is convenient for you – day or night.And it’s the convenience and the ability to manage your motoring costs more effectively – coupled with the cost saving benefits – that are leading to unprecedented levels or personal car leasing in the UK.
Why choose Contract Hire?Contract Hire is quickly becoming the #1 choice for motorists throughout the UK. There are many reasons why Contract Hire is so popular:It offers off balance sheet fundingIt is a VAT efficient way of operating a company carIt provides fixed motoring costs for the contract periodIt removes the uncertainty surrounding future, ever fluctuating residual valuesIt allows to you takes advantage of Car lease 4 U purchasing powerIt frees uyour staff time, by reducing in-house administrationIt offers detailed reporting is requiredIt is available with an optional monthly maintenance charge (which covers routine maintenance and servicing costs)Low monthly rentalsThere’s no large initial outlay and monthly payments are fixed, so it’s good for cash flow and makes budgeting a cinch.
You pay a fixed monthly rental and – at the end of the contract – hand the car back to the leasing company with nothing to pay (provided that the car meets the mileage and condition criteria agreed at the start of the contract).Hassle-free motoringSo you don’t have the hassle of selling the car when you replace it. It also means you don’t have to worry about the risk of falling used car values (known as residual values). If the second-hand car market drops suddenly, that’s the leasing company’s problem, not yours.Good for businessMost of the fleet management can be handled by the fleet provider, which frees ucompany resources and the funding isn’t shown on the balance sheet, which reduces a company’s debt liability and helps to improve your corporate credit rating.End of contractAt the end of a contract hire agreement - after the vehicle is returned –car leasing companies will charge for any excess mileage (over and above the total contracted mileage) and any damage (or unfair wear and tear) on the vehicle. These charges can vary from reasonable to very stee- depending on the leasing company - so it is advisable to check the small print on your contract before you sign. Also, if you end (early terminate) a contract hire agreement early, the penalties can sometimes also be quite high - typically 50 percent of the remaining rentals. So if you're unsure about the length of time that you want to keethe car, it may be more prudent to pay slightly more per month for a shorter contract length.
Fleet News FN50
Agility Fleet Size
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 47/50 - fleet size: 1,339*
Agnew Corporate Fleet Size
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 33/50 - fleet size: 3,500*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
About Agnew Corporate
Parent company: Isaac Agnew (Holdings)
ALD Automotive Fleet Size
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 6/50 - fleet size: 63,561*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 5/50 - fleet size: 56,502*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 8/50 - fleet size: 47,157*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
About ALD Automotive
Parent company: Société Générale
ALD Automotive is the operational leasing and fleet management business line of the Société Générale Group; one of the largest financial services groups in the euro-zone. Société Générale employs 163,000 people in 82 countries, operating in various investment and financial positions aimed at giving young companies the financial help needed to kick-start their businesses as well as providing essential investment opportunities for more mature companies.
Under the Société Générale group, ALD Automotive work in the leasing sector as an international supplier to businesses worldwide. From the head office in Paris, France, the company operates in 39 countries and manages over 841,220 vehicles worldwide while also working to deliver the best value mobility solution and the best service to its clients, drivers and fleet managers. Having being established as far back as 1946, they bring over sixty years of experience to the sector and currently employ in the region of 3,700 people across the global leasing market. The company carry an ambition to be the definitive one-stop-shop mobility partner, with various plans covering basic fleet leasing right through to financial support and payback schemes. Through their three core values of professionalism, team spirit and innovation, they aim to provide quality customer service and reliable fleet management information through their extensive dealer training schemes.
ALD Automotive UK
In the UK, ALD Automotive have the presumed UK branch of the company, which was established in 1958 with the same basic fundamentals as the international firm. The UK branch provides all the services of its international division such as basic leasing, vehicle funding, ancillary support services, financial support services and fleet management. Recognised as one of the country’s leading service providers, they also carry the current highest Quality Management System standard accreditation ISO9001:2008 and the highest environmental standard, ISO 14001, which was gained in November 2007. These accreditations ensure that the company meets the highest quality needs of its customers and stakeholders.
They publish an independant weekly online newsletter called ‘eInsight’ to ensure their customers keep up to date with the latest industry news and views regarding funding and management of company vehicles. The news comes from highly reliable sources and is cross checked for consistency with a variety of sources. With a databank of news items stored over the past 6 years, the amount of helpful and informative topics on the fleeting industry both past and present is expansive... and it’s constantly growing.
If you’re interested in finding out more, visit the ALD Automotive UK website at http://www.aldautomotive.co.uk. Alternatively, they can be contacted via their head office in Oakwoods Park, Bristol.
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 3/50 - fleet size: 99,154*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 9/50 - fleet size: 47,176*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 9/50 - fleet size: 46,263*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Alphabet is a multi-marquee fleet funding company owned by BMW group. They offer a comprehensive range of fleet products, fleet funding options and fleet management options which cover a wide variety of the fleet market. They currently manage in the region of 47,000 vehicles in the UK alone and over 300,000 worldwide, supplying vehicles for top corporate players such as the BBC, Oracle, McDonald's, Yell, Shell and the BOC Group. As well as supplying top companies the world over, they have also won numerous awards for their success such as the “Car scheme supplier of the year 2006” and the “British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association Industry Hero award”. They have also been deemed a preferred and accredited supplier by the Institute of Transport Management and topped the Employee Rewards & Benefits magazine four years running from 2005 to 2008 in their annual Landmark Pre Sale Customer Satisfaction Index Surveys. As a sign of their most recent success, Alphabet recently announced in July 2011 that they had acquired the ING Car Lease group for a sum of 637 Million Euros, expanding their market to approximately 540,000 vehicles when the deal is finalised in Q4 2011.
Alphabet offer a number of leasing contracts which cater for every customer. They consist of contract hire, fleet management and a unique Motivational leasing scheme exclusive to their company. The contract hire and fleet management schemes are both fairly self explanatory, offering standard services for both individual vehicles and more enterprise sized fleets. The Motivational leasing scheme is aimed at those looking for a green fleet, with tax benefits from the benefits-in-kind system meaning cheaper running costs for eco friendly cars which emit less than 120g/km of co2. Along with the above fleet management they also offer high quality service management in several other areas, ranging from accident management and maintenance to strategic consultancy for those new to the fleet business.
Alphabet also love to keep their potential and current customers up to date with the latest news and information, running a weekly blog for the leasing market. The chief executive officer Richard Schooling is the writer and editor of its content and it can be found at www.businesscar.co.uk ; it covers everything from the current state of leasing the market to just general light hearted conversation.
Alphabet leasing can be contacted via their headquarters in Europa House, Hampshire. Alternatively, you can phone them using the customer service number 0870 50 50 110, or email them using their contact email: alphabet@alphabet.co.uk. They also have a details entry page on their website www.alphabet.co.uk, where you can leave contact information should the above be unavailable.
Apex Easy Fleet
2009 FN50 position: 37/50
• Fleet Size: 3,550*
2009 FN50 position: 40/50
• Fleet Size: 3,450*
Parent Company: Apex Car Rental
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Apex Easy Fleet is a BVRLA approved leasing company aimed at car and van rental for both long and short term periods. First established in October 2001, Apex are a large company with notable sponsorship deals behind their back in the form of official vehicle partner of Sussex County Cricket Club and official Sponsor of the QPR youth team, 16 and under. They provide various leasing plans and policies for both vans and cars and also carry an exclusive ‘Flexible Fleet’ policy which aims to make leasing easier and less expensive. The company are highly flexible in many of their deals and offer various leases with lesser restrictions and long term contracts than typical leasing firms. They also carry out various private leasing contracts for the public sector ranging from airport car hire such to private minibus services.
Apex Easy Fleet currently only specialise in Ford vehicles, who are their primary vehicle supplier. You can expect a range spanning compacts such as the Ford Fiesta to larger models such as the Mondeo and S-Max. They also stock Ford Transit Vans for those looking for something a little larger.
A breakdown of their various plans can be seen below:
Short Term Car & Van Leasing Under 28 days
Short term rentals come in either 1-12 days or 12 – 28 days and include their full roster of vehicles (both cars and vans) to choose from.
Long Term Car & Van Leasing Over 28 days
The company’s long term lease period carries a minimum length of 28 days, which they say allows for more flexible rents without any awkward termination periods. The long term leasing covers all models of car and van listed earlier.
Corporate Rental
The company’s corporate rental scheme offers lower prices for those working within a corporate business. The various schemes breakdown into different categories depending on the size and type of the company, with the categories being as follows:
-Sole Trader, Partnership, Small, Medium or Large Enterprise (SMLE), Business, Company, Corporation, Local Authority and Government Body.
Each has its own price listing relevant to the business size and fleet size needed.
Flexible Lease
Apex Easy Lease’s flexible plan allows greater freedom for customers and businesses in terms of long term commitments and termination penalties. With their flexible plan the minimum lease is just 28 days and a termination of contract comes with no penalty or hidden charges. They also pledge to accurately quote any servicing and routine maintenance costs that may need to be taken out on your vehicles. Their flexible lease is the only category to also supply none Ford cars. As well as the above models from Ford, they also lease several Vauxhall models which include both cars and vans.
Apex Easy Fleet’s headquarters are located at 61 Cavendish Place, Eastbourne and they can be called on the following number 01323 745 444 for more information. Alternatively you can also visit the website at http://www.apexrental.co.uk/.
Article writtten by Tom Wellburn
Arnold Clark Finance
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 9/50 - fleet size: 49,339*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 11/50 - fleet size: 41,987*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 12/50 - fleet size: 40,008*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Arnold Clarke Vehicle Management (or ACVM for short), is an independent dealer-based fleet management company which pride themselves on their purely self-sufficient and unbiased status. Since its early beginnings starting as a small Glasgow car show room in 1954, ACVM has gone on to win numerous awards, with its founder Sir Arnold Clark even receiving a knighthood for his pioneering efforts in the vehicle leasing market. Today the company has over 160 dealerships and employs over 8,500 people across the UK, making them the country’s largest independent fleet management company. ACVM are not owned by a vehicle company and do not operate under a bank or finance company; they are instead part of the Arnold Clark family of companies who are the largest privately owned automotive group in Europe.
The company specialise in two key sectors of fleet management - contract hire and vehicle leasing, with their target market aiming at corporate businesses, small businesses and the various Government departments within the Public Sector. Of these, their clientele are then divided into a further two categories - the Corporate and Public Sectors. Corporate businesses are assigned an account manager, who then deals with all requests should they ever need any help. If the vehicle is ever in need of repair, then ACVM will always organise the pickup and drop-off’s themselves at one of over 4000 registered service points in the UK. For the public sector, ACVM look after several key fleets ranging from healthcare services to fire services and even law enforcement. They have a specialised team that deal with the economical sides of running a vehicle in the Public Sector and balancing its expenditures with effective performance. They also work closely with the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) to support the Grey Fleet Initiative, which tackles the older, less reliable and more polluting cars that fall in the ‘grey zone’, by either repair or replacement with newer, greener models. In addition to these two primary fleet management areas, they also operate a successful service and repair scheme to consumers and businesses which offers servicing, maintenance, fast-fit tyres, exhausts, parts and accessory sales.
Building on their theme of being the people’s car leasing company, they also offer several initiatives aimed at making the whole system simple and economical. For example, their mileage charge scheme refunds you the difference if the car didn’t do as many miles as expected. They also favour direct interaction with their clients through the main company itself, rather than using an outsourced call centre or computer automated help systems. They encourage customers to pay them a visit and talk to them direct as opposed to telephoning them to address their problems. The maintenance department itself also never closes, meaning customers can always contact the company should they need any help regarding their vehicle.
ACVM can be contacted through their website http://www.acvm.co.uk or alternatively by phoning one of several numbers listed below.
General Enquiries
0141 332 2626
New Business Enquiries
0845 603 4590
Emergency Roadside Assistance
0141 332 2622
Service-Direct (Book a Service)
0845 602 9364
Car and Van Rental
0845 702 3946
Also you can visit any of their main offices located in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle and Milton Keynes.
Arval
Parent company: BNP Paribas
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 4/50 - fleet size: 86,591*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 4/50 - fleet size: 80,753*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 4/50 - fleet size: 73,497*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Arval is the UK’s leading fleet management company with over 35 years of fleet experience and knowledge behind them. The company is part of the BNP Paribas banking group who in themselves are a global leader in financial and banking services, working in areas ranging from investment to sponsoring. Arval manages over 135,000 vehicles and has over 1.1 million drivers using specific and unique tailored schemes such as their fuel card plan. As a result of their success in the fleet industry, the company have won several major awards for their achievements such as the Fleetnews award 3 years running and several safety awards, green awards and business awards.
As well as being the UK’s leading fleet management company, Arval also specialise in Fuel Management. As Europe’s leading Fuel Management Company, they provide fuel to over 1 million vehicles in the UK’s alone, which goes hand in hand with their various fleet schemes. This scheme is backed up by their Corporate Social Responsibility plan, which ensures any impact they on the environment will be as positive as possible with little effect to the area in question.
Arval AllStar Fuel Card
Arval’s company-unique fuel card helps them to stand out from the crowded fleeting market by offering a card which cuts down on paperwork while also saving money. The Arval fuel card can be used solely for fuel and vehicle related issues, with the company being sent one single consolidated invoice per month detailing each transaction. With in-depth reports showing breakdowns of how much fuel is being used and by who (based on vehicle and registration numbers), plans can be drawn out far easier than having to rummage through loads of excess paperwork and receipts. All of this can accessed on the fly via Arval’s online account setup, which means company directors can always keep track of their employee's fuel usages and costs. Also, because it is part of the AllStar network, users can ensure it will work at almost all petrol pumps, from Supermarkets to Motorways.
Public Sector Monitor Card
Arval have also developed a special variant on the fuel card aimed specifically at those operating within the Public Sector. The card, named ‘MonitorCard’, allows for all the benefits of their standard fuel management card plus the additions of:
Fuel purchasing, Routine servicing, Essential repairs, MOT Testing, Tyres & glass, Batteries, Exhausts, Breakdown recovery, Vehicle rental, Service booking.
With all this logged on a 24 hour database similar to the standard fuel card, customers can see how their fleet is operating all from one complete and convenient space. As well as their unique fuel services, Arval have several finance and leasing plans which are aimed at the various categories for both small fleets and large fleets, whether corporate or of the public sector:
Purchase and Leaseback
Arval’s Purchase and Leaseback scheme allows you to transfer your current fleet over to the company, where you will be paid a fair price based on the fleet’s value. By transferring ownership to Arval, you’re then entitled to any of the standard leasing options, so you can carry on with your current fleet straight away.
Contract and Lease Purchase
With Arvals Contract Purchase scheme, you are given a new fleet as normal but allowed to choose contract length specifically for your personal companies needs. The contract is in fixed monthly amounts and based on several key factors such as cost of the vehicle and projected value. At the end of the contract you’re given the option to pay a final Guaranteed Future Value amount and claim ownership of the vehicles, meaning if you don’t want to buy a new fleet, you don’t have to. With Lease Purchase, Arval Purchase your own fleet and then lease them back to you for fixed monthly payments. At the end of the contract you have the option to buy them back, useful for new businesses that don’t have the initial funding necessary to possess their own fleet from the go.
Finance Leasing
Finance Leasing employs a combination of methods to give companies the benefit of owning a new fleet of vehicles without the problems associated with contract terms and purchase. Aimed at Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV’s) that may undergo significant wear and tear throughout their lifetime, it allows highly flexible contract lengths with no penalties and maintenance charges. There’s no commitment to buy and the contract length can be extended as the customer sees fit, giving them full flexibility for future plans. Arval can be contacted via their head office in Windmill Hill, Swindon, SN5 6PE. Alternatively, you can get in touch via the company’s general number 01793 302874, or by emailing their support team at enquiry@arval.co.uk.
BMW Financial Services
2009 FN50 position: 27/50
Fleet Size: 8,686*
BMW Financial Services is BMW UK’S official in-house vehicle leasing company, offering leasing, protection and finance in a variety of packages and plans to suit customers. Founded in 1996, the company was established to offer a wide range of options for the financing, purchase and rental of BMW and Mini vehicles to both private and corporate buyers. The company employs in the region of 300 associates and has become a major part of BMW UK’S business model.BMW Financial Services offer three differing finance quotes as well as numerous insurance quotes, with each catering to a specific type of customer:
BMW Select
BMW Select is the company’s Personal Contract Purchase product. It carries no obligations until the very end of the agreement and has a fixed monthly payment scheme for easy, fair billing. At the end of the agreement customers have the option of making a final payment to keep the car, or to part exchange it for a new model.
BMW Hire Purchase
BMW’s hire purchase scheme gives customers a simple monthly fixed payments scheme, where the cost can be spread of a set period of time so it’s easy to maintain. There are no mileage restrictions and everything is agreed upon prior to the contract. At the end of the period, the customer is allowed to keep the BMW.
BMW Contract Hire
The Contract Hire focuses on the customers who don’t wish to own the car at the end of the contract and would rather rent it for a set, allotted time period. Due to this, the rental prices are far cheaper than if intending to own the car afterwards and there’s no need to worry about the depreciation as well.
BMW Insurance schemes
BMW insurance schemes cover all areas from basic car insurance to travel insurance and income protection. Each service is quoted individually and can be used in conjunction with any other, meaning customers can have their own tailored insurance plan to suit them.
BMW Financial Services can be contacted in the UK via their GB headquarters in Europa House, Hampshire. They can also be contacted via their telephone number 08705 050 120, or alternatively you can simply logon to their site for more details at http://www.bmwfin.com/bmwuk/finance/homepage/0,,___,00.html.
BT Fleet
2009 FN50 position: 13/50
Fleet Size: 38,872*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Burnt Tree Vehicle Rental
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 50/50 - fleet size: 967*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Carillion Fleet Management
2009 FN50 position: 35/50
Fleet Size: 5,500*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Citroen Contract Motoring
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 15/50 - fleet size: 21,758*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 16/50 - fleet size: 22,162*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 16/50 - fleet size: 22,200*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Citroen Contract Motoring is the Citroen Company’s official in-house vehicle leasing company, offering leasing, protection and finance in a variety of packages and plans to suit consumers. With over 20,000 vehicles in operation, they have formed a close partnership with Citroën UK and their dealerships while also becoming the largest overall Citroën Fleet operator in Europe. Their aim is to provide customers with a single place where they can access all their business requirements related to their fleet without any complications. The company are in direct relation and co-operation to the Citroen car brand, a company who have existed since 1919 and are a world renowned French Car Manufacturer. The company have five key policies set out for consumers that each tackles a specific area of vehicle leasing, aimed at providing the highest level of service and value for Citroen customers:
Contract Hire
Contract Hire is a none-ownership finance scheme with fixed monthly rental fees that don’t change and are calculated relevant to the company’s cash income. When the contract has expired, clients can simply return the vehicle to Citroen and take out another contract or cancel without any obligation to renew.
Elect 3 Pro
The elect scheme caters for customers who need constant, reliable lease vehicles for several years with the benefits of paying monthly; it specialises mainly in the van market. Customers pay the initial VAT plus a deposit charge of between 10% and 40% of the vehicles value. It’s then just a simple monthly payment scheme over the course of 37 months, at which point the contract ends with a chance to renew. At the end of the agreement customers can either pay the final fee to own the van outright or part exchange it for something entirely new.
Business Lease
Business lease is a fixed monthly payment contract that differs from standard schemes because it is tailored to each business customer independently. Ownership of the vehicle is not transferred to the customer at the end of the contract; instead the customer simply pays a sum to use for the vehicle for the desired contract length. This helps keep rental costs far lower.
Lease Purchase and Hire Purchase
The final two schemes, Lease Purchase and Hire Purchase, are both contracts that have an ultimate intention of owning the vehicle by the contract end. In Lease Purchase, the customer chooses the deposit, contract length and payment intervals – once the contract is up the vehicle is theirs. For Hire Purchase is essentially the same except customers get the benefit of a fixed funding term to help them better structure their repayments. If you are interested in taking out a quote with Citroen Contract Motoring or would simply like more information, they can contacted via their new customers telephone line on 01753 747 747. Alternatively, they can be emailed on ccmenquiries@mpsa.com, or you can visit their website at http://citroen-contract-motoring.co.uk/.
Daimler Fleet Management
Parent company: Daimler Financial Services
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 7/50 - fleet size: 55,084*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 6/50 - fleet size: 50,283*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 5/50 - fleet size: 53,664*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Daimler Fleet Management is the specialised car fleet provider of Daimler Financial Services and the Daimler group, a company with more than 6,500 worldwide employees and a portfolio close to 60 billion Euros’. The financial services side is also be known by its more widespread international alias, Mercedes Benz Financial. The company benefits from extensive automotive know-how and a large, efficient range of trusted partners and suppliers. With affiliates from such brands as Mercedes-Benz, Smart, Fuso and Freightliner, Daimler is well connected in the automotive world.
The fleet management sector of the company operates in several locales, ranging from the European market all the way to South Africa, Singapore and Australia. Being strong believers in the consultant approach to leasing rather than traditional methods, they offer one to one sessions prior to signing agreements whereby the customer can make concise decisions based on their current situation. From lean Processes to efficient reporting, Daimler Fleet Management aim to give you all the information you need to make an adequate decision and hopefully build a friendly and hassle-free long-term relationship with the company.
They offer various leasing plans aimed at several sectors within the market; all of which aiming at and catering for a specific target demographic. This ensures that when you want to take a lease out with Daimler, they have all the stops covered for you. The most important plans are as follows:
Finance Leasing
With the finance leasing option the customer only pays for the actual use of the vehicle, greatly reducing the overall costs usually associated with owning an automobile. With an optimized fleet structure individually based around the needs of each new customer, this ensures you get the most cost effective deal possible. Payment is given on a monthly basis and all bills are fixed, meaning you won't be having any nasty surprise fees in store.
Full Service Leasing
The full service option gives peace of mind to those who are in need of a workhorse vehicle which may need servicing or repairing at some point in its lifetime. Daimler offer to take care of your car through every stage of its life cycle, contributing the following services: Maintenance and Vehicle repair, Mobility Services, Tire replacement, Insurance, Accident Management, Fuel Management. The plan is completely flexible according to your needs a customer and all or any can be selected as part of your plan. Fleets with this option are issued ‘service cards’ to ease the maintenance process and give clear indications as to the problems of each vehicle.
Fleet Management
The fleet management scheme is a modular service whereby specific areas of the package are included and customised to the customers’ needs. The modules are as follows: Vehicle Purchase, Driver Management, Reporting. Invoice Management, Remarketing Optimum costs can be calculated right down to each individual vehicle in your fleet, as well as a specific overview of the full status of your fleet via several specialised reporting tools.
Individual Fleet Solutions
Daimler offers several individual fleet solutions for specific regions such as e-business computer aided databases for fleet management and control and Fleet Consulting, where an advisor will guide you through the fleet process every step of the way, offering help on advice on the various different packages and plans available to you.
International Fleets
If you’re looking to create a fleet on a much wider scale, Daimler have various services in place for international fleet establishment. With advanced counselling available to help you find a suitable outsourcer, Daimler makes sure every part of process goes smoothly. The company have a sales helpline specifically aimed at those looking to spread out internationally, so help and support is only a call away.
Daimler head office is located in their financial services department over in Stuttgart, Germany. Their UK office can found in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire with a contact number of 01908 697 000. Those wanting to ring their international headquarters should use the head office phone number- +49 (711) 2574-6275, or alternatively log onto their website over at http://www.daimler-fleetmanagement.com and leave an email.
Days Contract Hire
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 19/50 - fleet size: 9,487*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 20/50 - fleet size: 9,487*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 26/50 - fleet size: 8,627*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
About Days Contract Hire
Days Contract Hire are one of the leading fleet management companies in the UK. Providing services and professional advice for many years, including a wealth of fleet management experience. They are rated in the top 20 of Fleet News magazine’s top fleet management companies and are one of the few independent firms in the contract hire arena.
Although they operate independently, they still have the full backing of CEM Day Ltd Group. They operate out of their own headquarters in Swansea and are one of Wales’s top 20 companies with regard to annual turnover. They have a reputation for quality customer service and a ‘spirit of partnership’ orientation. The rapidly growing company employs around 500 people at several sites across South Wales and are still family owned since they started trading in 1988.
Services
Contract Hire
Days Contract Hire offers a very efficient service with regard to contract hire. They even state it clearly, they buy the car you want, lease it to you including paying for any maintenance due on the car and at the end of the contract, you simply return the car to them. They also offer a FlexiHire option whereby you arrange a shorter length contract with them.
Fleet Management
Days Contract hire excel at fleet management, believing in leaving you with minimal effort. Fleet management is essentially the looking after of an entire company’s fleet including maintenance and breakdown help. They fleet is also replaced when necessary and can include different contract lengths for different vehicles.
Fleet Consultancy
With years of fleet management experience, Days Contract Hire are well placed to offer their consultancy and knowledge to their customers. With their industry knowledge, they will help you with friendly impartial advice of what are the best options for your fleet given your needs and development plans.
The above services are the core services offered by Days Contract Hire. Other services include fuel cards, gap insurance and accident management. Their mission statement: It is our aim to provide best value to our customers through a flexible , friendly and efficient service, communicating in an open and mutually beneficial manner to build a ‘spirit of partnership’.
Address: Days Contract Hire, Swansea Road, Swansea, SA4 4LL
Telephone: 0845 296 4423
Email: contracthire@days.co.uk
DFC
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 39/50 - fleet size: 2,773*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Duncton
2009 FN50 position: 42/50
Fleet Size: 3,023*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Fiat Auto Contracts
2009 FN50 position: 39/50
Fleet Size: 3,632*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Fleet Financial (NI)
2009 FN50 position: 43/50
Fleet Size: 3.021*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Fleet Hire
2009 FN50 position: 31/50
Fleet Size: 6,100*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
FleetLineCustomer Services
Parent company: LeasePlan
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 2/50 - fleet size: 130,200*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 2/50 - fleet size: 123,882*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 2/50 - fleet size: 121,960*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
About FleetLine
FleetLine is a trading style of LeasePlan, which is the world's largest vehicle management and leasing company and operates in 30 counties around the world.
Based in Milton Keynes, FleetLine provides car leasing solutions for businesses which operate small to medium sized fleets (typically between 1 and 100 vehicles).
Fraikin
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 46/50 - fleet size: 1,410*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Fulton Leasing
Parent company: Fulton Network
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 49/50 - fleet size: 1,261*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 50/50 - fleet size: 1,418*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 48/50 - fleet size: 1,371*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
GE Capital Solutions Fleet Services
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 10/50 - fleet size: 43,495*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 10/50 - fleet size: 45,704*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 6/50 - fleet size: 50,264*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
GE capital UK is the largest Fleet services supplier of vehicle leasing, fleet management and finance in the world, operating at the heart of many businesses. They provide finance to 90,000 UK businesses alone, and keep over 45,700 company car drivers on the road. As part of the General Electric brand, they operate in 55 countries worldwide, supplying credit to over one million businesses as well as financial help and support. The company have won numerous awards for their success within the industry, such as the recent ‘FleetNews Fleet Leasing Company of the year 2010’.
GE capital UK provide several fleet and financing solutions ranging from aircraft to healthcare, as well as asset lending and distribution finance. Their various plans are listed below:
Asset based lending
Asset based lending provides finance for business that want to acquire a loan relevant to their company asset value. By injecting cash into your business without slowing growth, GE Capital can raise resources on your trade debtors and stock, as well as provide loans based upon the value of your infrastructure and machinery. Their wide range of Asset Based Lending solutions combined with their dedicated teams will provide you with expertise, support and finance in the most efficient way possible. By matching their experience with your needs, they are able to tailor your company to one of their unique finance plans:
• Working Capital
• Refinance
• Business Acquisition
• MBO/ MBI
• Restructure/ Turnaround
Corporate Aircraft finance
GE Capital finance over 2000 aircraft worldwide, with over 25 years worth of experience in the industry. Their dedicated European team ensure that every customer gets a tailored solution, with plenty of help and support along the way. Thanks to their influence and capabilities within the European market, they also have access to a full roster of aircraft specialist representatives, helping you to get the exact fleet you need for the job. They offer a variety of financing solutions for standard corporate aircraft to helicopters:
Finance and operating leases
• Loans
• Refinancing / capital loans
• Sale and leasebacks
• Off-balance sheet financings
• Off-balance sheet financings
• Upgrade financings (e.g. engine overhauls, completions, avionics)
Distribution Finance
GE Capital is a dedicated distribution finance provider with more than 30 years experience, offering their services to various industry sectors. From agricultural equipment to motor homes, GE help the various industries by improving the liquidity of their customers, outsourcing any dealer risk and supporting sales. They offer two major services for distribution finance, each covering a different sector:
• Inventory Finance
• Finished Goods Finance
Equipment Finance
Equipment finance gives the benefit of owning all the things a business will need, without the cost of paying for everything outright. GE Capital offers equipment to over 90,000 offices in the UK, ranging from London to Manchester. Thanks to their 130+ years of experience in industrial and technology markets, they also have a great insight into the challenges facing businesses every day across a wide range of sectors. This means they can offer you the exact equipment you need to start up your business, which is tailored uniquely to you. They offer two major services to choose from:
• Vendor Finance
• iManage Tool
Fleet Services
GE Capital’s Fleet Service provider is the largest supplier vehicle leasing and fleet management solutions in the world, helping to deliver tailored funding and management solutions to all its customers. With than 1.5 million listed vehicles currently under the GE Capital Fleet Service, you can be sure the company carry a wide range of knowledge and expertise in the fleet sector. Whether you want structured unique funding or advanced management solutions, they have a proven track record for delivering saving efficiencies that amounts to over £16 million in the past year alone. They offer the standard series of leasing and finance schemes aimed at every type of customer:
• Contract Hire
• Contract Purchase
• Finance Lease
• Hybrid Lease
• Sale and Leaseback
• Personal Car Ownership
Healthcare Services
GE is one of the world’s biggest medical technologies, so it makes sense that their Healthcare Service would follow the same innovation and quality. GE Capital provide tailored financing to the European sector of the healthcare industry, offering specialised equity fund schemes aimed at helping support promising medical companies. They offer three schemes which range from standard lease to distribution and corporate finance:
• Equipment Finance
• Vendor Finance
• Other financial Services (Life science finance, corporate finance, real estate finance)
For more information, GE Capital UK can be contacted via their head office on Talgarth Road, London. Alternatively, they can contacted via their telephone number 0207 302 6300, or by logging onto the website over at http://www.gecapital.co.uk and leaving a message in the ‘contact us’ section.
Grosvenor Contracts Leasing
2009 FN50 position: 28/50
Fleet Size: 8,627*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Hilton Vehicle Leasing
2009 FN50 position: 50/50
Fleet Size: 1,145*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 12/50 - fleet size: 33,375*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 14/50 - fleet size: 30,734*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 16/50 - fleet size: 31,673*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions is one of the UK's leading vehicle specialists, offering almost thirty years of hands-on experience in the leasing and finance industry. The company was first established in 1982 and has since expanded into four key industry areas, gaining ISO 9001 and 14001 accreditations along the way. They are also part of the accredited Investors in People scheme (IiP), which aims to improve organisational performance through better implementation of learning and development schemes. The company have won numerous awards for their successes in the industry, with their most recent achievements being the ‘2010 Fleet Van Awards Van Leasing Company of the Year and the ‘2009 Fleet Van Awards Leasing Initiative of the Year’. They are also a firm believer in professionalism and group values, which is reflected in their unique Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Statement.
Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions offers two sites, with one catering for typical bespoke car solutions and the other aimed more primarily at commercial vehicle fleets. They also offer a highly competitive ExLease plan which gives customers access to a more affordable used solution if needed. Some of their various plans can be seen below:
Personal Leasing
Their personal leasing scheme is aimed at customers who need the functionality of a company car but may not be eligible for one. This contract is designed to give you the advantages of driving a brand new car without the hassles of actually owning it. You get the benefits of a fixed low monthly usage as well as an included road fund license tailored specifically to you. For an extra fee you can add the all-inclusive maintenance package, which entitles you to a routine maintenance and repair service as well as tyre replacement and roadside cover.
Services for this contract are not listed, but by logging onto their Personal Leasing website at Hitachi Vehicle Solutions, you can get a quote unique to you.
Business car Leasing
Business leasing gives tailored services to business fleets, providing them with the help and financial backing they need to run a vehicle fleet. By offering several customised services such as fleet funding, fleet management and customised rental lengths, this contract is aimed at giving businesses complete peace of mind. These services are all provided in the various schemes:
• Contract Hire
• Employee Car Ownership (ECO)
• Contract Purchase
• Cash for Car
• Finance Lease
• Personal Leasing
• Outright Purchase
• Fleet funding and policy review
• Sale and Leaseback
Commercial Vehicle Leasing
Hitachi Capital Commercial Vehicle Services has more than 25 years' experience in providing commercial vehicle leasing for a wide variety of fleets. Their wide range of services benefit all types of commercial needs; from small companies needing a few vans, to much larger companies in need of HGVs or specialist ancillary equipment such as cranes and tail lifts. These different services are all underpinned by the familiar schemes such as:
• Contract Hire
• Outright Purchase
• Contract Purchase
• Sale and Leaseback
• Finance Lease
Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions can be contacted via their head office on Klin Road, which is located in Newbury, Berkshire. Alternatively, they can be contacted via telephone on their Newbury number 0844 463 2900, or by logging onto their website http://www.hitachicapitalvehiclesolutions.co.uk and leaving a question in the ‘Company Details’ section.
Inchcape Fleet Solutions
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 13/50 - fleet size: 22,455*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 15/50 - fleet size: 23,135*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 15/50 - fleet size: 28,729*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Inchcape Fleet Solutions is a fleet management and leasing company with a history stretching back over 50 years, offering services ranging from accident management and fleet maintenance to vehicle leasing and contract hire, strengthened with a wide array of innovative online solutions. With approximately 165 staff operating from their head office in Portsmouth, Inchcape Fleet Solutions have become one of the UK’s leading fleet management and leasing companies.
The company operates as the vehicle leasing subsidiary of Inchcape plc, managing a fleet of over 50,000 vehicles. They have been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 1958 as a leading independent international automotive distributor and retailer. The company have numerous professionally recognised accreditations to their name, including ISO 9001, 14001 and 27001. They are also Members of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and the British Vehicle Renting and Leasing Association (BVRLA).
Inchcape Fleet Solutions offer a wide range to customers, ranging from leasing and purchase to management and assistance. Here are some examples of the main leasing policies they have on show; for other policies please check the ‘products and services’ section of their website:
Contract Hire
Contract hire gives customers flexibility with their fleets, allowing them to lease the fleets for a pre-determined time period with no obligations. Contract hire offers distinct advantages over many forms of vehicle funding; in particular, the reclaiming of VAT. With fixed costs and a residual value risk that is undertaken by Inchcape Fleet Solutions themselves, it also means that cash flow is easier to manage.
Inchcape offer two contract hire policies: Maintenance inclusive and Maintenance exclusive. Each one is fairly self explanatory, with one giving an additional maintenance plan and the other not.
Contract Purchase
Contract purchase is the ideal solution if you want to own your vehicles but want to avoid the risk of depreciation. Similar to Contract Hire, the customer initially leases the fleet off Inchcape for a predetermined contract period. The difference comes at the contracts end, where the customer is then given the choice of buying the fleet outright. This type of arrangement is typically suited to companies that are VAT exempt or partially exempt, as VAT is only payable on the maintenance element.
Daily Rental Services
Inchcape’s Daily Rental Services give customers the flexible access to over 130,000 vehicles, ranging from city and prestige cars to commercial vehicles, tippers, 26-tonne trucks and cranes. There are no contracts or agreements and customers simply pay for the vehicle on a day by day basis.
Ex-Fleet Vehicle Sales
This alternative gives company car drivers the option to buy their vehicle when the lease agreement with Inchcape Fleet Solutions expires, as well as providing effective aftercare plans such as a warranty and breakdown covers.
If required, they can also provide a finance solution, which grants all vehicles the following benefits:
• Six months’ parts and labour warranty, with the option to extend it for up to 3 years.
• Roadside assistance included for the full duration of any warranty.
• An MOT guarantee included free with an extended warranty that covers drivers against failure of the next MOT.
Personal Leasing
Personal leasing caters for an individual who wants to lease a car for their own use, separate from a business. There are two choices of car finance funding options to suit your individual needs: personal contract purchase or hire purchase.
Personal Contract Purchase involves fixed monthly payments until the contract ends. Afterwards, the driver has a few choices: they can simply return the car free of charge, keep the car by paying a final agreed payment or part exchange the car and take out a new lease on another vehicle.
Hire Purchase involves fixed monthly payments and at the end of the agreement, you own the car. The above personal leasing agreement also includes full manufacturer’s warranty, roadside assistance and road tax for the contract duration. In addition, you can also choose from several extra maintenance packages for added peace of mind.
Sale and Leaseback
In Sale and Leaseback, you the customer sell your fleet to Inchcape Fleet Solutions and they then lease it straight back to you under the terms of a leasing agreement, usually contract hire. This provides the benefits of an immediate cash injection into your company, as well as eliminating all residual value risk.
Inchcape can be contacted via their main registered office on Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford. Alternatively you can speak to them via telephone on 0870 191 4455, or by email at contactus@ifs.inchcape.co.uk. If you simply want to know more about the policies, all the information can found on their website at www.ifs.inchcape.co.uk, where you’ll find them all individually broken down.
ING Car Lease
On 23 September 2011, European competition authorities gave the green light to the Alphabet and ING Car Lease merger. As announced in July, Alphabet has acquired ING Car Lease for the sum of 637 million euros.
For further information, please call on freephone 0800 458 0113 or email us.
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: n/a - fleet size: n/a
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 8/50 - fleet size: 47,615*
• 2019 Fleet News FN50 position: 7/50 - fleet size: 48,039*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
ING Car Lease is a subsidiary of ING Lease Holding and part of the ING Group - a Dutch-based global financial institution - that conducts its business in the banking, investments, life insurance and retirement services sectors.
One of its divisions – ING Commercial Banking – has the primary objective of meeting all the banking needs of corporations and large multinationals, as well as financial institutions. And with an established pedigree of over 200 years, ING Commercial Banking has certainly made a name for themselves by helping their clients build many successful businesses.
As a part of ING Commercial Banking, ING Lease Holding conducts its business on a European scale and provides services in the area of financial and operational leasing and commercial finance. There are three lines of business: ING Lease, which provides general leasing solutions, ING Car Lease, which specialises in full service operational car lease and ING Commercial Finance, which provides working capital on the basis of accounts receivable and inventory.
ING Car Lease
The car leasing division of ING Commercial Banking offers general leasing in 14 countries and car leasing in 9 countries, offering bespoke financial and operational leases for a wide range of assets. ING Car Lease - the car leasing division - is one of the top 5 international non-captive players in the field of full operational car lease solutions in Europe with a reputation for delivering innovative, creative and progressive solutions within the field of vehicle leasing and fleet management. Their operation spans across Europe and the car and light commercial vehicle fleet is made up of circa 360,000 vehicles (including partnerships).
ING Car Lease offers its customers a number of services: an all-embracing complete maintenance package, which covers everything that a customer would expect from operational leasing. ING Car Lease believes in a customised method within the framework of the state of affairs as set out by you. Our core business is to advise and present you the most beneficial and dependable mobility solutions in the broadest sense of the word.
Specialising in full-service operational car lease products ING Car Lease provides a variety of products and services for car finance, car management and personal leasing at competitive rates, featuring:
• Maintenance, repair and tyres
• Insurance and accident management
• Fuel management and breakdown services
• Replacement vehicles and other mobility solutions
• Fleet management and online services
Typically offering a single point of contact wherever you operate, ING Car Lease has business operations in the Netherlands, UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Italy and Poland. It also offers financial leasing services for cars in all Central and Eastern European countries via the general lease business units in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Russia and through its alliances in Germany, Ireland, Portugal and Austria. This makes it possible for clients to simplify their cross-border fleet management.
ING Car Lease provides its customers first-class car service and finance provision. And - in consistently doing so - it ranks in the top 5 of manufacturer-independent car leasing companies in Europe, by remaining committed to developing long-term, transparent business relationships with its clients.
The UK operation of ING Car Lease operates a fleet of over 50,000 vehicles - both cars and light commercial vehicles – and has customers in both the corporate and public sectors. It offers a wide range of products and services, from vehicle leasing and all-encompassing fleet management, to risk management and environmental fleet reporting. Naturally, the business is supported by the strength and stability of ING Group, with a commitment to developing partnerships with its customers by working closely with them to appreciate their needs and fleet objectives.
Bracknell Office:
ING Car Lease UK Limited
Cookham Road
Bracknell
Berkshire
RG12 1RR
JCT600 Contracts
2009 FN50 position: 34/50
Fleet Size: 5,557*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Leasedrive VELO
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 11/50 - fleet size: 35,659*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 19/50 - fleet size: 15,200*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 20/50 - fleet size: 16,250*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Leasedrive is an award winning fleet management, fleet funding and vehicle rental Management Company that cater for both the public and private sectors. The company was founded in 1983, enjoying early success in the fleet industry. In 2007 it merged with the company Velo to form one of the biggest independent privately-owned vehicle management groups in the UK. The company operates under two brands, Leasedrive and Leasedrive Rental Management, with each catering for a specific area of the market. With Leasedrive offering bespoke fleet management solutions and Leasedrive Rental Management taking care of the leasing side of things, you can rest assured all areas are well covered. LD Leasedrive have won numerous awards for their success in the industry, with a few notable examples being the BusinessCar Techies Awards for three years running (2009, 2010 and 2011), as well as the Energy Saving Trust 'Fleet Hero' Award in 2009 for ‘Innovation in Services and Systems’.
They pride themselves on their unique ALFA system, an industry leading asset finance and management system that offers robust finance along with integrated workflow management capabilities. All this can be accessed via ALFA’s web based front end, allowing on-demand integrated vehicle acquiring, ordering, policy management, service, maintenance and repair, plus records management. Adding to this is their Drive:Manager system, which provides fleet managers with a quick access desktop tool to assist them in the running of their fleets and drivers. The system operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and offers the ability to compare and order vehicles, progress orders and book routine services, all from the comfort of your computer.
LD Leasedrive offer several fleet funding and leasing services for all types of customers, ensuring you get the exact service you want:
Capacitive Lease Management
For those who manage a capacitive leasing company but don’t want the hassle, this plan allows Leasedrive to look after and manage the company themselves.
Contract Hire
Contract Hire is ideal for companies who don’t want the operational risk of running their own vehicle fleets, but still want to be in charge. They take the responsibility for vehicle acquisition, disposal, depreciation, funding, servicing, maintenance, repair and administration, leaving you more time to focus on what’s important; your business.
Contract Purchase
Similar to Contract Hire, Contract Purchase is perfect for those companies who are fully or partially VAT exempt. Vehicles are provided through fixed monthly instalments over a defined period and mileage, with a final balloon payment at the end of the lease. In this plan, the customer is given the option to buy the vehicle at the contracts end, offering further flexibility.
Finance Lease
Finance Leasing provides the customer with a more flexible alternative to contract hire, giving them either a fully liquidated lease or a balloon payment to reduce the rentals. You are responsible for the residual value risk and reward of the vehicle, although you can never actually take its title. This plan is highly suitable for large mileage vehicles as the contract is not based around a fixed mileage system. This may be helpful if you wish to change your business needs in the future.
Outright Purchase
Pretty self explanatory, Outright Purchase involves the customer buying the vehicle there and then. While the vehicle will be under your control, you can still benefit from most of Leasedrives management schemes. This allows you to own the vehicle but still enjoy the same great service the company have to offer.
Sale & Leaseback
Sale and Leaseback is the process of Leasedrive purchasing your existing fleet from you and then leasing it back at an agreed monthly rate. It is designed to release the cash value of your fleet for immediate use, while also freeing you of the running and maintenance costs associated with keeping a fleet. Leasedrive will own the vehicles for the remainder of the contract and bear full responsibility for depreciation, vehicle excess duty, administration and even its disposal, meaning you can concentrate funds on your business.
LD Leasedrive can be contacted via their head office on Nine Mile Ride, Berkshire. Alternatively for general questions, you can phone them on their general landline number 01344 466 466, or by email at info@leasedrive.com. For further information or to find out more, please log onto their website at http://www.leasedrive.com.
Sources Used
http://www.leasedrive.com
LeasePlan
Parent company: LeasePlan Corporation
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 2/50 - fleet size: 130,200*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 2/50 - fleet size: 123,882*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 2/50 - fleet size: 121,960*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Established in 1963, LeasePlan have grown to become the World's leading provider of fleet management services in more than 30 countries. With more than 6,000 people, who are dedicated to delivering on the company's client promise, it's easier to ‘leaseplan'. They oversee a fleet in excess of 125,000 vehicles. Originating in Holland, they operate under four major brand names - LeasePlan (large Corporations), FleetLine (small fleets), Network (intermediaries) and Automotive Leasing (Public Sector). The company are currently owned by the Volkswagen Bank GmbH (50%) and Fleet Investments B.V. (50%), an investment company owned by German banker Friedrich von Metzler.
The subsidiary companies listed above all operate under the parent company LeasePlan and help to branch the market out from their core focus of large corporate fleets to almost all areas of the leasing market. The UK branch of LeasePlan has been around since 1979 and is the second largest vehicle leasing company in the UK. They operate fleets in excess of 125,000 vehicles, including 32,000 commercial vehicles.
More specific roles for each of LeasePlan’s subsidiaries are as follows:
• FleetLine is aimed squarely at small to medium sized fleets of between 1 and 100 vehicles. Under LeasePlan’s guidance, they benefit from the support and systems infrastructure of LeasePlan UK to remain focused on providing a fast, efficient and friendly service to all of their customers.
• Network delivers finance and support solutions to individual drivers and fleet operators through nationwide coverage of franchises. Specialising in finance solutions for companies with fleets, they deliver the highest quality products and the most flexible finance solutions through the provision of their six core funding options – Contract Hire, Contract Purchase, Lease Purchase, Finance Lease, Drive wise and Personal Contract Hire.
• Automotive Leasing is the brand specialising in public sector vehicle leasing for larger corporations who want bigger fleets. They currently provide over 550 public sector bodies and organisations with an expert service aimed at helping them meet their performance plans and organisational objectives.
LeasePlan also spearhead a number of employee initiatives that are designed to cut costs, reduce emissions and effectively manage risks. Under the company’s Salary Plan scheme, employees can take advantage of government tax initiatives for greener motoring in order to give businesses a competitive advantage. By recognising that every organisation is different in terms of employee base, culture and operational needs, they deliver a tailored scheme based on your strategic, operational and financial goals.
LeasePlan has won numerous awards, over the past few years, with the UK Customer Experience Award and the Employee Benefits awards to name but a few.
Sources
http://www.leaseplan.co.uk/
http://www.automotive-leasing.org/about_al.htm
http://network.leaseplan.co.uk/what-do-we-do.html
http://www.fleetlineoffers.co.uk/about.php
http://www.uk-ce-awards.co.uk/uk-ce-awards-2010/winners/leaseplan-uk/
Article written by: Tom Wellburn
Leaseway Vehicle Rental
2009 FN50 position: 19/50
Fleet Size: 16,574*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Lex Autolease
Parent company: Lloyds Banking Group
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 1/50 - fleet size: 280,218*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 1/50 - fleet size: 307,133*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 1/50 - fleet size: 337,778*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
LexAutolease is the UK's leading fleet management and fleet funding specialist and currently part of the Lloyds Banking Group. Spanning a long and illustrious history from as far back as 1958, the company began from an acquisition when North West Securities Ltd is bought by Bank of Scotland for £700,000. After the merging of Lex with Lloyds TSB Autolease in 2009 they established themselves as the country’s largest contract hire website, providing 100 years of vehicle leasing experience and success.
They now supply 1 in 75 of all company cars in the UK and specialize in developing true partnerships with businesses and public sector organisations to help them face the challenges of running a fleet. Specialising in fleet funding, the company cater for both large corporate fleets and smaller fleets of 20 or less and have various initiatives designed to help customers and employees alike.
Through their website ‘LexAutolease.co.uk’, they provide facilities for a number of subsidiaries within the fleet sector such as salary and accident services and public sector fleet rental. They currently run several campaigns which aim to address key issues that may concern potential fleet clients.
Sale and Leaseback is a scheme where the Companies sell their cars to LexAutolease themselves and then lease them from them for a small fee. Some immediate cash sum that can be used in core business activities can be generated by doing this. Ownership of the vehicles is transferred to LexAutolease, and with it the risk of depreciation and interest rate changes.
They also employ a unique calculation method known as 'Whole Life Cost' to accurately calculate lease fares. They model factors in all the tax and insurance variables along with tailored fuel costs to give you the full picture and the power to reduce costs, improve choice, or both.
As recognition for their work, LexAutolease have won several independent awards for the company’s success in employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction and overall service. To name but a few, they have won:
• Service Supplier of the Year - BusinessCar Awards 2010 2011
• Leasing and Fleet Management Company of the Year - BusinessCar Awards 2007 - 2011
• Leasing Company of the Year - GreenFleet Awards 2010
• Post-Sale Customer Satisfaction Survey Winners - apd Landmark Awards 2007 & 2008
• Fleet Solutions Company - Institute of Transport Management 2006 - 2009
• Editor's Award for contribution to the LCV industry - 2009 Van Fleet World Honours
• Van Leasing Company of the Year - 2008 Fleet Van Awards
Lombard Vehicle Management
Customer Services
Lombard Vehicle Management Fleet Size
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 5/50 - fleet size: 70,621*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 3/50 - fleet size: 81,800*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 3/50 - fleet size: 90,468*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
About Lombard Vehicle Management
Parent company: Royal Bank of Scotland Group
Lombard Vehicle Management are a leasing and finance company that have existed for almost 150 years; where they started life rolling out stock for railways back in 1861. In modern times, Lombard have expanded far further than railways, providing financing and leasing for almost every major leasing sector imaginable. The list ranges from simple automotive vehicles to shipping vessels and even aircraft. To add to their already extensive background, they also have the backing from one of the UK’s major banks. Being part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group gives them a powerful financial backing and a huge portfolio of corporate, business, retail and private wealth markets as well as a growing worldwide prominence in areas such as the USA and Asia.
The company officially operate under a scheme called asset finance, which differs from standard financing schemes in that it aims to finance all assets necessary to its customers. Lombard will effectively lease or finance anything the company needs, be it automobiles or even technological items such as computers. Lombard carry various plans for all sorts of these areas both inside and outside of the automotive leasing sector, such as:
Contract Hire
Contract hire is aimed at the customers who want the simplicity of fixed monthly payments with the benefits of flexible agreement terms. For a set monthly amount, everything except fuel and motor insurance can be taken care of with zero hassle- including servicing, tyres and even tax. At the end of the agreement Lombard get your vehicle, or you can negotiate an extension to the contract based on your needs.
Contract Purchase
Contract purchase gives you similar options to the Contract Hire scheme, expect when you’ve finished with your contract you have the opportunity to buy whatever asset you’re leasing. This finance option may be preferable if you want to own your asset at the end of the contract while avoiding the risk of depreciation that comes with buying outright.
Finance Lease
Finance Lease is aimed to offer maximum flexibility with spread fixed rentals that are matched to your cash flow. At the end of the leasing agreement, the relevant assets are sold and you receive the majority share of the earnings.
Hire Purchase
Aimed at the customer who wants a more straightforward option, Hire Purchase gives you the benefits of flexible monthly payments as well as various ways to plan out and structure your finance. At the end of the contract you ultimately own the asset and; depending on contract terms, may pay a final balloon sum to claim sole ownership.
Operating Lease
Operating Lease gives the customer peace of mind and is recommended for more expensive assets that you may prefer not to own personally. With the Operating Lease scheme you can let Lombard own the asset, so you don’t have to worry about depreciation or theft.
Sale and Leaseback
Sale and Leaseback gives customers a chance to make money off their old fleet and then have it leased back to them at a far cheaper cost than being responsible for their full ownership. The cash you receive is released into your company straight away and at the end of the agreement you have the option of trading your old fleet for a newer, more modern option.
Stocking Finance
Stocking finance is provided to motor dealerships to keep the businesses sensibly financed so the dealership can focus on what important: the managing and the sales. Lombard control the financing side through cash flow management and market awareness so you the customer can focus on everything else.
Wholesale Finance
For customers who may be suffering from debt, the Wholesale Finance option offers an escape from the many business difficulties that come from owing money. Lombard take on your debt portfolio and act as your silent partner, giving you the opportunity to escape from your debt through their expertise in risk financing and capital access.
Car and Van Finance
Car and Van Finance is fairly self explanatory. As one of the UK’s largest finance to rental to firms with over 20 year’s experience, Lombard know the market well. Their UK specialist team will work with you to maximise the benefits of areas such as tailored financing and targeted debt facilities so you can get the best financing for your fleets.
Lombard can be contacted via their freephone UK number 0800 502 402, or alternatively via their typetalk number 18001 0800502 402. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm. They can also be contacted via their website http://www.lombard.co.uk/.
Sources
http://www.lombard.co.uk/
http://www.rbs.com/home.ashx
Lookers Leasing
2009 FN50 position: 45/50
Fleet Size: 1,750*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Marshall Leasing
2009 FN50 position: 36/50
Fleet Size: 5,305*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Masterlease
2009 FN50 position: 10/50
Fleet Size: 44,346*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Mercedes Benz Finance
Customer Services
About Mercedes-Benz Finance
Parent company: Daimler Fleet Management
MNH Platinum
2009 FN50 position: 38/50
Fleet Size: 4,000*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Motiva Vehicle Contracts
2009 FN50 position: 37/50
Fleet Size: 5,281*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
NVR Fleet
2009 FN50 position: 29/50
Fleet Size: 8,000*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Ogilvie Fleet
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 19/50 - fleet size: 10,130*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 24/50 - fleet size: 9,515*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 24/50 - fleet size: 9,145*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
About Ogilvie Fleet
Ogilvie Fleet have been operating for over 30 years delivering contract hire, leasing and fleet management solutions to companies within the UK and Europe. They operate independently and are therefore able to give great impartial advice.
They have been a part of the Ogilvie Group Ltd since 1979 with a heritage stretching back as far as 1953. The company is continuing to grow year on year adding 630 vehicles to their fleet since 2010. Ogilvie Fleet is a fast growing organisation and have recently bought the corporate fleet arm of Northern Ireland’s ContraFlex Contract Hire and Leasing firm. Today, the Ogilvie Group has a turnover of over £175 million and over 400 employees.
The Ogilvie group has successfully diversified from its core activities of Construction and Homes. It added Ogilvie Fleet to its expanding list of successes. With a head office in Stirling, Scotland, they operate from several branches throughout the UK.
Services
Ogilvie Fleet have several services offered to their customers including Contract Hire, Fleet Management, Fleet Outsourcing and Daily Rentals as well as a host of additional services.
Contract Hire
Contract Hire is ideal for businesses who don’t want the risk of running their own vehicle fleets. Ogilvie’s popular contract hire option is a fixed term lease, usually 2 to 4 years and promotes no hidden costs. Vehicle costs such as any maintenance required are included within the package.
Fleet Management
This option is best suited for companies that already have their own fleet of vehicles but would like them expertly managed, as well as reducing maintenance costs. Ogilvie Fleet offers a range of discount structures when managing fleets of clients’ cars.
Daily Rentals
Ogilvie also offers daily rentals, whether for 6 days or six months depending on the situation. Designed for companies with an unpredictable need for a car, that may perhaps not need a car as often as a contract hire and lease holder would need.
The above mentioned services are just a fraction of what Ogilvie offer. They do many more services whether it is car leasing or fuel cards. They are currently growing, and with that you can expect even more services to appear as and when needed. Ogilvie have gained a reputation for great customer service with award nominations and fast growth would suggest. If you would like to know more about Ogilvie Fleet then please contact them using the following:
Address: Ogilvie House, 200 Glasgow Road, Stirling, FK7 8ES Phone: 0330 333 5678 Email: fleet-scotland@ogilvie.co.uk
Sources used:
http://www.ogilvie.co.uk/about/
http://www.ogilvie-fleet.co.uk/
http://www.vrl-financial-news.com/asset-finance/leasing-life/issues/ll-2011/ll-july-2011/ogilvie-fleet-buys-contraflex.aspx
OVL Group
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 38/50 - fleet size: 2,800*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Pendragon Contracts Fleet Size
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 17/50 - fleet size: 13,167*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 22/50 - fleet size: 12,024*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 18/50 - fleet size: 18,438*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Pendragon Contracts
Pendragon Contracts is a leasing and finance company who operate under the parent company Pendragon PLc – the largest automotive dealer in Europe. Pendragon Contracts employ more than 70 team members across the country, with a strong focus on their unique in-house ‘constant And Never-ending Improvement’ (CANI) business model. This recognises all employees’ roles within the company and encourages them to all contribute ideas that may be valuable to its future development.
Since being established as a core element of the Pendragon PLc business model in 1989, the company has rapidly expanded, acquiring and merging with no less than three huge contract companies – CFC Solutions in 1998, Bramhall Contracts in 2004 and most recently, Varfy Contract Motoring in 2006.
Pendragon Contracts offer numerous services catered for both the car and van leasing market, with their main policies listed below:
Contract Hire
Contract Hire is the standard method for companies looking to rent any number of vehicles for a predetermined period. With this service, you typically lease a brand new vehicle for a fixed contract period and at a fixed annual mileage. Payments are the same and come on a monthly basis, with only a single bill to worry about. Ownership of the vehicle remains primarily in the hands of Pendragon, meaning that it will never appear on the employee’s balance sheet and there are no associated running costs to worry about.
Daily and Flexilease Hires
Daily and Flexible hire schemes offer a similar service to that of the standard Contract hire schemes, but for a much shorter agreed period. Leases start from as little as one month for Flexilease and carry an open ended agreement that allows extensions as the customer sees fit. Daily schemes give the customer the chance to lease a car for the day, giving them full breakdown cover and accident management as standard.
Sale and Leaseback
Sale and Leaseback is a fantastic option for companies looking to inject some cash into their business as quickly as possible, while still maintaining a fully operational fleet. This method sees you the customer selling your fleet to Pendragon at an agreed sum and then lending it back from them in a traditional Contract Hire deal. By selling the fleet, it also means you don’t have to worry about the general running costs that fleet ownership brings.
Salary Sacrifice Car Schemes
Salary sacrifice schemes allow employees not typically entitled to a car the opportunity to receive one, in return for part of their salary under the terms & conditions of their employment. As the salary is sacrificed before tax and National Insurance, there is also typically a discount on the vehicle the employee receives.
All of these schemes come with several optional Fleet Management add-on packages as listed below. Some packages may be included as standard for certain methods such as Daily and Flexilease:
• Driver Care
• Online Service Booking
• Outsourced Fleet Administration
• Breakdown Cover
• Accident Management
• Risk Management
• Tyre Provision
• Glass Replacement
• Fuel Cards
• Trafficmaster/Telematics
Pendragon Contracts’ head office is located in Derby, DE21 4AZ. For more information, Pendragon Contracts can be reached via the ‘contact us’ section of their website over at ‘http://www.pendragon-contracts.co.uk/contactus.asp’. Alternatively, they can also be contacted via their telephone number 01332 267367 or by their email address ‘info@pendragon-contracts.co.uk’. < style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt" class="MsoNormal">Sources
http://www.pendragon-contracts.co.uk
https://www.ss4c.com/?p=overview
http://www.contracthireandleasing.com/guides/sale-and-leaseback/
http://www.peugeotvehiclecontracts.co.uk/contract-hire-explained/
http://www.contracthireandleasing.com/guides/sale-and-leaseback/
http://www.businesscar.co.uk/mp_detailed.asp?adid=53706&com=32454&navcode=&packagetype=S
Prohire
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 48/50 - fleet size: 1,257*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
RCI Financial Services
2009 FN50 position:
Fleet Size: 11,426*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Sandicliffe Motor Contracts
2009 FN50 position: 41/50
Fleet Size: 3.050*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
SG Fleet
2009 FN50 position: 49/50
Fleet Size: 1,271*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Sinclair Finance & Leasing
2009 FN50 position: 44/50
Fleet Size: 2,470*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
TCH Leasing
2009 FN50 position: 33/50
Fleet Size: 5,700*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Toomey Leasing Group
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 18/50 - fleet size: 12,992*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 20/50 - fleet size: 14,561*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 22/50 - fleet size: 15,429*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
About Toomey Leasing Group
Toomey Leasing Group is a fleet management and leasing company that is a subsidiary of Laindon Holdings Limited. It operates primarily as the leasing sector of the Toomey Group and was previously made up of five separate Toomey subsidiaries. A merger in January 2012 saw these groups combined into the single company that deals with all leasing and management enquiries – Toomey Leasing Group.
Toomey Leasing Group offer several leasing options catering for all market sectors ranging from individuals to large businesses. Here are a few outlined below:
Contract Hire
Contract Hire is your standard fixed lease service where the customer takes out a fleet for a predetermined contract period. Overall cost and payments are decided at the contract start and stay fixed through the entire lease period, with only a single monthly bill to worry about. Depending on the vehicle’s CO2 rating, Toomey offers a monthly offset against corporate tax should your vehicle qualify. Less than 160g/km allows for 100% recovery, whilst more than 160g/km allows a recovery of 85%, with a 15% leasing disallowance.
Contract Purchase
Contract Purchase operates in much the same way as a standard Contract Hire Scheme, except at the contracts end the customer is given the opportunity to buy the fleet through a final ‘balloon payment’. For those who are not completely sure whether or not they wish to own the fleet after the contract period, Toomey also offers an ‘Option to Purchase’ amendment.
Finance Lease
Finance Lease again operates very similar to Contract Hire but with one key difference. At the end of the rental agreement, it is down to the business itself to sell the fleet, rather than Toomey. When disposing of the vehicle or fleet, Toomey uses a fully liquidated ‘on balance sheet’ facility where the risk or reward lies with the lessee. VAT is fully recoverable vs. standard Contract Hire schemes and there are no additional costs incurred for high mileage vehicles.
Personal Finance
Personal finance is a policy which is directly between the employee and Toomey, rather than the business itself. As it is done on an entirely personal basis, there is scope for individual tailoring of the contract. Customers can choose the mileage, deposit and contract length, which is then consolidated into a single, tailored package.
Toomey offer Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) as a Personal Finance method, which is essentially a Contract Purchase policy made directly between Toomey and the employee.
Employee Car Ownership (ECO)
An ECO scheme is essentially Contract Hire with a twist – the Employee owns the car for the contract period. Since the vehicle is classed as privately owned by the HMRC, the customer avoids any Benefit In Kind tax that the typical contract would give. They also avoid National Insurance payments as well. Toomey offer a net monthly budget to help fund your vehicle, as well as the framework and implementation needed to manage the fleet.
Daily Rental Schemes
Toomey also offers a competitive Daily Rental Scheme with free delivery and collection for addresses within a two mile radius of the rental locations. Their flexi-schemes start from three months and range all the way up to twelve, with over 40,000 vehicles to choose from.
As well as the Standard fleet funding schemes, Toomey also offers several fleet management services. Here are a few below:
• Fuelcard Management
• Accident Management
• Telematics
• Driver Management
• Mileage Capture Schemes
Toomey Leasing Group head office is located in Laindon, Basildon, SS15 6RW. If you wish to get in touch for more information, they can be contacted via the Basildon telephone number 01268 544077. Alternatively, you can email them at ‘basildon@toomeylease.com’. They also have several more offices located in Chester, Derby, Luton and Poole. To see any of these, visit the’ Contact Us’ section of their website at ‘http://www.toomeylease.com/contact-us/’.
Sources used:
http://www.toomeylease.com/
http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/2012/1/18/toomey-group-leasing-companies-join-forces/42182/
http://www.peugeotvehiclecontracts.co.uk/contract-hire-explained/
http://www.financeacar.co.uk/car-finance-options/business-contract-purchase
http://www.financeacar.co.uk/car-finance-options/finance-lease
http://www.lexautolease.co.uk/content/funding/ecos/default.aspx
http://www.finance4cars.co.uk/PCP_finance_explained.htm
http://www.freeindex.co.uk/profile(toomey-leasing-group-ltd)_421240.htm
Toyota Financial Services
2009 FN50 position: 32/50
Fleet Size: 6,085*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
TransLinc
2009 FN50 position: 46/50
Fleet Size: 1,636*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Tuskerdirect
2009 FN50 position: 30/50
Fleet Size: 6,118*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Venson Automotive Solutions
2009 FN50 position: 26/50
Fleet Size: 8,731*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Volkswagen Group Leasing
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 8/50 - fleet size: 49,437*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 7/50 - fleet size: 47,700*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 11/50 - fleet size: 41,984*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Volkswagen Group Leasing are a finance and vehicle leasing company who operate as a side branch of the Volkswagen Financial Services company. The company are one of only a select few to offer both vehicle financing and vehicle leasing together, which they say gives them a unique advantage over the competition. With VW only recently introducing this sector of the company in May 2011 it is still very much early days, however they’ve already they’ve already managed to leave their mark on the market. Within only the first month of trading, they secured no less than 30 public sector clients and established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Since then they’ve continued to go from strength to strength, forging numerous business partnerships and further cementing their name. Their main vehicle suppliers are VW, Audi, Skoda and SEAT, though the company also deal with other vehicles if requested, such as those within the public sector.
Volkswagen Group Leasing offer various plans aimed at each sector of the market, both private and public:
Funding Solutions
The company offer various financing and funding options, whether it's Contract Hire or Sale and Leaseback that the customer needs. Volkswagen Group Leasing tailors each of their funding options specifically for the customer so they can get the best deal possible at the best price possible.
Fleet Management
Volkswagen Group Leasing offers various fleet management options, whether you fund your vehicles with them or not. All customers are accepted regardless of fleet size, and their dedicated teams will give you professional advice on all areas which need to be considered. The advice given ranges from manufacturer negotiations and maintenance management to legal areas such as dealing with fines and motoring infringement.
Daily Rental
The daily rental scheme offers customers a quick and simple way to rent a car for short day periods. Using the industry leading IRIS software, it’s incredibly easy to book and manage the whole rental process from start to finish. Volkswagen Group Leasing also work closely with a company called Nexus Vehicle Rental - the UK’s leading supplier of rental supply, management and systems to businesses and the public sector, to ensure they deliver the highest quality of service.
Mini Lease
Made with short term leasing in mind, this service offers no long term contract commitments with the cost effective benefits of not paying for the lease on a daily basis.
VGL Fuelcard
For those who have fleets that use substantial amounts of fuel, Volkswagen Group Leasing offers their own fuel card scheme to help keep track of payments and usage. Operating under the highly reliable and popular AllStar Network, the cards are accepted at 95% of UK petrol stations including the leading supermarket chains. With the fuel card you benefit from having only one HRMC invoice to worry about, as well as been able to recover 100% of the VAT associated with your business.
Accident Management
Accident Management is a financing scheme which offers peace of mind for those whose fleets may be put in more danger than usual, for example in the Public Sector. Working with industry specialists, Volkswagen Group Leasing deliver instant help with the Driver Rescue and Approved Repairer Network, to ensure you get your vehicles back on the road as quickly as possible. Not only that, but Volkswagen Group Leasing also offers a comprehensive online management system for customers to keep track of things like claims and uninsured loss recovery, so you’re only a click away from making sure things are running smoothly.
Fleet Risk Management
Fleet Risk Management is aimed at giving help and advice to ensure any possible risk and damage to your fleet is reduced. Specially designed Duty of Care packages that are uniquely tailored to each customer ensure that they get the best possible help and advice for their fleet.
Volkswagen Group Leasing can be contacted via their head office in Brunswick Court, Milton Keynes. You can also contact them via the telephone number 0870 333 2229, or alternatively by emailing them at vglenquiries@vwfs.co.uk. For any more information make sure to log on to their website at http://www.volkswagengroupleasing.co.uk/.
Sources
http://www.volkswagengroupleasing.co.uk/
http://www.contracthireandleasing.com/car-leasing-news/exciting-times-ahead-for-volkswagen-group-leasing/
http://www.nexusrental.com/about_us.php
Windsor Vehicle Leasing
2009 FN50 position: 47/50
Fleet Size: 1,543*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
Zenith Vehicle Contracts
• 2011 Fleet News FN50 position: 14/50 - fleet size: 22,136*
• 2010 Fleet News FN50 position: 18/50 - fleet size: 19,990*
• 2009 Fleet News FN50 position: 17/50 - fleet size: 19,500*
* source Fleet News, part of Bauer Automotive
About Zenith
Zenith Intelligent Vehicle Solutions is one of the UK’s leading independent leasing, Fleet Management and Vehicle Outsourcing Businesses. The company was established in 1989 as a specialist provider of bespoke fleet solutions, offering its services to mid to large corporate businesses.
Over the past few years the company has expanded widely, acquiring new businesses and bolstering its economic assets. In 2008, Zenith bought Employee Car Ownership (ECO) specialist Provecta Car Plan, one of the very first leasing companies to offer employee car ownerships in the 1990’s. Shortly after this in 2010, Zenith completed their fourth re-financing deal with Morgan Stanley Private Equity, putting them in a better economic standing than ever before. Zenith have also had a business venture with Asda Supermarkets for over 9 years, offering fleet funding and management services to more than 700 of their contract hire vehicles. With their efficient, tailored services all supported by a reliable data rich online management platform, Zenith provides the most cost effective and tax effective solutions to mid to large corporate businesses within the UK.
Zenith offer several services tailored to fleet financing, with each one filling in a specific space in the market:Contract Hire
Contract hire is your standard term-based policy. Zenith provides the customer with a vehicle or fleet for an agreed contract length and the customer returns the vehicles at the contract end. All costs are fixed and reflected on the budget requirements and earnings of the customer, with Zenith handling all administration and maintenance fees. This is useful for companies needing a reliable fleet without the commitment of actually owning one.
ECO
ECO or Employee Car Ownership is a method of acquiring cars from a single source that often operates within a particular financing framework. It is a method where the employees themselves find and use a vehicle similar in a similar manner to a company car, except the ECO scheme is usually administered and funded by the employer or a third party who are related to the employer. The benefit of this is that the car is technically classed by the HMRC as being privately owned, meaning there is no Benefit in Kind tax that needs to be paid. The vehicle is usually funded through a combination of business mileage reimbursement and taxable cash allowance, plus a small contribution from the employee. This offers a particularly cost-effective solution for businesses whose fleets cover high mileages.
Contract Purchase
Contract Purchase is very similar to Contract Hire, except the customer is given the option of vehicle ownership at the end of the contract. Like Contract Hire, the customer makes fixed monthly payments which are decided at the beginning of the contract. At the end of the contract the customer is given the option of paying a final ‘balloon’ sum, giving him ownership of the vehicle after the contract finishes. If you choose against buying the vehicle, Zenith will buy it back at the end of the term, protecting you from any residual value risks associated with vehicle ownership.
Sale & Leaseback
Sale and Leaseback allows Zenith to purchase your vehicles and lease them straight back to you at the current market value, without the usual residual value risk. Maintenance packages for your fleet can be provided as an optional extra, either on a fixed cost or pay-on-use basis. The main benefit of Sale & Leaseback is that you gain that much needed capital for use elsewhere in your business; highly useful if you are a relatively new company who needs a fleet without the commitment and associated risks of owning one.
Whole Life Cost
Whole Life Cost is the full term of your leasing or ownership where the overall vehicle costs are factored in. Whole Life Cost takes into account all the related factors during the vehicle holding period, giving you clear figures of things such as its depreciation, running costs and car tax payable. Whole Life Cost modelling helps the customer to understand the true cost of running their fleet by giving Zenith the ability provide advice on the best funding solutions available to the company. When it comes to funding the fleet and choosing which vehicles to provide, Zenith look at varying factors behind the fleet costs to ensure the customer makes the right decisions for their business.
Zenith also provides an array of comprehensive Fleet Management solutions, including:
• Maintenance Management
• Service Booking
• Tyre Replacement
• Vehicle Administration
• Acquisition & Disposals
• Commercial Vehicles
Zenith Intelligent Vehicle Solutions can be contacted via their head office in Anglia House, Leeds. Alternatively, you can telephone them on the number 0844 848 8091, or email at info@zenith.co.uk. Sources Used
https://www.zenith.co.uk
http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/costs/wholelife-costs/
http://www.lexautolease.co.uk/content/funding/saleleaseback.aspx
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County Londonderry
BT52 1QS
David Prentice Omagh B M W
Dealer Group: David Prentice (Cars) Ltd
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Dromore Road
OMAGH
County Tyrone
BT78 1QZ
S E R E Belfast Chevrolet
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7-9 Boucher Road
BELFAST
County Antrim
BT12 6HR
Eakin Bros Ltd Chevrolet
Dealer Group: Eakin Bros Ltd
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2 Carrakeel Drive
Maydown
LONDONDERRY
County Londonderry
BT47 6UQ
Charles Hurst Chrysler
Dealer Group: Lookers Plc
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62 Boucher Road
BELFAST
County Antrim
BT12 6LR
Todds Of Campsie Chrysler
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6 Courtauld Way
EGLINTON
County Londonderry
BT47 3DN
Wilsons Of Rathkenny Ltd Citroen
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371 Cushendall Road
Rathkenny
BALLYMENA
County Antrim
BT43 6QB
Charles Hurst Citroen
Dealer Group: Lookers Plc
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62 Boucher Road
BELFAST
County Antrim
BT12 6LR
J C Halliday & Sons Bushmills Citroen
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206 Straid Road
BUSHMILLS
County Antrim
BT57 8XJ
Roadside Motors Citroen
Dealer Group: Roadside Motor Group
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71 Belfast Road
Dollingstown
LURGAN
County Armagh
BT66 7JP
T M Martin & Son Citroen
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6-8 Cross Street
Killyleagh
DOWNPATRICK
County Down
BT30 9QG
Campbell Citroen
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Shore Road
Rostrevor
NEWRY
County Down
BT34 3AA
Shaws Citroen
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3 Green Road
Bangor- Ards Dual Carriageway
NEWTOWNARDS
County Down
BT23 7PZ
Donnelly Bros Citroen
Dealer Group: Donnelly Bros
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101 Irvinestone Road
ENNISKILLEN
County Fermanagh
BT74 6DN
J C Halliday & Sons Campsie Citroen
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10 Courtauld Way
EGLINTON
County Londonderry
BT47 3DN
Donnelly Bros Citroen
Dealer Group: Donnelly Bros
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59 Moy Road
DUNGANNON
County Tyrone
BT71 7DT
Desmond Eastwood Motors Daihatsu
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197 Moira Road
LISBURN
County Antrim
BT28 2SN
Donnelly Bros Daihatsu
Dealer Group: Donnelly Bros
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Mallusk Road
NEWTOWNABBEY
County Antrim
BT36 4AA
Downeys Daihatsu
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39 Portaferry Road
NEWTOWNARDS
County Down
BT23 8NN
Eakin Bros Ltd Daihatsu
Dealer Group: Eakin Bros Ltd
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48 Main Street
CLAUDY
County Londonderry
BT47 4HR
Charles Hurst Ferrari
Dealer Group: Lookers Plc
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62 Boucher Road
BELFAST
County Antrim
BT12 6LR
Wilsons Of Rathkenny Ltd Fiat
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381 Cushendall Road
Rathkenny
BALLYMENA
County Antrim
BT43 6Q
Mervyn Stewart Belfast Fiat
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11 Boucher Crescent
BELFAST
County Antrim
BT12 6HU
S E R E Group Fiat
Dealer Group: S E R E Ltd
Lissue Industrial Estate
Moira Road
LISBURN
County Antrim
BT28 2
Lindsay Ford
Dealer Group: Lindsay Ford Group
Ford Retail UK
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Unit 14
Pennybridge Industrial Estate
BALLYMENA
County Antrim
BT42 3HB
Mc Cartney Motors Larne Ford
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41 Belfast Road
LARNE
County Antrim
BT40 2PH
Lindsay Ford
Dealer Group: Lindsay Ford Group Ford Retail UK
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31 Mallusk Road
NEWTOWNABBEY
County Antrim
BT36 4PP
Lindsay Ford
Dealer Group: Lindsay Ford Group Ford Retail UK
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15 Boucher Road
BELFAST
County Antrim
BT12 6HR
Lindsay Ford
Dealer Group: Lindsay Ford Group Ford Retail UK
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18-20 Market Place
LISBURN
County Antrim
BT28 1AN
John Mulholland Motors Ford
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211A Castle Road
RANDALSTOWN
County Antrim
BT41 2EB
Ballylisk Car Sales Ford
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133 Portadown Road
Tandragee
PORTADOWN
County Armagh
BT62 2JX
Lindsay Ford
Dealer Group: Lindsay Ford Group Ford Retail UK
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3 Balloo Park
BANGOR
County Down
BT19 7PP
Jamison Of Carryduff Ltd Ford
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636 Saintfield Road
Carryduff
BELFAST
County Down
BT8 8BT
C A R S Of Newry Ford
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11 Old Warren Point Road
NEWRY
County Down
BT34 2PF
Monaghan Brothers Ford
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Drumhaw
Lisnaskea
ENNISKILLEN
County Fermanagh
BT92 0JB
Browne & Day Ford
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Hilltop Garage 4 Main Str
CLAUDY
County Londonderry
BT47 4HR
Lindsay Ford
Dealer Group: Lindsay Ford Group Ford Retail UK
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80-82 Bushmills Road
COLERAINE
County Londonderry
BT52 2hh
Desmond Motors Ltd Ford
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173 Strand Road
Pennyburn
LONDONDERRY
County Londonderry
BT48 7PU
Roadside Motors Ford
Dealer Group: Roadside Motor Group
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22 Orritor Road
COOKSTOWN
County Tyrone
BT80 8BN
Saltmarine Ford
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Tamnamore
DUNGANNON
County Tyrone
BT71 6HW
Pat Kirk Motors Ltd Ford
Dealer Group: Pat Kirk Group
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53 Brookmount Road
Gortmore
OMAGH
County Tyrone
BT78 5HZ
P G Mc Gillion Motors Ltd Ford
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132 Melmount Road
Sion Mills
STRABANE
County Tyrone
BT82 9LA
Donnelly & Taggart Honda
Dealer Group: Donnelly Bros
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120 Antrim Road
BALLYMENA
County Antrim
BT42 2HD
Donnelly Bros Honda
Dealer Group: Donnelly Bros
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8-8a Boucher Road
BELFAST
County Antrim
BT12 6HR
Campbell Honda
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Shore Road
Rostrevor
NEWRY
County Down
BT34 3AA
Donnelly & Taggart Honda
Dealer Group: Donnelly Bros
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Courtauld Way
Campsie Industrial Estate
EGLINTON
County Londonderry
BT47 3DN
Donnelly Bros Honda
Dealer Group: Donnelly Bros
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57-59 Moy Road
DUNGANNON
County Tyrone
BT71 7DT
Desmond Eastwood Motors Ltd Isuzu
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197 Moira Road
LISBURN
County Antrim
BT28 2SN
Donnelly Bros Isuzu
Dealer Group: Donnelly Bros
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Mallusk Road
NEWTOWNABBEY
County Antrim
BT36 4AA
Downeys Isuzu
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39 Portaferry Road
NEWTOWNARDS
County Down
BT23 8NN
C R Morrow Ltd Isuzu
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109 Millvale Road
Bessbrook
NEWRY
County Down
BT35 7NB
Eakin Bros Ltd Isuzu
Dealer Group: Eakin Bros Ltd
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48 Main Street
CLAUDY
County Londonderry
BT47 4HR
Riddell Bros Isuzu
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58 Carricknakielt Road
MAGHERA
County Londonderry
BT46 5EJ
Charles Hurst Jaguar
Dealer Group: Lookers Plc
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62 Boucher Road
BELFAST
County Antrim
BT12 6LR
Wilsons Of Rathkenny Ltd Kia
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371-381 Cushendall Road
Rathkenny
BALLYMENA
County Antrim
BT43 6QB
Charles Hurst Kia
Dealer Group: Lookers Plc
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62 Boucher Road
BELFAST
County Antrim
BT12 6LR
Howard Abraham Motors Ltd Kia
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65-83 Avenue Road
LURGAN
County Armagh
BT66 7BG
Downeys Kia
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39 Portaferry Road
NEWTOWNARDS
County Down
BT23 8NN
Roadside Kia
Dealer Group: Roadside Motor Group
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9 Somerset Road
COLERAINE
County Londonderry
BT51 3LL
Todds Of Campsie Kia
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6 Courtauld Way
EGLINTON
County Londonderry
BT47 3DN
T C Autos Kia
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52 Killyclogher Road
OMAGH
County Tyrone
BT79 7LP
Charles Hurst Land Rover
Dealer Group: Lookers Plc
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62 Boucher Road
BELFAST
County Antrim
BT12 6LR
T P Topping & Company Ltd Land Rover
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12 Dublin Road
ENNISKILLEN
County Fermanagh
BT74 6HL
Donnelly Bros Garages (Dungannon) Ltd Land Rover
Dealer Group: Donnelly Bros
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59 Moy Road
DUNGANNON
County Tyrone
BT71 7DT
Belfast Lexus
Dealer Group: Lookers Plc
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62 Boucher Road
BELFAST
County Antrim
BT12 6LR
Charles Hurst Maserati
Dealer Group: Lookers Plc
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62 Boucher Road
BELFAST
County Antrim
BT12 6LR
Walter Young Ltd Mazda
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51 Main Street
Broughshane
BALLYMENA
County Antrim
BT42 4JP
Lindsay Mazda
Dealer Group: Ford Retail Uk
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391-397 Upper Newtownards Road
BELFAST
County Antrim
BT4 3LG
Lindsay Lisburn Mazda
Dealer Group: Ford Retail Uk
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Market Place
LISBURN
County Antrim
BT28 1AN
Lindsay Mallusk Mazda
Dealer Group: Ford Retail Uk
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31 Mallusk Road
NEWTOWNABBEY
County Antrim
BT36 4PP
Central Garage Mazda
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21 Killyleagh Street
Crossgar
DOWNPATRICK
County Down
BT30 9DQ
Shaws Mazda
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3 Green Road
NEWTOWNARDS
County Down
BT23 7PZ
Lindsay Coleraine Mazda
Dealer Group: Ford Retail Uk
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80-82 Bushmills Road
COLERAINE
County Londonderry
BT52 2BS
Saltmarine Mazda
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Tamnamore
DUNGANNON
County Tyrone
BT71 6HW
Pat Kirk Mazda
Dealer Group: Pat Kirk Group
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62 Gortin Road
OMAGH
County Tyrone
BT79 7HT
Pat Kirk Mazda
Dealer Group: Pat Kirk Group
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35-37 Railway Road
STRABANE
County Tyrone
BT82 8EQ
Isaac Agnew Belfast Mercedes Benz
Dealer Group: Isaac Agnew Group
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6 Boucher Crescent
BELFAST
County Antrim
BT12 6HU
Isaac Agnew Portadown Mercedes Benz
Dealer Group: Isaac Agnew Group
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Carn Court Road
Carn Roundabout
PORTADOWN
County Armagh
BT63 5YX
Howard Abraham Motors Ltd M G
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65-83 Avenue Road
LURGAN
County Armagh
BT66 7BG
The Country Garage Mini
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59 Ballycowan Road
BALLYMENA
County Antrim
BT42 3DW
Bavarian Garages NI Ltd Mini
Dealer Group: Isaac Agnew Group
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22 Boucher Crescent
BELFAST
County Antrim
BT12 6HU
David Prentice Cars Ltd Mini
Dealer Group: David Prentice (Cars) Ltd
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Seagoe Road
PORTADOWN
County Armagh
BT63 5QD
J K C Specialist Cars Ltd Mini
Dealer Group: J K C Specialist Cars Ltd
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113 Ballycastle Road
COLERAINE
County Londonderry
BT52 2DZ
David Prentice Omagh Mini
Dealer Group: David Prentice (Cars) Ltd
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Dromore Road
OMAGH
County Tyrone
BT78 1QZ< <>