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EVENTS ROUND UP

Awards night will celebrate 20th anniversary

Members meet The annual membersconference of the Institute of Car Fleet Management (ICFM) will be held at The

Honda Institute at Coln-brook near LondonHeathrow on March 11. Thetheme is Drive Less

Achieve More. Conrmedspeakers include Don Potts,environmental adviser to

Volvo, Tim Anderson, eet advice manager at TheEnergy Saving Trust andMark Cowling, director of CAP. Former Englandcricketer Alec Stewart is theguest after-lunch speaker.

Salary sacrices A new salary sacricescheme has beendeveloped by Zenith

Vehicle Contracts. Under the scheme, an employeecan surrender part of hisor her salary in return for a company car. As thecost is deducted from theemployees gross salary,there is a saving onincome tax and NationalInsurance contributions.

SEAT tunes in

SEAT is embracing new technology by offering a digital radio receiver in a new special edition of itsIbiza hatchback. The 10,995Ibiza 1.9 TDI DAB is limitedto a run of 300 three-door cars, and boasts a Blaupunkt Nashville DAB digital radioas standard.

Grey checkFleet Technique isoffering a special grey

eet inspection service. It will inspect privately-owned vehicles driven oncompany business. Many grey eet vehicles are not subject to the samechecks as company cars.

NEWS

IN BRIEF

2 14.02.08 www.eetnews.co.uk

Tables are selling fast for theannual Fleet News Awards onMarch 10, which this year marksits landmark 20th anniversary.

The eet industrys night of the year has already attractedmore than 1,000 businessleaders and inuencers to itstraditional home, the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane,London.

To mark the 20thanniversary, there arenew categories that reect the fast-changingeet industry, while a series of special guestshave been lined up toprovide entertainment throughout the night.

Fleet managers, manufactur-ers and service providers will all

be recognised withawards. Fleet managershave also been voting for company car of the year and eet manufacturer of the year.

Individual tickets cost 215+VAT and a table of

10 costs 2,045+VAT. The Fleet News Awards are

sponsored by: Honda UK, BMW

Corporate Sales, LeasePlan UK,National Car Rental, BT Fleet,Kwik-Fit Fleet, Enterprise Rent-

A-Car, Michelin Tyres, Hi-Q, Volvo, Arval and VolkswagenFleet Services. To book, either log on to

www.eetnewsawards.com or call Sandra Evitt on 01733468123 or email [email protected]

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Two-year wait fordrug testing kitsBY DANIEL ATTWOOD

Police must wait at least another two years before they get road-side drug testing kits.

Currently the police have togive suspected drug-driversimpairment tests, which meansmaking them perform tasks such

as walking in a straight line. The new testing kits will allow

the police to test for drugs bothprescription and illegal in muchthe same way as a breathalyser tests for alcohol.

The Home Ofce conrmed to Fleet News that the kits are closeto the nal stages of development.However, a spokesman said thedevelopment of the testing kitshad proved to have beenextremely complex and involvedHome Ofce scientists enlistingthe assistance of outside experts.

It will be a couple of years

before our multi-drug device is

available and type-approved for use as the scientic development

work behind it is highly complex,he said.

The Forensic Science Servicehas been working on the produc-tion of a specication with theHome Ofce scientic develop-ment board and outside experts.

The difculties arise not only from the number of drugs that need to be detected everythingfrom a prescription sleeping pillto MDMA in ecstasy but alsofrom devising a kit that can beused at the roadside that is non-invasive, which rules out blood or urine testers.

It is believed that the kits willrequire a saliva sample.

Because there is no safe levelof illegal drugs allowed by law in a drivers system, it is expected that should a roadside drugalysertest prove positive for an illicit

drug, a driver will then still be

subject to an impairment test. There is also a question over

safe levels of prescription drugs.It has been found that while onein 10 young motorists admit todriving after taking illegal drugs,the majority of those convictedfor drug-driving are actually middle aged and using prescrip-

tion drugs. A review of convictions has

shown that for every one driver convicted of driving while under the inuence of illegal drugs,there are four drivers convictedfor driving while unt due tobeing under the inuence of prescription drugs.

The news that such kits arebeing developed means eet managers who have not imple-mented a drink/drug strategy toidentify and manage drivers whomay be impaired through alcoholor drugs misuse, should do so.

Speeding is by far the most common driving offence commit-ted by company car drivers.

Analysis of GE Capital Solu-tions 55,000-vehicle eet shows

that 41% of the nes recorded onbehalf of drivers in the last 12months were for speeding.

London is the most commonplace for nes, with the conges-tion charging collecting morenes than the rest of the top 10offences added together.

Rich Green, MD at GE Fleet Services. Our belief is that there

is a hardcore of company car drivers who are habitually exceed-ing the speed limit and this reck-

lessness places themselves andother road users in danger. Fleetsshould take action

Speeding tops company car offences Death by data risk tomanagersFleet managers are facing death

by data as they try to contend with the increasingly massiveow of information concerned

with running a eet. Audit trails for risk manage-

ment and duty of care, the hugeproliferation of car models andoptions, licence and insurancechecking and vast les of infor-mation from providers mean that eet managers are under morepressure than ever to manageinformation properly.

That is the view of a senior chief executive in the industry

who warned that his own sectionof the industry telematics isas guilty as others of informationoverload.

Fleet managers are oftenbombarded with huge amountsof information that takes hours of analysing to reach the real point at which decisions can be made.

And telematics providers haveoften added to this problem,said Ian Walmsley, chief execu-tive of Eagle-i Telematics.

As a result, Mr Walmsley tasked his rms experts withnding ways of making tele-matics more user-friendly, andeasier to extract relevant infor-

mation.Speaking at the launch of its

new Monitor3 telematicsproduct, he said the new systemcuts out unnecessary data,offering eet managers a car dashboard style screen wherethey can customise which crite-ria, such as speeding or lower than average MPGs are ashedup in the dials, which can thenbe investigated more deeply.

Monitor3 cuts through all the waste directly to the informationthat is really needed, allowingmanagers to take well-informed

decisions more quickly, he said.

Speeding accounts for 41% of company car nes

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Kwik-Fit contractKwik-Fit Fleet has won a 12-month contract toprovide a range of fast-t

services to Leasedrive Velo. The deal, whichmakes Kwik-Fit Fleet a preferred supplier,covers tyres, exhausts,batteries, brake partsand MoTs as well as theprovision of tyre safety checks. In addition,Kwik-Fit Fleet willcontinue to provide a

vehicle service booking facility.

Buy British Almost three-quarters of UK motorists would buy a British car if given

100,000. Topping thedream car list with almost a quarter of the votes is

Aston Martin (24%),followed by Range Rover (19%), Bentley (16%) andRolls-Royce (10%). Germanand Italian luxury marquesfared badly, says swiftcover.com, which carried out thesurvey.

New sat-navPogo has launched a new version of its sat-nav

and speed camera location system Drive.

The 250 system now includes full westernEuropean street-levelmapping and a Europeanspeed camera database.

The majority of thesemodications are alsoavailable via a freedownload to existing Pogo Drive units.

ATS wins deal ATS Euromaster has won a contract to maintain the

eet of service vehiclesoperated by AXA AssistanceBreakdown Recovery,incorporating a gradualchange to Michelin tyres.

The 18-strong eet includes12 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter long wheelbase vans andsix 7.5-tonne MitsubishiCanter trucks.

Risk assessmentImagitech has launcheda new risk assessment system for occupationaldrivers. Roadmarquegives a picture of anorganisations risk exposure and the best path for training drivers.

IN BRIEF

www.eetnews.co.uk 14.02.08 3

EU should ban

thirstiest carsBY DANIEL ATTWOOD The EU should ban the sale of cars that travel less than 35 milesper gallon, the ex-chairman of Shell has said.

Sir Mark Moody-Stuartscomments were met with surpriseand, later, with condemnationfrom carmakers and dealers. TheUK Society of Motor Manufactur-ers and Traders (SMMT) pointedout that drivers of the most pollut-ing cars already pay extra throughroad tax and petrol duty.

His proposals are frankly bizarre, said an SMMT spokes-man. The motor industry hasmade signicant progress incutting emissions, which directly leads to improved mpg.

The SMMT points out that a million tonnes of CO 2 have beensaved through new vehicle tech-nology each year for the past two

years. It also said that consumer choice would be severely compro-mised if Sir Marks proposals

were adopted.His proposals would wipe out

a signicant chunk of the new car market and large cars are neededby many companies and families the consumer needs choice as

well as incentives for cleaner cars, said the spokesman.

However, Sir Mark, who alsoacted as co-chair of the G8 Renew-

able Energy Taskforce, remainedconvinced that his comments,

which were made to the BBC, were well thought through.

He said that it was unethical toallow rich people to avoid takingresponsibility for tackling climatechange simply by making thempay more.

It is a social thing. We dont say the wealthy can avoid doing

what is needed by society. Nobody

needs a car that does 15mpg, hesaid.

You would be allowed to drivean Aston Martin but only if it did50-60mpg.

His comments, while being met with resistance from carmakers,should strike a chord with many

motorists. According to the BBC,opinion polls consistently show that people are prepared tochange their ways to tackleclimate change but only if their neighbours are forced to do thesame.

David Brennan, managingdirector of LeasePlan, said whileSir Marks comments could proveattractive, his suggestions needsome ne tuning.

He said: The danger is usingtoo much stick and too littlecarrot.

Financial penalties and ef-ciency limits on the one handneed to be complemented withdriver education on the other.

A eet risk management company has promised to signi-cantly reduce risky and danger-ous driving for all its new eet clients.

As part of its UK eet safety challenge, GreenRoad Technolo-

gies has guaranteed a 50% dropin dangerous driver behaviour over a three-month trial periodto new eet customers installingits technology.

The technology uses in-vehiclesensors to measure driver perfor-mance, measuring 120 separatemanoeuvres including braking,acceleration and cornering.Drivers are warned via dash-mounted red lights if their drivingis calculated to be risky. Fleet managers and drivers are alsoable to access journey details by SMS and online, and decidewhich areas need improvement.

If driver risk is not improvedby at least 50%, customers will beunder no further obligation tocontinue the program.

The number of deaths onBritish roads fell during 2007,according to the latest Govern-

ment statistics.Road casualty gures show that fatalities were down by 5%during the 12 months endingSeptember 2007, compared withthe previous 12 months.

Overall casualty gures weredown by 4%, while the moreserious crashes includingthose that involved fatalities andserious injuries fell by 2% over the same time period.

The gures are based on thenumber of incidents reported topolice, and fatalities are countedas people who died within 30days of the crash.

It should be rememberedthat research suggests not allaccidents are reported.

However, while the number of road fatalities is falling, it has

just been revealed that there were almost 12,000 crashesinvolving blue light vehiclesfrom the emergency servicesover the past ve years.

Of these crashes, 1,926resulted in seriously injuredcasualties and 188 causedfatalities.

The fact that emergency service vehicles are the cause of so many accidents and fatalities

is extremely concerning, saidLiberal Democrat shadow transport secretary NormanBaker, who unearthed thegures. While these vehiclesare rightly in a hurry to get to

where they are needed, thesegures indicate that we need totake a serious look at what canbe done to reduce the number of accidents that they areinvolved in.

I have written to both thehome secretary and thepresident of the Association of Chief Police Ofcers calling for a review of the procedures usedby emergency service vehiclesto look into how accidents canbe minimised.

The countrys petrol retailershave joined the road haulageindustry in calling on the chan-

cellor to cancel the fuel duty increase scheduled for April 1.Ray Holloway, director of the

RMIs Petrol Retailers Associa-tion (PRA), said that the 2p a litreincrease would be disastrous.

Increasing fuel tax wouldmean an immediate increase inprices for the consumer, andwould almost certainly push a

number of forecourt businessesout of business, he said.

The PRAs call adds to similar demands from organisationsincluding the Freight Transport

Association (FTA), the RoadHaulage Association (RHA), theFederation of Small Businesses,National Farmers Union and theRAC Foundation.

Representatives of the RHA and FTA met with the chancellor of the exchequer Alistair Darlingtoday.

They said that at 50.35p per litre, UK fuel duty for diesel andpetrol is already the highest inEurope. Indeed, UK diesel duty is double the EU average rate of 25p per litre.

The organisations said theplanned 2p increase will gener-ate further serious difculties for

the transport and forecourt industries, and businessdrivers.

Blue light crash alert as road deaths fall

Road deaths fell by 12% in 2007

Firm makessafety pledge

Fuel increaseunder attack

Sir Mark Moody-Stuart wants cars that do less than 35mpg banned

[email protected]

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BY DANIEL ATTWOOD

Figures just released for all green-house gas emissions in the UK in2006 show that total emissionswere down just 0.5% on 2005

levels. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ),which makes up about 85% of theUKs total greenhouse gas emis-sions, fell just 0.1% over the sameperiod.

But environment secretary Hilary Benn was keen to point out that the British economy grew by 2.9% in 2006, which means thecountry is breaking the historic

link between economic growth,and a rise in emissions.

The UK is on track to meet and go well beyond its Kyotocommitments, but as a country we must do much more acrossthe board, he said. We have tomake a real change to every aspect of our lives and our economy.

The biggest decrease in CO 2 emissions was in the residentialsector, with a fall of 4% on 2005levels.

But CO 2 emissions from trans-port rose by 1.3%.

Although CO 2 emissions fromtransport increased overall, emis-

sions from cars actually fell for the fourth consecutive year. In2002, CO 2 emissions from passen-ger cars were at an all time highof 72.5 million tonnes. In 2006, it had fallen to 68.7 million tonnes.

Meanwhile, reecting themassive investment in public

transport over the same period,emissions from trains rose by

300,000 tonnes, while CO 2 emis-sions from buses rose by 800,000tonnes.

Emissions from aviation alsoincreased. Between 2005 and2006, CO 2 emissions from domes-tic aviation fell by 2.8%, but inter-national aviation emissions

increased by 1.5%.

NEWS


Fleet News Europe is sponsored by

www.bca-europe.com

www.eetnewseurope.com

Fleet NewsEurope

[email protected]

Diesel price rise expected BY KEITH NUTHALL

European eets running diesel vehicles could face higher fuel costsafter the European Parliaments economics committee called for theEuropean Unions minimum rate of excise duty on diesel to be raisedto that for unleaded petrol.

Currently, diesel enjoys a lower rate. However, if the proposal isaccepted, then countries charging the minimum duty on diesel willhave to raise it from the current 302 per 1,000 litres to 359.

The countries that would be forced to increase diesel duty signicantly by such a rise are Bulgaria, Estonia, Spain, Greece,Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovenia. Small rises would be forced in the Czech Republic,Malta, Austria and Finland.

The existing differential distorts the market, said MEPs, who were debating a current review of EU excise duty rules. Thecommittee said that having different rates boosted emissions by encouraging fuel tourism, with diesel consumers making special

journeys or using longer routes to ll up in a country with low taxes.Also, since diesel and petrol have similar impacts, especially from

the point of view of CO 2 emissions, there is no environmental reasonfor the two minimum rates to differ, said the committee. TheEuropean Commission is also backing equalisation, despite a recent consultants report recommending tax breaks to promote diesel.

Biofuel uncertainty remains Controversial proposals promoting biofuels within the EU are already running into political difculties over their environmental impact.

The European Parliament has backed a report saying biofuelsshould generate only half of the CO 2 created by mineral fuels. Andthis calculation must take into account their production, distributionand consumption. Only then can such biofuels count towardsBrussels proposed 10% reduction by 2020 fuel target.

Dutch socialist MEP Dorette Corbey claimed there was signicant support for the idea within the EU Council of Ministers. Meanwhile,European Commission ofcials have briefed Brussels journalists that complicating its biofuel formula would seriously delay its approval.

British tunnels are illegal The European Commission has threatened Britain with legal action

over its alleged failure to comply with a directive on tunnel safety standards. The directive applies to road tunnels of 500 metres or more within the EUs trans-European network, which would cover tunnelssuch as the M25 Dartford tunnel and M2 Medway tunnel in Kent. Thelegislation lays down requirements such as communications devices,lighting and safety procedures.

Brussels said it requested information on British regulations last June, but no information on compliance was sent back.

VAT on car registrations challenged Austria, Finland and Malta have been threatened with legal action by the European Commission if they continue to levy VAT on car registration taxes charged within a package price by automobiledealers. This follows similar steps taken against Poland and Portugal.

Minimal fall inUK emissions

UK greenhouse gas emissions have fallen, despite economic growth

Lex has announced a three-year extension to its nancing relation-ship with Honda Finance Europe.

We have been delighted by theprogress we have made incontract hire over the past threeyears and are looking forward tofurther customer innovation by working with Lex over the next

three years, said Philip Ross,general manager, Honda FinanceEurope.

Lex will provide branded backofce services to Honda dealersthroughout the UK, whilecustomer relationships will bemanaged by Honda Finance.

Lex is utilising Six Sigma meth-

odology to improve levels of customer satisfaction to meet thelevel of service Honda demand.

Steve Hornsey, partnershipdirector at Lex, said the partner-ship provided an opportunity for the company to widen its customer base and provide additional bene-ts to existing customers.

Lex extends Honda lease contract

Large volumes of light commer-cial vehicles are being de-eetedby rental and leasing rms asthousands of three and four-year contracts agreed with their eet customers come to an end.

This is producing a surge of late-year vans arriving on theused market.

With 2007 being a recordbreaking year for new vehicleregistrations, eets have plenty of additional used vans to disposeof, said George Alexander, chief

commercial vehicle editor at EurotaxGlasss.

The inux of used LCVs arriv-ing at auction sites could be oneof the biggest opportunities for retailers in a decade but couldalso mean it will be difcult toattain highest resale values. Thiscould prove to be a major oppor-tunity for retailers to acquirestock at attractive prices, said Mr

Alexander. The large numbers of de-eeted

LCVs arriving at auction follows

30 months of continual shortagesof light used commercials, whichhas led to higher than normalprices being paid by dealers keento restock.

Concerns about the UK economy towards the close of last

year have also contributed to thegreater availability of used vans,says Mr Alexander. It is not surprising that businesses do not

wish to carry unnecessary capac-ity within their eets at a time of economic uncertainty.

Fleets over-supply used LCV market

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FLEET NEWS AWARDS 2008


FLEET MANUFACTURER OF THE YEARCOMPANY CAR OF THE YEAR

20th

The annualFleetNews Awards

The categories

V O T E NO W !Log on now to www

.eetnewsawards.com

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Taking advantage of EDaniel Attwood and Martyn Moore report from the 2008 Fleet Ne

For more coverage, visit

Europes carmakers have warned that the European Commissions proposalsto ne them if their new cars emissionsexceed maximum levels of CO 2 areunrealistic and will make the Europeanautomotive industry uncompetitive.

The proposals set the average permit-ted level of CO 2 emitted per car at 130g/km by 2012 with 10g/km being saved by additional solutions such as alternativefuels and energy saving tyres.

Many of Europes carmakers will stillmiss the proposed targets. The nesthey face will run into billions of euros.

There is a total disconnectionbetween the legislators and realityCO2 emissions from cars need to bereduced in a cost-effective way, saidIvan Hodac, secretary general of ACEA the European automobile manufactur-ers association. The level of thecompensation payments should be nohigher than for other sectors that misstheir CO 2 emissions targets.

Mr Hodac said the car sector will put immense pressure on the legislators inthe run up to the proposal becoming a regulation. ACEA be pressing for a fair er penalty, and for a longer lead-in time 2015 rather than 2012 so new greener technology can be integrated intoupcoming models.

EC nes plan unrealistic

Ivan Hodac: pressing legislators

EU BRIEFING

Used car marketSelling deeeted vehicles across Europepresents massive opportunities for leasecompanies to capitalise on the demandsof different markets and, ultimately, to get the highest price for their vehicles.

Resellers such as BCA, which is thelargest on the continent and is expandingits operations, especially into central andeastern Europe, offer the simplest routeto market.

As Paul Bradbury, managing director of BCA Europe, told delegates, prices onthe used car market have remained stable.We have seen some worrying signs, but nothing too dramatic has happened toprices.

Despite regional differences, the trendis only going one way towards a singlemarket for used cars in Europe says Mr Bradbury.

Deeeting is expensive and can cost asmuch as 10% of the value of a used car.

Therefore, clever use of technology, such

as e-selling and targeting specic markets,can help reduce or offset some of thesecosts.

Lease companies were advised that, while selling direct to the consumer (or driver in many cases) is attractive, off-loading too many vehicles this way willnot pay dividends in the long run. Sellingdirect to the consumer is expensive andcars will be cherry-picked, making theremaining eet of cars difcult to sell,delegates were warned.

Running a safe eetNew technology and tougher legislation

will not reduce accidents on their own. That was the message delegates sent out to the European Transport Safety Council(ETSC).

ETSC project leader Gabriel Simcicsaid that technologies such as intelligent speed adaption, seat belt warnings andalcolocks to prevent drink-driving had thepotential to reduce accidents.

Meeting new markets demandsBREAKOUT SESSIONS

Leasing companies should provide eet management training to offset the fall inthe number of dedicated eet managers,according to Peter Cooke, of the Centrefor Automotive Management at theUniversity of Buckingham.

Speaking at the Fleet News EuropeConference in Brussels, Professor Cooke

said, The eet manager role continues

to be outsourced, as the demands of duty of care and governance increase. Toensure clients continue to to recieve a quality service, leasing companies shouldprovide employees with quality eet management training.

Professor Cooke also warned that thecredit crunch and predicted nancial

downturn will impact on eets. Thespeed of companies development willslow, fuel costs will continue to rise andination will possibly return, he said.

Paul Lauria, president of global eet consultancy Mercury Associates, alsospoke about the deteriorating economicclimate. When the economy is strong,companies tend to be strategic, proactiveand eco-friendly. During a weaker economy we will see them behavingmore tactically and reactively, he said.

Mr Lauria is a strong advocate of leasing over cash purchase. Fleetsbought outright tend to be older andhave all the challenges associated witholder vehicles, he said.

Fleet management training callSTRATEGIC OVERVIEW

Just three mega-lease companies willdominate the European scene withinonly a few years, predicts SteffanSchick, chief operating ofcer of Fleet Logistics.

And, as the car retail market fallsaway due to fewer dealers and the credit crunch, carmakers will increasingly rely

on these mega-lease companies to takeexcess stock.But it is not all good news: Europes

leasing companies will be battlingagainst increasing pressure on margins,more risk from uncertain residuals anda move by banks to reduce their expo-sure to lease risk.

As a result, Europes eet market willgrow, although only marginally over thenext seven years. Much of that growth

will be seen in central and easternEurope, although it will be stunted by the possibility of a recession in the US,

which will impact throughout Europe.Recession is a possibility, although

not a given, Mr Schick told delegates.

However, the present indicatorssuggest an increasing likelihood of a forthcoming recession.

The consequences for the lease andeet industries are obvious, he said. Not only will unemployment be a realproblem, but knock-on effects such asfalling residual values will alsobecome apparent.

Marginal growth predictedINDUSTRY BRIEFING

Professor Peter Cooke called for eetmanagement training

Steffan Schick: marginal growth

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ropean opportunitiesEurope conference in Brussels. Pictures by Chris Lowndes

Conference sponsors:

w.eetnews.co.uk/fne

The opportunities of expanding into new Europe the eastern countries of Poland,the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary,Ukraine and Russia far outweigh thechallenges, Pascal Serres, deputy CEOof ALD Automotive said.

The company manages 28,500contracts in these new European coun-tries and is set to grow its presence.

Acquiring existing lease operations isalways preferable to trying to establish a start-up, he advised. However, in Russia and Romania this has not been possibleas the markets did not have a nance or operation leasing infrastructure.

There is massive potential through-out the region, Mr Serres said.

Last year there were 400,000 company car registrations in these future euro-zone countries. In Russia and Ukrainecompany car registrations hit 400,000.

However, while cars are cheaper tobuy and labour costs are lower, the totallife costs are actually higher than in

western Europe because of interest rateson local currencies and lower residual

values (between 40 and 45% over a three- year/90,000km lease). Also, drivers tendnot to care for their company car to thesame degree as western Europeans.

This means there are still major chal-lenges to overcome before these marketsmature.

Massive potential in new EuropeEXPANSION

Pascal Serres: massive potential

The eet manager will continue to play a vital role in the communication and take-up of green transport policies, accordingto Vincent Rupied, international director at the Corporate Vehicle Observatory and chairman of Leaseuropes automo-tive steering group.

Mr Rupied said that the eet manager

is key to improving a companys environ-mental performance. When trying to

balance operational needs with impact onthe environment, the eet manager hasto cope with more complexity, he said.There are new features to be explained,explained and explained again. Under-standing the true benet of hybrids is not easy and with each manufacturer adopt-ing its own initiative there are many

labels to understand.He warned that some technologiespresent residual value risks and sugg-ested that expert opinions will not alwaysbe helpful. Advice may be contradictory.

Gavin Eagle, business development director at LeasePlan International,provided delegates with an example of one pan-European eet with 680 cars that spent 100,000 on eco-driver training.

The company saw an 8% reduction in CO 2 after one year and, importantly, the train-ing paid for itself in savings after just eight months and delivered a total savingof almost 200,000 after just two years.

Its this kind of opportunity that eet managers can communicate.

Managers key to improvementsGREEN FLEET

Alan Carpenter, director of internationaleet sales at Volvo, said pan-Europeaneet agreements are not only possible,but can provide substantial savings for the companies willing to take the corpo-rate decisions needed.

They can only be successful if there isa total alignment that eliminates all

anomalies, he said. One major challengeis reducing the number of suppliers,especially in companies where a widechoice of cars is considered essential.

But the benets of achieving thereduction can be massive: the volumediscounts available to a major eet that goes for just one supplier across Europe

will be huge.However, as Mr Carpenter pointed

out, with a pan-European eet agree-ment, there may be savings in onecountry but cost increases in another.To be honest, these have failed morethan they have succeeded, said Mr Carpenter. But where they do succeedthe savings outweigh the costs.

While the opportunities of pan-Euro-pean agreements are now presentingthemselves, they have only recently become possible. There is now a hugepotential in the European eet arena,said Mr Carpenter. But just eight yearsago there was not the infrastructure inplace to deliver. Since then there hasbeen rapid growth.

Pan-European challengesSECURING BUSINESS GROWTH

Alan Carpenter: eliminate anomalies

Supported by

Gavin Eagle: training led to savings

But during the Q&A session, delegatessaid action was also needed to addressdriver behaviour. In Hungary, for example, less than 70% of drivers wear seatbelts.

And alcolocks cannot yet detect druguse which is on the increase.

Michael Gwilt, managing director of DriveCam Europe, said: Much moreneeds to be done to address drivers atti-tudes and training.

Technology and opportunities Andy Leech, business leader of cfc solu-tions, told delegates at a breakout sessionon technology and opportunities for busi-ness growth that software was only of

value if employees were trained properly to use it.

Maarteen Wilpshaar, of KPMG IT Advi-sory, provided an international overview of software systems for the leasingindustry.

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BY PHILL TROMANS

The all-new Honda Accord hasbeen revealed and aims to takethe Japanese carmaker into direct eet competition with premiummanufacturers BMW, Audi andMercedes-Benz.

Due to be ofcially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show next month, the latest incarnation of Hondas eet favourite is an evolu-tion of the existing model, focus-ing on a sporty look and driver involvement.

Although wider and lower andwith sharper lines than the

current Accord, the new model isrecognisably inuenced by thelooks of its predecessor a eet favourite with sales up 15% in 2007despite a decline in the upper-medium sector.

This is the car that will spear-head us into the premium positionthat were aiming for, saidGraham Avent, manager of corpo-

rate operationsIts the premium brands that

are growing, which is why itscritical that we attain that position.

The company car drivers weretrying to win over want car parkappeal, visual cues that say theyvegot a sporty car such as the AudiS line or the BMW M Sport.

The Accord will featureadvanced technology such asadaptive cruise control seen in

Hondas agship Legend. Honda is promising low emissions andgood fuel economy from a rangeof engines that will all be Euro V

compliant, including an all-new 148bhp i-DTEC diesel engine

which will have an automaticgearbox option early in 2009.

Handling has been developedusing the BMW 3 Series as a benchmark. More response andgreater body rigidity is promised.

The estate version known asthe Tourer is likely to be a key element of the Accord line-up.

We believe its going to be a

growth opportunity in the UK,Mr Avent said. I think there willbe a trend of people coming out of 4x4s and other models back intoan upper-medium estate.

Were aiming at the corporatehead ofce senior managers, thekind of person inuencing the

eet policy. As a brand weredened by our upper-mediumsector car and thats why the new

Accord is critical.

This weeks vehicle market news and information Edited by Julian Kirk

MONDAY

Picked up a Skoda Fabia Estate in Ashford and drovethe few miles to the Channel

Tunnel and across to France. We drove many miles on a variety of roads and eventook it on to one of northernFrances famous beaches.

I drove the most basic car for around 200 miles the1.2-litre Fabia 1, which isgreat value at around9,400. On paper the enginemay look too small, but in

reality it is ne quiet,rened and offering morethan enough power to cruiseeasily at 80mph. The estate

is 25cm longer than thehatch and costs around600 more. The choice of this type of vehicle is limited

with only the Peugeot 207SW and the forthcoming Renault Clio Sport Tourer.

The Fabia Estate seems tooffer plenty of luggage space,enough room for ve adults,is well built and at anaffordable price.

Skoda expects to sellaround 3,800 this year with38% going to eet and, of those, 56% will be diesel.

WEDNESDAY

Down to Milton Keynes to havea look at the new Chrysler

Sebring Cabriolet a full four-seater that goes on sale in theUK in early April.

There will only be one model

the Limited, and two engines:a 2.0-litre CRD diesel with a six-speed manual gearbox and a 2.7-litre V6 petrol with a six-speed auto which Chrysler says will be 50/50 split in sales.

The roof is fully automatic withcloth material that neatly foldsinto the boot.

The list of standard equip-ment is endless, and prices start at 22,995 for the diesel and

24,995 for the V6. Chrysler says that the main competitors

will be the Audi A4, VolkswagenEos, BMW 3 Series and

Mercedes-Benz CLK. We looked at the range of carsthat Chrysler Group offers

which include Chrysler, Jeepand Dodge and it does lookcomplicated and probably a few too many models that dealershave to sell rationalisation

would be a sensible answer toreduce the number of vehiclesand crossovers. We spoke toSimon Elliot, who has recently taken over as managing director,and has moved back into thisposition two years after he left it to run the Chinese operation.

FRIDAY

Went to Ingolstadt, the homeof Audi, to look at an early

pre-pre-production SEAT Ibiza, which goes on sale late

July.SEAT is taking advantage

of Audis legendary skills inthe art of producing cars with high build quality, andthe Spanish company isdetermined to build thisquality into its vehicles.

The new Ibiza will belaunched as ve-door only in

July, with a very stylishthree-door Sports Coupbeing revealed later this year.

The Sports Coup certainly has the looks that will appealto a younger audience, and if quality is as good as prom-ised, with sensible pricing,SEAT may be on to a winner.

THINKING CAP

Hardworking Martin Ward scours the globe for the weeks insider eet intelligence

Martin Ward isCAPs manufacturerrelationships manager

M a rt i n a n d t he Fa bi a E st a t e

Chr ys ler s Sebr ing Cabr iolet

Hondas premium target

Launch p18 Jaguars XF driven

Long-term p22Skoda Roomster update

Road test p25 VWs new Tiguan SUV

T i s w e e k

Te successof the new

Accord iscritical to

Honda

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Special editionsCitron has launched twonew special editions. The7,945 C1 Code sportsblack metallic paint and14-inch alloys, with a leather and Alcantara interior. It is powered by a 1.0-litre, 68bhp engine

which returns 60mpg. The C3 Pluriel Code, at 12,895, has pearlescent black paint and 15-inchalloys, and will make41mpg from its 1.4-litre,75bhp engine.

Alfa upgrade

Alfa Romeo has upgraded itslimited edition Alfa 147Collezione.

Available now, the car hasghiaccio white paintwork

and an optional black glossroof. It boasts upratedsuspension, a leather interior and 17-inch alloys.Power comes from either a 1.6-litre petrol engine or a 1.9-litre turbodiesel unit,both of which produce120bhp. Prices start at

13,950.

Highline Passat

Volkswagen is replacing the SE specication levelon the Passat with a new Highline trim withincreased equipment levels. Models will cost 250 more than the SEbut come with 2,125-

worth of extra kit,including leather seats,multi-function steering

wheel and 17-inch alloys.Prices start at 18,890and theres a choice of

TSI petrol and TDI dieselengines in both saloonand estate bodystyles.

IN BRIEF

Its not due out until the end of next year, but the new MINIConvertible has been spotted out

on test with minimal disguise. The new car is longer than thecurrent incarnation, which hidesthe new high pedestrian-friendly

front and means there will bemore room inside.

The engine range is developedby BMW and PSA. The entry-level MINI One will have a 1.4-litre unit with 95bhp, theCooper and Cooper S get 1.6 litres and 120 or 175 bhprespectively, and the dieselCooper D will have 110bhp andlow emissions of 104g/km.

Prices are expected to start at just under 15,000.

Powered by...Revealed - new topless MINI www.eetnews.co.uk 14.02.08 15

IGNITION

S p y sho t

BY PHILL TROMANS

Manheim has uncovered signsthat the used car market is stayingrelatively strong against a back-ground of economic concern.

Figures from the auction housegiant show that while overall usedcar values fell from the thirdquarter to the fourth in 2007, thedrop was in line with the seasonalnorm and up year-on-year.

Values also rose in January against December, 2007.

In the nal three months of last year, average used car values fell3.4% to 6,534 against the periodJuly to September, but were up by an average of 356 or 5.7% against the fourth quarter of 2006.

Values in the eet and dealer sectors remained strong, althoughmanufacturer-sourced late platemodels came under the most pressure.

During January, overall usedcar values rose from December

by between 5% and 8%, dependingon the sector. Volumes in the market rose by

at least 50% across all sources, but Manheim is nevertheless cautiousabout the longevity of the priceincrease. With the UK economy still haunted by uncertainty, therm says a few more weekstrading needs to be consideredbefore the true extent of therecent uplift is known.

Despite widespread media coverage of the inuence of thecredit crunch, together with other negative economic factors, wehave seen a healthy increase insales and values across theManheim Auctions networkduring January, said Manheimschief operating ofcer, MikePilkington.

Its too early to suggest that

the market will experienceanother year of strong growth in2008, but the initial signs may suggest that things are not neces-sarily as bad as reported.

We will have a better idea of

the state of the market in our bulletins at the end of February and into Match, when we canbetter gauge true retail market activity and, of course, the effect of the new plate change.

Gloom may be misplaced

Renaults new crossover 4x4,the Koleos, will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

Designed to offer the space of a compact MPV and the comfort of a hatchback, the car will goon sale in the UK early in thesummer.

The car features a low dash-board to improve visibility, and a split tailgate for ease of access tothe boot.

Renault says the Koleos willbe at home in the city as well asoff the beaten track.

A result of close collaboration

between Renault and its Japa-nese partner Nissan, the Koleos

will be built in South Korea. It represents a push by Renault into a sector it hasnt tradition-ally been a part of.

More details, such as pricingand specication, will beannounced nearer to launch.

Summer launch for Renault crossover

Renaults new crossover 4 x 4, the Koleos

Auction values rose in January, according to Manheim gures

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Jaguar with the XFactorForget (if you hadnt already) the retro S-Type Jaguars new XF saloon is bang up to date

NEW LAUNCH: JAGUAR XF

BY JULIAN KIRKJaguar doesnt launch too many new cars in a year (or decade, tobe honest), so its quite under-standable that the marketingdepartment has whipped itself upinto a hoopla of excitement over the arrival of the new XF.

This is most evident in thepromotional video I was shownprior to getting behind the wheel.Ill save you from the wafe, but a quick example is this, paraphrasedfrom memory: The XF is warmand soft. Brilliant. But then,just a minute later, it was cooland edgy. Eh?

Perhaps theyve gone a bit giddy because, for a change,theyre not having to come upwith a way of expressing how thenew front bumper on the XJdoesnt look like its come fromHalfords.

To be honest, all they really needed to say was: The new XF nally, weve got a car that

doesnt look like it belongs in theSixties and that weve got a decent chance of selling.

The XF, which goes on sale at the beginning of next month,replaces the ageing and aged-looking S-Type, a car that has

never had the style, brand appealor range of engines and body-styles to trouble the might of the

Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series in theexecutive market.

In terms of style the XF certainly has plenty, with a sleek

and modern look combining far more effectively with some histor-ical cues such as the front grille(looks like metal, should be metalbut is, disappointingly, plastic)and side gill air intakes.

It is only available as a four-

door saloon and while theres a choice of four engines, the major-ity (around 70%) will be the twin-turbocharged 2.7-litre V6 diesel.Depending on your attitude toglobal warming, you can havepetrols in three guises V6,normally aspirated V8 or, if youtruly dont give a damn, super-charged V8.

Prices start at 33,900 for thediesel and all models come excep-tionally well equipped. Leather seats, a six-speed automaticgearbox, satellite navigation andBluetooth mobile telephony areall standard all of which areoptions on the equivalent rival A6and 5 Series.

This, and limited volume of around 8,000 units a year, hashelped push up residual valuepredictions CAP has booked the

XF 2.7D Luxury at 45% after three years/60,000 miles, with thepetrols a few percentage pointsfurther back.

This sets a solid foundation for


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This is where it gets interestingbecause Jaguar has made a massiveeffort to ensure the interior of the XFis the best in class. And, to be fair, itshard to argue against that claim.

First of all, the gimmicks the

starter button pulses red beforeignition, which is intended to makeyou believe the car is alive. Secondly,the air vents all appear from behind ametal-effect dashboard trim. Thirdly,the gearbox is no more, replaced by arotary button which rises from thetransmission tunnel and works morelike an iPod control thanks to drive-by-wire electronics which do awaywith any mechanical couplings.

All very clever, but what impressesmost about the interior is the quality stitched leather and wood minglewith metal veneers in a very cool way think boutique hotel and youre onthe right wavelength.

Thankfully its not just style oversubstance, because the XF drives well.The diesel engine is rened and barelyany engine or wind noise intrudesinto the cabin, even at motorwayspeeds.The gearbox shifts impercepti-

bly, the steering is direct and nicelyweighted and the ride is comfortable.All well and good, but Jaguar

insists the XF is a sports saloon, butseveral factors conspire against it.

Firstly, compared to, say, a 530d, it just doesnt feel as powerful with adistinct absence of that usual mass oflow-down torque you get from a largecapacity diesel. Secondly, the gearboxconspires against the car. It doesntlike being in second gear, preferring tochange up into third and then let thecar bog down. This is most evidentwhen you want to make a quickovertake but dont feel as though youhave the condence.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

the cars chances in the corporatemarket, which Jaguar expects toaccount for between 35 and 40% of sales.

Jaguars UK managing director,

Geoff Cousins, said: Weve worked very hard to ensure that the specication level on the XF isright. Having items such as satel-lite navigation as standard equip-

ment will help us ensure goodresidual values in three yearstime.

The XF makes sense bothemotionally and rationally.

VERDICT

As a mile-muncher the new XFexcels, being quiet, rened andcomfortable. But as a sportssaloon it is not as good as a5 Series. However, highequipment levels, sleek stylingand strong RVs mean the XF canput up a strong business case.

FACT FILEModel: 2.7D 3.0 V6 4.2 V8 4.2 V8 S/CMax power (bhp/rpm):204/4,000 235/6,800 294/6,000 412/6,250Max torque (lb-ft/rpm):320/1,900 216/4,100 303/4,100 413/4,000Max speed (mph): 143 148 155 1550-62mph (secs): 8.2 8.3 6.5 5.4Fuel consumption (mpg):37.6 26.8 25.3 22.4CO2 emissions (g/km) : 199 249 264 299On sale: March 1 Prices (OTR):33,900-54,900

Subject to the rightrefuelling infrastructure,there is no reason whyHondas revolutionaryFCX Clarity fuel cellpowered car should notbecome reality in the UK

Willthere bethe same taxincentives for choosingEuro 5 dieselcarsoverEuro 4, astherewerewhenEuro3was superseded?

T here is no indication yet thatthe Government has decidedto offer a tax incentive fordrivers to switch from Euro 4 to cleanerEuro 5 diesel-engined cars.

In 2005, any driver choosing a

Euro 4-compliant diesel rather thana Euro 3 model had the 3% BIKdiesel surcharge waived. However,some critics suggested drivers wereconfused over exactly how much taxthey would be paying and whethertheir cars were Euro 3 or Euro 4.

If the Government is to bring in themeasure again with the introductionof the Euro 5 standard in 2009, it willneed to be announced in this springsbudget, and the issue of tax confusioncould arise again.

In anticipation of the new standard,the next-generationHonda Accord,launched this summer, will be fullyEuro 5-compliant, with the new i-DTECdiesel engine offering the latest

technology for cleaner operation.

Ive heard hydrogen is the nextbig thing in alternative fuels.How likely is it that fuel cells willbecome available in company cars?

Theres no such thing aschance in this case Hondawill offer a fuel cell car to

customers in California this year.Though the refuelling infrastructure

needed for hydrogen is still an issue,

Honda has solved many of the keyproblems of running a fuel cell car.These include running in sub-zerotemperatures, an issue because water

is the only product of the fuel cell stackand so can freeze while in the system.Then there are the technical di fcultiesassociated with the design of a morecompact and e fcient stack allowinggreater range and interior space.

It means that from summer 2008Honda will be leasing its FCX Clarityhydrogen-powered car to retailcustomers in California.

Featuring the latest improvements

in driving range, power output,weight and e fciency, plus a low-slung, dynamic and sophisticatedappearance, previously unachievable

in a fuel cell vehicle, the Honda FCXClarity proves such cars are attainable.

Current plans are for a three-year lease term at $600 a month(approximately 290), includingmaintenance and collision insurance.

Because of Californias commitmentto creating a hydrogen highway, ithas been possible to introduce theFCX there. The lack of a fuellinginfrastructure in the UK means the

timescale here will be longer; onceinstalled, however, there is no reasonwhy fuel cell cars could not becomeavailable to eets in uture.

Many of my drivers areasking about hybrids, butthere seem to be few onthe market. Many manufacturersare promising to launch hybrids buthave yet to deliver. Where does theindustry really stand?

Currently, there are only fvehybrid models on sale in theUK: the Honda Civic Hybrid,

Toyota Prius and Lexus RX400h,GS 450h and LS 600h. Its true thatlots of other manufacturers haveclaimed they will be offering hybridsin the near future, but at present noneare yet on sale.

What is clear, however, is thathybrid technology is here to stay. It isonly a matter of time before we see agreater number of affordable hybrid-powered cars that present a genuinealternative to conventional petrol anddiesel models, but with considerableadvantages in terms of fuelconsumption and exhaust emissions.

Honda CEO, Takeo Fukui, hasconfrmed that by 2009 a new amily-sized hybrid car will be on sale, enablingpeople to enjoy the fuel saving and

emissions-reducing benefts o hybridtechnology at an affordable price. Headded that by 2010, 10% of all Hondacars sold would use a hybrid powertrain.

Will Euro 5 standardsmean penalties for Euro 4?

What other alternative fuels can I consider, and is there a timescale involved?

Are hybrids a viable option for company car drivers?

A regular series that o ers help, advice and assistance to feet decision makers on a variety o current industry issuesBusiness talk: here to help

Produced in associationwith Honda CorporateSales

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Unconventional but soundTe Roomsters unusual exterior may provoke amusement but once inside its impressiveBY EMMA COOPER

Four months down the line andIm still happy with the Roomster.Ive gone past caring about itsunconventional appearance infact, the weird-looking exterior isa great help when youve forgot-ten where youve parked it.

The sight of the Roomster isstill a great source of amusement to friends, only to be surpassed by

my own when they climb into theback and mutter with amazement:Its actually a lot bigger than

youd expect, you know, and isnt the sunroof good?

I was thankful for the carsample space over the festiveseason, carting around family members, luggage, bags of giftsand the largest stuffed bird knownto man, in relative comfort.

Its also proving difcult to

restrain my mothers enthusiasmfor the Roomsters capacity. Ive visited quite enough gardencentres and DIY shops already inthe past few months and Imlooking forward to loading up my sporting gear and leaving Home-base behind.

When I started driving theRoomster I was particularly impressed with the cabin. It looksclean and airy, theres plenty of glovebox space and the stereo iseasy to reach and to navigate.

I thought the beige interior wasrather smart (especially given thecolour schemes of the previousmodels) but Im now growing tohate the colour, as every piece of clothing uff and dust sticks tothe seats, making them lookgrubby.

The parking sensor is both a blessing and a curse. As a smallMPV the Roomster is not a badcar to park anyway and the sensor can be a help, but most of the timeIm convinced the electronics are

possessed. Its erratic blips areinfuriating when I can see that Ihave plenty of clearance.

Ive always hand-washed carsbut cant with the Roomster, sinceIm too short to reach the roof. SoIm reduced to putting it throughthe car wash, and was pleased todiscover that the aerial screwsdown out of the way.

Another source of constant delight is the gear knob, whichlooks chunky but is actually easy to move and very ergonomic. It feels good to hold and I enjoy changing gear.

If the stereo is on then the volume dims when you put thecar in reverse gear, a simple yet effective reminder that parkingrequires some concentration.

Despite a few gripes with theinterior and the technology Imstill enjoying driving the Room-ster. It handles well and is comfort-able to drive long distances in.

Average economy, still at 48mpg,is easy on the wallet too.

FACT FILEPrice: 14,070

(14,420 as tested)Mileage: 13,526Company car tax bill (2008)22% tax-payer: 47 per monthInsurance group: 5Combined mpg: 53.3Test mpg: 48.0CAP Monitor RV: 4,375/30%Contract hire rate 319Expenditure to date:110 (service)Figures based on three years/60,000 miles

LONG-TERMERS: SKODA ROOMSTER 3 1.9 TDI/VOLKSWAGEN TOURAN 1.4 TSI SE

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BY JOHN MASLEN

I have started taking our long-term Volkswagen Touran for granted. You might think thissuggests its a car that achievessuch monumental heights of dullness that it barely registers

when you drive or use it. But that couldnt be further from thetruth. The Touran has tted inbecause it is delivering exactly

what I need, to a high standard. As a home to work cr uiser, it is

perfectly quiet, with no dieseldeath rattle in the morning, lots

of torque for lazy acceleration, a light gearbox for easy gearch-anges and a good, comfortabledriving position.

As a business mileage basher on the motorway, it is frugal,smooth, quiet at speed, powerfulfor overtaking and has plenty of in-car gadgets to keep you calm

when trafc halts your progress. The only glitch is the infuriat-

ing stupidity of some of thetouch-screen satellite-naviga-tions decisions (anyone fancy a shortcut through the centre of Bradford, adding 25 minutes to a 15-minute journey?).

At least the excellent brakesmake sure you dont park the

Touran in the boot of the car infront while shouting at thescreen.

In the city, as an urban kidcarrier, it couldnt be better,soaking up Britains fast-breed-ing potholes exceptionally well,

sailing over with a solid thump.In the rear, the two rows of

seats have accommodated four children aged from four to seven

without fuss and the tables in theback of the front seats (seepicture) are a constant source of amusement and food to youngones.

So the Touran is doing anexcellent job and now I dont expect anything less.

And this is also the case withthe back-up from the manufac-turer. Recently Volkswagen UKseet team was given the Euro-pean Fleet Award 2007 by itsparent company in Germany.

The award was based on theevaluation of criteria includinggrowth rate, position in the eet and rental market and the trans-parency and planning quality for the UK business.

Hans Andree, Head of Volkswagen Fleet Europe, said:

This strong performancethroughout all criteria was thefoundation of the UK Fleet Services teams success.

However, in the spirit of takingthings for granted and knowinghow the team has performed inthe past year, I wouldnt expect anything less.

Doing simple things very wellIts easy to take the Touran for granted as it offers hassle-free driving apart from the sat-nav

Price: 18,262(20,147 as tested)

Mileage: 5,650CO2 emissions (g/km) : 160Company car tax bill (2008)22% tax-payer: 73 per monthInsurance group: 9Combined mpg: 38.2Test mpg: 36CAP Monitor RV: 6,800/37%Contract hire rate: 366Expenditure to date: Nil

Figures based on three years/60,000 miles

FACT FILE

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ROAD TEST: VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN 2.0 TDI SE

Fashionably late

to the SUV party Volkswagens Tiguan offers another choice in a crowded sector

BY JULIAN KIRK

It cant have escaped your noticethat there have been a fair few new SUV models launched over

the past few months.Some are from established

players, while others are fromnames whose brand has no stand-ing in the sector. Some willsucceed in the market, whileothers will ounder in the mud.

One thing you can guarantee,though, is that the VolkswagenTiguan will succeed. It may be

arriving at the party while theport and cheese is being served,but theres no doubt it has all theessentials that buyers in thissector desire...

Right badge? Check. Chunky

styling? Check. Doesnt feel like a mud-plugger to drive? Check.But its not just drivers who will

appreciate the newcomer fromVolkswagen. Fleet managers willwelcome its performance on thespreadsheet, too.

With a residual value predic-tion of 47% it means competitiveleasing rates and the availability of the car to a wider group of people.

And thanks to the new commonrail 2.0-litre TDI turbodieselengine tted in this test model, itsfuel returns are not horrendous.

Driven with some degree of restraint it should top 35mpg on a regular basis, which isnt bad for a vehicle of this type.

Its not going to convince the

green lobby, but it seems not everyone is that bothered if youlook at the number of SUVs sold

in the UK every year. This new engine is slightly more powerful than the unit it replaces, and is also more rened.Clatter at start-up has beenreduced and once on the road theengine settles into a subduedtone.

Theres also been a big effort to cut wind noise, a problem for

vehicles of this size and shape. The effort has been worthwhile with the Tiguan offering a reneddriving experience.

It also drives well for an SUV,

although it doesnt match HondasCR-V for on-road renement andhandling. However, the Tiguanmanages to reduce body roll andoffers a compliant ride.

The interior will be familiar toany Volkswagen owner, withgeneric buttons, switches anddials borrowed from the Golf andPassat. This is no bad thing, andinterior build quality is good.

The interior is also very light and roomy, with a high roof anddeep glass area. The rear seatscan also be slid forwards andbackwards to either boost luggage

space or rear legroom.Standard equipment is decent, with our SE-spec test car coming with 17-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, MP3 stereo, leather steering wheel and gearknob andsome lifestyle touches such asdrawers under the front seats andfolding tables on the back of thefront seats.

Honda CR-V2.2 i-CTDi ES

Nissan X-Trail2.0 dCi Sport

Apart from the entry-levelFreelander, all of these cars are inmid-spec trim. This makes the LandRover look expensive. All have off-road ability, although the Freelanderlacks the full off-road hardware of

its higher-spec siblings such as hilldescent control.

Freelander 20,705CR-V 21,202X-Trail 22,240Tiguan 21,545

THREE RIVALS TO CONSIDER

P11D PRICE

SMR COSTThe Nissan and Honda will be themost expensive in terms of service,maintenance and repair costs due totheir shorter service intervals. Bothwill require a visit to the garageevery 12,500 miles, whereas theLand Rover can go for up to 15,000

miles. The Tiguan has variableservicing intervals.

EMISSIONS AND TAX RATESWith by far the lowest CO2 emissions and the second-cheapestprice tag the Honda easily wins here.The CR-V will cost a 40% taxpayer177 a month in benet-in-kind tax,compared to 200 for the

Freelander, 201 for the Tiguan and205 for the Nissan.

VERDICTThis sector is more about fashion than anything else and potentialbuyers will want to be seen in the latest model. But running costsand driver taxation are also serious considerations. Which meansthat this contest comes down to two cars the Volkswagen Tiguanand Honda CR-V. Both are stylish, well equipped and well built, andboth have a badge which will meet the requirements of image-conscious SUV drivers. The Honda has the edge on paper, with muchlower benet-in-kind bills and a signicant advantage in runningcosts. For these reasons it sneaks the win from the Tiguan. WINNER: Honda CR-V 2.2 i-CTDi ES

FUEL COST

DEPRECIATION COST

The Honda is well out in front, with

the CR-V claimed to return anaverage of 43.5mpg. This equates toa diesel spend of just under 6,200over 60,000 miles. Second goes tothe Nissan which returns 39.8mpg.

The Tiguan records 39.2mpg and theLand Rover 37.7.

CR-V 10.33/6,198X-Trail 11.29/6,774Tiguan 11.46/6,876Freelander 11.92/7,152

The SUV sector is particularlysusceptible to fashion, so being thenew kid on the block has a distinctadvantage. In the case of the Tiguan,this means an RV prediction fromCAP of 47%, easily putting it out in

front. The Honda retains 45% andthe Land Rover and Nissan 43%.

Tiguan 19.11/11,466Freelander 19.21/11,526CR-V 19.50/11,700X-Trail 19.56/11,736

WHOLELIFE COSTThe Hondas performance in the fuelcost section effectively secures it thevictory here, even though the Tiguanbetters it on depreciation and theNissan costs less in SMR terms. Atunder 24ppm the CR-V is more than

a penny per mile ahead of theVolkswagen.

CR-V 33.92/20,352X-Trail 34.62/20,772Tiguan 35.00/21,000Freelander 35.59/21,354

ppm/60k totalX-Trail 3.77/2,262CR-V 4.09/2,454Tiguan 4.43/2,658Freelander 4.46/2,676


CR-V 173g/km/25%Tiguan 189g/km/28%X-Trail 190g/km/29%Freelander 194g/km/29%

Land RoverFreelander 2.2 TD4 S

FACT FILEP11D value 21,545CO2 emissions (g/km) 189BIK % of P11D in 2008 28%Graduated VED rate 205Insurance group 9Combined mpg 39.2CAP RV (3yr/60k)10,150/47%Monthly lease (3yr/60k) 392

Strong RV Good to drive Well equipped Styling

Running costs Late to the party?

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CONTRACT HIRE SURVEY: UPPER-MEDIUM DIESELS


New arrivals bring fresh lTe Renault Laguna is the latest new model to be launched in the upper-medium sector.

BY STEVE MOODY

For a sector that issaid to be as dead asa dodo, the upper-medium segment isdoing a very good

job of apping its wings andsquawking a lot.

There have been a number of new cars in the past year that areanything but ightless cannonfodder. One of the latest of themis a new version of a car that hadbecome a byword for Frenchcraftsmanship and precision(post- djeuner ): the Renault Laguna.

The last one was disastrous,especially electronically, to thepoint that about 18 months agoyou didnt have to be SherlockHolmes to unearth a Renault executive who would all but admit they had given up trying tosell it.

So now we have a new one, towhich Renault claims has beenladen thousands of hours of thenest Gallic care and exactitude.

There are also other new entrants to the market. The new Mazda6 takes over from its very

ne predecessor, while the FordMondeo was universally acknowl-edged to be one of the best new cars of last year.

Against these are three stal-warts of the eet industry: the

Vauxhall Vectra, VolkswagenPassat and Peugeot 407. Toughcompetitors. Tough market. But by no means extinct.

P11D price 17,0552008 BIK bill (22%) 8252008 VED bill 140

RENTAL RATESDCFM 307Hitachi Capital 338Lex 292Lloyds TSB autolease 359

Mazda6 2.0d TS

VERDICT:Thenew Mazda6 putsin an impressiveshowing on allfronts, with noweaknesses, andis easily votedrst by the panel.Offers secondlowest rental.



VERDICT: Thenew Mondeodoes nothingwrong anddespite littlesupport stillmanages goodrunning costs,decent RVs and alow BIK tax bill.



VERDICT: Stillgoing strong, thePassat stands upagainst the brandnew models in allareas and retainsits leading RVcrown, whichhelps drive rentalcosts down.

Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Edge Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI S

1 S T = 2 N D =2

N D

CHRIS CROWHead of risk,Hitachi Capital

High running costs hamper thenew Renault Lagunas priceadvantage at the front end,

whi le strong styling, high buildquality and equipment levels

warrant leading residual valueson the new Mazda6. Alongsidecompetitive front-end pricing,this ensures the rental lead for this car.

The sector leader a decadeago, the Ford Mondeo requiresgreater manufacturer backingto remain on the pace, althoughit does benet from competitive

running costs and a gooddriving experience.

The Volkswagen Passat wasthe original vehicle to moveupmarket and the new modelcontinues the trend. The Vectra and 407 now show their age.

DEAN WOODWARDContract servicesmanager,DaimlerChrysler FleetManagement

The eet manager has a vestedinterest in this sector as it captures the majority share of essential-user eet vehicles.

Cost considerations can becloud ed by the emotive factor of choice and the best car doesnt always win.

The Laguna promises toexorcise the ghost of itsreputation for unreliability,

while the 2.0-litre dCi enginecontinues to be smooth and

sprightly. The new Mazda6offers a refreshing alternativeto the Mondeo, Vectra andPeugeot 407. With stylingreminiscent of the RX-8, it appears sporty but in a

justiable saloon car package.

STEVE JONESPricing manager,Lex

Overall honours are a straight ght between the Ford and theMazda6.

The previous Mondeo wascompetent but unremarkable,

while the outgoing Mazda6 was

distinctive but road noise andinterior quality were often citedas weaknesses. New Mondeohas striking looks and great build quality, while the latest Mazda 6 is stylish, poised andrened.

The revamped Laguna hasbeen long-awaited but the

transformation is less startlingthan might have beenexpected.

The Peugeot and Passat arestill competent competitors and

Vectra despite its age represents really great value.

ANDREW MEECommercial operationsmanager, Lloyds TSBautolease

This sector has seen some new models. Renault hopes that theevolution of its Laguna willshowcase its improvements inquality and reliability, while

Mazda has launched an all-new 6, attracting strong residualsand subsequently lower rentals.

This is a difcult sector togain ground in with the class-leading Passat staying aheadand the new Mondeo achievinghigher residuals throughincreased industry perception.

Low maintenance and highdiscounts help Peugeot sell its407 model in volume.

Creating further competitionis Vauxhall, which replaces the

Vectra with the all-new Insignia later this year.

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e to sectorOur panel of experts assesses its chances



VERDICT: In itslast year, theVectra manages avery respectablefourth. Lots of kitand sensiblerunning costsmake it stillrelevant foreets.



VERDICT: TheLaguna failed toignite the panelsimagination, butthis was alwayslikely to be agradual processfor Renault and itdoes nothingwrong.



VERDICT: ThePeugeot comes ina distant sixth.Despite not beinga bad car, itstruggles to offeranything notdone better bythe otherofferings here.

Vauxhall Vectra CDTi 150 Exclusiv Ren Laguna dCi 150 Expression Peugeot 407 2.0 HDi 136 SE

380

360

340

320

300

280

Average based on results from our leasing panel

Decent support and strong residuals make theMazda6 look good value. The equipment-ladenVectra is worth a look too, while the Passatsexcellent RV helps it drive down rentals.

OVER 3YRS/60,000 MILES

AVERAGE LEASING RATES

355 355

40

37

34

31

28

25


The Passat retains its RV crown, but it is closelyfollowed by the Mazda6. The venerable Vectra holdson to the coat tails of the newer cars, while Lagunais low seeing as it has just been launched.

%/ RETAINED OVER 3 YRS/60,000 MILES

RESIDUAL VALUES

165

160

155

150

145

140

Average based on manufacturers claimed gures

All six models are very evenly matched when itcomes to CO2 emissions, with the Mondeo slightlyahead of the rest. All are around the 20-22%benet-in-kind tax bracket from April.

GRAMMES PER KILOMETRE

CO 2 EMISSIONS

155

149

25

21

17

13

9

5


The Vectra has a lot of manufacturer support, as isexpected at this point in its lifecycle, while Ford isntoffering much off a Mondeo yet, or Volkswageneither on the Passat.

AVERAGE DISCOUNT/ % OFF LIST PRICE

AVERAGE DISCOUNT

1,807/10

2,351/14

53

51

49

47

45

43

Average based on manufacturers claimed gures

Fuel economy that hovers around the 45-50mpgmark is a decent return for cars of this size, with theMondeo the best again. It is followed closely by thePassat and Vectra.

AVERAGE MILES PER GALLON

49.650.4

2,000

1,800

1,600

1,400

1,200

1,000


New Laguna is predicted to cost the most in SMR perhaps a legacy of the last model so leasing rmswill be keeping a watching brief on its progress andadjusting accordingly.

OVER 3 YRS/60,000 MILES

AVERAGE MAINTENANCE

1,367

4 T H 6 T H

M o n d e o

M a z d a 6

4 0 7

L a g u n a

V e c t r a

P a s s a t

M o n d e o

M a z d a 6

4 0 7 L a

g u n a

V e c t r a

P a s s a t

M o n d e o

M a z d a 6

4 0 7

L a g u n a

V e c t r a

P a s s a t

M o n d e o

M a z d a 6

4 0 7

30/5,235

33/5,682

L a g u n a

V e c t r a

P a s s a t

M o n d e o

M a z d a 6

4 0 7

1,781/10

P a s s a t

V e c t r a

L a g u n a

153

3,390/2136/

6,157

29/4,718

47.9

49.6158156154

47.9

313

351

304314

2,717/152,346/14

47.1

FUEL ECONOMY

31/5,216

38/6,450

5 T H

1,562

M o n d e o

M a z d a 6

1,408

1,645

P a s s a t

V e c t r a

L a g u n a

4 0 7

1,310

1,513

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The concept of sharing lifts to or from work isnt a new one; peoplehave been doing it

for years. But in this environmen-tally-conscious age, the idea of getting more people into fewer cars has become even moreappealing.

The Government is keen onthe concept of workplace travel

planning and, along with variouscharities and other organisations,is promoting formal car-sharingschemes. Last month, the Depart-ment for Transport (DfT)launched a report into car-sharingpractices in the UK.

At rst glance, the report seems very positive. It surveyeddrivers about their travel habitsover the previous month andfound that 61% had undertakensome form of car sharing duringthat time.

But there has been contro- versy over the report. Somecriticised the ndings for not reecting what the man in thestreet regards as car sharing.

John Lettice, founder of popular science and technology

website The Register , says: Theless creative thinkers among usare likely to think of car sharingas regular arrangements wheretwo or more people share the

journey to work in a single vehicle, thus reducing costs,peak-hour congestion andpollution.

But for the sprinklers of magichappy dust at the DfT, such utili-tarian denitions would appear to

produce an insufciently greenresult. Search in the raw data for evidence of what ordinary mortals might understand as car sharing and you nd insteadroads brimming with phalanxesof vehicles occupied by single,planet-wrecking neer-do-wells.

Indeed, the report does count anyone that had a lift fromsomeone outside their family at least once in the past month ashaving taken part in car sharing.

When you look into the guresmore closely, you nd that only 1% of respondents were actually part of a formal car-sharingscheme. But car-sharing organi-sations, although not completely happy with the report, reject theconcerns of Mr Lettice.

I think its good that theGovernment is taking an interest in car sharing, but its not showingus anything we didnt know before, says Ali Clabburn,

BY PHILL TROMANS

FLEET MANAGEMENT: CAR SHARING

Car share controversyReport gives positive picture of organised schemes but the ndings have come under re

In the month before beinginterviewed, 61% of people hadtaken part in car sharing. But just1% were members of a formal lift-sharing scheme run by their employeror another organisation.

Of those that had received lifts,42% said the last occasion had beenfor a one-off journey or one thatwould occur less than once a month.In 28% of cases, the lift took placeat least once a week.

Of those who were given lifts,28% said they made the same

journey by another means at leastonce a week, usually by drivingthemselves.

Most of the car-share journeys(63%) were of 20 minutes or less.Some 22% were between 21 and 45minutes and 15% were in excess of45 minutes. A quarter of those whoreceived a lift said the journey waseither a business commute ortravelling for work.

Convenience was the mostcommon reason for car sharing(63%), 25% couldnt drive

themselves, 8% did it because theywanted to reduce road congestionand 7% gave environmental reasons.

Men aged between 35 and 54and those on the highest incomeswere most likely to have driven on adaily basis.

Only a fth of Londoners driveevery day, and 53% had not drivenat all in the month before the survey.Women and young people agedbetween 16 and 24 were most likelyto have travelled as a passenger atleast once a week.

THE REPORT IN NUMBERS

For more information and details of our 3 Day Test Drive Programme call 0870 010 0651 *

Official Government Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km) and CO 2 emissions (g/km). BLS Saloon - Urban 34.9 (8.1), Extra Urbanmetallic paint at extra cost (500). Prices are correct at time of going to print and are subject to change without notice. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offers may be varied or withdrawn at any time. *3 Day Test Drive vehicles

ank Holidays. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training purposes.

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THERE IS HUGE POTENTIALFOR MORE EMPLOYERS TOENCOURAGE CAR SHARING

managing director of LiftShare.In the UK, 38% of trips are

made with just one person in thecar, which means 62% are madewith more than one person. I

would include sharing with family,friends and colleagues in my de-nition of car sharing. I dont quite

understand why they have takenout family members. Saying they dont count is ridiculous.

Antonia Roberts, co-director of Car Plus, agrees: The majority of car sharing is done informally but I dont necessarily think thats a bad thing or a misrepresentation.

It can be only a good thingbecause its part of peoplespsyche to take that approach.

Advocates of car sharing agreethat the report helps to raisepublic awareness of the issue.

They, and organisations likethem, are working with busi-nesses to introduce more work-place car-sharing schemes.

Employers can do so muchmore, says Mrs Roberts. Somerms are paying lip service in

setting up schemes but not encouraging people to use them.Its still relatively early days.

There are a lot of councils that have employees embracing theconcept, so there are schemesthere, but they are not beingencouraged enough. There is

much more that can be done.Mr Clabburn agrees. He says:There is huge potential toencourage car sharing. We aresetting up about four company schemes a week, but its some-thing that hasnt really been inthe public consciousness here asit has in other countries, such asthe United States.

We set up schemes to helpstaff cut the number of miles they do on their commute.

We also do a lot of work withcompanies trying to cut downbusiness miles. By matching upemployees they can have hugesavings in the miles they dothrough work. If employees sharea car, rms save 40p per mile for one of the passengers.

CADILLAC. THE STUFF OF LEGEND

Driven by kings, presidents and rock stars.

7.6 (4.9), Combined 46.3 (6.1) CO 2 164g/km BLS Wagon - Urban 34 (8.3), Extra Urban 55.4 (5.1), Combined 44.8 (6.3) CO 2 167g/km. Models illustrated includee subject to availability and terms and conditions apply. Please refer to the 3 Day Test Drive voucher for details. Programme is for 25+ fleets and is available for Mainland UK only. Phone lines are open from 8.00am-6.00pm Monday-Friday excluding

(And a spec thats legendary too.)To celebrate the introduction of the Cadillac BLSWagon, were offering it for the same price as theSaloon. For just 21,495, both are fully loaded,including Satellite Navigation, full leather interior,climate control, integrated Bluetooth , heated seats,alloy wheels and Bose stereo. Who says fame costs?

BLS Elegance Wagon or Saloon. 1.9 Diesel. 150 PS.

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BY PHILL TROMANS

Here at Fleet News

we spend a lot of time talking toeet managersabout their jobs.

Some look after eets of thou-sands, others just a handful. Wealso try out the cars coming tomarket, borrowing dozens of carsa year from manufacturers.

Pretty much all the major carmakers have a press eet of

vehicles to lend to motoring jour-nalists. There are all sorts of publications and media outletsthat request test cars from tradepublications and consumer maga-zines to national newspapers andtelevision programmes.

Managing such demand andkeeping journalists happy isnormally a full-time job.

Its a job that John Brooks hasbeen doing for 15 years as presseet administrator at Toyota,sourcing, managing and dispos-ing of a huge range of vehicles.He looks after 180 Toyota andLexus cars at any one time.

Around 50 are long-termers, which go out to magazines andtelevision programmes for up to a

year at a time, he says.And about 120 go out on a

weekly basis.Getting the right number of

cars in means having a goodunderstanding of the manu-facturers business, and John is inregular contact with Toyota in

Japan to get a steer on the prod-ucts in the pipeline.

Well get product bulletinsthat tell us what vehicles arecoming out and when, Mr Brooks says. I will sit down and

say car X will be a core modeland try and get quite a few on thepress eet. If we get 12 vehicles Ican service 30 journalists a month. If its a new model thentheres a lot of interest, but oncethe demand starts to drop off

well cut back on the number of vehicles.

Veronica Borrelli joined Vaux-hall as an apprentice from schooland, having progressed to thepublic relations department, isnow press eet co-ordinator for parent company General Motors.She looks after 140 vehicles from

Vauxhall, Saab, Chevrolet, Cadil-lac, Corvette and Hummer.

I look after week-to-week car loans for print media, televisionand radio, she says.

I organise the paperwork,such as movement documenta-tion to delivery companies and

engineering workshop papers toensure vehicles are ready to sendout.

I also order the cars for theeet. I sit down with each indi-

vidual brand manager to decide what to have on the press eet. We also speak to the marketingmanagers to see what their best seller is and if there is a particu-lar model that we need to haveavailable.

Long-term loans work in a similar way. We ask for some kindof idea of the coverage publica-tions will give us then I gothrough the ordering processand each car is built especially for that publication.

Anyone familiar with the anticsof Top Gears Jeremy Clarkson,

James May and RichardHammond will perhaps imaginethat all motoring journalists hurl

FLEET MANAGEMENT: PRESS CARS


Most major car manufacturers have a press eet. The cars are available to journalists working for newspapers, magazines,

television, radio and media (i.e. websites). Cars are loaned out on both a long and short-term basis. The cars are well looked after to ensure they represent the brand properly. After their testing period is over, the cars are deeeted into the used

market.

AT A GLANCE

Helping the media to gSupplying motoring journalists with the right cars at the right time is a full-time job

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through testing timescars around test tracks amidclouds of tyre smoke. Surely running a whole eet of carssubjected to such abuse must get taxing?

I dont get that many bad carsback, insists Mr Brooks.

People remember the onedamaged car, not the 40 that arene.

There are always going to beminor wears and tears. I do about 40 loans and collections a week,and out of those 80 movementsthere are maybe ve little minor things, from scuffed wheels to a knock on the bumper.

Damage is the most obviousday-to-day issue at GM too.

The regularity of damageisnt too bad at the moment, but it does vary, says Ms Borrelli.

If a car does come back thatsdamaged it can have a knock-oneffect on the next person that itsbooked for. There are also dead-lines that magazines need toadhere to so we have to consider them as well.

Its usually a minor thing likea scraped bumper or a kerbed

wheel.Despite this, there are inevita-

ble misjudgements by the jour-nalists.

On average, we only get oneserious accident a year, Mr Brooks says.

We had a Toyota MR2 writtenoff a couple of years ago with just 75 miles on the clock. And

another very noted public gure-cum-journalist sat his kids on theroof of a car to watch some sort of event and caused 5,000 worthof damage.

When vehicles are damaged,they are repaired immediately ina dedicated press car bodyshopat Toyotas technical centre.

Theres a three-day turn-around period between loans,says Mr Brooks.

The cars are checked andanything wrong is rectied. If a car is damaged well swap it withsomething else or get it to thebodyshop.

If someone has an accident then we send them out a formand get them to call our insur-ance company, then we look after it all. All the journalists are fully insured through us. If we think

you get through the criteria of getting cars, then thats it. Wedecide who gets cars by thepublications circulation, impact,h

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