Q&A with Lee Giddings, Suzuki

EVs in the pipeline but self-charging hybrids remain best solution for now

Lee Giddings, Suzuki’s National Fleet Sales Manager, talks to Andrew Walker about his company’s plans post-Covid as it looks to adjust to the rapidly changing landscape for new car sales

CC&V. How has the global pandemic affected Suzuki here in the UK and how well do you think the brand has coped with it?

Lee Giddings: Covid-19 has quite obviously had a massive affect on the industry, with our brand having seen a significant drop in sales volume in 2020.

However, what it has enabled Suzuki to do is plan and structure accordingly. Our dealership network have really embraced the change to a more digital world and have developed great initiatives to support this customer journey.

We have also seen our ‘click to reserve’ function go live, along with click to buy as the next step.

CC&V. The UK government has been pushing future mobility as hybrid, plugin-hybrid, or fully electric cars and CVs. With generous BIK tax incentives offered on these types of vehicles, will Suzuki be adding any PHEV or electric model’s to its offering, to entice SMEs in the near future?

Lee Giddings: Suzuki is in a great position in terms of product, with our entire line-up now 100 per cent hybrid. We also have the fantastic Across, our first PHEV model, available to order now.

Of course, with the changing landscape of future mobility, we are investing heavily in technology and will announce further models to add to our range in the medium to long term.

CC&V: Your ‘Fit for Fleet’ programme has seen success with Swift and Vitara. Moving forward, sharing Toyota’s hybrid technology has increased your model range, with the addition of Swace and Across. Do you think that these models have a part to play for Suzuki in the SME fleet sector?

Lee Giddings: We see both Swace and Across as key models within our fleet strategy, given their BIK advantage. In particular, we see the Swace as the perfect car for both the SME market and the public sector. Much like Swace, Across is perfectly placed for these channels and there will be added focus within the Salary Sacrifice channel.

CC&V: What percentage of overall UK Suzuki sales will be expected to come from the corporate sector, and has your dealer network bought into the fleet market?

Lee Giddings: Post-Covid and when market conditions allow, we are looking to get back to 40,000 units per annum, of which fleet will be responsible for 25 per cent. This is all driven by our 3, 2, 1 strategy – 3 per cent return on sales, 2 per cent market share and No. 1 trusted car brand.

I am really pleased with how our network has embraced fleet; we have further developed our fleet strategy in this area, with newly appointed direct sales partners.

This is an evolution of our previous Suzuki Business Partner Programme and has been designed to give greater coverage and improved service levels to our fleet customer base, predominantly within the leasing and public sector channels.

CC&V: In a recent survey, we asked some of our readers about electric cars and whether they would consider using one.

“In particular, we see the Swace as the perfect car for both the SME market and the public sector...”

Their biggest concerns remained range anxiety and access to charging points, not the actual cost of electric vehicles. Based on our findings, do you think that all- electric is the way forward or that self-charging and PHEV cars have an important role to play in the transition to a fully electric fleet?

Lee Giddings: My opinion, which is supported by SMMT data, suggests that self-charging hybrids are the right products at this time. There is, of course, greater awareness of EV products now but these still represent a relatively small percentage of the overall market and that volume is mainly driven by premium brands.

That said, at Suzuki we are, of course, moving towards an EV strategy; however, we feel we have the right product at the right time currently.

CC&V: Last but by no means least, do you see many changes coming to the UK fleet sector post pandemic and if so, how will Suzuki address these?

Lee Giddings: I believe that organisations, along with individuals looking at Personal Contract Hire, will be much more cost conscious moving forward.

In addition, I can see a lot of people downsizing due to potential decreased mileage and I’m confident that given our great value range of products, we’re certainly best placed and ready to service those needs.