FleetNewsDigestMarch2012

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Issue 5

February 2012 GO Vehicle damage slashed ●

Telematics cut incident rates ‘by two-thirds’

Sales figures ● GO

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Overcapacity could mean discounts in 2012 GO Remarketing ●

Online sales surge predicted

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News insight

Telematics 'slash damage incident rate by two-thirds' associated with this, then in-vehicle driver behavBy Gareth Roberts A leading fleet insurer has reported that a custom- iour technology is a fundamental component that er’s trial of telematics resulted in it slashing its will assist those responsible for managing motor incident rate for own damage claims by two-thirds fleets in realising their goals.”

Five years from now most UK insurers will have (66.4%). a telematics product on the market, It also recorded a 59% reduction By implementing though these systems will work in in the cost per vehicle for these different ways to assess driving risk, driver behaviour claims, while its figures for thirdparty claims were even more telematics, employees according to Walters’ forecasts.

Zurich and Aviva have already joined impressive. It reported a 72.2% can understand reduction in the annual incident when they are driving the fray, and in recent weeks TomTom has made a move into the insurance rate and an 83.1% reduction in the inappropriately market by teaming up with insurcost per vehicle for these claims.

Andy Price, ance broker Motaquote to launch The figures from Zurich are Zurich Risk Engineering Fair Pay Insurance. It was quickly based on an unnamed fleet, which compared 250 vehicles fitted with driver behaviour followed by AA Insurance, which launched a ‘pay telematics to a control group of more than 1,200 how you drive’ product called AA Drivesafe.

Zurich launched its Fleet Intelligence product in vehicles.

Andy Price, practice leader Europe, motor fleet at the UK in 2010 to help companies improve their Zurich Risk Engineering, said: “If the aspiration of fleet operations and manage their risk. The propoan organisation running a motor fleet is to reduce sition goes beyond the industry norm ‘pay-as-youits overall cost of risk, as well as the frictional costs drive’ telematics products, as Zurich works in partnership with the customer.

It combines vehicle telematics technology with reporting and driver development tools to help fleet operators improve safety, lessen operating costs and reduce environmental impact through lessened fuel consumption and vehicle wear and tear.

On-board telematics technology allows commercial fleet operators to monitor and assess driver behaviour at the same time as gathering raw data.

The equipment tracks and measures vehicle and driver behaviour on a continuous basis and the fleet

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EDITOR'S COMMENT

By Simon Harris, deputy editor, Fleet News

operator receives the resulting data via a web portal. This data provides companies with helpful insights that could be used for targeted driver training and coaching.

Price said: “When an employee is making a workrelated journey, this is usually unsupervised, so by implementing driver behaviour telematics employees can understand when they are driving inappropriately, through the in-vehicle feedback mechanisms.

“Managers can get insights on how employees are driving, allowing them to put the appropriate management and/or driver-focused interventions in place.”

But Price recognises that before convincing any organisation that the use of driver behaviour telematics is of value to them, “they must first have an appetite to want to effectively manage work-related road risks”, he said.

To hear more from Zurich on how insurance telematics is appealing to fleets, join the discussion at Insurance Telematics Europe 2012 on May 9-10 in London. Click here for more information.

Alarm bells have begun to ring across Europe about over-capacity in vehicle manufacturing.

Rumours have returned that General Motors’ European arm could close a factory – possibly Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port factory in the UK – to reduce costs, while PSA Peugeot-Citroën has also warned it would be cutting costs this year, and suggested over-capacity in Europe stood at about three million cars a year.

“Keeping production going could lead to greater discounts for fleets” Manufacturers have to balance whether downsizing capacity and the effect it would have on the component supply chain, potentially leading to redundancies elsewhere, will start a vicious circle of diminishing buying power with potential customers further depressing demand for new vehicles.

Keeping production going at car plants could lead to greater incentives for fleets to buy in the way of discounts, but there would be a knock-on effect on used values, so savings in wholelife costs might not be made.

The vehicle industry is in a precarious position where rationalisation could make matters much worse before they get better.

Sales figures

Overcapacity could mean bigger discounts in 2012

By Jay Nagley, Redspy Automotive The headline numbers showed that the overall fleet market in January 2012 was unchanged from that of January 2011: an increase of just 202 units for the month.

However, within the overall market there were some big changes. The most notable was Vauxhall, whose fleet sales fell by 25.1%. Trying to unravel what is going on at Vauxhall is like trying to figure out the innermost thoughts of the Chinese government, but there seem to be a number of factors at work. Vauxhall had a very good fleet sales total in 2011, led by a big rise in Insignia sales.

At the start of 2012, it announced that it was cutting back on fleet sales, especially to daily rental (and this time it said it really meant it). Combined with the public statements of its parent, GM, about massive overcapacity in its European operations and the need to make deep cuts, Vauxhall is probably not in the mood to find an immediate home for every car that rolls off the production line.

Behind Vauxhall (actually not very far behind), the Volkswagen juggernaut rolls on. With its huge global footprint, Volkswagen is the only European operator that can price aggressively and still make a profit.

It is using this to the full in the UK – its marketing message is “Where good cars cost less”.

Effectively it is offering a semi-premium image without much of a premium.

Behind Volkswagen and Audi comes Peugeot, which has grown thanks to the new 508. BMW is

508 helped Peugeot's sales grow in January now behind Peugeot, but that is mostly due to the run-out of the current 3 Series.

For the rest of the year, prospects in terms of sales volumes look quite good. There are tentative signs that the UK economy is starting to grow again and UK corporate profits are relatively healthy.

However the real issue is what price these cars will be sold at.

Massive over-capacity across Europe means that discounts are likely to spiral.

Carlos Tavares, chief operating officer of Renault, warned recently that it was seeing “desperate moves” by some European competitors to shift unwanted cars and suggested that one European car company could disappear in the next few years.

Certainly, there have been some grim 2011 results: GM lost $700 million (£440m) in Europe and Peugeot Citroën finished the year with ¤2.6 billion (£2.2bn) less cash than it started with. Those sorts of numbers are not sustainable.

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Fleet sales: January

Manufacturer

Jan 2012

Jan 2011 % change 2012

Ford 11,565 12,038 -3.93% 11,565 Vauxhall 7,457 9,960 -25.13% 7,457 Volkswagen 7,258 6,352 14.26% 7,258 Audi 5,194 5,397 -3.76% 5,194 Peugeot 4,405 4,052 8.71% 4,405 BMW 3,790 5,250 -27.81% 3,790 Mercedes-Benz 3,692 3,089 19.52% 3,692 Nissan 3,439 2,643 30.12% 3,439 Toyota 2,822 2,552 10.58% 2,822 Kia 2,232 1,575 41.71% 2,232 Hyundai 2,081 1,520 36.91% 2,081 CitroĂŤn 1,858 2,187 -15.04% 1,858 Skoda 1,757 1,149 52.92% 1,757 Volvo 1,683 1,233 36.50% 1,683 Chevrolet 1,596 414 285.51% 1,596 Seat 1,534 1,429 7.35% 1,534 Honda 1,497 1,655 -9.55% 1,497 Renault 1,385 2,338 -40.76% 1,385 Fiat 1,067 657 62.40% 1,067 Land Rover 991 1,012 -2.08% 991 Mini 644 595 8.24% 644 Suzuki 458 58 689.66% 458 Jaguar 451 496 -9.07% 451 Lexus 445 312 42.63% 445 Mazda 349 1,183 -70.50% 349 Alfa Romeo 334 350 -4.57% 334 Smart 152 90 68.89% 152 MG 103 2 5050.00% 103 Subaru 96 39 146.15% 96 Chrysler 73 57 28.07% 73 Mitsubishi 67 277 -75.81% 67 Porsche 45 64 -29.69% 45 Bentley 39 27 44.44% 39 Ssangyong 27 0 0.00% 27 Aston Martin 21 19 10.53% 21 Lotus 18 14 28.57% 18 Perodua 8 2 300.00% 8 Maserati 6 5 20.00% 6 Infiniti 2 1 100.00% 2 Saab 0 345 -100.00% 0 Total 70,641 70,438 0.29% 70,641 Source: SMMT

YTD 2011 % change 12,038 -3.93% 9,960 -25.13% 6,352 14.26% 5,397 -3.76% 4,052 8.71% 5,250 -27.81% 3,089 19.52% 2,643 30.12% 2,552 10.58% 1,575 41.71% 1,520 36.91% 2,187 -15.04% 1,149 52.92% 1,233 36.50% 414 285.51% 1,429 7.35% 1,655 -9.55% 2,338 -40.76% 657 62.40% 1,012 -2.08% 595 8.24% 58 689.66% 496 -9.07% 312 42.63% 1,183 -70.50% 350 -4.57% 90 68.89% 2 5050.00% 39 146.15% 57 28.07% 277 -75.81% 64 -29.69% 27 44.44% 0 0.00% 19 10.53% 14 28.57% 2 300.00% 5 20.00% 1 100.00% 345 -100.00% 70,438 0.29%

Remarketing

Online sales surge predicted as used prices remain stable figures remain on a par with the generally higher

By Gareth Roberts Online activity in the used vehicle market has been values seen in the second half of last year. “exceptional” since the turn of the year, according to CAP performance improved by just over one point BCA. It set a new weekly record for the number of to 97.58%, with the average age of three years and four months and mileage of just over 50,000 vehicles sold to online bidders. remaining reasonably static compared BCA sold 3,198 vehicles to Live Online “Crunch time for buyers between January 16 and 21 all players in the to previous months. Year-on-year and more than £3 million was bid by market may come values were behind by £304 or 3.9%. internet customers. in late March and Manheim reported that average It also announced that 2011 was a April, when both values in the fleet sector increased by record year for online sales. fleet and dealer just 0.5% (£33) when compared with Having reached the benchmark of part-exchanges January 2011, but by 10.7% (£596 to 100,000 sales in November, the come into the £6,157) compared with December.

It appears that the fleet sector remains company ended the year at 120,000 market” units sold online, a significant increase Andrew Hulme, NAMA a strong performing sector considering BCA figures reveal overall used on the volume sold in 2010.

The news from BCA comes as its latest figures values fell by 6.3% month-on-month in January. revealed fleet and lease values dropped by £223 The National Association of Motor Auctions (NAMA) (2.9%) month-on-month to £7,435 in January, but in its monthly market analysis reported the same

Strong sales in used van market Average wholesale used van values in January increased by 1.1% from £46 to £4,059, according to Manheim's latest market analysis.

Overall average age increased by two months to 61 months, but average mileage fell 567 miles to 81,878. When compared with January 2011, average values are 1.9% (£79) lower, average age is 11 months higher and mileage is up 8,249.

James Davis, director of commercial vehicles at Manheim Remarketing, said: “The real story in

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Average fleet and lease used values

£6,157

Jan

£5,561

£7,435

£7,658

Dec

£5,794

£7,388

Nov

£5,939

£7,287

Oct

£6,154

Sept

Aug

£5,945

£7,222

£7,000 £5,905

July

£6,100

£7,557

Manheim

Jun

£6,255

£7,071

£7,349

May

£6,250

Apr

£6,444

£7,413

£7,545

Mar

£6,394

Feb

Jan

£6,124

£7,553

£7,739

BCA

Values remained on a par with the generally higher prices seen in the second half of last year percentage fall in overall used values, while the fleet sector had remained relatively stable.

Andrew Hulme, NAMA chairman, said: “The first two weeks of the new year saw a short flurry of buying activity with prices rising. Thereafter some of this initial activity subsided in what some retailers were describing as a patchy market.

“Prices were broadly flat with some market sector conversion rates easing down."

the wholesale van market has been the significant shift in stock profile seen over the last 12 months.

“Not since Manheim began reporting some seven years ago has such a shift been observed.

“This January the average age of vans sold by Manheim was nearly a full year older than the same month in 2011, mileage was up by just over 11% yet average sale values were only down by £79.”

BCA’s latest data shows average LCV values

He added: “For the next few weeks in what is likely to be a supply constrained market, prices should continue at current levels.

“Crunch time for all players in the market may come in late March and April, when both fleet and dealer part-exchanges come into the market in increased volume.

"The early Easter is again likely to signal a watershed.”

improved in January by £208 or 4.8% compared to December.

Duncan Ward, BCA’s general manager for commercial vehicles, said: “There are signs that this year is going to be an interesting one for buyers and sellers alike. Because of lower new van sales since 2008 and the trend for larger businesses to hold on to vans for longer, we are expecting a relative shortage of units under fiveyears old to reach the market. It may become increasingly difficult to source good quality stock.”

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UK fuel prices (ppl)

7 11

1 CAMBRIDGESHIRE Diesel 144.27 Unleaded 136.30

6 HERTFORDSHIRE Diesel 143.35 Unleaded 134.89

2 DERBYSHIRE Diesel 143.26 Unleaded 134.82

7 INVERNESS-SHIRE Diesel 144.74 Unleaded 137.06

3 DORSET Diesel 143.68 Unleaded 135.43

8 KENT Diesel 143.83 Unleaded 134.62

4 GREATER LONDON Diesel 143.77 Unleaded 136.17

9 LEICESTERSHIRE Diesel 143.27 Unleaded 135.25

5 HEREFORDSHIRE Diesel 145.61 Unleaded 136.99

10 LANCASHIRE Diesel 142.87 Unleaded 134.55 11 LANARKSHIRE Diesel 142.86 Unleaded 134.51

15 10

12 LINCOLNSHIRE Diesel 143.10 Unleaded 135.13

12 2 9 14

5

17

1

13

16

14 NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Diesel 143.95 Unleaded 135.63

6 4

13 OXFORDSHIRE Diesel 144.03 Unleaded 135.51

8

3

For full UK fuel price figures Click here

15 NORTH YORKSHIRE Diesel 144.28 Unleaded 135.47w 16 NORFOLK Diesel 143.07 Unleaded 135.00 17 SOMERSET Diesel 143.84 Unleaded 135.62

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Mazda takes realistic approach to fleet share

Mazda CX-5 is the first Mazda to feature Skyactiv

10-year sales tracker 30,000 25,000 Registrations

20,000 15,000 10,000

11 20

10 20

09 20

08 20

07 20

06 20

05 20

04 20

03 20

02

5,000 20

By Debbie Wood Mazda has abandoned its ambition for an immediate return to 2% fleet market share – but is confident its Skyactiv technology will return it to growth.

Last year the manufacturer sold 11,898 cars to fleets for a 1.17% share of the market, a fall of 3,510 registrations from 2010 when it had a 1.58% share and short of its 1.4% target. The last time Mazda enjoyed a 2% fleet market share was in 2008.

"A 2% market share is no longer an aspiration for us, but continuing stability and building success in the SUV market is more of a priority," said Steve Jelliss, director of fleet and marketing at Mazda.

“Making sure we have a well-managed relationship with our existing customers is also important."

Mazda expects growth through the launch in April of its CX-5 SUV, which is the first model to feature its Skyactiv technology, and offers 63mpg with CO2 emissions of 119g/km.

“Skyactiv will be the renaissance for us and will underpin everything we do” Steve Robertson

This aims to increase efficiency from conventional petrol and diesel engines through improving the technology of the engines themselves, as well as producing better gearboxes and lighter cars.

Mazda's aim to to make each vehicle 100kg lighter than its predecessor.

"Reducing weight has been key for us," said Jelliss.

"The whole development process is about maintaining safety and fun and getting rid of the redundant weight.

"Weight reduction ticks all the boxes in terms of handling, drivability, emissions and efficiency.

“SkyActiv will be the renaissance for us and will underpin everything we do."

Skyactiv will be standard on every new Mazda from 2012.

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News digest

Further price rise warning as diesel hits record high The price of diesel has hit a record high having rocketed by 10 pence per litre (ppl) in just 12 months – an inflation-busting 7% rise – reports RMI Petrol.

The increase leaves diesel at 143.05 pence per litre (ppl), a level that could derail Government plans to curb inflation, is a disaster for motorists, and puts the livelihoods of hundreds of fuel retailers at further risk, says RMI Petrol chairman Brian Madderson There is more grim news ahead as a ‘perfect storm’ of global factors. including rising crude oil prices, closing refineries and pressure on supply, mean that by Easter we could well see diesel and petrol prices go even higher, says RMI Petrol.

Read more...

From July all drivers in France must carry a breathalyser

carbon commercial vehicles as it establishes itself in the UK. Already on sale, or arriving this year, each van is eligible for a 20% price reduction up to £8,000 The IAM is warning that from July 1 this year all with VAT businesses able to reclaim the full list price drivers visiting France will need to carry a breathalyser kit in their cars, as French drivers will have to. VAT on top of the reduction.

From November there will be an €11 fine for not Read more... complying with this. The rules will apply for anyone travelling to or through France by car in the summer Fleets urged to improve hazard holiday season, even just for a day trip. perception to reduce cost Read more...

Fleet operators seeking to reduce their accident rate, improve fuel consumption and minimise wear and tear on company vehicles should focus on Government names plug-in improving their drivers’ hazard perception skills. grants eligible for grant Government has named seven ultra-low carbon According to Graham Hurdle, managing director at vans that will qualify for a discount of up to £8,000 E-Training World, this skill is lacking in many fleet as part of the ‘Plug-In Van Grant’ incentive. The drivers, but can be the solution to many of these incentive aims to stimulate the market for ultra-low �� Continues

News digest �� Continued problems. “Hazard perception is all about spotting clues to potential hazards,” said Graham. “Simple examples are wheelie bins at the side of the road indicating that a dustbin lorry could be round the next corner, and children walking in school uniform denoting that a school is not far away."

Read more...

Salary sacrifice tax case provides timely reminder Fleets are again being urged to make sure salary sacrifice arrangements are compliant with Government tax rules. The warning comes in the wake of specialist recruiter Reed losing a £158 million battle with the taxman over footing the travel and subsistence bills of temporary job candidates. They were meant to be part of a salary sacrifice arrangement, but a tribunal found that the papers put in place with the employees did not amount to a change of contract and therefore that PAYE and Class 1 National Insurance should arise on the gross salary (pre-sacrifice).

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Fuel duty action could hand economy £3.6 billion lifeline The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has called on the Chancellor to cut fuel duty by at least five pence per litre and scrap the increase planned for August. In its pre-Budget submission to the Treasury, the FTA argues that such action could save consumers and businesses £3.6 billion and prove to be a shot in the arm for the UK’s economy.

Following sustained and concerted lobbying by FTA and its partners in the Fair Fuel UK campaign, the last Budget saw two planned increases in fuel duty deferred and an unprecedented cut in fuel duty of 1ppl, a move which saved businesses some £500 million. However, despite this the price of diesel increased by 7ppl in 2011.

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Fuelmate secures exclusive Woldmarsh Producers deal Fuelmate has signed an exclusive deal to help Lincolnshire farm-owned buying group Woldmarsh Producers get access to discounted diesel. It has created a “Woldmarsh” branded fuel card that can be used on forecourts throughout the UK. The card has been specifically designed by Fuelmate to suit the needs of Woldmarsh members and is not available from the company as an off-the-shelf product.

It is part of the Yorkshire firm’s commitment to supplying bespoke solutions to companies and organisations throughout the UK. Read more...

GreenRoad launches new fleet driver programme GreenRoad has announced a new driver recognition programme called GreenRoad Fleet Elite

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designed to recognise the best fleet drivers on the road, and provide internal motivation and recognition for best driver performance. On its redesigned website, GreenRoad has also launched a new blog featuring driver performance and safety management insights and news from GreenRoad executives and other industry contributors.

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Europcar launches iPhone app Europcar has launched a free app for iPhone enabling customers to make reservations and search for details on any Europcar location worldwide at the touch of a button. “In the modern age of smartphone technology and tablet computers, consumers demand products and services that they can access wherever they are”, explained Ken McCall, managing director, Europcar Group UK. “With the launch of the Europcar app, for iPhone, it’s easier than ever for our customers to book the car of their choice, even when they are out and about.”

Read more...

Addison Lee rolls out real-time scheduling software Addison Lee has formed a separate software company – Haulmont – and created a scaled down version of its software solution, which it is now offering to other taxi firms and minicab companies.

A bespoke solution is available for other fleets.“The key to our success over the last few years has been optimising the fleet and the mileage the fleet does and that has been achieved through our software,” said Liam Griffin, managing director of Addison Lee. Read more...

Scale of rock attacks on motorists revealed Hundreds of motorists are being attacked every year by missile-throwing yobs. There were 395 incidents of rocks, stones or other objects being hurled at vehicles last year among the 10 police forces who responded to a Freedom of Information request by Autoglass. This works out at an average of 39 per constabulary – or more than 1,670 incidents across the 43 force areas in England and Wales. Many forces declined to give details of missile attacks on motorists on cost grounds but a quarter did.

Read more...

For all the latest news, visit www.fleetnews.co.uk/news

Manufacturer news Vauxhall cuts rental in RV strategy

New Lexus GS prices announced As order books open for the all-new GS range, Lexus has announced the sports saloon will be available from £32,995. That is the on-the-road price for the GS 250 SE; the full hybrid GS 450h starts from £44,995 for the luxury model. Entry point to the new GS range is the GS 250 SE, powered by a 206bhp 2.5-litre V6 Dual VVT-i petrol engine.

Read more....

For the past few years manufacturers have been making various noises about reducing their exposure to the short-term rental market. This sector of fleet is high volume but high cost, with large discounts and rapid turnover of vehicles. The used car pricing guides scrutinise such activity, downgrading their predictions when they believe the quantities of cars off-loaded in this way get too high.

Read more....

Saab parts supply to continue

Saab Parts UK has said that, with a network of 87 Saab authorised repairers spread across the UK, customers can be confident its team of technicians have the experience and expertise to service and repair their cars to the highest standards. Saab parts supply continues to operate as normal and Saab authorised repairers offer customers a range Mazda CX-5 prices revealed of servicing offers and Saab used cars.

Mazda has announced UK pricing and a pre-order Read more.... facility available for customers through their local Mazda dealer. The Mazda CX-5 compact crossover Mitsubishi climbs web rankings SUV model range will feature an 18-strong line-up Mitsubishi has re-entered the top 20 of the Experian when it goes on sale in spring, with prices starting Hitwise UK Automotive Brand Index for the first from £21,395 and rising to £28,795 (OTR). time since March 2011. The Index, which reveals the Read more....

20 most searched for manufacturers online in the UK, saw Mitsubishi ranked in 19th place this quarter, Nissan reports LCV sales success up from 23rd place in September 2011.

Nissan has reported a 174% increase in sales of its Read more....

LCV range in 2011 compared with 2010. It sold 10,854 commercial vehicles, which equates to a CAP award for Volkswagen van 4.2% share of the market, compared with 6,223 The Volkswagen Transporter T5 has been voted sales and a 2.8% share in 2010. Three models ‘Used Van of the Year’ for 2011 by CAP. A panel of helped contribute to the overall sales success, the judges comprising of used van market and vehicle Primastar (up 201% to 1,410), the NV200 (up 191% valuation experts at CAP chose the Transporter to 2,920) and the Navara (up 187% to 6,291). from a shortlist of six models.

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Car reviews First drive: Renault Fluence ZE The Nissan Leaf is soon to get a very serious rival in the shape of the Renault Fluence ZE. Despite the fact that Renault and Nissan are joined at the hip, they’re doing things rather differently. While Nissan developed its electric car from the ground up, Renault modified the Fluence saloon it sells in some European markets.

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First drive: Nissan Qashqai 1.6dCi Acenta A trailblazing eco engine is set to play a leading role in helping Nissan win significant fresh business in the corporate car sector.

More than 30% more economical than the 2.0-litre diesel motor now dropped in all but automatic versions, the new power unit is available immediately.

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First drive: Honda Civic 2.2i DTEC Honda has seen something of a drought in the fleet market over the past couple of years. The diesel Civic was discontinued at the end of 2010, although the manufacturer’s low-CO2 credentials continued to be supported by the Insight and Jazz hybrid.

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First drive: Audi A4 2.0 TDIe SE Audi likes to avoid using the term facelift, preferring instead to focus on the changes that have been made to what is essentially a model that’s been tweaked ready for the March plate change next year.

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First drive: Chevrolet Volt Fleets are set to play a leading role in helping Chevrolet launch its extended-range electric car in Britain. Due in March, the Volt will be offered to customers who it is thought are most likely to boost plans to promote next-generation transport.

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Long-term tests Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi Titanium Despite being one of the UK’s most popular cars, I had always perceived the Focus to be conservative and a little boring. However after only two weeks, I have fallen for the Focus’s charms. It’s such a smooth ride and the biggest surprise is the room inside, easily big enough for a a group of girls off to Blackpool for the weekend.

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Hyundai i40 Tourer It seems our Hyundai i40 Tourer has been impressing quite a few people recently, as it has just been announced as a finalist for Best Estate Car in the 2012 Fleet News Awards. Whatever the results are on awards night (March 21), the fact the i40 is being considered alongside brands that are so heavily embedded in the market is a huge achievement.

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Audi A5 Sportback 2.0 TDI S Line The revamped A5 Sportback 2.0 TDI S Line continues to impress. But how does it fair against the competition? In this year’s Fleet News Awards it’s been shortlisted in the best premium car section alongside its smaller sibling the Audi A4 and the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and the Volvo S60. Stiff competition indeed.

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Mercedes-Benz E220 CDI The E220 CDI is running on cold weather tyres, and until recently our winter has been in danger of embarrassing anyone whose vehicle had switched rubber.

Although we know cold weather tyres perform better in the wet as well as at low temperatures, some snow came to the rescue in February to demonstrate just how well they can work.

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Jaguar XF 2.2-litre diesel Six weeks into our long-term test of the Jaguar XF and, while we are generally highly impressed with the XF, there are a few disappointments. The principal one is fuel consumption: I’m finding it difficult to get above 40mpg. It appears I’m not the only one, as Fleet News reader Keith Bell wrote to say he was also struggling to improve upon a 38mpg average, although on one longer motorway journey he achieved 43mpg.

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Honda Jazz 1.3 i-VTEC IMA HS Hybrid CVT The Jazz hybrid is packed full of features to help improve fuel economy. Firstly, there’s Eco Assist which sees the speedometer changing colour depending on how economically you’re driving. If it glows green you’re doing a good job but if it turns blue you’ve exceeded the best balance of throttle and braking.

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Diary dates Geneva Motor Show – March 8-18 One of the biggest events in the automotive calendar, the Geneva Motor show will showcase all the latest concepts and new model line-ups. n Visit www.fleetnews.co.uk from Monday for all the latest news.

Fleet News Awards – March 21 Fleet News Awards 2012 is the most influential and important awards in the fleet industry. The event will take place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. n For further details go to www.fleetnewsawards.com The Budget – March 21 Chancellor George Osborne will give his annual statement on the state of the national finances and future plans for the economy. n Make sure you visit www.fleetnews.co.uk on the day to find out how the budget will affect the fleet industry.

Garage Services Managers and Workshop Managers BT Fleet is one of the UK’s most highly-respected fleet management companies, offering a range of integrated fleet management and maintenance solutions for vehicles and specialist equipment. Our customer base includes many of the UK’s largest and complex fleets, such as The AA, G4S, National Grid and of course BT itself.

We have a unique combination of over 700 highly skilled transport professionals and a BT owned network of 62 garages that gives us the capability, capacity and coverage to keep many of the UK’s car and commercial vehicle fleets on the road.

We also have ambitious plans to grow and become the leading fleet services provider for fleet operators in the UK. To help us do that we are currently looking for: • •

Two Garage Services Managers to look after garages across London and the Midlands/North West Two Workshop Managers to run individual garages in Glasgow and Enfield

We’ll expect you to: • Take responsibility for our fleet • Get the best out of our people • Keep our customers happy. If something isn’t working, fix it • Make sure our garages are profitable. Keep costs under control, look for new business or find better ways to get the job done.

To apply, please send your CV along with your current salary to hr.recruit@bt.com.

The deadline is 24 February 2012.

Van Fleet Management Initiative of the Year Van Service and Repair Company of the Year

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Recruitment

People news Vauxhall return for ex-Saab boss Adler Vauxhall has appointed Paul Adler as its new fleet marketing and motability manager, replacing Steve Catlin who has become national retail sales manager. Adler rejoins Vauxhall after two years at Saab GB and has a wealth of experience in fleet and marketing positions. James Taylor, Vauxhall’s fleet sales director, said: “I am pleased to welcome Paul back into the team.”

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New appointments at Ogilvie Fleet Ogilvie Fleet has appointed its first employees under its graduate recruitment and training scheme and recruited a new area manager with 10 years' fleet industry experience. Richard Frazer (pictured) will be based in Ogilvie Fleet’s Coleshill office and takes on the role of area manager for the Midlands. Frazer replaces Sandra Weston, who retired at the end of February.

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Kaye Ceille named Avis Budget managing director Avis Rent a Car has appointed Kaye Ceille managing director of Avis Budget UK. Ceille started her career in the car rental business in 1997 with Budget Rent a Car. In 2003, she joined the Avis Budget team as vice-president of travel industry relations.

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LeasePlan announces new remarketing team LeasePlan has announced the creation of a new remarketing team as part of its business strategy to maximise remarketing values. Headed by James Hopkins, the team will focus on LeasePlan’s auction

offering and direct sales. The 12-strong team is indicative of LeasePlan’s renewed focus in the area and will work to strengthen LeasePlan’s existing relationship with auction partners BCA, Manheim and Aston Barclay.

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New head of Fleet Assist at GT Law GT Law has appointed Matt Phillips to lead its Fleet Assist operation as it continues to grow the firm’s fleet portfolio and market share. Phillips has more than 14 years’ experience from both a legal background and the fleet industry where he has held many senior roles. GT Fleet Assist specialises in uninsured loss recovery to the fleet market.

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CMS SupaTrak appoints telematics expert CMS SupaTrak has appointed Alex Harper as its new sales and marketing director. Prior to joining CMS SupaTrak, Harper spent more than 20 years at Keyfuels as head of sales and marketing. In his new role he will concentrate on expanding CMS SupaTrak’s customer base across UK and Europe.

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Sir Tom Cowie dies A leading name in the leasing industry, Sir Tom Cowie has died at the age of 89. At its height, the Cowie Group embraced 20 motor dealerships and a contract hire fleet of some 65,000 vehicles, the largest in Britain, before Cowie retired in 1993 after 45 years at the helm.

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THE UK’S PREMIER DRIVING EVENT

Four unique and different test routes... ...experience city, off-road, alpine hill route and high speed all in one location

Test the latest stop-start technology on the city course, familiarise yourself with vehicle braking and handling on the challenging alpine hill route, experience the motorway comfort of the newest executive cars on the high speed bowl and attempt the challenging terrain and obstacles on the off-road course, as Company Car in Action returns to Millbrook.

26-27 June Millbrook Proving Ground

On the three quarter mile city course, visitors to CCIA will be able to experience the reality of stop-start urban driving, while Millbrook’s alpine hill route features three loops, totalling over four miles, with gradients from 6.5% to a challenging 26%.

The chance to drive and be a passenger in executive fleet models from the big marques is available on Millbrook’s five lane, two mile, banked high speed bowl, where realistic motorway driving can be simulated in a safe and secure setting.

Fitting weeks of testing into two days, CCIA at Millbrook offers fleet decision makers the chance to put more than 250 electric, hybrid and petrol/diesel vehicles through their paces in a real world environment. Whether looking at executive cars, 4x4s or LCVs, CCIA 2012 is set to be bigger and better than ever.

Register NOW at www.companycarinaction.com