International Fleet World March 2014

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INTERNATIONAL

FLEETW RLD

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contents 22

The stars of the show unveiled at Detroit.

Ford’s European expansion continues.

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CONNECTED TO WHAT COUNTS. Experience a unique level of connectivity with IntelliLink.

And our most efficient engines ever: 98 g CO2/km. opel.com

24

How fuel cards represent the future for fleet mobility.

32

Citroën: Why the future looks bright for the iconic French brand.

38

Nissan’s best-selling Qashqai just got better.

A very big deal...

PSA and Dongfeng are set to sign a deal that will be a big st ep towards ensuring the futur e of Peugeo t and Citr oën.

According to R euters, t he dea l wi ll involve a cash injection of €800 million from bo th D ongfeng a nd t he Fr ench Government, giving both a 14% stake in PSA. F or i ts pa rt, P SA wi ll issue ne w shares to existing shareholders that will bring a total of €3bn to the deal.

The rescue will come at a price, as the Peugeot family will lose control of the company. The f amily curr ently has a 25% stake and 38% of voting rights, but the deal will result in the family holdings matching th ose o f D ongfeng an d the French Government.

Without suc h a dea l, P SA f aced a n uncertain future. However, the Chinese deal should ensure that PSA continues to t hrive w hen €7bn in Fr ench Sta te guarantees are withdrawn next year.

We won’t know until the deal is signed what it will mean for Peugeot and Citroën, or for D ongfeng’s ambitions in Eur ope.

China’s p henomenal industria l ex pansion has been fuelled by a growing mountain of debt a nd Chinese manufacturers may decide it’s time to step up their overseas activities to pay some of it back.

Having sa mpled bo th t he ne w Peugeot 30 8 a nd Ci troën Gr and C4 Picasso recently, something seems to be stirring at PSA. Both are highly competitive mode ls, w hile t he deal ma y he lp PSA to be less dependent on Europe.

Managing Editor Ross Durkin ross@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Publisher Jerry Ramsdale jerry@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Editor John Kendall john@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Deputy Editor Alex Grant alex@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Business Editor Natalie Middleton natalie@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Features Editor Katie Beck katie@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Sales Director Anne Dopson anne@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Sales Executive Darren Brett darren@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Circulation Manager Tracy Howell tracy@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Head of Production Luke Wikner luke@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Designers Tina Ries tina@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Samantha Hargreaves sam@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL

FLEETW RLD Published by Stag Publications Ltd, 18 Alban Park, Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts, AL4 0JJ tel +44 (0)1727 739160 fax +44 (0)1727 739169 email ifw@fleetworldgroup.co.uk web internationalfleetworld.com

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John Kendall editor

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internationalfleetworld.com / 03

infleet

Peugeot rescue deal could be ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ lass’s has commented on last month’s announceG ment of a rescue deal between PSA Peugeot Citroën, China’s Dongfeng Motor and the French government to raise €3bn.

Under the agreement Dongfeng and the French government will each invest about €800m in return for 14% stakes. A further €1.4bn will be raised by the firm’s existing shareholders.

In response, Andrew Jackson, head of analytics at Glass’s, said: “The injection of money into PSA will allow restructuring to continue and facilitate growth aspirations in markets such as China – where PSA hope to increase sales by 40% in order to sell over 800,000 cars by 2015 – Latin America and Russia. This will be critical in the long-term as Peugeot has been severely exposed to the Europe downturn as a lack of model breadth and penetration

LeasePlan reports all-time high net profit for 2013

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easePlan Corporation NV has reported all-time high net profits and a rise in its managed fleet in its annual results for 2013.

The Netherlands-based fleet management giant saw net profit rise 35% last year to €326m (2012: €241m), attributed to a combination of risk mitigation measures and improvements in various European second-hand car markets for terminated lease vehicles due to a scarcity of relatively young used cars.

Lysanda acquires TRACKER to build telematics corporation

ysanda has announced its acquisition of stolen L vehicle recovery (SVR) services specialist TRACKER from the Direct Line Group.

The firm said the acquisition would combine its B2B customer base alongside TRACKER’s B2C sales reach.

The combined business – called Tantalum Corporation Ltd – will be pitched as a market-leading telematics solution company with the two firms developing joint plans and looking at the combined target operating model, supported by Disruptive Capital Finance LLP.

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into other markets has resulted in decline.”

He concluded: “Nonetheless, integral to Peugeot’s revival will be the European new car market.

Bolstered by the new 308, the signs from January are that the terminal declines have stopped for now. It will not be until H2 2014 when we will begin to see if there is a genuine recovery in progress.”

FleetVision highlights cost-saving benefits of centralised buying dopting a centralised buying approach for all vehicles, specifically in the area of trucks, can A bring cost-saving benefits for large multi-national

fleet operators with mixed fleets.

That’s the view of Tobias Kern, senior consultant at Brussels-based global fleet consultancy, FleetVision, which has just completed the management of a global truck tender on behalf of a multi-national client that operates cars, light commercial and heavy trucks in a number of different regions.

Mr Kern said: “In the recent global truck tender that we were involved in, we were able to identify opportunities for improvement and optimisation all along the value chain, from funding to operating costs. Whilst the final truck specifications had been defined by the local stakeholder, our focus was on aligning those specifications with best-in-class costs of ownership.

“Clearly, sourcing levers for cars and trucks differ significantly, which results in a different level of complexity for trucks compared to car sourcing.

However, once aware of the key aspects, these should not prevent an integrated central sourcing approach for cars and trucks,” he added.

For the latest news, visit internationalfleetworld.com

FIN fleet in numbers 88g/km Starting CO2 emissions for new Peugeot 108.

SOURCE: Peugeot

fleetweet a few soundbites from a month in fleet

@AbsoluteMitsubi Absolute Mitsubishi, Dallas, TX

The most crowded roads in Europe can be found in the country of Luxembourg, with 570 cars per 1,000 people.

@alexgrantuk Alex Grant, deputy editor, Fleet World Group

So, in the last 24 hours, Renault has unveiled a rear-wheel drive car, and BMW has announced a front-wheel drive car. Departures!

5.5% 3.2 Rise in EU new car registrations in January 2014 – marking the fifth consecutive month of growth.

@SteveFowler Steve Fowler, editor, Auto Express

NEDC fuel economy in l/100km of new SEAT Leon Ecomotive.

SOURCE: SEAT

@richardaucock

SOURCE: ACEA

Richard Aucock, managing editor, Motoring Research

Looking for a sign that Jaguar is growing fast? Castle Bromwich made 40% more cars last year than 2012.

Eight

@HolyroodLiam

Number of years that battery on new Volkswagen e-Golf is guaranteed for (or 160,000km).

Liam Kirkaldy, environment correspondent for Holyrood Magazine

UK could be dragged to ECJ over ‘excessive’ levels of nitrogen dioxide. EC legal action begun, but possible fine would take years #emissions.

SOURCE: Volkswagen

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Government-supported electric car event tomorrow. What would make you buy an EV? Lower price? More charging points? More style?

Number of years between unveiling of original Volkswagen Scirocco at the Geneva Motor Show and the latest version at the same event.

@HenryJFoy Henry Foy, automotive journalist, the Financial Times

PSA-Dongfeng deal gets thumbs up from @FitchRatings. Agency takes @Peugeot off its negative list after €3bn rights issue and China deal.

@PeterMcKayWords Peter McKay, motoring journalist

SOURCE: Volkswagen

Joining the other clever brands, Skoda Australia is rolling-out capped price servicing across the entire range, effective now.

internationalfleetworld.com / 05

2014 calendar

INTERNATIONAL

FLEETW RLD

IFW’s guide to what’s happening in the fleet industry in the coming months – when, where and how to find out more info...

March 6-16 Geneva International Motor Show, Switzerland (PC) www.salon-auto.com 13-18 Cairo International Motor Show, Cairo, Egypt (PC) www.mondial-automobile.com 21-26 Zagreb International Auto Show, Zagreb, Croatia (PC, LCV, CV) www.zv.hr/autoshow 25-29 Belgrade International Motor Show, Belgrade, Serbia (LCV, CV) www.belgradefair.rs 25-6 April Bangkok International Auto Show, Bangkok, Thailand (PC, LCV) www.bangkokmotorshowgroup.com/bangkokmotorshow April 9 The Fleet Show, Silverstone Circuit, UK www.thefleetshow.co.uk 8-11 NAFA Institute and Expo, Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, USA (PC, LCV, CV) www.nafa.org/conference 18-27 New York International Auto Show, New York, USA (PC) www.autoshowny.com 21-29 Beijing Auto Show, Beijing China International Exhibition Center Exhibition Hall, Beijing, China (PC, CV) www.chinaexhibition.com 29-1 May CV Show, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, UK (LCV, CV) www.cvshow.com August 12-21 Indonesian Motor Show, Jakarta, Indonesia (PC, LCV, CV) www.dyandra.com 28-7 September Moscow International Automobile Salon, Moscow, Russia (PC) www.oar-info.ru September 25-2 October IAA Commercial Vehicle Show, Hanover, Germany (LCV, CV) www.iaa.de October 4-19 Paris Motor Show, Paris, France (PC) www.mondial-automobile.com 29-30 Kiev International Motor Show. Kiev, Ukraine (CV) www.mvc-expo.com.ua 31-9 November Istanbul International Motor Show, Istanbul, Turkey (PC) www.odd.org.tr November 21-30 Los Angeles Auto Show, Los Angeles, USA (PC) www.laautoshow.com December 6-14 Bologna Motor Show, Bologna, Italy (PC, LCV) www.gl-events.it January 2015 14-25 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), Detroit USA (PC) www.naias.com KEY: PC – passenger cars // LCV – light commercial vehicles // CV – commercial vehicles

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Europe's 1,000th rapid charger goes live E

urope’s 1,000th electric vehicle rapid charging point has gone live at Roadchef Clacket Lane Services in Surrey, UK, part of the country’s 195-strong Electric Highway.

Nissan said the Europe-wide project, run with other partners across the region, was dramatically improving uptake. In Norway, electric vehicle traffic on the E18 highway increased eight fold during an 18 month period after the unit, which features a CHAdeMo DC rapid charge connector, was installed. The latest batch of installations are underway in Brittany, France.

In the UK, the chargers are installed as part of a collaboration between green utility company Ecotricity and Nissan and Renault UK. They feature AC charging cables compatible with the Renault ZOE and DC cables compatible with the Nissan LEAF’s rapid charge port.

In both cases, the units offer an 80% charge in around

30 minutes and the electricity supplied is from 100% renewable sources. The network has extended along major routes, connecting the south coast of England with Glasgow and Edinburgh, and London with West Wales, via motorway services and city centre IKEA stores.

Membership and access is free in the UK and a growing number of other vehicles – including the Mitsubishi/PSA city cars, Nissan’s e-NV200 van and the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid are also compatible.

Director of electric vehicles, Nissan Europe, Jean Pierre Diernaz commented: “This is a huge landmark for zero-emission mobility, allowing a range of EVs, including the Nissan LEAF and forthcoming Nissan e-NV200 electric van, to quickly extend their journeys. The UK charging network is expanding rapidly and through our partner Ecotricity, customers are able to ‘refuel’ their car for free with wind and solar generated electricity.”

Tesla extends European fast charge network

E

lectric vehicle manufacturer Tesla has added another eight fast chargers to its European Supercharger network, connecting Geneva, Innsbruck and Munich with Amsterdam and Brussels through a route spanning most of Western Germany.

Located in The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, the new units bring Tesla’s European network to 14 sites, following the first installations in Norway last year. Further locations will follow as the car is

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introduced in additional markets.

Tesla has a network of 81 sites globally, mostly located in North America, allowing drivers to add 50% charge to the long-range batteries on a Model S within 20 minutes. Significantly, the network is offered with no cost to recharge, provided drivers select it as an option.

Since the first units were installed in California in September 2012, Tesla claims to have reduced petrol usage by 1.13 million litres.

For the latest news, visit evfleetworld.com

Plug-in vehicles not the solution to U.S. air quality, says report

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ass adoption of electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles won’t significantly reduce harmful emissions in the United States without improvements elsewhere, according to a new study.

Researchers from North Carolina State University analysed the potential impact of electrically-driven vehicles based on 108 different battery vs oil cost scenarios in the run-up to 2050. With a pollutant-rich electrical grid and only 20% of CO2 emissions coming from transport, the results showed a minimal reduction in carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides even if plugins accounted for 42% of all passenger cars in the country.

Dr. Joseph DeCarolis, an assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at the university, said: “From a policy standpoint, this study tells us that it makes more sense to set emissions reductions goals, rather than promoting specific vehicle technologies with the idea that they’ll solve the problem on their own.”

UK Government to fund nationwide EV charging infrastructure

T

he UK government is to invest £9.3m (€11.2m) into a nationwide charging point infrastructure to support the uptake of electric vehicles, in a scheme announced by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

Named Go Ultra Low, the campaign draws on a £37m (€44.5m) funding package announced last July and will be used to add hundreds more charging points at workplaces and key travel routes across the country.

Almost two thirds (€7m) will be given to local authorities, earmarked to more than double the UK’s rapid charging network to 500 locations by March 2015.

A number of public sector organisations will receive a combined €3.5m to install units for visitors, staff and their own fleet, while €766,000 will be split between two of the UK’s largest rail companies to locate charging points in station car parks.

Nick Clegg said: “We want to secure the UK’s position as a global leader in both the production and adoption of these vehicles.”

EV 98% in numbers

The Netherlands’ share of European Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV sales, as of 20 January.

SOURCE: Mitsubishi Netherlands

in short Diesel hybrid joins new S-Class range Mercedes has itted its diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain, as found in the E-Class, to the new S-Class. The S300 BlueTEC Hybrid consumes 4.4l/100km and emits 120g/km CO2 from a combination of 2.2litre diesel engine and 26hp electric motor.

Renault ends production of Fluence Z.E. electric car Renault has ceased European production of the Fluence Z.E. electric car following slow sales and the liquidation of battery swap partner Better Place last May. The car will continue to be manufactured in South Korea as the Renault-Samsung SM3 EV.

Toyota speaks out against fuel cell “naysayers” Toyota U.S.A.’s vice president of automotive operations, Bob Carter, has spoken out against Tesla, Renault-Nissan and Volkswagen’s dismissal of hydrogen fuel cells, adding that it’s as significant as the first of its six million global hybrid sales.

“We truly believe it has the same potential as the first Prius,” he said.

EVtweet of the month @elonmusk (Elon Musk, CEO, Tesla Motors)

Tesla Supercharger network now energized from New York to LA, both coast + Texas! Approx 80% of US population covered.

100,000 Global sales of the Nissan LEAF, half of which are in the last 12 months.

SOURCE: Nissan

internationalfleetworld.com / 09

Bigger and better...

WEDNESDAY 9TH APRIL 2014 SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT, UK

face to face with the fleet industry

The Fleet Show returns to Silverstone in 2014, bigger and better than ever before.

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To register, simply visit www.thefleetshow.co.uk

internationalfleetworld.com / 11

WEDNESDAY 9TH APRIL 2014 SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT, NORTHANTS, UK face to face with the fleet industry

es h t r o f r o registe

visit y l p m i s how,

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k u . o c . leetshow

ef h t . w w w

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...

”Many congratulations on setting up a great day at Silverstone. Very professional.

Both informative and enjoyable.”

”A great day, thank you for organising it, some clear decisions made. The day culminated in driving the Jaguar F Type V8 S around the international circuit simply awesome!”

Nigel Boyle, Administration & Technical Director PD Hook

Terry Harvey Head of Group Tax Hitachi Capital

ENTS M E L E SHOW • indoor exhibition area • track driving experience • off-road driving experience • new technology demo area • conference & seminar area

”Face to face meetings and networking with like-minded peers still have a vital role to play in the fleet market, where relationships count for so much.”

Jerry Ramsdale, Fleet Show organiser

The different elements will provide senior fleet decision makers with an informative, innovative and interesting day at Silverstone’s worldclass circuits, allowing them to make informed business decisions. It’s all about bringing together fleet operators who share a commitment and passion for fleet.

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TE WHY AT

”The Fleet Show was a great mix of driving, seminars and networking with manufacturers and fleet managers alike.Well worth a day out of the office.”

Liz Hollands, ACFO director and former fleet manager at DTZ

2014!

R O F NEW IENCE R E P X E 4x4

The event has developed into the UK fleet industry’s most important one-day event, with virtually every major fleet manufacturer represented, alongside a huge range of fleet service providers.

Don’t miss out... ”We managed to talk to different suppliers that we would not normally have had exposure to and the experience of driving around the circuit was fantastic and made the day.”

thefleetshow.co.uk @theFleetShow

Rob Betts Managing Director The Document House Ltd

RVs

Analysing leasing and residual value confidence in the Eurozone and beyond...

Growing optimism Optimism in the future used vehicle market is improving across Europe, with forecasted residual values gradually rising. Experteye reports.

I

n the last three months the UK (+2.8%), Italy (+1.1%), Germany (+0.9%), Portugal (+0.7%) and France (+0.2%) all reported forecasted residual values on the up; only Spain (-0.1%) showed a slight demise.

The figures come from the latest Experteye European Leasing index survey which tracks forecasted residual values (RV), servicing, maintenance and repair (SMR) costs and rental rates in six European countries using data supplied by major leasing companies.

The signs of recovering confidence come after a mixed year that saw diverse opinion across Europe. At one extreme, forecasted residual values in the UK went up by +7.3% during the past year, whereas in Portugal they fell by -2.6%. Annual rental rate shifts were also very different between nations. UK fleet customers have seen their lease costs rise by +4% since February 2013, whereas in Portugal fleet operators have enjoyed a -4.9% saving.

Yet the last quarter is a calmer picture, with the biggest rental increase of +2% being in France, followed by +1.9% in Italy; the other nations surveyed reported a fall in lease rates with the UK showing a -0.2% drop, Germany -0.8%, Spain -0.9% and Portugal -1.2%.

Market summaries – 3 and 12 months to January 2014 FRANCE: Rental rates rose by +2% in France in the last quarter, the largest three month increase of all nations surveyed. This follows a steady trend in which they have risen by +1.9% for the year. After a 12-month period that saw SMR budgets go up by +2.1% they have only risen by +0.7% since November 2013. Forecasted residual values have seen very little quarterly movement (+0.2%) after a +1.7% rise over the last 12 months.

GERMANY: German forecasted residual values are showing steady improvement.

After a +0.4% rise over the last 12 months, the recent quarter saw a +0.9% increase.

SMR budgets increased by +0.8% in the last quarter after a -2.7% fall since last February. Rentals had fallen by -2.5% during the year, but have steadied to a smaller 0.8% reduction since November 2013.

ITALY: After a year that saw Italian SMR budgets fall by a significant -8.2%, there was very little movement in the last 3 months with a -0.1% drop. Having seen forecasted residual values fall by -0.9% since last February they have climbed by +1.1% since November, the second best improvement of all nations surveyed. Rental rates are up by +1.9% for the quarter after a +0.6% rise over the course of the year.

PORTUGAL: Portuguese leet operators have enjoyed the biggest reductions in their rental costs with a -4.9% fall since February 2013 and a -1.2% drop since November. SMR budgets went up by +0.2% in the last quarter after an annual -2.7% fall. Perhaps most signi icant is a shift in optimism in the future used vehicle market. After a year of falling residual value forecasts (-2.6%) Portugal has seen them rise by +0.7% this quarter.

SPAIN: Spain is the only nation surveyed to have reported a quarterly fall in its residual value forecasts, with a -0.1% reduction. This follows a +1% improvement for the year. Spanish SMR budgets are down by -4.1% in the last 12 months, and by -1.4% in the latest quarter. Rental rates continue to come down with a -0.9% quarterly drop after a -1.3% reduction for the year.

UK: The UK continues to be the most optimistic in its future used vehicle market. After a year that saw forecasted RVs rise by +7.3% they continued to increase in the last quarter by +2.8%. SMR budgets came down slightly in the last 3 months (-0.1%) following a +0.4% annual increase. After a year that saw rental rates climb by +4% they have fallen by -0.2% since November 2013.

CHANGES IN RV FORECASTS, SMR COST FORECASTS AND LEASE RENTALS Forecast Residual Values

Forecast Service, Maintenance and Repair Costs

Current Rental Rates

3-month change 12-month change 3-month change 12-month change 3-month change 12-month change France Germany Italy Portugal Spain UK

+0.2% +0.9% +1.1% +0.7% -0.1% +2.8%

+1.7% +0.4% -0.9% -2.6% +1.0% +7.3%

Notes: • The comparisons are for vehicles with a contract duration of 36 months/90,000km.

• Twelve-month comparisons show change since January 2013.

• Three-month comparisons show change since October 2013.

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+0.7% +0.8% -0.1% +0.2% -1.4% -0.1%

+2.1% -2.7% -8.2% -2.7% -4.1% +0.4%

+2.0% -0.8% +1.9% -1.2% -0.9% -0.2%

+1.9% -2.5% +0.6% -4.9% -1.3% +4.0%

• Rental rate changes compare the rates in effect at the time of the survey with those in effect three or twelve months ago.

• RV and SMR changes show the change in participating leasing companies’ forecasts of residual values and maintenance costs over the period.

Detroit & Delhi Highlights John Kendall rounds up the recent Motor Shows in Detroit and Delhi.

Kia concept

Volvo XC90 concept Volvo showed the face of the 2015 XC90 on its XC Coupe concept at Detroit.

The lig hts, gri lle a nd fr ont-end sty ling a re what wi ll be s een on t he la rge S UV replacement, w hile t he r ear lig hts a re a lso c lose t o those that will appear on the XC90.

This is t he s econd of t hree c oncept ca rs Volvo has developed to illustrate the flexibility of i ts ne w pr oduct a rchitecture, w hich wi ll underpin an entire range of 60, 70, 80 and 90 series models. The last of t he trio will appear at Geneva in a couple of months.

All will benefit from a set of advanced safety features, inc luding t he wor ld's fir st a nimal detection and crash prevention system.

The curr ent X C90 has been a round f or 13 years, but will go out of production this summer.

Production starts on the new model next year.

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With e veryone in K ia fr om t he CEO do wnwards adamant that the brand would like to introduce a rear-drive spor ts ca r in 2 016, t he big question a t Detroit was whether the stunning GT4 Stinger – the company's first RWD coupe concept – might be it.

“We wou ld lo ve t his t o be i t a nd w e wou ldn't change anything,” said Kia’s Californian design studio head, Tom Kearns. “It is a t otal concept at this stage, but we always do our concepts with the idea at t he bac k of our minds t hat w e c ould do t hem without too much change. We have rear-drive platforms in the group that we could use.”

The concept car is fi breglass-bodied. It has s eethrough winds creen pi llars, w hich a t t his stage Kearns is not sure are feasible for production, and a deliberately simple interior. Even the door openers are just red straps.

The Stinger is a two- door two-p lus-two c oupe powered by a 315hp v ersion of t he c ompany’s 2.0-litre T-GDi direct-injection turbocharged petrol engine, driving the rear wheels through a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox.

It has all-wishbone suspension, 15-inch Brembo four-calliper br akes, dir ect st eering a nd 2 0-inch carbon fibre-and-aluminium wheels.

Kearns sees is it as a potential rival for the Toyota GT86, Subaru BRZ and even the Mazda MX-5. It was designed primarily with the US in mind, with a target audience of men under 35.

Acura TLX Prototype The A cura TLX spor ts s edan ma y ha ve been unveiled as a prototype at Detroit, but a production version is scheduled to appear in North America in the second half of 2014, replacing the TL model. The launch will also signal the end of the line for the TSX model, streamlining the Acura model range to ILX, TLX and flagship RLX. TLX is promised with a choice of two direct injection petrol engines, an advanced transmission and a choice of two or four-wheel drive.

Infiniti Q-50 concept The Q50 Eau Rouge is named after the famous left, right, left flat-out uphill sweep at Belgium's Spa cir cuit a nd pa inted, a ppropriately, in a striking shade of metallic cherry red. It also features red elements in the inner door panels.

The F1 links are emphasised by its wider stance compared with a standard Q50 executive saloon, and by the wing-style additions at the front, elaborate lower sill sections and a diffuser-like rear, all in carbon fibre.

Infiniti says that if a decision is taken to turn the Q5 0 E au R ouge fr om s how c oncept t o production reality it will have at least 500hp from a forced-induction V-engine, and that a suitable power unit has already been identified from within the Renault Nissan Alliance.

“There is a des ire to produce it,” says Shiro Nakamura, the senior vice-president and chief creative office of Nissan and Infiniti; “but it is not definite that this will happen at this stage.”

MINI John Cooper Works concept Following the launch of t he latest MINI, t he BMW brand showed the latest John Cooper Works tr eatment on a c oncept mode l a t Detroit. Cue t he stripes a nd aer odynamic aids. MINI ca lls the colour Bright Highways Grey, w hile t here a re f amiliar stripes in r ed and w hite a nd r ed finis h f or t he r oof, r oof spoiler and mirror housings. The car is not all about looks, with claimed weight savings and improved aerodynamic performance. There are contoured side skirts, a r ear apron with flaps a nd a di ffuser e lement. It ’s no t c lear what engine changes there might have been.

Ford F-150 Pickups don’t come bigger or tougher than the Ford F-150, America's best selling pickup for the past 37 years. Last year saw 763,402 of them take t o t he r oad – put in a line t hey wou ld stretch fr om Los A ngeles t o N ew York. F ord sold one e very 4 9 s econds in 2 013, t he best year since 2006.

Now there is a new F-150, unveiled at Detroit with the claim that it is even bigger and tougher than before, yet 315kg lighter and more fuel-efficient thanks to the use of lightweight materials.

Chief engineer , Pet e R eyes sa id: “W e ha ve been ab le t o ta ke w eight ou t by us ing hig h strength lightweight steel for the frame while the body is now 93% aluminium. This has also made the vehicle even tougher and stronger than before.”

The new model carries over many of the features seen on t he Atlas concept at last yea r’s Detroit Sho w. C hief des igner, G ordon P latto said: “We have worked on some styling points to improve aerodynamics a nd vis ibility a nd have given the interior a more premium look and feel.”

The new F-150 comes with a c hoice of fi ve petrol engines, a new 2.7-litre EcoBoost while the 3.5-litre EcoBoost, 3.7-litre V6 and 5.0-litre V8 are carried over from the outgoing model.

Ford sold a F-150 every 49 seconds in 2013, the best year since 2006. internationalfleetworld.com / 17

Detroit & Delhi Highlights

Lexus RC-F Lexus un veiled t he ne w R C c oupe a t t he Tokyo Show in November and followed that up with the ‘F’ version of the car at the Detroit Show. F specification brings a 5.0-litre V8 delivering over 450hp, making it the most powerful road-going Lexus to date.

Various revisions to help the RC-F to handle the increased power have been made inc luding an active rear wing, air scoops and cooling ducts. A ccording t o Y ukihiko Yaguchi, R C-F chief engineer: “Unique air outlets in the bonnet a nd rear s ection of t he front wings c ontribute t o optim um engine c ooling a nd handling stabi lity.” The acti ve wing is a utomatically acti vated a t speeds o ver 8 0km/h and retracts at speeds below 40km/h.

Nissan Sport Sedan concept Nissan un veiled i ts Spor t Seda n C oncept, designed to give an impression of a future production spor ts sa loon. D esign e lements include features we can expect to see in a production mode l, inc luding t he ‘f loating’ r oof and boomerang shaped lamps front and rear.

Sporty des ign c haracteristics inc lude t he lowered bonnet line and lowered suspension.

Quality materials are used to trim the interior, which w as inspired by modern furnis hings, and feature diamond shaped graphics on the quilted seats.

Power c omes fr om a 3. 5-litre V6 petr ol engine de veloping o ver 300hp a nd dri ving through a CVT automatic transmission.

The c oncept w as des igned by t he c ompany’s American design centre in S an Diego, California a nd de veloped a t Nissa n’s G lobal Design Centre in Japan.

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Audi Allroad Shooting Brake Audi is e xpanding its range of Q ca rs with the launch of a new small SUV in 2016 while also looking at how to fill other niches.

Development chief Ulrich Heckenberg said: “When you look at our line-up there is clearly a need f or a sma ll S UV as t he ma rket is expanding rapidly. The Q1 project is already in place and we have capacity to make the car at our Ingolstadt plant in Germany when we move Q5 production to Mexico.

“There is a lso potential to expand our Q range even further, there is space between the Q3 and Q5 and between Q5 and Q7 and we are looking at the idea of MPVs with additional seating. The option of s even seats is becoming increasingly popular.”

The A udi A llroad Shoo ting Br ake w as revealed in Detroit, as a taster of what we can expect style-wise, from a small Audi SUV. Heckenberg also said there were opportunities to spin-off more models from the popular A udi TT. The ne xt gener ation mode l will appear at the Geneva Motor Show.

Subaru WRX STi Subaru unveiled the la test WRX STi at the Detroit Show. It is due to a ppear in Europe t his summer a nd is based on t he WRX saloon launched at the Los Angeles Show in November 2013. The turbocharged 2.5-litre ‘boxer’ engine develops 305hp, with drive to all four wheels via a reinforced six-speed manual gearbox, which now features shorter gearshift movements. Spring and damper rates have been re-tuned.

Inside the new model gains a smaller D-shaped steering wheel and there are new dials. The interior is trimmed with a mix of ma terials including softtouch, carbon fibre effect and metal.

Porsche 911 Targa

VW Beetle Dune concept 19-inch w heels a nd body wor k r aised by 50mm helps to distinguish the Beetle Dune Buggy concept from the standard Beetle. The concept even gets a r ear-mounted ski-rack, similar t o t hose a vailable f or t he c lassic Beetle. This concept recalls an earlier Beetle Dune concept shown at the 2000 Los Angeles Sho w. The la test is po wered by a tur bocharged 210hp petrol engine dri ving the front wheels through a six-speed gearbox.

The car features a wider tr ack and wheel arch extensions. There’s a r edesigned front bumper incorporating trapezoidal air intakes and r evised lig hting. The r ear bumper has also been re-designed. Volkswagen was gauging reaction to the car at Detroit.

Detroit saw the launch of the latest 911 Targa, giving 911 cust omers a s econd open -top option from the latest 911. A s Porsche points out, the new 911 Targa shares much with the 911 Carrera 4 cabriolet – up to the window line, the two cars are more or less identical. But the Targa offers the roof bar and an automated system for raising and lowering the Targa soft t op and dropping the curved back window out of s ight. The soft top is stowed away behind the rear seats, all at the t ouch of a bu tton. Dri vers ca n c hoose between a 3. 4-litre 35 0hp a nd 3. 8-litre 400hp version of the famed flat six engine with a choice of ma nual or a utomated tr ansmission. P rices start at around €153,000 if you need to ask.

Hyundai Genesis

Toyota FT-1 concept Toyota conjured up the 2000GT, first seen 49 years ago, when launching the FT-1 concept at Detroit. It looks every inch a modern sports coupe with obvious echoes from the GT86. It’s a traditional front engine/rear drive design f eaturing a r etractable r ear wing .

Inside, features included an F1 style steering wheel and a head-up display.

Mercedes S600 The Mercedes S-Class gained a ne w r ange topping mode l a t Detroit when the S600 was unveiled, powered by a 530hp twin turbocharged, 5,980cc V12 engine.

Auto Start/Stop helps to reduce fuel consumption to 11.1l/100km, 21% less than its predecessor. Standard equipment f or a ll S-C lass mode ls now inc ludes a head-up display, touchpad and Collision Prevention Assist Plus. As you would hope, the list of standard equipment is long. Sales begin in March.

Hyundai revealed a s econd-generation v ersion of the G enesis saloon at D etroit – and is p lanning t o bring it to Europe in small numbers for the first time.

Mark Hall, the company’s vice-president of marketing, says that European sales will be in the hundreds rather than thousands, but the new Genesis has been engineered for right- as well as left-hand drive.

The pr evious G enesis w as de veloped f or t he American and Korean markets, but the new model will have more of a global presence.

The engines on off er will make it of only limited interest to Europeans, Hall says, but there is talk of diesels being added later.

“Our number one task is to make the brand image (in Europe) as good as the quality of our cars.

“We have a new wave of product launches on the way (22 by 2 017), ne w mode ls as w ell as r eplacements, a nd ne w t echnologies. Ther e wi ll be ne w B- and C-segment cars before 2017 and we want to sell 100,000 in each as well as in the C-SUV segment.”

internationalfleetworld.com / 19

Detroit & Delhi Highlights Volkswagen Taigun

Chrysler 200 Chrysler la unched the new C hrysler 2 00 at Detroit, based on t he Fiat-Chrysler compact wide platform, currently used on t he D odge Dart and Jeep Cherokee. Chrysler claims it is the first mid-size saloon with a standard ninespeed automatic transmission. The car is also available with four-wheel drive. Like the Cadillac ATS, there is a choice of four-cylinder or V6 petrol engines , in t his case either the 295hp 3.6-litre V6 Pentastar, or 184hp 2.4-litre MultiAir2 Tigershark engine. The gear selector is a rotary switch on the centre console, which features a load-through storage space with charging poin t f or mobi le de vices. C hrysler a lso claims over 60 safety and security devices as standard or as options.

Inside, the colour and trim combinations are said to be inspired by American locations from 5th Avenue in New York to Sausalito in California.

Four speci fications will be a vailable when the model goes on sale in the second quarter.

Volkswagen’s T aigun loo ks r eady t o be slipped in to a s howroom t omorrow. E ver since i t w as r evealed in Br azil t here ha ve been rumour s i t wou ld s lot per fectly in to the Indian market, and now it appears the time is imminent.

“It is a g limpse into the future line-up we are contemplating for India,” said the company's ma naging dir ector f or t he r egion, Arvind Saxena.

The s how ca r is po wered by a 1 07hp 1.0-litre T SI petr ol engine , w hich is sa id to deliver excellent fuel efficiency. Volkswagen is a lso trumpeting spac e wi thin c ompact dimensions.

Renault KWID Unveiled at the Delhi Motor Show, the KWID concept is sa id to be des igned for international ma rkets inc luding India . It f eatures short overhangs and outsize wheels but has a two-wheel drive powertrain. It’s powered

by Renault’s 1.2-litre petrol engine but could also be electrically powered. The four-seat interior was inspired by a bird’s nest. KWID also features a flying companion which can take off from the rotating rear portion of the car. The device can scout the road ahead for obstacles and take pictures. It can operate automatically or be ma nually c ontrolled from a touchscreen inside the car.

“Taigun is a glimpse into the future line-up we are contemplating for India” Arvind Saxena, managing director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars of India

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New Tata x 2 Mahindra/SsangYong Compact SUV As Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra battles wi th w hat t o ca ll i ts S outh K orean brand in t he fu ture, i t is le veraging i ts F ar Eastern a ffiliates e xpertise in f our-wheel drive SUVs. It is p lanning t o la unch a ri val mode l t o Ford’s Ec osport us ing a join t Ma hindraSsangYong’s platform project. According to Headlineauto, the project, codenamed S102 is bas ed on Ssa ngYong’s X1 00, a nd will be launched into global markets in the first half of next year or early 2016.

At this year's Delhi Motor Show, Tata unveiled its first new models in four years – two small cars a imed a t r eversing a dec line in t he company’s passenger car sales.

Sales of Tata passenger vehicles in India fell 37% in the first nine months of the fiscal year that ends in March, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the steepest drop of any car company in the country.

The market itself is suffering due to rising interest rates and high fuel costs and although it is still growing, it is at the slowest pace in a decade.

The two newcomers are the Bolt hatchback and Zest entry-level saloon, jumping into the small car market that accounts for the bulk of vehicle sales in India – the B-segment accounts for around two thirds of the 3m market.

The company said it believes the two small models will help restore the market share Tata has lost t o the country's two big gest players, Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai.

Tata said it has a n umber of models now in the pipeline, which will be introduced over the next six years.

Cadillac ATS Coupe Cadillac launched its first compact luxury coupe at the D etroit Sho w, bef ore g oing on sa le in t he summer. The car is based on the ATS sport saloon, but the roof, doors, rear bumpers and boot lid are new for the coupe. The car gets a wider tr ack, too, with sta ndard 1 8-inch w heels, w hile t he c oupe also gains revised frontal treatment to help separate it from the saloon.

LED headlamps are available for the coupe, while LED r ear la mps a re sta ndard. The das hboard is carried o ver fr om t he sa loon a nd t echnology options include OnStar 4G LTE connectivity with a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot.

Power c omes fr om ei ther a 27 2hp 2. 0-litre turbocharged f our-cylinder or 321hp 3. 6-litre V6 petrol engine . B oth a re equipped wi th dir ect injection. A s ix-speed a utomatic tr ansmission is standard and there is an option of either rear-wheel drive or f our-wheel dri ve. The ca r wi ll a lso be shown at the Geneva Show in March.

Honda XS-1 Honda gave a W orld P remiere for the Vision XS-1 concept, a compact crossover utility vehicle. Honda describes the Vision XS-1 as a pr oposal for a next generation vehicle, featuring three-row seating for seven-passengers, with a single sliding door each side. We understand that cost and weight would rule these out of any production model.

internationalfleetworld.com / 21

INDUSTRY Ford Go Further

Ford expands Expanding SUV sales for Europe and a growing need for more connectivity were among the themes at Ford’s latest Go Further event, as Dan Gilkes reports.

F

ord is hoping that a move upmarket and the seemingly never-ending appeal of SUVs will boost sales in the next ive years. The global car market continues to grow rapidly. Ford believes that the current total of 1 billion cars a year will hit 2bn in 20 years time, and the company wants a share of those extra sales.

“Throughout the economic crisis our plan wasn’t about surviving, it was about growing,” said Stephen Odell, president of Ford of Europe, Middle East and Africa.

“We have seen 10 straight months of yearon-year growth in Europe and we are on track to be back in pro it by 2015.”

Speaking at Ford’s Go Further dealer and press meeting in Barcelona, where the company announced that it will inally build the iconic Mustang sports car for Europe by 2015, including right hand drive for the UK market, Mr Odell said that the European 22 / internationalfleetworld.com

automotive industry will experience 20% growth over the next ive years.

At a similar event in 2012 he announced that Ford would launch 15 new vehicles in i ve years. That plan has already been revised upwards, to 25 new models in that same ive-year timescale.

To meet this growing demand, Ford took the wraps off two concepts, a next generation i ve-door Ka at the smaller end and the Edge SUV at the heavier end of the scale. The Ka Concept is for a ive-door global small vehicle, capable of seating 5 people. Ford expects that global demand for small cars will increase by 35% from 4m in 2012 to 6.2m by 2017. The Ka Concept also demonstrated a range of on board technology, usually found in larger cars. This included MyFord Dock, designed to store, mount and charge a range of mobile devices from phones to satellite navigation. SYNC with Voice Control and

AppLink gives hands free control of phones, music and app activation.

Edge would bring Ford’s North American large SUV to Europe above Kuga and EcoSport. Driver assistance technologies shown in the concept included self-parking and obstacle avoidance systems currently under development. The Fully Assisted Parking Aid, currently being developed by Ford, could permit parking at the touch of a button, or by remote control. Ultrasonic sensors can detect a perpendicular parking space and will

“Our challenge is to develop cars that communicate with the world around them.”

allow remote control from a tight space before the driver climbs aboard. The company also has plans to move upmarket, with its recently announced Vignale range, based on Mondeo and SMax models.

Ford said that 20% of Kuga sales and 15% of S-Max sales in the last few years have come from customers moving out of traditional premium brands, with the highest Titanium trim level accounting for almost 40% of those models sold in Europe. However the biggest growth is expected to come from SUV sales, with the market for SUVs in Europe already rising by 35% between 2007 and 2012.

“Over the next ive years we will almost triple our SUV sales in Europe,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s global vice president of marketing, sales and service.

The company’s SUV range now starts with the Ecosport compact crossover, which arrives in Europe in the coming months.

Built in South America, Ford has already sold 130,000 Ecosports in the Latin American market.

Ford produced more than 100,000 Kuga models last year and the 4x4 range will be topped by the Edge, Ford’s irst large SUV developed for the European market. “We expect to win over 1 million customers in the next ive years with our SUV line-up,” said Mr Farley.

Success won’t just involve the actual cars however; communications, safety and electronics will play an increasingly important role, according to Bill Ford, executive chairman of the company and great grandson of founder Henry Ford.

“In the next decade 75% of the global population will live in cities,” he said. “Our challenge is to develop cars that communicate with each other and with the world around them.

“The sheer number of vehicles on the roads could threaten the personal mobility that we have enjoyed for more than a century. To address this we are developing new solutions and reaching out to companies that are leading in key technologies. We will need to view the automobile as one element in a fully integrated transportation ecosystem. Ford will take a leading role in making that happen.”

This includes work on improving technology such as traf ic jam and accident alerts, as well as incorporating autonomous functions for parking and driving in slow moving trafic.

“In the medium term we believe that vehicle-to-vehicle communications will begin to break through into the mainstream,” said Mr Ford. “This will bring some auto-pilot capabilities, such as vehicle ‘platooning’, where cars travelling in the same direction sync up their movements.”

Ka concept Ford will tak e pr oduction of i ts K a compact model back in-house with the next generation, having shared a platform wi th Fia t f or the curr ent model. For the first time the K a will have a five-door body and a far more grown-up appearance.

The new Ka will go on sal e first in Brazil, where it will be manufactured, along wi th o ther k ey mar kets in South America. It will be a gl obal car, also being sold in Eur ope and Asia.

Ford sa ys tha t the sub- B sect or is anticipated to grow by 35% between 2012 and 2017.

Edge concept Unveiled a t the 2013 Los Ang eles Motor S how, t he E dge c oncept previews a thir d SUV f or Eur opean markets. The full size SUV will si t above the Kuga in a three-model SUV line-up wi th the Ec osport a t the lighter end.

The interior in particular will ha ve a pr emium c ar a pproach wi th a leather-wrapped and stitched instrument panel and a 10-inc h c entral display screen featuring Ford SYNC and voice control. There are no driveline d etails y et, bu t Edg e will ha ve advanced autom ated te chnologies including full assisted parking, to park the c ar a t the t ouch of a bu tton or even by remote control.

internationalfleetworld.com / 23

FEATURE Fuel Management

Fuel cards to change gear...

Cars may not be the solution as roads become more congested – Steve Banner asks how fuel cards can help?

24 / internationalfleetworld.com

A

re fuel cards gradually turning into all-purpose mobility cards that can be just as easily used to pay the train fare from Amsterdam to Rotterdam as they can to cover the cost of 80 litres of diesel?

XXImo of the Netherlands believes that is exactly what is happening and that it is at the forefront of an exciting new trend.

Having launched its all-in-one mobility payment XXImo card in its home market in 2012 it rolled it out into neighbouring Belgium in 2013. It is already accepted at 92% of Belgian illing stations and at all LUKOIL illing stations in both countries.

XXImo may appear elsewhere in Europe: in conjunction with Value Added Tax (VAT) reclamation specialist VATit, the company is already offering a service that helps users reclaim VAT paid in other European countries. “We've got international ambitions,” says chief executive of icer, Patrick Bunnik.

Relying on the Visa network, a XXImo card can be used to purchase fuel and for many other travelling expenses as well. You can use it to buy a railway ticket, a plane ticket, a pass to travel by bus, tram or metro or to pay your taxi fare; assuming that the cab driver accepts payment cards.

It can be used to pay for bridge, tunnel, road tolls and parking too. XXImo can be presented when you get the bill for a business lunch or overnight hotel accommodation and you can even use it to hire a bike: a

sensible way of getting around bicyclefriendly cities such as Amsterdam.

All transactions subject to VAT are listed on a single monthly statement to ease VAT reclamation and XXImo can provide information on the CO2 emissions from the various different modes of transport chosen.

That can be invaluable to companies looking to shrink their carbon footprint while employees can view their own CO2 output on a personal XXImo page.

Employers can limit how much each user can spend per week and set expenditure parameters too, says Bunnik.

“One employee can be authorised to buy fuel and pay parking fees while another can be authorised to use a national taxi company and book an international rail journey,” he says.

It is an approach that means less paperwork and reduced administration costs, he adds. “The proverbial shoebox bursting with receipts and expenses claims has been consigned to history,” he states.

Transactions and the budget available to each individual can be viewed online and an App can be utilised to make it easier to ind the nearest and cheapest illing station or car park. A route planner is available too.

Athlon Car Lease was the irst company to adopt the XXImo card and is offering it to its clients in both the Netherlands and Belgium. A version of the card is being

“The proverbial shoebox bursting with receipts and expenses claims has been consigned to history.” internationalfleetworld.com / 25

¡

FEATURE Fuel Management

Fuel cards to change gear... ¡

promoted to small- to medium-size enterprises and the self-employed under the MKV Moov banner by MKB-Nederland, the Dutch association for business owners.

Part of Tendris Holding, whose other activities include providing support for users of electric vehicles and developing energy-ef icient light bulbs, XXImo is backed inancially by the Dutch DOEN Foundation. Funded by three Dutch lotteries – the Postcode Lottery, the BankGiro Lottery and the FriendsLottery – it exists to help sustain a green, socially-inclusive and creative society.

FleetCor continues international expansion Elsewhere, the onward and seeminglyunstoppable march of FleetCor Technologies continues unabated. Already one of the biggest providers of fuel cards worldwide, the Norcross, Georgia, USA based group is growing even larger as the months slip by.

Over the past year or so it has acquired CardLink, a fuel card issuing and payment processing company based in Auckland, New Zealand, signed a long-term agreement to manage the commercial fuel card programme operated by Husky Oil of Canada and made two acquisitions in Brazil. VB provides prepaid public transport cards issued by companies to employees to subsidise their commuting costs while DB is a leading provider of prepaid fuel and toll cards for use by transport companies.

In addition FleetCor has inked a longterm fuel card marketing agreement with Good Card, a leading Brazilian fuel card network operator with acceptance at approximately 40% of the country's illing stations. It gives FleetCor the ability to deliver a fuel card programme to smalland medium-size enterprises in Brazil.

On top of all that it has signed a longterm fuel card system processing contract with Caltex of Australia plus a deal to provide Quarles Petroleum of the USA with a private label fuel card. Quarles operates leet fuelling stations in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and North Carolina.

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Chip & PIN

F

leetCor is continuing to develop fuel card technology while at the time moving into other areas of activity of interest to leet operators.

Last July it entered into an agreement with Visa Europe, which will involve offering the latter's chip and PIN technology in European fuel cards with the aim of enhancing security. The irst FleetCor subsidiary to go down that route is AllStar of the UK. FleetCor has also acquired Atlanta, Georgia, USA telematics specialist NexTraq which offers leets services such as vehicle tracking, route optimisation, job dispatch and – perhaps of particular interest to the new owner – fuel usage monitoring.

On the opposite side of the Atlantic it has bought Epyx, which provides UK leet operators with an internet-based service that automates repair authorisation and schedules service appointments while simplifying administration and controlling costs.

“We've been looking for ways in which we can expand beyond leet fuelling and into leet maintenance,” says FleetCor chairman and chief executive of icer, Ron Clarke. “Epyx has developed a highly specialised system that helps its leet customers better manage their costs and we'd like to bring this solution to a lot more clients.”

GPS-added security FleetCor has not been having things all its own way, however.

With its headquarters in South Portland, Maine, USA, over the past two years fuel card provider WEX has been involved in various initiatives including a deal with Verizon-owned Network leet to provide it with a fuel and service card. Networkleet supplies GPS-based vehicle tracking to operators and the card can help them generate cost-per-mile and mpg analyses as well as enforce purchasing policies.

Prior to the card's introduction Network leet was already working with WEX to produce reports that help customers spot dishonest transactions.

The Fuel Guard Report allows them to compare the date and time when fuel was bought and the location of the vehicle it allegedly went into. A mismatch could mean that somebody is trying to defraud their employer.

By looking at the Fuel Card Transactions Report a leet manager can examine all fuel purchases over a speci ied period including date, time and place, how much fuel was involved, and how much it cost.

Last October WEX entered into a longterm agreement with RaceTrac Petroleum of Atlanta to provide it with a private label and universal leet card. The proprietary leet card is accepted at all RaceTrac and RaceWay locations – there are 600 of them across the southern USA – while the co-branded universal card is welcome at over 90% of fuel and service locations around the country.

In November it announced plans to acquire the assets of ExxonMobil's European commercial fuel card – betterknown as the Esso Card – through WEX Europe Services, a majority-owned joint venture. “It will establish our presence in the European fuel card market and allow us to create a substantial and profitable footprint to develop and grow our European fleet card business,” says WEX chairman and chief executive officer, Michael E Dubyak.

WEX used to be known as Wright Express and still operates under that name in certain markets, including

“Falling fuel costs were accompanied by a drop in maintenance bills and a reduction in the number of kilometres travelled.”

Australia and New Zealand. In the USA its products are accepted at upwards of 90% of the country's illing stations and over 45,000 workshops and its card is used by private and public sector leets operating over 7.4m vehicles.

Oil-company-branded fuel cards have a strong presence across Europe. Total's Eurotra ic is accepted at over 14,000 outlets in 16 countries while Shell's euroShell is welcome at 24,000 sites in 35 countries, from Andorra and Austria to Turkey and the Ukraine. The latest network to accept it is Romania's recently-established Smart Diesel chain of 13 unmanned forecourts, which are open 24 hours a day.

Keeping a close eye on who is buying diesel or petrol, how much is being paid for it and which vehicles it is being pumped into is one way of controlling fuel costs.

Another is to reduce the amount that is being used in the irst place: and well-run leets will of course pursue both approaches.

A growing number of operators – especially those running commercial vehicles – are having in-cab units installed that warn drivers if they are speeding, accelerating too harshly, or braking too quickly: practices likely to push up fuel bills as well as increasing the risk of a collision.

The warnings are often delivered by means of green, amber and red trafic-sty le lights on the dashboard and the data recorded by the onboard unit can be downloaded and analysed by the leet manager

prior to discussion with the driver concerned. Such packages can be accompanied by vehicle tracking.

A key provider of such systems is South Africa-based MiX Telematics. Also with a presence in Europe, the USA, the Middle East and Australasia, it opened an of ice in Sao Paulo, Brazil, last year (2013).

In its home country it has signed a deal with Tata Automobile, which will involve the latter offering MiX's leet management package across its entire commercial vehicle range through its 51 South African dealerships.

“Those customers that include it with their purchases can look forward to a fuel cost saving of from 5% to 10% after only 12 months,” contends Steven Sutherland, sales director at MiX Telematics (Africa).

“Remember too that lowering fuel consumption means a reduction in CO2 emissions: a wise move given the carbon tax legislation.”

South Africa will introduce its irst carbon tax in January 2015.

But can MiX's claims be justi ied? They certainly can, according to Pretoria-based AVBOB, one of the country's best-known undertakers and providers of funeral insurance and a mutual society owned by its policyholders.

Concerned about the on-the-road conduct of some of its drivers, especially in remote rural areas, it initially had MiX equipment itted to 105 of its vehicles by Hyper Auto and saw fuel costs plummet by 27% in just six months. Not surprisingly, the remaining 500 were subsequently equipped too.

Falling fuel costs were accompanied by a drop in maintenance bills and a reduction in the number of kilometres travelled.

AVBOB had for sometime suspected that some of its vehicles were being misused and tighter monitoring clearly eliminated much of this abuse.

The systems installed also made it easier to identify any drivers who needed remedial training and the type of training that was required.

Says leet manager, Hugo Broodryk: “We have witnessed a reduction in costs; and a great improvement in driver behaviour.” internationalfleetworld.com / 27

FLEET FOCUS Ireland

Is Ireland on the road to recovery?

Ireland was one of the worst affected in the 2008 European financial crisis, but the sector is showing signs of recovery, reports John Kendall.

Volkswagen Passat The Passat is one of the favoured models in Ireland along with the Ford Mondeo, with Volkswagen the top selling car brand.

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T

he Republic of Ireland is one of the smaller nations in the European Union, with a population of around 4.6 million recorded in the last national census in 2011. The Republic forms the larger part of the island of Ireland, which lies immediately west of the British mainland. Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom and has a population of some 1.8 million. The two Irish countries have separate governments and administration, the Republic having been formed in 1921, following a period of unrest resisting British rule, which ended in armed conflict between 1918 and 1921. Despite that and the previous difficult relationship with Britain during the years of British rule, there is considerable co-operation between Northern Ireland and the Republic and also with Britain.

The Irish economy expanded greatly between the late 1990s and 2007, a period that became known as the Celtic Tiger, which saw a high rate of GDP growth. The country became visibly more prosperous. Dublin was re-generated, construction projects were under way across the country, roads improved and property prices soared.

A notable proportion of that growth was based on the construction sector and the Irish banks became heavily involved in the property sector. This over-exposure was a significant factor in the Irish financial crisis, which hit the country, as it did across Europe, in 2008.

Ireland was the first country in the EU to officially enter recession in 2008 and the financial crisis has had a significant impact on the Irish economy, not least because the economy has been affected by a series of banking crises. Property prices, which had become significantly overvalued, came crashing down and construction projects were abandoned.

Not surprisingly, the motor trade has been significantly affected by the crisis too.

Ireland has no domestic motor manufacturing sector. The only significant assembly in the country was of Ford vehicles at a plant in Cork, established in 1917. Henry Ford’s family originated from County Cork and the Irish business was estabNew vehicle registrations – Ireland 2006–2013 Passenger car registrations

Light CV registrations

2006

178,484

40,979

2007

186,540

44,056

2008

151,607

29,961

2009

57,460

9,267

2010

88,446

10,437

2011

89,896

11,346

2012

79,498

10,874

2013

74,303

11,076

Year

Source: The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI)

lished by him, originally as a private venture before being incorporated into the Ford Motor Company. The plant continued assembling Ford products until 1984 when it closed.

From the peak year of 2007 to the low point in 2009, car registrations fell 69% and light CV registrations by 79%.

Not surprisingly, given the depth of the country’s financial crisis, the recovery has been patchy. Gerry Madden is general manager of Johnson Perrott Fleet in Ireland and a member of the Council of the Vehicle Leasing Association Ireland and puts the overall market into context.

“In Ireland, we have been witness to a motor industry in very considerable distress. The economic recession with the accompanying credit crunch has resulted in low consumer confidence. The net affect of this had been dismal new vehicle sales.

“Passenger car sales hit an all time peak back in the year 2000 at 230,800 units. Many motorists held off changing their cars to await the novelty value of a year 2000 plate. By 2003 new car sales had dropped back to 145,300 before growing each consecutive year to reach 186,500 units in 2007– the year immediately prior to the recession. In 2008 they dropped to 151,722 as the recession began and by 2009 new car sales had reached a catastrophic low of 57,460.

“The news since then has been mixed with only 88,846 new units in 2010, 89,896 in 2011, 79,574 in 2012 and 74,303 in 2013 and forecast of 85,000 for 2014. 2014 year-to-date figures are now at 24,882 as opposed to 19,051 last year – an increase of over 30%.

“Over 10,000 jobs were lost in the motor industry. In 2008 there were almost 700 motor dealerships trading in Ireland and such has been the carnage within the industry that the forecast for trading dealerships for 2016 is 300–350.”

The signs are looking good at the moment although there are other factors to consider. Ireland changes vehicle registration plates twice a year, and January is one of the changeover months, which means there will have been some delayed purchasing from December.

SIMI director general, Alan Nolan, gives his view of the current market conditions; “It was clear in December that there was a strong demand for new ‘141 plate’ cars with dealers reporting far better levels of activity in the lead-up to January.

Feedback from dealers suggests that consumer interest is continuing with a noticeable increase in showroom footfall and there certainly is a sense of optimism in dealerships that hasn't been apparent for many years.

“There may have been some built-up demand from last year and the earlier Budget may also have helped people to make the decision to buy. There is also a greater availability of affordable finance and an overall improvement in the confidence among Irish consumers.

“It is very early days so we are still cautious in relation to where the market might end up this year but there is a strong sense that we’re now above the bottom and beginning to move upwards. It's nice to be able to say that for the first time since 2008.

internationalfleetworld.com / 29

¡

FLEET FOCUS Ireland

“There certainly is a sense of optimism in dealerships that hasn’t been apparent for many years.”

Alan Nolan, SIMI director general.

¡

“Demand for used cars in dealerships has also been strong, while the supply of locally sourced cars remains limited. This is reflected in the increase in imported used cars, which show an increase of 35% on 2013 and 39% over 2012. Around 50% of imported used cars are recorded as being registered by motor dealers.

“Commercial vehicles have also seen improved levels of activity in January with sales of LCVs (vans) up 42% on 2013 and 29% on 2012, while HGVs (trucks) are 31% up on 2013 and 19% better than in 2012.

“Whereas the new car market tends to be a sign of consumer confidence, the commercial vehicle market is more of an indication of what is happening in the Irish economy, confirming a noticeable increase in activity among small and medium businesses.”

To say that there may have been some built up demand from last year is probably an understatement. No fewer than 13 brands registered no cars at all in December 2013 and there was a similar trend among light and heavy commercial vehicles. Just 212 cars were registered during December compared with almost 23,000 in January 2014.

Finding accurate data on the size of the business car market in Ireland is not easy, as Gerry Madden told IFW; “According to the SIMI it is estimated to be about 20% of the total passenger car market. There is no reliable source of data on what percentage is contract hire or Best selling car brands in Ireland 2013 outright purchase.”

So if new car regisManufacturer 2013 Registrations trations are forecast to be around 85,000 Volkswagen 9,492 to 90,000 in 2014, Toyota 7,661 that should mean that around 17,000 Ford 7,619 to 18,000 of those Hyundai 5,827 new cars will be used for business.

Nissan 5,312 The favoured Opel 4,913 brands for business follow the 10 best Skoda 4,902 selling brands quite Audi 3,687 closely, including Volkswagen, Ford, BMW 3,530 Audi, Hyundai, Opel, Kia 3,350 BMW and Skoda.

Source: SIMI

30 / internationalfleetworld.com

Ireland, unlike many other European markets still favours four door saloons over hatchbacks, although hatchback models have gained market share, as have SUVs. Favoured models include the Ford Mondeo, Volkswagen Passat and Opel Insignia, while small premium saloons are also popular including the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series. At the Executive end of the sector, the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 and Jaguar XF are popular choices.

It is difficult to interpret January 2013 light CV sales as indicative of improving business fortunes in Ireland, because of the registration plate change in January. Light CV registrations were up by 42% compared with January 2013.

The standard rate of VAT is currently running at 23% in Ireland and is generally chargeable on the sale or leasing of motor vehicles. There is also a vehicle registration tax based on CO2 emissions from the vehicle, payable once only at the time or first registration. This can be up to 36% of the open market selling price of the car. An annual motor tax is also levied on each car and this is also based on CO2 emissions, with a top rate of €2,350 for cars emitting more than 225g/km CO2.

Gerry Madden reckons that operational leasing is the most popular inancing method for business cars with some inance leasing and outright purchase too. “The main source of vehicle funding are the two main pillar Banks – Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Bank. Finance is also available through inance companies, while two manufacturers are currently providing funding – Volkswagen and BMW.” He also indicated that well resourced leasing companies such as his own provide competitive funding.

So what of the future? Is Ireland and its fleet sector really on the road to recovery? “The recent improvement in sales of passenger vehicles and LCVs is a very positive development,” says Mr. Madden. “There is a real sense that Ireland is now on the road to economic recovery and that business vehicle sales forecasts for 2014 will be surpassed.

“If this happens it would be reasonable to assume that the positive trend will continue as the economy recovers. There is no doubt that there was considerable contraction in the leet market.

“There have been so many companies that went into receivership, downsized considerably or just went out of business and were closed by their owners. The companies that are left are now leaner and have control of their costs.

“We would anticipate that as the recovery gets more fully under way, they will grow again in line with consumer demand and that both passenger cars and LCV sales will see growth as a result.”

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PROFILE Citroën

Getting creative Citroën is enjoying strong momentum, having doubled its sales in 10 years and posted considerable international growth. With a host of new models and further development underway, the future looks bright for the iconic and style-conscious French brand.

“Citroën cites the international launches of the C-Elysée and C4 L as driving factors in its sales uplift.”

32 / internationalfleetworld.com

Manufacturer Citroën Total sales 2013 1.266m Headquarters Paris, France EU market share 5.4% No. of models 46 (global) 24 (Europe)

view

from the top

P

SA Peugeot-Citroën is now a global brand except in North America, having expanded rapidly into the European, Asian and Latin American markets.

Since forming the Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën Automobile Limited (DPCA) JV in the early 1990s, Citroën has stepped-up its manufacturing output dramatically to become a key player on the international stage.

Citroën targets international development Citroën continued to grow internationally in 2013, recording a 2.1% increase in worldwide sales in the second half of the year, and a 4.9% rise in the fourth quarter. A 14% rise in sales to markets outside of Europe allowed the brand to offset the inancial instability of the European economy, and end-of-year global sales for the brand totalled 1,266,000 units.

With 410,000 sales since launch (120,000 in 2013), the DS line represents strong growth potential for Citroën, both in the international market and in Europe, where it accounts for 18% of all Citroën’s passenger cars sold.

In the UK, the DS line accounts for 35% of the brand’s passenger car sales, while in Spain, the DS line is also performing well, capturing some 11,000 orders for the DS3 Cabrio since launch in January 2013.

Representing the importance of the DS line to the brand, DS World Shanghai opened in March 2013 – the irst international lagship devoted entirely to the DS line. The key words at the Citroën showcase in Asia are ‘reinement , customisation and French craftsmanship’; a strategy that helped Citroën enjoy sales superior to the market growth in 2013 (up 26.3% in a market up 19.1%).

Dongfeng launched the new Citroën C-Elysée, made locally at the Wuhan 3 plant, in September 2013, and extended Citroën’s offering in the C segment. This segment accounts for one in two passenger cars sold in China and has shown the strongest growth (more than 25%) since the start of the year. China is now Citroën’s number one market in terms of invoices.

The C-Quatre and C4 L also enjoyed popularity with Chinese motorists, accounting for 55% of the joint venture’s sales, whose growth (23.9%) outpaced that of the Chinese automotive market in 2013.

Citroën cites the international launches of the C-Elysée and C4 L as driving factors in its sales uplift, with the success of the Elysée in Algeria, North Africa, helping to increase Citroën’s share in that market by one point alone.

C4 Picasso and Grand C4 Picasso also performed well in the global market, with 58,000 orders placed in 2013. Citroën says these cars mark a generational leap (new EMP2 platform, low CO2 emissions, strong design and innovative technologies) and illustrate the brand’s move upmarket (70% of orders for top two trim levels).

Citroën

Global sales, by country 2012-2013 Territory Europe Russia Latin America China Rest of World

Sales 2012 811,000 34,000 110,000 226,000 84,000

Sales 2013 750,000 29,000 120,000 285,000 82,000

% change -7.5% -14.7% +9.1% +26.1% -2.4%

Yves Bonnefort, deputy CEO of Citroën, explains how the new C4 Cactus offers a glimpse of a revitalised model range.

How will you position the C4 Cactus within the range?

This is a C-segment car – it’s addressing the largest segment in the world, and the only segment where we see some growth in Europe. So we want to diversify our offering. We have the C4, which will stay on the market, the C4 Cactus, the C4 Picasso and the C4 Aircross for the core range of Citroën and the DS4 as well. I’m often asked what the direct competitors of this car; it’s very dif icult because there’s nothing like this on the market.

How will it influence other models?

Clearly our strategy is to have the two lines. After the success with DS we wanted to re-energise the core line so that’s what Cactus is about.

We want no compromise on what is important to the customer, but we want an effective cost of ownership this car will be 10% lower than the best competition. This logic will apply to all the products of the Citroën core range.

Will the C4 Cactus be sold outside Europe?

The car was designed very much for the European market; we did a lot of in depth market research to come to what is really important for European customers. If you asked me a year ago I would have said we have no plans to sell the car in China, but the feedback we’re getting is the car could be attractive to Chinese customers. So we are studying the opportunity to launch the car in China.

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Source: PSA Peugeot-Citroën

internationalfleetworld.com / 33

PROFILE Citroën

¡

Where are they made?

9 4 6 2 3

2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

FIN fleet in numbers

90 per cent

NOx emissions removed

by BlueHDi engines.

70%

Percentage of orders for C4 and Grand C4 Picasso that are for top two trim levels.

100,000

Target sales for C-Elysée in 2014.

34 / internationalfleetworld.com

Buenos Aires, Argentina Mangualde, Portugal Vigo, Spain Rennes, France Poissy, France Aulnay, France Lieu-Saint-Amand, France Sochaux, France Mulhouse, France Trnava, Slovakia Graz, Austria Atessa, Italy Bursa, Turkey Kaluga, Russia Wuhan, China Schenzhen, China Okazaki, Japan

5

8

12

11

Manufacturing plant locations 1

7

10

1

More to come...

Citroën’s strong momentum is set to continue in 2014, with eight new launches planned as it seeks to continue growth of its DS Line while rede ining its core product line-up.

In Europe, the C4 Cactus will offer an additional low-cost option for the Csegment and an all-new C1 city car will follow, while the C-Elysée will continue to be targeted to emerging markets such as China, Brazil, North Africa and Russia. Citroën aims for sales of 100,000 units for the C-Elysée in 2014: 50,000 in China and 50,000 in the rest of the world.

Chinese customers will gain two locally-produced DS models – the DS 5LS, which is a luxury saloon based on the DS5, and an SUV. The former will become the second model of the standalone DS brand to be built at Citroen’s plant in Shenzen in China, and goes on sale in March 2014.

Ef icient petrol and diesel engines are also in the pipeline. BlueHDi diesels will be available across the range by the end of the year, ready for Euro 6 emissions standards, which come into force for newly registered vehicles on 1 January 1st 2015. These feature a new after-treatment system in the exhaust to remove 90% of NOx emissions, almost eliminate particulate output and cut CO2 by between 2% and 4% compared to their predecessors.

Meanwhile, the three-cylinder PureTech petrol range will extend to include new turbocharged versions with power outputs of between 110 and 130hp.

Built at the plant in Douvrin, France, these will irst be itted to the C4, which will emit 110g/km, followed by the C3 and DS3 which will emit 104g/km each.

Commenting on Citroën’s international performance, Frédéric Banzet, chief executive of icer of Citroën, said: “Looking beyond our international development, the brand’s performances in 2013 con irm the validity of our product strategy.

“First of all, with DS: a commercial success embodying the return of the French automobile to the premium segment. The strong positioning of this product line is such that we were able to make it a brand in China, where sales of the locally-produced DS5 have already exceeded our forecasts. We also want to bring customers bold design choices and differentiation with our core range.

“The renewal of the C line began in 2013 with the launch of the New C4 Picasso and Grand C4 Picasso, applauded by our customers and acknowledged by the international press in the shape of numerous awards. The brand will take things further in 2014, revealing a new model, the Citroën C4 Cactus, a true manifesto of our new core range.”

Citroën fleet model range

C-ZERO

C1

C3

Variants: 5dr hatchback Markets: Europe Fuel: N/A (EV) CO2: 0g/km (tailpipe)

Variants: 3/5dr hatchback Markets: Europe, Africa Fuel: 4.3-4.5l/100km CO2: 98-104g/km

Variants: 5dr hatchback Markets: Europe, South America, Australia, Asia, Africa Fuel: 3.4-6.5l/100km CO2: 87-150g/km

C3 Picasso

C4

C-Elysée

Variants: 5-seat MPV Markets: Europe Fuel: 4.3-6.4l/100km CO2: 112-149g/km

Variants: : 5dr hatchback, 4dr saloon Markets: Europe, South America, Australia, Asia, Africa Fuel: 4.0-7.9l/100km CO2: 97-183g/km

Variants: 4dr saloon Markets: Europe, South America, Asia Fuel: 4.1-5.3l/100km CO2: 115-124g/km

C4 Cactus

C4 Picasso / Grand C4 Picasso

C4 Aircross

Variants: 5dr hatchback Markets: Europe Fuel: From 3.1l/100km CO2: From 82g/km

Variants: : 5 & 7-seat MPV Markets: Europe Fuel: 3.8-6.3l/100km CO2: 98-145g/km

Variants: Crossover Markets: Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa Fuel: 4.6-8.1l/100km CO2: 119-192g/km

C5

C8

DS3

Variants: Saloon, station wagon Markets: Europe, Australia, Asia Fuel: 4.3-7.3l/100km CO2: 111-169g/km

Variants: 7-seat MPV Markets: Europe Fuel: 5.9l/100km CO2: 155g/km

Variants: 3dr hatchback, cabriolet Markets: Europe, South America, Australia, Asia, Africa Fuel: 3.5-6.7l/100km CO2: 90-154g/km

DS4

DS5

DS5 LS

Variants: 5dr hatchback

Variants: 5dr hatchback

Variants: 4dr saloon Markets: Asia

Markets: Europe, South America, Australia, Asia, Africa Fuel: 4.2-7.7l/100km CO2: 110-178g/km

Markets: Europe, South America, Australia, Asia, Africa Fuel: 3.3-7.3l/100km CO2: 85-169g/km

Fuel: TBC CO2: TBC

internationalfleetworld.com / 35

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driven

March 2014

p38 Nissan Qashqai p39 Maserati Ghibli p40 CitroĂŤn Grand C4 Picasso p41 Ford Transit

internationalfleetworld.com

Nissan Qashqai Cheaper to run and easier to live with, the class leader is back on top, says Alex Grant.

SECTOR Crossover PRICE €19,940–€33,450 FUEL 3.8–5.6l l/100km CO2 99–129g/km

W

hile Nissan’s claims of inventing the crossover rather than the third-row seating, so load volume has segment with the first Qashqai are debatable, this increased in the five-seater. was certainly the model which set out the formula It’s flexible, too. The rear bench folds flat with the boot for every newcomer since. Even against its broadest ever floor, which is removable on most trim levels to create a competition, this is as much a crossover benchmark as the compartment for the parcel shelf or extend the boot space.

Volkswagen Golf is to the C-segment.

This can also be reversed to a stain-resistant rubber-covSo it seems the gamble paid off. The Qashqai has enjoyed ered side, and the rear of the two sections can be fixed record sales every year since its 2007 launch, with over two upright to stop shopping rolling around. million sold globally, and most of those going to Europe. This The rest of the cabin is similarly well thought out, with time around, there’s no gamble. All Nissan had to do was modfirm but comfortable seating, plentiful leg and headroom ernise a successful formula, while setting a few new benchand high quality plastics used throughout. Road and engine marks for the rest of the pack to follow. noise are impressively well suppressed Impressive fuel economy comes right and the ride quality is excellent, even on at the top of the list. When the first genthe Tekna’s 19-inch wheels. eration Qashqai launched, Volkswagen Launch engines comprise one petrol was trumpeting the achievement of a and two diesels, with the 1.5-litre diesel 99g/km, 3.8l/100km Polo – a yardstick offering range-best economy. More Nissan has just reached with a crossover. torque has allowed more economical Against the segment norm of between gearing and an easier drive, while 130-140g/km for a two-wheel drive verimprovements to refinement are noticesion, it’s a very impressive place to be. able. But the 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol There are several reasons for this. The is impressive, too, a huge improvement new Qashqai is the first car to use on the 1.6-litre unit in the old car despite Renault-Nissan’s new Common Module not matching the diesel’s eagerness.

Family, a platform which separates a car Four-wheel drive and a new CVT gearinto shared modules to cut down on box with stepped ratios, engineered to Low running costs, unique parts. Cost savings aside, it’s shed feel more like a dual-clutch unit than the attractive styling and 40kg from the crossover’s kerb weight. usual springiness offered from this type high flexibility should Styling now matches Nissan’s new SUV of unit, are optional on the 1.6-litre diesel. family, including the next X-Trail, and it’s Nissan reaped the rewards of a wellhelp the Qashqai stay a much sharper design, more aggressive, targeted product with the first Qashqai at the top of an increaslower and more aerodymanic than its and, like the Mk1 Golf, it set what is now ingly popular, and predecessor. Although the Qashqai+2 has the standard for this segment. Updates in competitive, segment. been discontinued, the carmaker says all the right places, mean it’s ready for most buyers were seeking its larger boot another seven years at the top.

what we think

38 / internationalfleetworld.com

Maserati Ghibli Diesel Does a focus on fleet blunt the Maserati’s driver appeal? Alex Grant finds out.

SECTOR Executive PRICE €64,980 FUEL 5.9l/100km CO2 158g/km

M

aserati may sound like an unlikely contender for In Sport mode, it holds onto each gear for longer, changes fleet sales, but the Ghibli shows it’s serious about gear quicker and sharpens throttle and steering responses entering the corporate sector. And it’s doing so to enliven the drive. Maserati purists may bemoan the lack with a diesel engine and some surprising affordability of a petrol engine note, but Sport mode also opens flaps in under its belt. the exhaust and gives it a convincingly purposeful growl.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2014, Maserati has long Aluminium body panels help keep the kerb weight down, been a performance-dominated manufacturer of grand tourers and in turn it means the Ghibli feels remarkably sureand sports saloon cars. Both are ideal for retail sales but, with footed and agile on sweeping roads, despite its size, while only petrol engines, neither have much potential in fleet. making the most of the available power. However, it’s worth Things are changing, though. The company has a target testing both the standard executive suspension setup and of 50,000 global sales by 2015, with the Levante SUV and sports option before making the final choice. The former is Ghibli executive car central to those far more suited to day-to-day driving, growth plans. Both are launching into and barely blunts the handling comfleet-heavy sectors, which meant estabpared to the far stiffer sports setup. lishing a corporate sales department Mechanicals aside, it adopts and equipping them with a viable diesel Maserati’s new family styling complete engine to get there. with a wide oval grille and aggressive While the Ghibli isn’t aiming to topple headlights similar to the new Quattrothe 5 Series off the corporate sales porte’s. The cabin is awash with soft charts, it puts Maserati in a new sector leather and can be heavily personalised with its most efficient, most affordable – it’s fairly well laid out, though the model. It uses a range of turbocharged large transmission tunnel can make the V6 engines with a single diesel, a 275hp back seats feel a little cramped. Its infounit positioned as a rival to German tainment system with Garmin navigation rivals’ high performance diesels rather is almost identical to the Lancia Thema’s. than high-volume, low-carbon fourSo is the Ghibli Diesel a compromise?

Not the cheapest in its cylinder models. With this engine, the Perhaps, but only slightly. This is a great segment to run, but the Ghibli consumes 5.9 litres of diesel per executive car, and feels every bit the Ghibli is an attractive 100km with CO2 emissions of 158g/km. downsized Quattroporte it should. With entry point into the It’s as much power as most drivers will sensible targets in mind and no plans to need. The diesel is incredibly refined, blur the brand identity with eco-focused Maserati range with paired with an eight-speed automatic models, but with running costs low plenty of aspirational gearbox which has an ultra-smooth comenough not to scare fleets away, this is a fleet appeal. fort setting for motorway cruising. But convincing first entry into a very it’s a true Maserati when it needs to be. demanding part of the market.

what we think

internationalfleetworld.com / 39

Citroën Grand C4 Picasso Grand C4 Picasso is now lighter, more fuel-efficient and better all round, reckons John Kendall.

SECTOR MPV PRICE €22,400–€32,500 (approx.) FUEL 3.8–6.25l/100km CO2 98–145g/km

A

hint of what was to come was given by the Citroën seven-inch touchpad in the dashboard with touch-sensiTechnospace concept at the 2013 Geneva Show. tive buttons to control functions from the dual-zone air After some seven years in production, the sevenconditioning to navigation, audio and driving aids. seat Grand C4 Picasso has been replaced by a new model, Citroën says that CO2 emissions have been reduced by 30g/km on average. The engine range includes 1.6-litre following the five-seat C4 Picasso replacement last year. petrol and diesel engines and a range topping 2.0-litre The Grand C4 Picasso concept was always a good one. diesel. In VTi form the 1.6-litre petrol engine delivers Taking its cue from the Opel/Vauxhall Zafira, which packed 120hp or 155hp (THP 155). Diesel power ranges from seven seats into a smaller MPV platform than full-size 92hp or 114hp from the 1.6-litre diesel to 150hp from the seven-seat MPVs, the Grand C4 Picasso provided a light, 2.0-litre diesel. The lowest emissions come from the e-HDi flexible format seven-seater with an interior designed 90 Airdream low emission model, which with the six-speed around the needs of a family. automated gearbox returns 3.8l/100km Citroën has kept all that was good about on the combined cycle and 98g/km of the original model and, now based on the CO2. Even the 2.0-litre diesel with conPSA EMP2 platform, shared with models ventional automatic transmission such as the new Peugeot 308, the latest returns 4.4l/100km and 117g/km, commodel is lighter than its predecessor by an pared with 4.2l/100km and 110g/km. average of around 100kg and has a lower Unless you have a need to keep CO2 centre of gravity. Although it is around the emissions below 100g/km, the e-HDi 115 same length as its predecessor, the wheelAirdream offers a bit more performance base has been extended by 110mm to profor a minimal increase in emissions and vide more space for passengers. There’s fuel consumption, with 105g/km from the more luggage space too, with between manual version. And it’s a very pleasant 632 litres and 2,181 litres according to car to drive, with the familiar hum of the Citroën. Compared to the five-seat model, PSA/Ford 1.6-litre diesel engine, now the rear wheels have been moved back driving through a six-speed gearbox. Not by 55mm, helping to give what Citroën The Grand C4 Picasso surprisingly the 2.0-litre automatic is the claims as the most space in the rear two shows fine build quality, pick of the bunch with an excellent autorows in the segment, with 217mm of impressive road behavmatic gearbox and effortless performance. legroom in row two and 108mm in row Noise levels are low and the spacious, three. Citroën claims the best access to iour and an interior that’s light interior is a good place for family row three seats and the widest boot in the even better thought out travel, especially with more legroom category with 1,170mm between the than it’s predecessor. available. Nice touches include a wheel arches. Third row passengers also Plenty of fleet appeal. stowage space for the luggage cover get their own air vents. when the rear seats are in use.

Standard equipment includes a

what we think

40 / internationalfleetworld.com

Ford Transit Transit is better all round, with more space and better equipment than before, finds John Kendall.

SECTOR Heavy van PRICE TBA FUEL 6.4l/100km CO2 169g/km

f

ord has sold over seven million Transit models age compartment underneath the double passenger seat. since the van was launched in 1965 and the van’s Power comes from the existing Transit 2.2-litre diesel popularity is likely to be increased by the launch of engine driving either the front or rear wheels through a sixthe latest heavy Transit model. Its greater popularity is speed gearbox. As before there is also an all-wheel-drive partly inevitable because this model will be sold in North model. Power options are 100hp, 125hp or 155hp, offering America, the first time that Ford has sold a Transit model a higher power output than the outgoing model. There are there. This model will replace the long-running E Series also a number of ECOnetic variants, fitted with Stop/Start as in the US and Canada. standard and offered with an optional 100km/h speed limFord says that model-for-model, load volume has been iter. L2H2 ECOnetic vans offer consumption of 6.4l/100km increased by around 10% compared with the outgoing on the EU combined cycle and 169g/km of CO2 emissions.

Transit. This has been achieved partly by introducing There is no doubt that driver comfort is improved by the more vertical body sides on the latest reach and rake adjustable steering wheel. model. As an example the L2 Transit The cab feels larger than before, while the will provide 11.2m3 compared with dashboard layout is simpler, bringing it 10.3m3 for the outgoing model. The L2 into line with the latest generation of model can accommodate four Euro palFord car models. Drivers who spend all lets and offers a 3,000mm long load day in the cab will also appreciate the floor. Gross weight options extend up to new storage space allowing objects to be 4,700kg, while the largest “Jumbo” stored out of sight in the cab.

Transit offers 15.1m3 of load space.

Ford’s claim of better visibility is jusVan models will be joined by other varitified too. The Transit comes with larger ants in Q4 2014. These will include the door mirrors incorporating adjustable double-cab in van model, Kombi, Kombi wide angle lower sections which help to van, chassis cab L5 and double chassis cab. improve visibility around the vehicle.

Inside, drivers will welcome the more The engine seemed quieter than spacious cab. A full height steel bulkbefore both round town and on the open The new Transit head is standard equipment for Europe. road. We drove part-loaded vans on the offers welcome Ford says there is more shoulder launch, carrying around 450kg and perimprovements over room, headroom and that visibility is formance from the 125hp and 155hp its predecessor. It improved. The latest Transit gets a engines seemed adequate. reach and rake adjustable steering colFirst impressions are that Ford has easily competes with umn for the first time, helping to make delivered.

The new Transit is a better its class-leading rivals. drivers more comfortable behind the drive, offers more space for driver and A fleet favourite? wheel. Ford has followed Renault and load and rivals the best in class for allOpel/Vauxhall in providing a large storround ability.

what we think

internationalfleetworld.com / 41

fleet in figures

Record European CV registrations at end of 2013 Q4 European CV registrations reached record breaking levels in 2013 as the Euro 6 emissions deadline approached. John Kendall reports.

3,500kg GVW On 1 8 D ecember o ver 1, 000 trucks were registered in the UK, the largest number ever recorded on a single day in the country.

S

ince the Euro 6 emissions regulations for trucks and buses came into force on 1 January 2014 and Euro 6 vehicles cost between approximately â‚Ź8,000 and â‚Ź12,000 more than Euro 5 models, 2013 was always destined to be an interesting year for European CV registrations, particularly in Q4.

Data from ACEA shows that for the year, total CV registrations rose by 1.0%

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to 1,711,843 compared with 2012. The figure reflects the continuing difficulties across European economies. Among the major economies, only the UK and Spain showed an increase in CV registrations during 2013. For the UK, registrations followed a similar pattern to passenger cars, rising by 14.5% to 330,976 compared with 2012. For Spain the increase was 9.7% to 100,247. Portugal also

posted a 14.6% increase to 20,768.

Looking at the figures for December shows what effect the Euro 6 on-cost had on registrations in a month when registrations tend to be low. Of the 27 EU member states, only Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia and Greece recorded a decrease in December registrations, compared with December 2012. All others posted an increase, resulting in a 34.7% rise in

registrations for December to 169,744.

The Netherlands posted the largest percentage increase – up 94.8% to 6,019.

France posted the largest number of registrations in December by a wide margin, up 16.6% compared with December 2012 to 40,005. The UK posted a larger percentage increase, 66.0% with December registrations reaching 32,566. We shall look at the UK in more detail later. Germany saw a 27.0% rise to 29,496.

The vast majority of registrations are for light CVs up to 3,500kg gross vehicle weight (GVW). ACEA data shows 2013 light CV registrations fell by -0.2% to 1,374,518 compared with 2012.

The Euro 6 legislation applies to most vehicles with a gross weight exceeding 3,500kg GVW and ACEA data for these vehicles reflects the Euro 6 introduction. For the year, total registrations rose 6.5% to 304,333 and for December, rose 124.2% to 43,274. Only Cyprus recorded a decrease in December registrations among the EU 27 member states. The UK recorded the highest number of registrations for December at 11,050, a 219.5% increase compared with December 2012. Ireland recorded the largest percentage increase with 341.7% – an increase to 53 registrations. Germany recorded the second highest total, up 87.6% to 9,949.

Since most heavy commercial vehicles exceed 16-tonnes GVW, it’s not surprising that the percentage increases here were even higher. Total 2013 registrations across the EU rose 8.6% to 231,662, while December registrations rose 135.9% to 33,573. The UK again recorded the highest number of registrations for December, up 231.8% compared with 2012 to 33,573.

The UK December truck market makes an interesting case study. Although a boost in registrations was expected in Q4, the extent of the boom took the market by surprise.

The EU had permitted a derogation from Euro 6 vehicles and the scheme allowed the derogation to be selected in two possible ways. The irst was to per-

mit Euro 5 compliant trucks built until 30 September to be derogated until the end of 2014. This involved buying Euro 5 vehicles for stock unregistered then registering them during 2014 as required.

The second method permitted a manufacturer to derogate a percentage of annual Euro 5 truck sales until the end of 2014. In the UK, truck manufacturers reasoned that in a weak market, derogating a percentage of sales would not be attractive so they chose the other method, permitting trucks built until 30 September to be put into stock unregistered, then registered throughout 2014 as required.

The expected result, given the on-cost of a Euro 6 truck, was that there would be some pull-forward in vehicle ordering. It was thought that only larger fleets would take advantage of the derogation scheme, because it would involve committing a fair amount of finance to buying and stockpiling vehicles.

In the event, the pull-forward in vehicle ordering was far greater than expected. Data shows that 2013 was the biggest market for tractor units in the UK ever recorded. Several other records were set too. It was also the largest heavy truck market in the UK, for vehicles over 15-tonnes GVW, since 1989. It was the biggest total UK market for CVs over 3,500kg GVW since 2005. It was the largest market for 10.0 to 12.0tonnes GVW rigid trucks for 24 years.

December recorded the largest number of trucks over 3,500kg GVW ever registered in a single month in the UK at 11,350 vehicles. On 18 December over 1,000 trucks were registered in the UK, the largest number ever recorded on a single day in the country.

Instead of the forecast increase in UK truck registrations up to 16.0-tonnes GVW in 2013 of an additional 4%, the market was up 19.8% and for trucks above 16-tonnes GVW the expected increase was 10% compared with an actual increase of 30.9%. The pattern of registrations was interesting throughout the year in the UK. Compared with 2012, Q1 registrations were down -16.7%. In Q2, they were down -3.2%. By Q3, the

expected rise appeared, with registrations up 23% on 2012, then for Q4, the figure rose to a 93% increase, with registrations above 3,500kg up 32% in October, 39% in November and 217.2% in December, compared with 2012.

Iveco has provided some analysis of why the market was so strong in Q4.

Many of the trucks that were pull-forward orders, were actually registered before the end of the year. This could be because operators were uncomfortable with having a new vehicle standing idle, so decided to register it anyway. There is always a seasonal Christmas rush and it seems that some operators could not see the sense in renting vehicles at Christmas if they already had a new vehicle that was ready for the road. Operators could also take advantage of a UK Government incentive of a reduced pollution certificate (RPC) payment of £500 for those who chose to register a Euro 6 vehicle ahead of the deadline.

At the same time, manufacturers were offering incentives to buyers to reduce their stock levels and derogation was an opposing force to this at a time when dealers wanted to reduce stock, boost performance and secure bonus payments.

On the other hand, with such an unexpectedly large pull-forward in truck purchasing during Q4, it is bound to have a bigger than expected impact on registrations during 2014. Manufacturers were already expecting a quiet year in 2014 and it is likely to be quieter than expected, even though the UK economy appears to be making a good recovery at the moment. Weak registrations are expected in Q1 and Q2 2014 and Iveco does not expect the situation to stabilise until at least Q3. Overall, Iveco predicts that heavy truck registrations over 3,500kg GVW in the UK will fall by -15.6% during 2014. This is in a market where GDP was growing throughout 2013. As we have seen, many European markets saw similar high growth in late 2013, but for many, their economies have not yet started to recover, so 2014 could be another weak year for European CV registrations.

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