International Fleet World September 2017

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INTERNATIONAL

FLEETW RLD All that matters in the world of fleet September 2017

seat.com/ibiza

Some see the best residual value.

We see the best way forward.

The new SEAT Ibiza.

Get to know the best Ibiza ever created. Dynamic handling. A larger interior. Connective technology. And did we mention the best residual value among its main competitors? It’s clear, your new car policy has got to have the new SEAT Ibiza. Discover it.

SEAT FOR BUSINESS. Your goals are our fuel.

Average fuel consumption: 4.7 - 4.9 l/100 km. Average CO2 mass emissions: 106 - 112 g/km.

• 8" Navi with Full Link • Wireless Charger • ACC & Front Assist • Rearview camera • 335l boot space

Moving on in business.

All-New i30 Wagon The All-New Hyundai i30 Wagon combines handsome looks with outstanding versatility, space and comfort. It also offers the kind of advanced connectivity features and safety technologies that make this sleekly proportioned wagon such an attractive proposition for your fleet. There’s a new range of efficient and responsive turbocharged engines and the availability of a 7-speed dualclutch transmission. Factor in its sharp steering, agile handling and our 5-year Unlimited Mileage Warranty and you have the wagon of choice for both business and private use. A moving business proposition – the All-New Hyundai i30 Wagon.

Discover more at Hyundai.com/eu

Fuel consumption in l/100 km for the All-New Hyundai i30 Wagon range: Combined 5.8–3.6 l/100km, CO2 emissions 135–95 g/km.

The fuel consump­tion and CO2 emissions figures are preliminary. This means that the figures displayed are approximate and collected before official obtainment of the EU type approval for the All-New Hyundai i30 Wagon. Definitive figures were not available at the time of printing. The Hyundai 5-year Unlimited Mileage Warranty applies only to Hyundai vehicles that have been originally sold by an authorised Hyundai dealer to an end consumer and as set out in the terms and conditions of the warranty booklet.

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INTERNATIONAL

FLEETW RLD All that matters in the world of fleet

contents

September 2017

seat.com/ibiza

Some see the best residual value.

We see the best way forward.

The new SEAT Ibiza.

Get to know the best Ibiza ever created. Dynamic handling. A larger interior. Connective technology. And did we mention the best residual value among its main competitors? It’s clear, your new car policy has got to have the new SEAT Ibiza. Discover it.

SEAT FOR BUSINESS. Your goals are our fuel.

• 8" Navi with Full Link • Wireless Charger • ACC & Front Assist • Rearview camera • 335l boot space

Average fuel consumption: 4.7 - 4.9 l/100 km. Average CO2 mass emissions: 106 - 112 g/km.

Chairman Jerry Ramsdale jerry@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

16 SPOTLIGHT: Skoda Karoq.

18 Looking ahead to 2040.

24 Why it pays for fleets to be green.

42 DRIVEN: New Nissan Qashqai.

Publisher Steve Moody steve@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Editor John Challen john@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Deputy Editor Alex Grant alex@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Business Editor Natalie Middleton natalie@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Content Editor Jonathan Musk jonathan@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Sales Director Anne Dopson anne@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Sales Manager Harry Whyte harry@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Circulation Tracy Howell tracy@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Head of Production Luke Wikner luke@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Designers Tina Ries tina@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

04 Fleet Review Editor John Challen on fuel cells, EVs and the environment.

06 Fleet in figures Breaking down the latest global vehicle sales by region.

08 News The biggest stories from a month in the international fleet world.

16 Spotlight An in-depth look at Skoda’s smaller Kodiaq sibling, the Karoq.

Victoria Arellano victoria@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Web Designer Dan Desta daniel@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

18 Feature How the automotive world could look in 2040 with future legislation.

24 Feature How fleets can boost their environmental credentials.

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

28 Fleet Focus The legislation that has shaped the fleet market in the Netherlands.

32 Profile Taking a closer look at Hyundai’s regenerated fleet proposition.

36 Interview eDriving Fleet's Celia Stokes discusses the business’s progression.

37 Analysis Residual Values: Looking at how popular fleet cars are at resale.

To subscribe to International Fleet World visit: www.fleetworldsubscriptions.co.uk

38 Launch Report Hyundai i30 Tourer / Nissan Qashqai / Porsche Panamera / Opel Crossland / Renault Koleos.

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fleet review This month, editor John Challen chats fuel cells, electric vehicles and the environment.

When fuel cells didn’t sell

The Green agenda

In the early 2000s, the boss of General Motors’ fuel cell vehicle operations told me during an interview that within 10 years, there would be one million vehicles on the road powered by fuel cells. I remember it being a very ambitious target – and so it proved because the decade came and went, but the FCVs didn’t. Sure, the company wowed us with the Autonomy concept, the skateboard chassis looked groundbreaking at the time and plenty of ‘production ready’ demonstration vehicles were brought out into the open. But no real viable business model came of the technology – from any manufacturer, not just GM – and therefore the plans for hydrogen power took a back seat.

If you believe the predictions and keep track of the investment, electric vehicles look set to be a very different affair, although they have arguably had one or two false dawns as well. With this in mind, it is probably worth stopping, taking a step back and asking if whether battery power is the right way to go. And if it is, to make sure everything is right, because our future generations do not need an abundance of redundant charging stations because of a battery bubble burst.

Whatever is powering vehicles in the future, the world promises to be a more environmentally friendly place. European countries are committed to cleaner cities – this issue shows the result of incentives for buying electric cars in Holland – but closer to home, individuals and companies can go greener with minimum effort. Anything from picking up litter to starting your own forest – there are green solutions for every situation. You’ll find some other ideas on p.24.

Future proof GM’s Autonomy fuel cell concept failed to ignite the FCV market in the early 2000s.

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Frankfurt’s finest Motor show time is looming again and there are plenty of details about what visitors can expect to see at the German carfest in mid-September. Given the size of the event, there is sure to be plenty of new metal within the halls including some surprises and clues about future production models. Rest assured that we will bring you all the big show stories in the next issue of International Fleet World.

visit internationalfleetworld.com

www.kia.com

Here’s an idea.

A true Sports Wagon.

The all-new Kia Optima Sportswagon.

Do it better. Do it with flair.

The idea behind the new Kia Optima Sportswagon was simple. Take the wagon, and make it better. Much better. The results speak for themselves. The Optima Sportswagon boasts advanced technology, comfort and innovation. It’s full of fresh thinking - and plenty of space. The profile and performance are noticeably sporty, and the interior is all about maximising your enjoyment. Finally, class-leading features including the Around View Monitor, Wireless Phone Charger and Autonomous Emergency Braking make things all the more impressive. See? Because simple ideas are often the best.

Discover more on kia.com/eu

The Kia 7-year/150,000 km new car warranty is valid in all EU member states (plus Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Gibraltar), subject to local terms and conditions. Fuel consumption (l/100km)/CO 2 (g/km): urban from 5.2/135 to 11.8/275, extra-urban from 3.8/101 to 6.1/142, combined from 4.4/113 to 8.2/191.

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fleet in figures

Global sales variation despite selling rate increase Modest growth in China and Western Europe was outdone by sizeable gains in Eastern Europe and South America. By John Challen. here was more shrinkage in the North American market in July, as light vehicle sales totalled 1.41 million units – a +7.1% YoY decrease compared to July 2016’s result. Total industry sales have fallen -2.4% through the first seven months of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016; retail sales have only fallen -0.7%, whereas fleet sales have declined -8.9% YTD. OEM incentive spending continues to climb as the year progresses with discounts up to 10% YoY, coupled with relatively low interest rates, is bolstering sales on the retail side.

In Canada, sales for July 2017 totalled 182,000 units – a new July record –representing a 4.9% increase from July 2016.

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Europe It was better news on the other side of the Atlantic, as Western European light vehicle sales grew by +2.4% YoY in July, from an identical number of selling days as the previous year. However, the selling rate fell steeply to 15.4 million units a year, with the pace of registrations cooling off as the second half of the year began. This is perhaps unsurprising given a very robust first half of 2017, and the strength of the Eurozone economy gives reason to believe that the outlook for the region is still fundamentally positive.

China recorded a selling rate of 29.3 million units a year

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Russia’s sales achieved very strong growth in July (+18.6% YoY), the third consecutive double-digit increase.

Despite this, the selling rate fell from 1.59 to 1.46 million units a year between June and July.

China After showing signs of slowdown earlier this year, the Chinese market accelerated for the third straight month in July.

According to preliminary data, the July selling rate reached 29.3 million units a year, the highest rate so far in 2017. On a year-on-year basis, sales increased by 2.4% in July and 2.5% in the first seven months of this year, compared to the 12.6% increase in 2016. The market remains lacklustre after the rate of the temporary tax cut on smaller vehicles was halved in January 2017.

Other Asia Sales in Japan slowed abruptly after three consecutive months of robust growth. The July selling rate was just below 5 million units a year, down 10% from an average of 5.5 million units a year in Q2. The purchasing rush for new models has subsided while low summer bonus payments probably slowed sales, too. Looking ahead, however, serious labour shortages in

the country should help boost wage growth, and new vehicle sales.

As expected, sales in South Korea slowed sharply in July, since the scrappage incentive scheme for old diesel vehicles expired at the end of June. The July selling rate was 1.66 million units a year, down nearly 11% from June. On a yearon-year basis, sales increased by +9% in July, but that was due to a low base effect.

South America Amidst the never-ending political turmoil, the Brazilian market remains volatile. The July selling rate was 2.04 million units a year, down nearly 14% on June. Although inflation and interest rates are continuing to fall sharply, unemployment remains high at over 13%, constraining consumers’ willingness and ability to buy new vehicles.

Yet, sales increased by over 4% YoY so far this year, indicating that the market has stabilised.

The Argentine market has maintained a robust pace, thanks to the recovery in investment and government spending, as well as sharply falling inflation. The July selling rate was 814,000 units a year, down nearly 14% from an upwardly revised 942,000 units (a record high) a year in June. That was, however, a very good result for the volatile market.

INTRODUCING THE NEW VOLVO XC60

SAFEGUARDING THE FUTURE OF FLEET Identifying potential risk is invaluable in business, as is an accurate response. The New Volvo XC60 with new-generation City Safety reacts in a fraction of a second – faster than humanly possible – to detect hazards and steer your drivers to safety.

It’s one of many world-first and SUV-first advancements designed to keep your organisation moving forward.

Discover more by contacting our Global Fleet Sales Business Centre.

EMAIL GLOBALFLEET@VOLVOCARS.COM OR CALL 00 46 313258377 Official fuel consumption for the new Volvo XC60 in l/100 km: Urban 9.3 – 5.8, Extra Urban 6.2 – 4.7, Combined 7.3 – 2.1.

CO2 emissions 167 – 49g/km. L/km figures are obtained from laboratory testing intended for comparisons between vehicles and may not reflect real driving results.

EB1021780_MY18_XC60_Lifecycle_Fleet_Campaign_FleetEurope_May.indd 1

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NEWS_IFW_Sep17.qxp 23/08/2017 17:23 Page 1

business news

German carmakers move towards cleaner diesels MW, Daimler, Opel and VolkB swagen are to offer free software updates for more than five million cars in Germany, claiming to cut NOx emissions by up to 30% and likely to signal similar programmes across Europe.

Announced at a ‘Diesel Forum’ in Berlin, the plan is aimed at avoiding bans on the fuel and regaining consumer trust. Updates will be provided free of charge to endusers, subject to approval by road traffic authority Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) which stipulates that they must not affect the performance, fuel consumption or service life of the engines. The cost will be absorbed by the carmakers.

The upgrades follow a report from Der Spiegel magazine alleging possible collusion between Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler over technology relating to exhaust gas measures on diesels, which BMW continues to categorically reject.

The carmakers have also agreed to scrappage incentives for Euro 4 vehicles and older. BMW is offering a €2,000 ‘environment bonus’ against a new car, Audi has committed to similar but with incentives of up to €10,000 depending on the model.

Volkswagen is also looking into similar schemes for some markets.

However, clean air lawyer Ugo Taddei said the updates don’t go far enough: “This is a pitiful attempt by a discredited car industry to get itself

off the hook for creating an endemic problem. The retrofit would cut NOx pollution by a maximum of 30%.

That’s a drop in the ocean, considering that Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesel vehicles emit on average 5 to 7 times more NOx than the legal limits.”

H1 European registrations back to pre-crisis levels

France and UK reveal air quality plans

uropean car registrations put in their strongest H1 performance since 2007 but there are signs of a slowdown in growth.

Latest JATO figures show registrations totalled 1.5 million units in June 2017, an increase of 1.9% when compared to the same month last year, and the highest June total for a decade – the total was only 22,000 units behind June 2007’s record figure.

The growth helped drive H1 registrations to 8.4 million units – up 4.3% – with growth led by four of Europe’s five largest markets – Germany, France, Italy and Spain – with their collective H1 registrations up by 4.7% to 4.7 million units. In contrast, the UK posted a 1.3% decline in registrations for H1 2017 compared to the same period in 2016, with the fall attributed to Brexit uncertainty.

However, the figures show growth in the region is slowing following the exceptional performance of recent years; by comparison, 2016 saw growth of 9.1% on the previous year.

he governments of two of Europe’s largest automotive markets, France and the UK, have revealed plans to phase out conventional petrol and diesel engines over the next 25 years.

France’s newly-appointed environment minister, Nicolas Hulot, confirmed in July that vehicles which consume fossil fuel will be banned from sale by 2040 – the country will also decommission its coal power stations by that point. This would mean all new vehicles would have to be electric or hydrogen fuel cell powered by that point, in a move aimed at becoming carbon neutral before 2050.

The UK’s plans are more ambiguous; the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said in July that it would end the sale of “conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans” by 2040 – but this can include hybrids. In the meantime, local authorities will be given extra funding to implement clean air strategies, which will be funded by tax reform on diesel vehicles that’s due to be announced later this year. A scrappage scheme is also under consideration, the document said.

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For the latest news, visit internationalfleetworld.com

ALD global fleet up 9.1% year on year

in brief Alphabet appoints two new CEOs Alphabet has appointed Christel Reynaerts as chief executive officer of its Netherlands business, effective from the 1st September. Her replacement as CEO of Alphabet Belgium will be Erik Swerts, currently the country’s chief operations officer. Jorge Bautista, former CEO in the Netherlands, is moving to BMW Group America’s used car business.

LD’s total managed fleet grew 9.1% year on year, to 1.44 million vehiA cles worldwide as of the end of June 2017, attributed to organic growth, the company said.

Announced as the company also reports a successful initial public offering, the global total represents a 2.4% increase since the end of March and up 9.1% compared to June 2016. All regions contributed to the growth, including a 9.4% increase in Western Europe.

The last year also saw a number of acquisitions, including Merrion Fleet in Ireland and Spain’s BBVA Autorenting and the launch of a greenfield operation in Colombia.

LeasePlan USA announces expansion of business development team

Moovel Group expands capabilities under new acquisition Daimler’s Moovel white-label mobility subsidiary is bolstering its development team with the acquistion of Familonet GmbH, provider of the Familionet locator app. The acquisition includes 13 staff and adds to the firm’s geofencing technology expertise.

Daniëlle Pos stands down at LeasePlan

ichael Croft has joined LeasePlan USA as regional vice president for the expanding business development team.

The role, which covers new business development in California and Arizona, will build on Croft’s prior fleet experience as director of strategic sales for Comdata, and most recently, vice president of sales for Element Fleet. He has also served as director of global sales at Vodafone. Croft is an active member of NAFA Fleet Management Association and AFLA.

Daniëlle Pos has resigned her position as chief legal and compliance officer at LeasePlan Corporation NV after helping reposition the group’s legal and compliance functions globally in line with the One LeasePlan integrated vision. Pos will continue as a non-executive board member of Euro Insurances DAC, the group’s insurance carrier, and offer advice and assistance to LeasePlan.

White Clarke Group appoints new EVP operations for Americas

TÜV SÜD Group streamlines fleet consultancy division

ick Ockwell has joined White Clarke Group as executive vice president of operations for the Americas. Ockwell’s appointment is part of the Group’s renewed focus on its North American operations.

The announcement comes less than a year after Five Arrows Principal Investments, the corporate private equity business of Rothschild & Co, made a significant equity investment in the group with the intent to scale the business globally.

Ockwell has a long track record of technology and operations leadership in financial services with companies including Ally Financial Services – Latin America and Exeter Finance Corp.

TÜV SÜD Group has reorganised its fleet consultancy division by amalgamating the legal entities behind the TCOPlus and FleetVision brands into the Fleet Logistics Group. Both will continue as separate brands, but with combined legal entities – said to offer improvements in time to market and innovation competence.

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environmental news

Shell adds to hydrogen and charging network hell is expanding its network of fuelling infrastructure for electric vehicles, opening four new hydrogen filling stations in Germany and has confirmed plans to install charging points at forecourts in the Netherlands and UK. Hydrogen infrastructure is being rolled out by German joint venture project, H2 Mobility, with the latest additions offering enough capacity to serve 40 cars each, per day. Expansion plans include 100 stations by 2018, and 400 by 2023.

Three of them were funded by Daimler, which now owns the sites in Wiesbaden, Pforzheim and Sindelfingen, the latter is close to its research and development centre, where work is on-going to launch its first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, based on the GLC, which is due to be unveiled this year.

The fourth was commissioned by H2 Mobility, and is located in the middle of Frankfurt. This uses technology from Air Liquide, while the Daimler sites were installed in collaboration with Linde. Stations in Wendlingen, Karlsruhe, and Munich in the south, and Bremen and Kassel in the north, are to follow before the end of the year.

Shell recently confirmed it would install 50kW rapid chargers at unconfirmed fuel stations in Greater London and Derby, as well as in Randstad, the western part of the Netherlands containing its four largest cities. The project is a partnership with Dutch charging point manufacturer, Allego, and the first units are scheduled to go live before the end of the year.

Anja van Niersen, the company’s CEO, said: “We see that people are willing to shift towards electric mobility. But a lack of appropriate charging infrastructure and interoperable charging services is one of their main concerns.

“Allego and Shell join forces by adding fast chargers at the right service stations. Shell now actively contributes in creating a reliable and open charging network. A network that is accessible for all EV drivers, despite the brand of the car.”

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“We see that people are willing to shift towards electric mobility. But a lack of appropriate charging infrastructure and interoperable charging services is one of their main concerns.”

Anja van Niersen, CEO, Shell

Norway now buying more plug-in cars than diesels lmost half of all cars registered in Norway in the first six months of this year were hybrid or electric models, with plug-ins outpacing petrol or diesel sales for the first time.

According to the latest statistics from Norwegian road interest group, Opplysningsrådet for Veitrafikken AS (OFV), 48.1% of the 77,983 passenger cars registered were hybrid, electric or hydrogen fuel cell models; some 37,523 units.

Significantly, more than a third (34.9%, 27,183) of all passenger cars registered in Norway to end-June were fully electric or plug-in hybrids. That compares to 25.8% and 26.1% shares for conventional diesel and petrol vehicles, and 13.2% for non plug-in hybrids.

This time last year, diesel was still just about the most popular fuel in Norway, with a 31.9% share, followed by petrol (28.3%), plug-in and hydrogen (27.6%) and hybrid 10.3%. Average CO2 emissions for new cars in June 2017 was 78g/km, down from 96g/km a year ago, and in a market enjoying its best month of registrations in 30 years, the OFV said.

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For the latest EV news, visit evfleetworld.com

Peer-to-peer network makes revenue from idle charging points usinesses and residents in California will soon be able to offer their charging points to other drivers through a mobile app, in what’s said to be the first network of its kind in North America.

The system uses German company MotionWerk’s Share&Charge platform, which enables peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing of points belonging to everyone from households to large corporates, and is already live in its home market. In turn, this enables owners to set suitable access times, pricing and receive direct payments for usage, transacted via a highly secure blockchain-based system.

Dietrich Sümmerman of Share&Charge, said: “By establishing networks of individuals willing to share their EV charging stations, we are opening up more charging options to EV drivers, while at the same time ensuring station owners are compensated accordingly.”

Share&Charge is compatible with any charging point which uses eMotorWerks JuiceNet technology, including the JuicePlug adaptor which enables other manufacturers’ equipment to be integrated into the network.

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Tesla delivers first Model 3s esla has begun deliveries of the Model 3 compact executive EV in the United States, with prices starting at $35,000 and deliveries in Europe due to start within the next 18 months.

From launch, the range will include two battery options. The $35,000 version will offer a range of 220 miles (354km) under EPA conditions, likely to be around 280 miles (451km) on the European homologation cycle. Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, and a 15-inch touchscreen, which operates most interior functions as well as navigation and media settings.

The long-range battery adds $9,000 to the basic car, and increases the range to 310 miles (499km) – expect this to be almost 400 miles (643km) under NEDC testing – while the sprint to 60mph falls from 5.6 seconds to 5.1 seconds. Pricing for European markets will be announced closer to the launch date.

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in brief Hybrids could soon change driving mode to suit local air quality A collaborative project in the UK will begin testing technology which will remotely switch hybrid vehicles to drive on electricity when local air pollution is high. Project ACCRA will take place in Leeds, with the aim of investigating a low-cost way for local authorities to improve air quality.

GeniePoint charging network to get 50 new rapid chargers ChargePoint Services is adding 50 rapid chargers to its GeniePoint network at key locations nationwide. The chargers from French EV hardware supplier EVTronic will be deployed over the next three months and are fully scalable as well as offering smart energy storage, enabling them to store electricity in times of low demand.

Royal Mail adds 100 electric vans The UK’s Royal Mail service has signed an agreement to purchase 100 Peugeot Partner L2 Electric vans. The vans will be deployed from December 2017 at delivery offices around the UK, supported by a rollout of charging infrastructure. The order marks the first major UK fleet order for the electric van.

Volvo and Geely: EV joint venture

in numbers

Volvo has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese car group Geely to form a 50:50 joint venture, codeveloping electrified cars. The two companies will share vehicle architecture and engine technologies via crosslicensing arrangements of technologies, also helping to cut procurement costs.

1,800 kilometres The length of Queensland’s forthcoming ‘electric highway’ network, along the state’s east coast.

8%

Source: Queensland Government

Predicted rise in UK peak energy demand by 2040, in line with EV market growth.

Source: National Grid

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The new E-Class All-Terrain.

Get your morning coffee where it is grown.

Masterpiece of Intelligence. Equipped with the AIR BODY CONTROL air suspension system and the 4MATIC all-wheel drive system, every day it ensures that your route does not become routine. mercedes-benz.com/fleet

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manufacturer news

PSA completes acquisition of Opel/Vauxhall M has closed the sale of Opel/Vauxhall to the PSA Group for €2.2bn, creating the second largest carmaker in Europe with a market share of 17% and a line-up of five brands.

The acquisition is expected to bring economies of scale for purchasing, manufacturing and R&D of around €1.7bn a year in the mid term, with Michael Lohscheller, newly appointed CEO of Opel/Vauxhall, to present a performance plan in 100 days. The acquisition of GM Financial’s European operations is also under way, subject to validation by the different regulatory authorities, with completion planned for later this year.

The deal will bring an end to General Motors’ involvement in Europe, other than from selling a handful of Camaro and Corvette muscle cars.

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BMW shows first images of X2 coupe-SUV

fleetinquotes a few soundbites from a month in fleet

“

In the medium term optimising the diesel engine is one of the most effective levers for achieving climate goals through less CO2 in road traffic.

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Dieter Zetsche, Daimler chairman

We will grasp this opportunity to build on one another’s strengths and to attract new customers, thanks to the implementation of the performance plan that Opel and Vauxhall will implement.

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Carlos Tavares, PSA chairman

MW has previewed the forthcoming X2 coupe-SUV, which is due to launch in 2018.

Likely to be based on the same platform as the latest X1, the X2 appears to be a similar product to the larger X4 and X6, mixing raised SUV ride height with a coupe-like roofline. It joins an SUV line-up that accounted for a third of BMW’s global sales last year.

From launch, its closest rivals will be the Jaguar E-Pace and Range Rover Evoque. Engines could be shared with the X1, including the 150hp, 190hp and 231hp 2.0-litre diesels, as well as a line-up of petrol alternatives. Expect CO2 emissions to start at around 110-115g/km.

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Jaguar E-Pace crossover to rival Evoque aguar is to enter the compact crossover class later this year, with the new E-Pace challenging cars such as the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Range Rover Evoque.

Positioned beneath the F-Pace, and launching in addition to the allelectric I-Pace SUV that’s due next year, the E-Pace gets a platform unique to Jaguar and will be offered with front or four-wheel drive.

Engines include three diesels producing 150hp, 180hp and 240hp or two petrols with 250hp or 300hp. All of these can be equipped with a nine-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive.

CO2 emissions range from 124g/km with 4.7l/100km fuel consumption when fitted with 17-inch wheels.

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While current values may see a short term dip, the longer term forecast often sees a smoother and more predictable trend over three to four years.

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Andrew Mee, senior forecasting editor (UK), at Cap HPI

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Copyright: Alphabet International GmbH

Dynamic, flexible, transparent: next generation Business Mobility AT a time of constantly changing mobility needs, a pay-per-use solution with a variety of transport options fits the bill for both companies and their employees. With its innovative product AlphaFlex, leading Business Mobility provider Alphabet International gives fleet managers full cost control while allowing mobility users to flexibly select which mobility form to use on a case-by-case basis.

Whenever a trip is on the docket, users spend their allowance on their choice of transport, which, depending on a company’s mobility offer, can for example include lease car, car hire service, bicycle, public transport and taxi. All services are booked quickly and easily online. With the Alphabet Mobility Card in hand, AlphaFlex’s convenient payment system, employees simply pay for all transport options and mobility services, including rides on public transport, parking, tolls, refuelling, taxi rides and the car wash. As one AlphaFlex user put it: “I’ve used the Alphabet Mobility Card for different types of mobility. Everything works perfectly!”

Another agreed: “Fast, trustworthy and correct. I no longer have to pay my parking costs in advance. Whether I’m parking on the road or in a garage.”

managers can access complete, up-todate insights into trips and expenses, giving them full, real-time cost control.

The solution’s fully-automated system reduces the administrative burden for companies and is completely hassle-free: companies can either set a single mobility policy for all employees or different policies depending on the job level, and Alphabet manages it. By educating employees about choosing the best-fit transport option based on their professional needs and budget, they automatically make more cost-efficient decisions. This also positively affects a company’s bottom line and boosts as well the company’s green image.

Employees really appreciate the freedom to choose which mode of transport suits their needs in a given situation. Companies can use AlphaFlex as a tool to attract and retain new talent.

Participating employees receive a mobility budget which they are in charge of spending. In the mobility app, they

Advantages across the board AlphaFlex’s appeal lies in its benefits for users and companies alike. Fleet

More at www.alphabet.com/alphaflex advertisement feature

have a transparent, real-time look at their personal mobility budget, including the current balance and the amount used.

Booking of all transport options and services occurs seamlessly on Alphabet’s designated online platform. In the words of another user: “Making reservations through the website is really easy.”

AlphaFlex vs. cash allowance In January 2018, the Belgian government intends to launch Cash4Car, a plan exchanging a company car for a cash compensation, based on the list price of the vehicle. With AlphaFlex, Alphabet already provides clients with a fully-flexible, futureoriented and multimodal solution that intelligently combines various transport options in one. Thus, users can choose a bike, public transport and certainly a car, which remains key to navigating Belgium’s transportation infrastructure.

AlphaFlex is currently available in Belgium and the Netherlands, and will launch in new markets in the future.

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SPOTLIGHT Skoda Karoq

Karoq comes into view Skoda’s first SUV, the Kodiaq, now has a smaller sibling.

John Challen takes a look around the Karoq.

Chip off the old block Replacing the Yeti in Skoda’s refreshed range, the Karoq is the latest product to be built on the Volkswagen Group’s modular MQB platform. Compared with the Yeti, Karoq is longer (4,382mm) and wider (1,841mm) than its predecessor, allowing plenty of space inside, whether carrying passengers or cargo.

Remove the rear seats and the maximum load capacity reaches 1,810 litres.

Much of the vehicle will also be familiar to VW Group product aficionados but, as with all new Skodas, there are some clever touches and an impressive level of specifications.

Get connected Skoda believes that Karoq will be at the top of the segment when it comes to connectivity solutions.

Building on the second generation of the Volkswagen Group’s ‘Modular Infotainment Matrix’, the car will offer state-of-the-art functions, interfaces and touchscreen. The range-topping Columbus and Amundsen spec have a Wi-Fi hotspot, based on today’s fastest mobile radio standard.

There are infotainment online services used for information and navigation and CareConnect services for assistance in case of breakdowns and emergencies. An emergency call button will be standard in Europe from 2018, while additional online services can be accessed via a Skoda app.

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Engine technology arrives There are four new powertrains for the Karoq – two petrol and three diesels – including a 1.5-litre petrol with cylinder deactivation. This TSI engine has 150hp, 250Nm of torque, CO2 emissions of 117g/km and combined fuel consumption of 5.1L/100km. The deactivation system switches off the second and third cylinders for a short time when their power output is not needed, saving up to 0.5L/100km.

The other gasoline unit is a 1-litre TSI with 115hp, while the diesel line-up consists of a 115hp 1.6-litre and two 2-litre engines putting out 150 and 190hp.

FLEET FACT Expect more SUVs from Skoda as part of the company’s 2025 strategy’.

What we think...

Skoda is continuing its brand expansion in a clever and considered fashion, going after the volume sectors and the popular areas such as the compact SUV market. Things might be a bit congested with a large number of manufacturers competing for sales, but Skoda has developed something of a cult following for its products. If Karoq performs and feels anything like it’s bigger brother – the Kodiak – then the Czech manufacturer will have a real winner on its hands. JC

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FEATURE Future Transportation

THE ROAD TO 2040

In the wake of announcements about ending sales of petrol and diesel cars in 2040, Craig Thomas considers what the automotive world will look like in the future.

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“All in all, by 2040, the motoring landscape should look very different.”

he Paris Agreement on climate change has generated a few news headlines this year. The biggest surrounded President Trump’s withdrawal of the US from the agreement, but there have been almost as many about governments declaring the death of new cars powered by internal combustion engines.

Norway has said that it will only allow sales of electric or plug-in hybrid cars by 2025. The Netherlands is also aiming for 2025, but hasn’t yet made a definite commitment, while a number of German states and India are looking at 2030.

However, France and the UK have made commitments to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040 (although plug-in hybrids will be allowed), marking a revolution in the cars we drive.

It's not just the engines that will change, though. The modern automotive industry is also taking on the challenges of introducing autonomous cars and addressing its current ownershipbased business model to adapt to the sharing economy. All in all, by 2040, the motoring landscape should look very different.

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FEATURE Future Transportation

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Get plugged in The biggest challenge is electrification, because emissions from vehicles pose a planetary existential threat; transport currently contributes 23% of the current global energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The good news is that we’re heading in the right direction. Yeswant Abhimanyu – who is an automotive and transportation research manager at research and consulting company Frost & Sullivan – says: “We believe that in the developed markets, hybridisation is expected to be reaching a high point in the next few years, by 2025.

And in 2030-2035, the shift to peak full battery electric vehicles will be achieved.”

Darren Jukes, leader of industry for industrial products and services at PWC, agrees: “The automotive industry was already on a very rapid journey towards an increased use of electric powertrains within their vehicles. If you look at the development of hybrids, and the acceleration and increased launch of electric vehicles, that’s already a trend we’re seeing

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today, so we don’t have to wait for 2040.

“Two things are required to achieve wider adoption,” advises Jukes. “First, you need technology within the vehicle that starts to transition more towards a range comparable to combustion engine vehicles.

Hybrids overcome range anxiety, but if you’re going to move to pure electric battery technology, the vehicle needs a 300 to 400-mile range.”

The second thing Jukes says needs to change is the infrastructure – one that facilitates widespread vehicle charging is essential. “So how do we put the infrastructure in place to facilitate charging in those situations, along with charging during journeys, because not every journey is going to be less than 300 miles? And how does charging technology develop to the point where it takes broadly the same time to recharge as it does to go pull up to a forecourt today and refuel?

“If you can crack all that, you’ve started to move to a position where the adoption and acceptance of the vehicles becomes far quicker and far greater.”

“Hybrids overcome range

anxiety, but if you’re going to move to pure electric battery technology, the vehicle needs a 300 to 400-mile range.”

Darren Jukes, leader of industry for industrial products and services at PWC

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The funding debate Until we get to a position where EVs are widely used, there’s still likely to be a place for government subsidies, as Ana Nicholls, (right) managing editor for industry briefings at the Economist Intelligence Unit, suggests. “I think the situation where the electric vehicle market has to be subsidised is only going to be for the next 10 years or so,” she comments. “Bloomberg New Energy Division calculated that by 2022 the tipping point in terms of pricing will have been reached and that electric vehicles will be cheaper than conventional vehicles. I think that’s a bit optimistic, but I still think that well before 2040 we’ll have reached that tipping point – by 2030, I would have thought.”

The target years for electrification are still not straightforward, though, as Nicholls adds: “It will be a last-minute scramble in those countries where they have set a switchover date, because even though that date is for new cars, there will still be a lot of conventionally fuelled cars on the road for a few years after that. I don’t think even 2040 is necessarily an easy target and those countries that have gone for a 2025 or 2030 target will find it particularly challenging.”

What cars will look like in 2040?

2040 might be just over 20 years away, but it isn’t long enough to expect a massive shift in vehicle design. After all, today’s cars largely look the same as they did 20 years ago.

However, with the removal of the internal combustion engine, replaced by a relatively small electric motor and batteries that will be stored under the floor, plus the introduction of autonomous features that could lead to the elimination of many of the car’s controls (including the steering wheel), many vehicles could indeed look very different.

“Autonomous vehicles, for example, will have an impact on vehicle design,” predicts Frost & Sullivan’s Abhimanyu. “There will be a lot of free space in the vehicle, so how will we better utilise the space inside? How cars can be more like a living space in the future is one of the key trends we’re seeing.

“To add to this, we may see how autonomous vehicles could potentially showcase changes in seating, interior lighting and infotainment solutions, among others. Positioning the vehicle to focus on functionalities around health, wellbeing and fitness, virtual meeting rooms and so on are further examples of how vehicles in the future could potentially be designed.”

The availability of considerably more space in a vehicle – and the possibilities for using that space for a greater range of activities, both productive and unproductive (a nap while the car drives itself?) – could see some radical changes to the car as we currently know it.

Drive or be driven?

After electrification, the other current major area of investment for carmakers’ R&D departments is autonomous driving. Building on the numerous features that can already be found in many modern cars – adaptive cruise control, lane detection, etc – completely autonomous driving is, realistically, just a few short years away, from a technology point of view. Once it is pressed into service, however, it will change the game forever.

“Autonomous cars will have a paradigm-shift effect on personal mobility and the impact will be a sense of convergence and blurring of lines, between the various new mobility business models,” believes Abhimanyu.

Autonomy will certainly change the experience of driving – or, perhaps more accurately, how we use a vehicle. “Sitting behind the wheel of an autonomous car, just letting it drive, is a bit dull. But if you can put it into automatic pilot mode, you can swivel the chair around and do other things at the same time, so there’s more of

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FEATURE Future Transportation

to have the autonomy there,” → asaysreason Jukes. “The big step change will come

when you offer the consumer the ability to do other things while the car is driving itself. Fleet drivers already have the ability to make calls, but if it adds the ability to type up a report, for example, then you’re starting to get some real benefit.”

The possibilities that the technology will afford us is certainly there, but whether we’re ready to legislate to help it become a reality is a very different question. “There are questions around insurance, moral judgements, who the vehicle is protecting – which are such major questions and pieces of legislation,” says Cara Haffey, industrial manufacturing and automotive leader at PWC. “People are willing to tackle them, but many international organisations have other things that are more important in the next few years.”

Widespread autonomy is also likely to lead to a shift in our approach to car usage that is more about personal mobility and vehicle sharing rather than ownership. “People will want two things: they want mobility to be quick and cheap – and they want it to be there when they want it and be able to do the journeys that they want to take,” says Nicholls. “A lot of the OEMs around the world are focusing heavily on offering mobility as a service itself. We believe that the car market in the future will be heavily dependent on how the product can be complemented with service solutions,” adds Abhimanyu.

Ownership vs usership So if consumers – especially in cities and conurbations – are using personal mobility services and shared vehicles, what will this mean for car sales? “There’s a lot of speculation about how car sharing and ride sharing will have an effect on sales, but I don’t think that’s necessarily the case,” says Nicholls. “If you’re talking about developing markets, car sharing and ride sharing will, even more, make cars a source of income and, if you look at what happened with mobile phones as a means of income in those markets, it’s a big investment for somebody – but it’s

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also an investment that pays back. Once you’ve developed that market in lots of different places it will actually help sustain demand for cars.

“And people will still want their own car, when it comes down to it. It’s partly a question of affordability, but the ideal is still to have your own car, partly for prestige reasons.”

However, the car industry has a major challenge ahead of it, if it’s going to prepare for this shift to the sharing economy that has already taken hold elsewhere. “With cars and the sharing economy, you need somebody who’s prepared to invest to scale, for it to be accepted,” believes Jukes.

“Businesses such as the mobile phone, music and film industries had to go through a series of losses or investment

periods, through which they were building scale in order to achieve the required level of subscriptions.

“The OEMs have an issue, because from a cash perspective, for them to transition they need to forego the revenue from car sales, for a period of time, and recoup that through subscriptions. If you’re doing that across a million cars a year, that’s an awful lot of capital. In some respects, the tipping point comes when investors and capital are prepared to back the business model.”

Emissions-free powertrains, autonomy, sharing and seeing vehicles as a form of personal mobility; in the car industry, the times certainly are a-changin’. But hopefully the planet’s climate won’t change too much as a result.

Flying cars We’ve been promised flying cars in science fiction books, films and TV series for decades and it looks as if, finally, some companies are going to deliver on those promises.

The likes of Terrafugia and AeroMobil are developing winged aircraft that can be drive on roads and flown, while PAL-V has a road-going gyrocopter and the Ehang 184 is described as an autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV).

Will these be serious mobility solutions by 2040? PWC’s Jukes doesn’t think so. “Look at all the recent issues we’re having with drones. You factor in more people wanting to fly in planes with people wanting to fly in cars and there’s only so much airspace. How would you regulate that? And what about the immense extra pressures on air traffic control and civil aviation authorities?

“It’s a nice idea, but 2040? No chance.”

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FEATURE Fleet & The Environment

WHY IT PAYS TO BE GREEN Aside from moving to a ‘cleaner’ car fleet, businesses can boost their environmental credentials in many other ways.

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here are a surprising amount of people, businesses and communities that would like to do more to conserve and protect our natural resources, but they don’t know where to begin with becoming more environmentally friendly.

Understanding what makes each of these aspects of our world part of the process of changing and conserving our resources; and learning how to get started making a difference is the first thing you have to learn.

Being environmentally friendly

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simply means having a lifestyle that is better for the environment. It’s all about taking small steps towards mother earth so as to make this planet a better place for our communities and generations to come. A good way would be to start with conserving water, driving less and walking more, consuming less energy, buying recycled products, eating locally grown vegetables, joining environmental groups to combat air pollution, creating less waste, planting more trees and many more...

The importance of being ‘green’ You can’t just point towards one business or practice and blame them for all of our environmental woes, everything fits together like a puzzle. The more that we all do our part – the faster we will create an entire ecology of living that promotes sustainability. The first step is to understand the basics of how life can become more environmentally friendly. The next step is to learn to make different choices on a personal level that start to change your awareness, and consumption of resources. The changes are surprisingly easy to make, there are more ways than you can imagine to begin to practice conservation.

Becoming an environmentally friendly business is more complicated than just signing on to a cap and trade agreement.

Everything from the way that products are displayed and advertised, how waste is recycled, and whether or not changes can be made to the basic operations of a business will all work towards making them more environmentally responsible.

A large emphasis for non-producing businesses can be placed on the management of supplies. Buying local may not always be the most responsible way to get supplies, but it can be. How a business works to support their community in their environmental conservation efforts is also another important task of the environmentally friendly business.

In the environmentally friendly community there is more than just a good recycling program in place. Communities that are committed to conservation and preservation of resources work to encourage options such as community playgrounds, public transportation, green construction and work to change the way that fossil fuels and other resources are used to support community services.

The environmentally friendly person is someone who moves through life with an awareness of how natural resources are used to create and support the life they lead.

They recycle, conserve water and fuel and make other choices that not only lessen their impact on the environment, but also support industries that are working towards being more environmentally responsible.

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FEATURE Fleet & The Environment

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ways to become more environmentally friendly

Learning to be more environmentally friendly is easier than you think.

You don’t have to jump in by changing everything, start small to make the changes more sustainable and a part of your normal life. Here are some ways you can begin to become more environmentally friendly.

Become more aware of resources: start by living with a greater awareness of the resources that you use in your daily life. Pay attention to how you choose to heat, to travel, to use water and use products that were made by manufacturing practices. Awareness is what will allow you to then begin to make environmentally friendly choices.

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Practice conservation: with your new awareness of how natural resources are used in your life start to practice conservation.

This can be as simple as turning off the lights as you leave a room and as complex as making different choices when it comes to building your home. Learn here more about 15 green home building techniques.

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Conserve water: water needs to be conserved as lot of energy is required to pump water from rivers or lakes into your home. Conserving water reduces the amount of energy that is needed to filter it. Few ways to conserve water are – take short showers, fix leaking pipes, keep the running tap close while you brush your teeth, recycle water in your home, use water saving appliances, collect rainwater in a rain barrel to water your lawn.

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Plant trees: trees are necessary for us to survive. They give oxygen, fruits, clean the air, provide shelter to wildlife, prevent soil erosion. A shady landscape around your home can help you to reduce consumption of energy and keep your home cool even during summers. Plant small trees around your home, don’t cut them unless it’s necessary, work with local environmental groups to plant more trees and educate others about the positive aspects of it.

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Change your travel habits: driving and flying are two areas where you can make a real impact with environmentally friendly practices. Choose fuel efficient travel options, travel less and try to pick more direct routes to save on fuel. If your office is near your home, try to ride a bicycle instead of a car.

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Use fewer fossil fuel-based products: find out what products and consumables you use that are made using fossil fuel based products and processes and use them less or replace them in your life.

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Buy locally grown products: an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint is to buy locally grown products.

When you shop locally instead of buying products that were shipped from far away, you are actually supporting local dairies and farms. Apart from this, you can follow organic farming practices and grow food on your own backyard and sell any surplus to your friends.

7

Reduce use of harmful chemicals: hazardous chemicals such as paint, oil, ammonia and other chemical solutions when disposed openly, can cause pollution in the air and water as these chemicals can seep into the groundwater.

The polluted air and water can have serious consequences on human health. They should be disposed off at a specialised toxic waste site.

8

Composting: composting is an easy process that transforms the remains of plants and kitchen waste and converts it into nutrient-rich food for your plants that helps them grow. It reduces the amount of garbage that goes to landfills, which pollutes the air. This way it proves safe for the environment.

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Remember the three Rs of waste hierarchy (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle): this is the priority order for actions to be taken to reduce the amount of waste generated and to improve overall waste management processes and programs. Reduce simply means reducing what is produced and what is consumed. Reuse items for a different purpose instead of sending them to landfills. To recycle something means that it will be transformed again into a raw material that can be shaped into something new.

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Buy recycled products: when you go out shopping, try to buy products from the market that are made from recycled materials with minimal packaging i.e. the product should be environment friendly. Look into manufacturing processes to check if it was made from recycled materials or the use of plastics or chemicals was involved in its production.

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Join environment groups: you may find different environmental groups in your city with whom you can join hands to protect mother earth and make the environment clean. A quick online search can help you find such groups. You can also pool your friends and relatives and ask them for a helping hand.

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Stop littering: sadly, a common sight is people littering. Educate people to dispose of their waste considerately.

13

Protect wildlife: human activity is leading to the extinction of endangered species and habitats. Protect places like beaches and forests that are habitats for animals. Join local forest and woodland groups to help protect animal habitats.

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Educate Others: educate others about the importance of living an environmentally friendly life.

The more people who share an awareness of the importance of the environment, the more we can do together to conserve it.

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“Choose fuel efficient travel options, travel less and try to pick more direct routes to save on fuel.”

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FLEET FOCUS The Netherlands

Tax advantages lead Dutch to EVs Zijad Halilovic from Autorola Netherlands explains how government legislation on new cars has caused instability in the country’s used car market.

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The Volkswagen Polo is currently the best-selling car in Holland, but more and more drivers are switching to EVs

ike many countries, the Netherlands is seeing its motoring landscape change as the hunger to reduce emissions and drivers’ reliance on fossil fuels increases.

2016 was the biggest year for change as the country decided to replicate countries such as Norway, where the introduction of incentives has helped speed up the sale of electric vehicles. The government has set a target for half of new car sales by 2025 to be as electric - or hybrid - powered as part of a green deal.

The scheme is already working as the Netherlands has grown to become the fifth largest market for electric cars globally with a 6-7% penetration of zero emission cars. The Polo is currently the best selling model, although it has suffered a 16% year-on-year fall in sales caused by drivers switching to zero emission models.

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MARKET ANALYSIS The new car market continues to grow in the Netherlands with 258,912 cars registered by the end of July 2017, which was a 15% increase over 2016. Volkswagen is the market leader with 12.4% followed by Opel, Peugeot, Renault and Toyota.

The new car market has undergone a couple of major transformations over the past seven years as the government fine tunes its policies to have a positive outcome on reducing emissions. At the heart of the government green deal has been incentivising company car drivers, which account for around half of the Netherlands’ new car sales each year, to choose a low emission car – petrol, diesel, hybrid and non hybrid - based on reducing their personal tax.

However, the used car market is still trying to play catch up and currently is in disarray with the consumer demand

for used cars not matching the supply coming back off leasing fleets and finance from banks. This will take another two to three years before there is equilibrium in our used market.

Currently the company car tax bill on a typical Opel Astra five-door car might be €120-140 a month. On a Nissan LEAF or Chevrolet Ampera that will reduce to between €0-50 a month. This stance on taxation is the main reason demand for EVs in the Netherlands has risen so steeply and is likely to continue as company motorists come to the end of their contracts and replace their petrol or diesel car with something zero emissions.

But zero emission vehicles have had a big advantage since 1 January 2017. All other cars have the same taxation now.

Electric vehicles give the company car driver 4% taxation based on the new purchase price. All other cars are taxed on 22% of their new car purchase price.

TOYING WITH TAXATION Initially the government reduced tax levels for low emission cars that encouraged more company car drivers to opt for diesels such as the Peugeot 308 and Renault Mégane. And then the government found that the initial idea of reducing the CO2 via this taxation was not actually working in reality.

So now the government has changed it into only having a tax advantage on zero emission vehicles.

The initial government focus was also about giving all EVs or plugins a fiscal advantage including high value cars, such as Tesla, which was driven by those who could generally afford the higher level of tax. This has now been changed to restricting fiscal favours to cars costing below €50,000, which is where we are now.

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FLEET FOCUS The Netherlands

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Autorola believes the new car market is now more stable as the government seems to have got its plan right and the growth in zero and low emission EVs is already proving positive, but the used car market remains in turmoil.

As the consumer waits for the zero emission used car supply to increase, small to medium sized petrol used cars are currently what consumers want to buy, but currently the general supply of cars coming into the market are diesel.

This has caused a huge disconnect with the only option for OEMs, leasing groups and dealer groups being the disposal of cars through exporting them to other European countries, including Eastern Europe.

REMARKETING RESULTS Autorola’s online remarketing platform is at the heart of this export strategy with used cars being loaded onto the portal daily, which are being purchased by the thousands of active buyers it has across Europe. Used cars are being exported to Portugal, Germany and Denmark. The used car shortage in Portugal has been well documented with the Mégane and Peugeot 308 popular with buyers.

Bikes are still a popular mode of transport

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On the buyer front, OEMs and their dealers are being forced to import used cars into the Netherlands to satisfy current demand. Once again the Autorola platform is coming to the rescue with Dutch buyers using it to bid on and import small to medium sized used petrol cars from across mainland Europe.

Autorola Netherlands has seen major growth over the past 2-3 years based on more used cars being imported and exported through our portal. This so called cross border used vehicle activity is forcing OEMs, leasing companies and dealer groups to think at a European level, no longer at just a country level. For some this is very difficult but only for those who think at a European level will survive.

The new car market is about the local market and the used market is based on a European perspective. This is a very new concept for many and one that we are helping buyers and vendors come to terms with.

In the meantime the growth of new zero emission and hybrid cars continues and Autorola predicts that it will be around 2020 before the used market mirrors the stability of the new market.

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Source: FocusEconomics

Holland economics eports from July 2017 suggested the Dutch economy performed well. May data revealed healthy industrial production and strong retail sales while the manufacturing PMI (Purchasing Managers’ Index) increased in June. In fact, Q2 marked the best quarterly PMI performance in over four years. Additionally, private consumption, one of the pillars of growth of the economy, is being supported by declining unemployment as a result of a strong labour market, which should translate into nominal wage increases.

The economic picture is bright and GDP is set to grow robustly this year, on the back of solid private consumption, fuelled by increasing employment and a decline in household debt.

Clouds are hovering over the outlook, however, due to political uncertainty at home and abroad. FocusEconomics panelists foresee GDP growing by 2.1% in 2017 and 1.8% in 2018.

The seasonally-adjusted consumer confidence index inched up from June’s 23 points to 25 points in July, despite political gridlock resulting in record-breaking coalition talks, in terms of length. The index remains firmly entrenched above the crucial 0-point mark that separates optimism from pessimism among Dutch consumers. July’s reading came in far above the 20-year average of -3 points.

Confidence among consumers rose on the back of a more upbeat view of the economy but their willingness to buy remains largely unchanged. Consumers’ views were particularly more favourable on the economy in the last 12 months, while sentiment was marginally more upbeat about the economy in the next 12 months. Willingness to buy remained largely unchanged as consumers’ sentiment on their

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personal financial situation in the next 12 months only inched up slightly, likely due to uncertainty surrounding the political landscape.

However, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Dutch manufacturers’ sentiment, which is measured by the producer confidence indicator, recorded a small dip in July and came in at 6.6 points, below the previous month’s 7.2 points. Despite the slip, the indicator remained firmly above the zero-point mark that separates optimism from pessimism.

Manufacturers’ sentiment in the Netherlands has remained in optimistic territory since October 2014, and July’s result was firmly above the long-term average of 0.7 points over the past two decades.

The deterioration in manufacturers’ sentiment reflected less positive views primarily regarding future output and order books in the next three months, while their mood regarding the stock of finished products remained virtually unchanged.

Nonetheless, all subcomponents of the indicator remained in positive territory while all subsectors remained positive for the eighth consecutive month—manufacturers of wooden and building material were the most optimistic in July.

Rising house prices are further supporting private consumption by reducing household net debt positions. On the political front, the gridlock continued and the coalition talks were suspended until 9 August due to summer recess.

As a result, it was unlikely that a new coalition government would be installed before Prince’s Day on 19 September – the formal opening of the political year and presentation of the government’s budget and polices.

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PROFILE Hyundai

The benefits of youth Hyundai has invested heavily in the regeneration of its model range, helping attract new buyers with its efficient and technology rich line-up.

With dozens more new and replacement models due to launch by the end of the decade, the strategy should provide a sales boost…

Hyundai is strong in Europe, the US and China, but sales have dipped in South Korea

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view

Manufacturer Hyundai Total sales 2016 4,860,049 Headquarters Seoul, South Korea Global market share 7% No. of models 21

from the top

Tucson rides high yundai’s global sales varied dramatically by region in 2016, resulting in an overall downturn of -2.1% year-on-year. Positive sales in Europe helped offset falling sales internationally; in fact Hyundai Motors Europe recorded its most successful year ever, with 505,396 registrations (+7.5%).

This sales uplift was achieved largely due to Hyundai’s renewed product lineup; 90% of the current European line-up launched less than two years ago.

Several models completed their first full year of sales, including the new Tucson compact SUV, which was Hyundai’s fastest selling new model in Europe with over 150,000 units sold. The markets in France, Italy and Spain performed particularly strongly, with high growth rates between +17% and +20% compared to 2015.

The UK and Germany remained the top markets for the brand in Europe, with the highest sales volume and growth of +4% and +6% respectively. Tucson accounted for nearly 28% of all Hyundai Motor UK sales in 2016, while the i10 city car achieved 25%. Sales success has continued into 2017, with H1 results of 270,921 registrations, +3.6% compared to the same period in 2016. Impressive sales in France (+18%), Spain (+10%) and Poland (+17%) highlighted a strong european performance.

Tucson continued its strong sales performance, with over 250,000 models now sold since launch in 2015. Hyundai i10, i20 and i30 city cars also performed well, and over 10,000 units of IONIQ were sold in Europe in the first half of the year. 80% of IONIQ registrations in the UK were in the fleet sector. These results reflect positively on Hyundai’s goal to become the number one Asian car brand in Europe by 2021.

Hyundai Motor America announced its seventh consecutive year of record sales in 2016 at 775,005 units, an increase of +1.5%. The SUV segment again proved most popular with buyers.

The Genesis Division also recorded a positive result – the brand recorded growth of +33% in December, boosted by the selection of G90 as a finalist in the prestigious North American Car of the Year event. 6,948 Genesis models were sold overall in 2016.

Sales were not so positive in the Asia-Pacific region, with demand slowing significantly in China. “Business uncertainty has grown,” Chung Mong-koo, chief of Hyundai Motor Group, said in a statement to Reuters, “The world economy is expected to continue its low growth because of China’s economic slowdown, low oil prices and jitters in emerging markets stemming from US interest rate hikes.”

Hyundai’s Chinese sales could receive an end-of-year boost however, thanks to taxation cuts on small cars, and positive early market response to the forthcoming Kona SUV. Demand in Russia, Brazil and other key emerging markets is expected to remain sluggish due to ongoing political and financial instability in the regions.

Meanwhile, Forbes reported that Kia outsold Hyundai in their home market of South Korea for the first time last year. Despite Hyundai and Kia vehicles sharing platforms, engines, R&D and some production facilities, Kia vehicles are gaining traction with South Korean buyers; seemingly at the expense of loyalty to the Hyundai brand.

H

HYUNDAI Global sales, by territory Territory S. Korea USA Europe China Other markets Total

2015 714,121 763,552 470,136 1,029,569 1,987,453 4,964,831

2016 658,642 775,005 505,396 1,142,016 1,778,990 4,860,049

Difference -7.8% +1.5% +7.5% +10.8% -11.7% -2.1%

Total

4,621,000

4,835,000

+5%

Thomas Schmid, chief operating officer for Hyundai Motor Europe, on the brand’s approach to fleet and new market opportunities.

How are 2017 fleet sales looking?

H1 2017 was again our best ever result in Europe. There are some uncertainties about market development, particularly in the UK, as market demand and the impacts of Brexit on exchange rates is unclear, but overall we expect that the market will not drop significantly. It is a very mature market and a strong economy so we believe the market will be generally stable.

In terms of true fleet, we are increasing by almost +7% at the moment. We are strengthening our fleet team and developing our strategy to target specific true fleet groups. We are investing in our dealer network and professionalising the approach of our sales teams.

Our ultimate target is to have a 24% true fleet share.

Do you see IONIQ being the big-seller in the hybrid sector?

I am sorry to say as a salesman, that the first orders for IONIQ are much higher than our business plan! In countries like France demand is much higher, and if I look to the UK, demand is also higher than our expectations. The market is still very much driven by government incentives and taxation, and it looks like this will continue.

How important do you see ‘N’ being to Hyundai’s brand identity in Europe?

I see it as being very important. It is really emotional, both the product and the brand, and we will use it also for our brand story. I see potential in several countries, especially big markets like Germany and the UK. In some other countries where there is a big interest, it might be limited by high taxation, but this gives our brand a new dimension and a new dynamic, and a much more emotional aspect.

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PROFILE_Hyundai_IFW_Sept17.qxp_Layout 1 23/08/2017 14:21 Page 3

PROFILE Hyundai HYUNDAI fleet model range

Where

→

are they made?

Manufacturing plant locations 1

Hyundai Motor Brasil, Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

2

Hyundai Motor Manufaturing Rus (HMMR), St Petersburg, Russia.

3

Hyundai Assan Otomotiv San ve Tic, A.S. Istanbul, Turkey.

4

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech (HMMC), Nosovice, Czech Republic.

5

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, USA.

6

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (two facilities), Kanchipuram district, India.

7

Beijing Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd (three facilities), Beijing, China.

8

Hyundai Motor Asan Plant, Seoul, South Korea.

9

Hyundai Motor Ulsan Plant, Ulsan, South Korea.

2

Eon

4 3

7

5

8 9

Variants: 5dr hatchback Markets: Asia, South America Fuel: 4.8l/100km* CO2: 111g/km*

6

1

i10 / Xcent / Grand i10

Influx of new products new Hyundai products are due to launch in Europe by 2021; a mix of replacements and all-new entrants. Among the new launches will be 14 electrified cars; five hybrids, four plug-in hybrids, four electric vehicles – including a version of the Kona crossover in early 2018 – and a hydrogen fuel cell SUV, also launching in early-2018.

Thomas Schmid, chief operating officer for Hyundai Motor Europe, revealed that development of the eco line-up is a key focus for the brand, “We plan to electrify other models, either as full electric or plug-in hybrid – we can do this very quickly indeed if there is a demand from consumers,” he said.

Hyundai’s IONIQ Plug-in Hybrid launched in July, joining the electric and hybrid versions. Debuted at the Geneva Motor Show and providing a rival to the Prius Plug-in, the IONIQ Plug-in Hybrid offers CO2 emissions of 26g/km, and a combined range of 1,100km. An eight-inch integrated satellite navigation unit provides access to the ECO-DAS predictive navigation – a bespoke feature of the Plug-in Hybrid model that optimises the battery charge and discharge in line with route conditions.

Kona joins the range at the end of the year, strengthening Hyundai’s offering in the SUV sector. The new model will sit under Tucson and Santa Fe in the line-up, and will provide a rival to models such as the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur. Kona is likely to share a platform with the i20 supermini, with a choice of two and four-wheel drive.

Hyundai will also launch a i30N hot hatch as well as the Fastback five-door coupe – the third bodystyle in the i30 range – offering lower ride height, bespoke suspension and a new 110hp and 136hp 1.6-litre diesel, while carrying over the turbocharged petrol engines recently introduced to the range.

The Fastback will be available by the beginning of 2018.

Schmid hinted that ‘N’ products could benefit from electrification, “We are considering it, even in the mid-term we could combine the technologies – a highly efficient, high power engine with an electrified version,” he said.

“There are many combinations, but at the end of the day, what is really important is what the market and the customer tell us, and is the scaling good enough to get the volume we need to launch such a product. I believe in the longer term, everyone will have these combinations – on the technology side we have everything, it is the decision of do we use it now, or do we wait for the market to catch up.”

Variants: 5dr hatch, 4dr sedan Markets: Europe, Asia, Africa, South America Fuel: 3.5-5.0l/100km CO2: 93-139g/km

30

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i20 Variants: 3/5dr hatchback, crossover Markets: Europe, Asia, Africa, South America Fuel: 3.0-6.6l/100km CO2: 84-148g/km

ix20 Variants: 5dr hatchback Markets: Europe Fuel: 4.2-6.5l/100km CO2: 110-150g/km

Kona Variants: Crossover Markets: Global Fuel: TBC CO2: TBC

PROFILE_Hyundai_IFW_Sept17.qxp_Layout 1 24/08/2017 11:19 Page 4

Accent / Verna / Solaris

Elantra / Avante

Sonata

Variants: 5dr hatch, 4dr sedan Markets: Global Fuel: 4.4-6.8l/100km CO2: 119-161g/km

Variants: 4dr sedan, coupe Markets: Global Fuel: 4.1-8.3l/100km CO2: 109-174g/km

Variants: 4dr sedan Markets: Asia, North America, South America, Oceania Fuel: 1.1-10.7l/100km CO2: 25-248g/km

HB20

IONIQ

Grandeur / Azera

Variants: 5dr hatch, 4dr sedan, crossover Markets: Brazil Fuel: No data CO2: No data

Variants: 5dr hatch Markets: Global Fuel: 0.0-3.9l/100km CO2: 0-92g/km

Variants: 4dr Sedan Markets: Asia, Africa, South America Fuel: 4.2-9.6l/100km CO2: 98-223g/km

ix25 / Creta

ix35 / Tucson Fuel Cell

Aslan

Variants: crossover Markets: Europe, Asia, Africa, South America Fuel: 4.7-6.5l/100km CO2: 109-150g/km

Variants: Crossover Markets: Europe, Asia, North America Fuel: 0.95kg/100km (hydrogen) CO2: 0g/km (tailpipe)

Variants: 4dr Sedan Markets: Asia Fuel: 7.4-7.6l/100km CO2: 171-177g/km

Veloster

Tucson

Santa Fe / Maxcruz

Variants: Coupe Markets: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Oceania Fuel: 6.6-7.3l/100km CO2: 154-169g/km

Variants: : Crossover Markets: Global Fuel: 4.6-8.4l/100km CO2: 119-197g/km

Variants: SUV Markets: Global Fuel: 5.8-10.5l/100km CO2: 154-244g/km

i30 / Elantra GT

i40

Genesis G80/G90

Variants: 3/5dr hatch, wagon, 4dr coupe Markets: Global Fuel: 3.6-7.5l/100km CO2: 95-176g/km

Variants: 4dr Sedan, wagon Markets: Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania Fuel: 4.2-7.8l/100km CO2: 109-183g/km

Variants: 4dr sedan Markets: Europe, Asia, Africa, North America Fuel: 11.9-14.2l/100km CO2: 276-329g/km

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IVIEW_Celia Stokes_IFW_Sept17.qxp_Layout 1 23/08/2017 16:45 Page 1

INTERVIEW Celia Stokes, eDriving Fleet

The drive to succeed It’s been a year since eDriving Fleet acquired Interactive Driving Systems.

CEO Celia Stokes gives an update on how business has progressed.

How has the integration of the two businesses gone?

When we acquired Interactive Driving Systems (IDS) we knew it had tremendous customer relationships with large blue chip customers, talent and a deep understanding of the fleet space.

What we didn’t fully appreciate then, is just how great an understanding that Ed Dubens, an industry pioneer now heading up eDriving’s FLEET division, has on what fleet operators and risk managers are looking for most.

Ed’s expertise has been invaluable in terms of informing strategy, driving operations and steering product development. eDriving has been able to improve size, online learning content development and technological scale.

These factors have all greatly accelerated the trajectory and impact of the company.

What does the merged firm bring that's new for fleets?

We’ve emerged as the largest company providing a full suite of driver training and risk management solutions on a global scale – to the fleet market but also to consumer audiences in the US. This past year, we introduced three products and broadened our reach to include small and medium-sized enterprises.

Perhaps the biggest testament to productive joint efforts across the merged firms is the launch of a driver training programme we believe is going to be market-changing. It is the first closed-loop, smartphone based telematics solution for fleet drivers, called Mentor by eDriving.

Mentor includes all that was good, proven and patented from Interactive Driving Systems’ Virtual Risk Manager – what we now refer to as the original closed-loop approach – including cultural company set-up, risk assessment, risk indexing and prescribed remediation. To this approach, Mentor adds interactive micro learning, contemporary behavioural science and gamification to improve driver training and risk reduction.

How does it cater for both global and local needs?

Our mission is consistent in every market. Best-in-class driver training is combined with data analytics to produce behavioural modification to address the 94% problem – the percentage of collisions caused by human error. We disrupt the driver mindset through the use of engaging, targeted training content, mobile and embedded telematics, cognitive science and

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insurance incentives. Increasingly, we focus on micro-learning.

In terms of localised offerings, many of our engaging, interactive courses are available in 45 languages and benefit from country, region, language and culture-specific content.

How are you using new technology to develop solutions?

Mentor is moving the market. Through smartphone-based telematics capture it assesses and scores a driver’s behaviour using a proprietary, predictive analytics platform, delivering a daily and weekly driving score powered by FICO, and delivers contextual and relevant micro training straight to the driver including full-motion interactive video.

We also recently rolled out OneMoreSecond, a revolutionary two-hour online course that we describe as ‘defensive driving reinvented’ with full-motion interactive video and driving journeys.

Also this year we launched RoadRISK Plus, a two-part risk reduction and training programme that combines a validated and research-based risk identification assessment with realworld video scenarios to test drivers’ ability to spot hazards in time, and provides tailored remedial training. Remediation training can be assigned based on the results of the assessment.

Where will the marketplace go in the future? How will the market change in the run-up to semi and fully autonomous vehicles?

I believe in the promise of autonomous vehicles and their potential to make our roads infinitely safer. In the interim, which could last decades, things could get worse before they get better. There’ll be a confusing mix of autonomous vehicles, semi-autonomous vehicles and vehicles with no autonomous features at all. The transition will invariably be messy. There may never be a more important time than now to help fleet operators manage risk.

Celia Stokes eDriving Fleet CEO.

ANALYSIS_IFW_Sept17.qxp 23/08/2017 18:36 Page 1

ANALYSIS Residual values

Remarketing notes In the first of a new series, Maarten Baljet looks at how popular fleet cars are when it comes to resale.

What the manufacturer said at launch:

About the residual value grades

The Peugeot 3008 SUV is looking to make a considerable impact in the ever-expanding SUV C market segment, offering an attractive and distinctive style with class-leading technology, especially including the new generation digital PEUGEOT i-Cockpit for high-tech comfort and security features. A range of powerful, efficient engines combines with well-specified models – including the sporty GT and GT Line versions.

What BF Forecasts say now: Slowly but steadily Peugeot is beginning to show a very convincing design. The 3008 in particular, has become a very elegant yet sporty kind of car. Compared to its predecessor, which was more of an acquired taste, the new 3008 proves that good design and success in the showroom very often go hand in hand. This is one of the reasons for the improving residual value. If the quality keeps up with the main competitors, then Peugeot’s new design line will be a long-term success. Using the installed multi-media and sat nav equipment though, is still far from being intuitive.

Engines:

About BF Forecasts BF Forecasts is an independent supplier of accurate and transparent residual value forecasts as well as used car value data for the past and current used car market. BF Forecasts has been providing such data to leasing companies (both captive and non-captive), OEMs, NSCs, major company fleets as well as to insurance and investment companies inside and outside of Europe since 1998.

RESIDUAL VALUE GRADES considering sale as used car in 2020

Brand: Peugeot Model: 3008 Available since: 2016 Prices from: (incl. VAT)

The residual value grades assess the residual value performance of the car model in question. Additional to the grades, a short statement addresses some of the car’s characteristics or other factors, which are relevant to its residual value performance.

The residual value grades are calculated according to their residual value percentages and the monetary depreciation within three years after the purchase as a new car, considering a common mileage for the respective segment. The performance is put in relation to the residual value performance of competitor models.

France

Germany

Spain

€25,900

€23,250

€25,400

Petrol

Diesel

130hp

100hp*

165hp

120hp 150hp

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 France

Germany

Spain

Text and data: bähr & fees forecasts GmbH ( Ø- Values; Trade; 36; Mon; 60TKM;08-2017) * N/A in Germany and Spain

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ROAD-Renault Koleos-IFW-Sept17.qxp 23/08/2017 17:53 Page 1

Renault Koleos Renault is hoping to find new customers with its luxurious flagship SUV. By Alex Grant.

SECTOR SUV PRICE €29,000-€44,000 FUEL 4.6-5.8l/100km CO2 120-153g/km

enault’s recent growth owes a lot to its expanding engines; 130hp 1.6-litre and 175hp 2.0-litre units from the crossover line-up. It’s seen a 60% increase in EuroX-Trail, the latter with optional four-wheel drive and a pean passenger car sales, to almost 1.2 million units, continuously variable automatic transmission from Nissan, since the Captur launched in 2013 and, while improvements rather than Renault’s double-clutch gearbox. Neither offer a across the range certainly help, its crossover line-up has particularly responsive drive, though the bigger engine feels been vital for attracting new customers. Now it’s time for the more suited to a car of this size. However, the sizeable largest Koleos to catch up. increase in CO2 and fuel consumption makes it an option This is an area where Renault has had mixed success. The purely for those who really need it. outgoing Koleos was, like this car, a D-segment soft-roader, Of course, based on demand, the Koleos could eventually and it launched just as Nissan brought the borrow more of X-Trail’s engine options. first Qashqai to market. But it didn’t find The 165hp, 6.2l/100km 1.6-litre petrol anywhere near the same following, to the turbo could suit some drivers, as could extent that it was withdrawn from the the 175bhp, AWD hybrid from the SUV-loving UK market at the end of 2012.

Rogue, North America’s name for the XGeneration two has very little to build on, Trail. Diesel may be the dominant fuel in which may be a good thing. this segment, but there’s a growing First impressions are promising. It’s space for alternatives. styled to match the handsome Talisman Otherwise, the new customers Renault and positioned alongside it within in the is hoping to attract will find that the SUV part of the Renault range. The advanKoleos reflects a rapidly improving prodtage being, it should achieve stronger uct range. Material quality feels worlds residual values than a traditional large apart from its predecessor, and equipment family saloon or estate car – segments is generous, with keyless entry, satellite now threatened by increasingly affordnavigation and a panoramic roof included able premium brand products. across most versions. However, anyone The Koleos is an Predictably, the platform underneath is who is upsizing from the Kadjar may be appealing newcomer, shared with the Nissan X-Trail, though the disappointed to find that the larger Koleos but a diesel-only Koleos is a wider car. It’s the same size as offers no extra boot space. engine line-up in an Audi Q5, so bigger than a Honda CR-V, But this is a far better fit for European Europe, and no smaller than a Ford Edge, and similar to a tastes than its predecessor. It looks and Skoda Kodiaq. However, despite Renault’s feels upmarket, it’s quiet and composed seven-seat option background in MPVs, it’s only offered with at speed, and generously equipped. But, may limit its appeal five seats, and pitched as more as a highwith a limited engine range and no in this segment. riding estate than a people-mover. seven-seat version, it’s got some tough Europe will get a choice of two diesel competition – to fend off.

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ROAD-Opel Crossland X-IFW-Sept17.qxp_Layout 1 23/08/2017 17:46 Page 1

Opel Crossland X There’s more to Opel’s compact SUV than meets the eye, explains Alex Grant.

SECTOR Crossover PRICE €16,850-€23,941 FUEL 3.6-5.4l/100km CO2 93-123g/km

petrols with 82hp, 110hp and 130hp, and a pair of 1.6-litre ntil recently, families with needs straddling the diesels at 100hp or 120hp, all from PSA rather than GM. Midfamily hatchback and supermini segments could spec trim levels are typically offered with all of them. have satisfied their load-moving requirements with Petrol derivatives are fairly competitive, with CO2 from either a compact estate car, or ultra-functional MPV. Two 116g/km, but it’s the diesels that are still likely to have most parts of the market now almost completely obsolete, as traction with fleets; down to 3.6l/100km and 93g/km on its manufacturers scrabble to meet demand for fashionable, smallest wheels, compared to the Mokka X, which doesn’t flexible small crossovers. come under 100g/km. However, this isn’t as quiet as VauxOpel, of course, already has one of these; the Mokka X is a hall’s latest 1.6-litre diesel and the 120hp version has a mainstay of the crossover class, positioned between the Juke tendency to grab at rough surfaces while and Qashqai segments and selling 600,000 accelerating. It’s also worth noting that Europe-wide since it launched in 2012.

PSA’s small diesels use AdBlue, while the Although the Crossland X looks and feels GM in the Mokka make do without. similar at a glance – it’s only 63mm shorter For the most part, there’s little to hint than the Mokka X – the gap between them at the Franco-German links inside. The is wider than it first appears.

Crossland X’s dashboard feels much like The Crossland X is a much neater packthe Astra’s, albeit with some Peugeot age; smaller overall, but with almost a switchgear dotted around. Most versions fifth more boot capacity, and plenty of include an intuitive, if occasionally laggy, headroom in its upright, heavily-glazed touchscreen along with OnStar, Android cabin. Slide the rear bench forwards and Auto and Apple CarPlay, and satellite there’s almost 50% more cargo capacity navigation is offered on top-spec models. than the Mokka X, fold it flat and it’ll Curiously, being based on the infotainaccommodate longer boxes too. If practiment used in most new PSA products, cality is a priority, the Crossland X trumps there are climate control functions its stablemate. If kerbside appeal is top of In many ways this is a within the touchscreen, as well as the the wishlist, then that awkward, upright, better all-rounder than physical controls underneath.

MPV-like shape could polarise. the Mokka X, but that From a strictly rational perspective, this They’re even more different underslightly awkward is perhaps the better solution for segmentneath. The Crossland X, and the Qashqaistyling will divide straddling than the Mokka X. It might seem rivalling Grandland X due later this year, like the compact MPV class has disapwere developed under a partnership potential buyers in peared into obscurity, but this indirect with PSA Group which began in 2012. So a segment where replacement for the Meriva shows it’s still this car has more in common with a image is vital. alive and well, hiding beneath plastic body Peugeot 2008 than a Mokka X. That cladding and faux-aluminium skid plates. includes the engines; three 1.2-litre

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ROAD-Porsche Panamera-IFW-Sept17.qxp 23/08/2017 17:51 Page 1

Porsche Panamera 4S Diesel Porsche’s luxury saloon has developed into an incredibly capable all-rounder, reckons Alex Grant.

SECTOR Luxury PRICE €110,000 FUEL 6.7-6.8l/100km CO2 176-178g/km

hough Porsche had toyed with launching a four-seat consumption down to 6.5-7.0l/100km on a long journey, coupe back in the early 1960s, it took until 2010 for which is staggering. that idea to reach reality with the first Panamera. Part But it takes willpower. With peak torque of 850Nm availsports car, part luxury saloon, it was as divisive as it has been able from 1,000rpm, there’s an ever-present feeling that popular, often outselling the Boxster and Cayman globally, you’re sat on enormous performance reserves. In sport despite the lure of the fashionable, versatile Cayenne. mode, with all eight cylinders, both turbochargers and that A little like the SUV line-up, Porsche started well but it fantastic chassis underneath, it’s easy to forget that this is a took a generation to get the full concept right. The Panamtwo-tonne luxury saloon. If you’re seduced by the styling, era, now on an all-new platform developed in-house, is then the driving experience won’t disappoint. longer, wider and slightly taller than the Neither will the cabin. It’s a generation original, but also much better proporahead of its stablemates, with a wide 12.3tioned with its slim 911-like rear lights, inch touchscreen home to most functions broad shoulders and raked roofline. This and the rest appearing out of a gloss black is a big car, at over five metres from end panel on startup. Rear-seat occupants get to end, but it finally looks comfortable in two individual, folding, sports seats to its own metalwork. Something the old match the front, and boot capacity has one never really managed. increased 10% between generations.

That evolution isn’t skin-deep. There are It’s not perfect from a usability point of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid drivetrains view, though. Porsche’s keyless start to choose from, each with four-wheel drive system is operated by twisting a key-like and an eight-speed PDK gearbox. Diesel knob on the dashboard, which seems comes in a little higher up the range than it pointless if you have to get keys out to open did before; a 422hp 4.0-litre twinthe doors anyway, while drivers may also turbocharged V8, where the old car had a find the lack of side support on the front 300hp 3.0-litre V6, yet it’s no less efficient. seats a bit disappointing. But, overall, it Better looking, better It ticks two diverse boxes very neatly. merges two diverse briefs very effectively. to drive, and more There’s barely any wind, road or engine Plus there are some additional reasons usable, Porsche’s noise at motorway speeds and, while it’s to take note; such as the Sport Turismo new Panamera has not as smooth-riding as most of its closestate version, and the new 462hp, matured into a great est rivals, a focus on agility hasn’t 56g/km plug-in hybrid, which could lure compromised ride quality too heavily, at customers out of Tesla showrooms. all-rounder for those least with the optional air suspension While it’s taken a generation to finelucky enough to fitted. Ticking over in eighth gear, and tune, the Panamera finally has finally got choose one. with the engine automatically decoupling that long-considered luxury coupe itself at low loads, it’s easy to keep fuel concept just right.

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what we think

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ROAD-Hyundai i30-IFW-Sept17.qxp 23/08/2017 17:42 Page 1

Hyundai i30 Tourer The i30 is a sophisticated alternative to the class defaults, reckons Alex Grant.

SECTOR Lower Medium PRICE €18,450-€32,050 FUEL 3.7-7.0l/100km CO2 96-136g/km

iversity is the buzzword for Hyundai over the next handles inside the tailgate to remotely fold the rear bench. five years; 30 new models and derivatives, including Trim levels will mirror the hatchback in most markets, 14 hybrid, electric and fuel cell models due before though there are no plans for a high-performance N the end of the decade. But the new cars aren't coming at the version, which is a shame. Job-need users will find the expense of its core product range; the latest i30 showing its equipment they need comes in at the mid-point of the ten-year rise into the mainstream hasn’t slowed down yet. range, including Hyundai’s relatively intuitive infotainment Like the i30 hatch, this is a ground-up European car; system, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay built in, as designed and engineered locally to suit the region’s unique well as a seven-year subscription to live weather, traffic and tastes in handling, styling and cabin aesthetics. Which means speed camera alerts and local point-of interest searches. it’s as reassuringly weighty and mechaniAutonomous Emergency Braking, Driver cal in its controls as you’d expect a Attention Alert, High Beam Assist and Nürburgring-honed chassis to feel, with Lane Keeping Assist are standard-fit plenty of soft-touch materials, and steeracross the range. ing responses and refinement well-tuned Expect the 110hp 1.6-litre diesel to be to high-speed driving. the big-seller in fleet, with CO2 emisAt 4,585mm from bumper to bumper, sions from 96g/km and ample perforit’s at the large end of the segment’s mance and refinement for high-mileage estates; bigger than a Golf or Focus, but drivers. A dual-clutch automatic transshorter end to end than an Astra or mission is available on the more powerOctavia. Load space, at 602 litres with the ful 136hp diesel. rear bench upright, or 1,650 with it Petrol alternatives are noteworthy too. folded flat, is competitive with the classThe 120hp 1.0-litre turbo wasn’t availleaders (Skoda aside) and it wears the able on the launch, but it’s good in other extra bodywork neatly. similarly-sized products if potentially Of course, sheer capacity isn’t everynot so well suited to load-hauling as a Hyundai’s i30 Tourer is thing and the i30 makes effective use of diesel engine. The 1.4-litre turbo, at a competitive and wellthe space in the back. The rear seats fold 140bhp, is a great fit for the i30 – finished offer for jobin two sections and there are plastic smooth, quiet and surprisingly flexible need and user-chooser compartments under the floor for stowwith strong pulling power throughout drivers, with some ing loose or breakable objects. Rails the rev range. Lower pricing and CO2 either side of the boot mean it can be emissions at 115g/km and 114g/km very appealing petrol divided into smaller sections to stop respectively, mean they could make options for those bags and boxes moving around, and sense for some fleets, even compared to with usage to suit. there’s an under-floor compartment for the equivalent diesel. A strong all-round the load cover too. All it’s missing is offer at the core of the fleet sector.

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ROAD_IFW_Nissan_Qashqai_Sept17.qxp_Layout 1 23/08/2017 17:38 Page 1

Nissan Qashqai The class leader has had a customer-focused update for 2017, explains Alex Grant.

SECTOR Crossover PRICE €20,500-€38,000 FUEL 3.8-5.8l/100km CO2 99-134g/km

issan has had such a successful ten years with the feels stable and relaxed at speed. So did the old one.

Qashqai, that it’s almost hard to imagine the forgetWhat is noticeable, though, is a step forward in refinement table Almera and Primera filling this car’s role. Pracbetween the two cars. Extra sound deadening, thicker rear tical and fashionable, it holds a more than 10% share of the glass and better isolation of engine noise and vibration add crossover segment it redefined in Europe, and remains the up to a much quieter, more refined long-distance car than benchmark product despite a vast choice of alternatives. the old Qashqai. Nissan’s claims of premium-brand aesthetFamiliarity is a mixed blessing with plenty of reasons to ics inside are debatable, but it’s up with the best in the class go elsewhere, but Nissan knows this segment better than when it comes to comfort. most. It’s sold 2.3 million Qashqais since 2007, plenty to That said, the cabin certainly isn’t poorly appointed. repeat customers, and says it takes critiThe thicker steering wheel is nicer to cisms and praise on board with new hold, while the new, more heavilymodels. So what sounds like a subtle bolstered, seats fitted from the midupdate here, is perhaps more impressive spec N-Connecta upwards are than the sum of its parts. excellent. For the full premium-brand Styling updates – new bumpers, lights experience, the new top-spec Tekna+ and wheels – are the most obvious parts trim also has watchstrap-style leather of that process, bringing the Qashqai in seats and additional fabric trim on the line with the Micra. And they’re not only most-touched parts of the doors. a cosmetic upgrade, the more sculpted The Qashqai broke new ground in lenses and a new under-body panel help2014, with CO2 emissions of 99g/km for ing to reduce wind noise, while the aerothe most fleet-relevant 110hp, 1.5-litre dynamic 19-inch alloy wheels mean diesel engine, and its sister car, the there’s no CO2 penalty for moving into Renault Kadjar, is the only competitor to the higher trim levels. match that figure since. It’s a quiet engine A hatchback-like driving experience with plenty of pulling power at low revs, Competition is fierce in has always been among this car’s strong though there’s a much wider spread of this segment, but this points, though that’s been fine-tuned too. performance in the 130hp 1.6-litre remains the car to beat.

Adjustments to the steering, suspension diesel. And, at 116g/km and 4.4l/100km, A wider choice of trim and chassis components are aimed at that’s still a relevant choice for fleets. levels also means it can better ride and handling characteristics, As is the ProPilot system arriving later and a more natural feel to the driving this year, which will manage steering, aim for the premium experience. It’s a small enough change braking and acceleration on the highway. brands, as well as its that most probably won’t notice; the new Small details, but they add up to a packdirect rivals.

Qashqai rides comfortably over rough age good enough to keep Nissan at the surfaces, doesn’t roll through corners and top of its class.

N

what we think

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