In conversation with

“A lot of end users we hadn’t spoken to before – including some big public sector fleets – are now suddenly engaged with us”

Traditionally Suzuki hasn’t been hugely strong in fleet. So what’s changed? Since I joined Suzuki, in 2017, we’ve gone from doing very little in fleet to delivering – in a ‘normal’ year – about 10,000 units across all fleet channels. We’ve probably come a lot further than many anticipated, in a short space of time.

I think the potential now is getting into the SME market and core end-user fleets. We’re working on a strategy plan to make that happen, which involves being more visible in the fleet market, by supporting events, for example.

What is that plan to reach more SMEs? The main thing is a strong focus on an area that hasn’t been on our radar previously. We’re also working on a new CRM system, some detailed industry data and working with the leasing industry to help push the product.

If 10,000 fleet units is a good year, what’s the potential future target? Our goal, as a brand, is 50,000 units a year across fleet and retail. In 2018, we touched on 40,000, but then everything scaled back and covid took over. We hope to be working on a 15,000-unit/year target in the future. It’s also a case of making sure that volume is in the right places. We can easily go out to a rental company and buy a market share, but that does us no good. We do extremely limited volume in terms of rental, anyway.

IGNIS How is the business coping with the current supply issues? This year is going to be massively affected, but we should see some normality back towards the end of the year, certainly going into Q1 2023. But, in terms of lead times, we’re in a positive position, compared with a lot of brands. We’ve always had such good lead times of two or three weeks, for example, on most models – and now we’re closer to three months. So sometimes, internally, it feels terrible. But if you look at some examples out there, we’re doing pretty well.

How have those lead times helped attract fleet customers? What we’ve seen is a lot of opportunities come our way – opportunities that we probably weren’t receiving prior – obviously word has got out that our supply isn’t too badly affected. When that became common knowledge, we found a lot of end users we hadn’t spoken to before – including some big public sector fleets – are now suddenly engaged with us.

What are the most important Suzuki models for fleets? We’ve got the biggest range we’ve ever had with the introduction of the Toyotabased products Swace and Across. We’ve also still got Vitara and Swift, but the S Cross has just been a revelation for us. It’s done far better than anyone thought it would and has become a really important car for for all channels.

We’ve tried to look at what models work well in each segment of fleet. So, for example, Ignis works very well in public sector salary sacrifice channels, but also Across is a fantastic product for that too. What are the biggest challenges the company faces? Initially, it’s the supply constraints – we are in a positive position, but it’s still not ideal for us. We’re having to manage things internally and also manage customer expectations. But hopefully by the end of this year, we’ll say goodbye to that problem. The next biggest challenge is electric because we don’t have a full EV at the moment, unlike most brands.

There aren’t that many small EVs – they do tend to be more premium and the volume is typically driven by Tesla. We have to make sure we just don’t lose any ground, because some fleets are already moving to electric only.

What EVs can we expect from Suzuki? I don’t know for certain, because I’m only seeing full details of what is planned for Japan, but I would imagine a small one and maybe a mid-size EV to start with.

How else is Suzuki helping fleets? The whole total cost of ownership element is a huge focus this year. We’ve just recruited for a cost of ownership analyst to join the brand to really emphasise that focus. It previously sat in an area where it probably didn’t get the attention it deserved, so we’re bolstering the numbers and resources there.

We’ve also revisited the Suzuki Business Partners. We had 30-40 dealers, – or key business partners – but the setup was a bit complicated. We’ve simplified that and now just call them direct sales partners. That helps because they can build better relationships with their customers and mutual customers in the leasing industry.

ACROSS

S-CROSS

IN PROFILE

Number of models 7

Best fleet seller Vitara SZ-T 2WD.

Total sales for 2021: 20,976 units (retail and fleet) – 5,906 units to fleet.

Next model launch Vitara hybrid (March 2022) and S-Cross Hybrid (late 2022).

FLEET FACT

Suzuki offers all the onboard technology you need as standard as well as highly fuel efficient powertrains.

Aims for the future Develop further awareness of our brand with 100% hybrid availability as standard for the passenger car range. Demonstrate cost of ownership savings with hybrid adaptation.

FIRST REPORT

SEAT IBIZA 1.0 TSI FR 95ps

You might have noticed a theme developing with the FW Fleet, reflecting the broader shift in the fleet industry.

That’s right, electrification, and the latest addition to the fleet –Audi’s e-tron – is another full EV.

So I appear to be bucking the trend and eschewing both a plug and any form of hybrid system for

My last long-term test report was a farewell to our Audi Q7 plug-in hybrid – a car that left us fairly underwhelmed thanks to the compromises it asks you to make.

The same can’t be said of our new Audi long termer – an allelectric e-tron. Designed from the ground up as an EV, it combines the space and all-wheel drive security of an SUV with zero tailpipe emissions driving.

Our test car is the entry-level 50 quattro model, which means 230kW of power, rather than 300 in the ‘55’ models. But power isn’t the be-all here – even in 50 trim it’s quick enough to get yourself up to speed with other traffic easily (impressive when you consider the e-tron’s kerb weight of nearly 2.5 tonnes!).

Trim-wise, Technik specification brings pretty much everything you’d expect as standard, such as climate control, leather seats and 20-inch alloy wheels, plus the lovely virtual cockpit.

There’s a lengthy options list to choose from, of which our car has been treated to metallic paint (£750), upgraded fourzone climate control (£825) and the combined ‘comfort’ and ‘sound’ packs at £1,895 which add advanced parking assistance, Bang and Olufsen stereo, reversing camera and heated front seats.

The only other item I wish had been ticked was the virtual wing mirrors (£1,250) which replace the bulky side mirrors with tiny pods on which cameras are mounted which stream live images to tiny screens in the doors – not essential, by any means, but an interesting bit of future technology.

It’s early days with the e-tron, but this already feels like an EV without compromises – it’s really roomy inside, every switch and screen is familiar to any other Audi model, while charging via my PodPoint home charger is simple (and the Audi app means you can check on progress remotely).

Julian Kirk

a conventional ICE engine, albeit one with impressive efficiency.

Meet our new long-termer –Seat’s sharply-styled Ibiza in FR trim – offering 95PS from its 1.0litre TSI petrol engine, 124g/km CO2 emissions, around 50mpg on the combined cycle and BiK (rated at 29%) of £92 per month for a 20% taxpayer.

All of which adds up to an appealing package which, despite not having the option of plugging in and avoiding the current spiralling petrol prices, makes a lot of financial sense.

For starters, its list price of £19,720 is competitive, and for this, the equipment levels are good. The 9.2-inch touchscreen

AUDI e-tron Technik 50 quattro

FIRST REPORT THE NUMBERS

P11D £19,720

BiK* 29% I £92 (20%)/£184 (40%)

ECONOMY 47.9-51.4mpg CO2 EMISSIONS 124g/km ON FLEET 50.1mpg

sat-nav system works particularly well, especially when it comes to finding said petrol stations, and the comfort levels, despite the FR model only being available with the “sport” suspension, rather than the SE trim’s “comfort” suspension, are really very good.

Yes, the ride can feel firm – and will be even firmer if you opt for the £900 extra FR Sport – but the seats are great and the driving position is spot-on for me. I’m nearly 6ft, so this does mean rear legroom in the back behind the driver’s seat is a little compromised, but then Seat’s upsizing customers always have the option of the Leon.

Luke Wikner

THE NUMBERS

P11D £61,120

BiK* 1% I £10 (20%)/£20 (40%)

RANGE 192 miles

ON FLEET RANGE 145 miles

ON FLEET 2.0mpkWh

VAUXHALL MOKKA-e SRi Nav Premium Auto

Having a home charger installed has definitely made a big difference to the convenience of an electric car, but I don’t think I’d go as far to say it’s a total game-changer.

Certainly, even if I couldn’t have a home charger, I’d be pushing for an EV anyway; based on the savings in fuel costs but also the driving experience and the desire to be part of the growing EV movement.

The fast-growing number of public chargers is really transforming the EV experience too. I’m also quite enjoying incorporating charging into journey planning; the speed of today’s charge points means that you don’t need to stop for long and the variety of facilities at charging locations means you’re generally spoilt for choice for things to do.

But definitely make sure you’re not reliant on a particular charging location being in operation and available when you arrive; a particular example being the recent storms where I’ve heard of drivers turning up to locations to find they were out of action.

I continue to love the fact that the Mokka-e’s exterior looks set it apart – and that the interior matches for striking looks, even if the black headlining is a little sombre. The dashboard is well laid out and I love the inclusion of physical controls for the climate control and infotainment volume, alongside the touchscreen and steering wheel-mounted controls.

I’m also highly appreciative of the elevated seating position, supporting visibility. While the chunky pillars do mean that rear visibility is a little constrained, there’s a wealth of ADAS kit to support safety.

Although my everyday driving tends to be around town, where the Mokka-e’s light steering and manoeuvrability come into their own, I’ve now carried out a lot of longer-mile journeys and can really vouch for the Vauxhall’s comfort here, supported by a relaxed ride and a lack of wind noise. Quiet and refined motoring that’s also zero emission.

Natalie Middleton

DE-FLEET REPORT

VOLVO XC60 Recharge PHEV T6 AWD

So it’s goodbye to the XC60, after an extended stay on the Fleet World fleet. How will we look back on our time with the midsized SUV? Fondly, on the whole. There is no getting away from the fact that Volvo does so many things right when it comes to building desirable cars. Sure, there’s the safety aspect that has been ingrained on the majority of people, but there’s much more to these Swedish machines than that.

In the case of the XC60 Recharge, there’s comfort in the seats, clever storage solutions and a large clear central screen with decent functionality. Never underestimate this last point because there are plenty of vehicles where a simple instruction can require far too many steps and time.

The powertrain is actually a sensible option for many occasions. A few journeys made recently have got me thinking about range anxiety – not in the Volvo, but if I was embarking on them in an EV. Cars that, in some cases, lure you into thinking you can get to your destination, but only if you make a few compromises along the way. That’s fine, but many drivers aren’t ready for that step.

The plug-in hybrid gives you the option of using electric power, but with the added safety net that you CAN travel over 200 miles without running out of ‘fuel’. And you CAN drive the exact route you want to at whatever speed you want to (keeping to the laws of the land, of course…).

Before the XC60 departed, its little brother, the XC40 Recharge showed up, making for an interesting twin-test. The smaller car might be more fun but, as a daily driver, I’d take the XC60 any day of the week.

John Challen

THE NUMBERS

P11D £34,880 now £31,880

BiK* 1% I £6 (20%)/£12 (40%)

RANGE 201 miles

ON FLEET RANGE 145 miles

EFFICIENCY 3.2mpkWh

THE NUMBERS

P11D £55,395

BiK* 15% I £139 (20%)/£277 (40%)

ECONOMY 100.9–113.0mpg CO2 EMISSIONS 55-64g/km ON FLEET 71.3mpg