Company Car Today Issue 34
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Issue 34: 8 August 2018 £5.99 www.companycartoday.co.uk Your independent source of fleet news, reviews and interviews PLUS Driven: Revised Mazda 6, facelifted BMW 2-Series Active GOOD Tourer and MG ZS Coffee with: Vauxhall fleet boss SPORT James Taylor TEST DRIVE REVIEW Kia refreshes its big-selling Sportage – including new Inside mild hybrid technology BIG TEST: FORD FIESTA GETS ACTIVE FIRST PICTURES: Audi shows off its new Q3 ACCEPT THE CONSEQUENCES THE NEW VOLVO V60 The decisions you make are felt right throughout your business. Which is why every aspect of the new Volvo V60 has been carefully considered. As innovative, intuitive and stylish as it is economical and practical, our new model will make its presence within your fleet felt immediately. And the consequences? More than acceptable. World-leading Class-leading Best-in-class From Seamless safety technology residual values load capacity of 529L 28% BIK connectivity CALL THE VOLVO CAR BUSINESS CENTRE ON 0345 600 4027 OR VISIT VOLVOCARS.CO.UK V60FLEET Official fuel consumption for the new Volvo V60 range in MPG (l/100km): Urban 33.6 (8.4) – 53.3 (5.3), Extra Urban 48.7 (5.8) – 72.4 (3.9), Combined 40.9 (6.9) – 64.2 (4.4). CO2 emissions 160 – 117g/km. MPG figures are obtained from laboratory testing intended for comparisons between vehicles and may not reflect real driving results. EB1041064_VCUK_V60_B2B_FleetLaunch_PRESSADVERT_210x297.indd 1 12/07/2018 11:50 FOREWORD CONTENTS 04 NEWS Merc targets EV fleet hit; bolder look for Audi Q3; Mini fleet trim 08 NEWS ANALYSIS Conference addresses EV issues WELCOME 12 BIG TEST It’s nice to see It’s not all smooth for those working for On Active duty with the Ford Fiesta Vauxhall, with 250 jobs being cut at the some good Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire that 20 INTERVIEW news coming makes the Astra, and a large-scale Vauxhall’s fleet sales director talks shake-up and reduction in size of its out of Vauxhall/ dealer network. But the odds on Vauxhall 22 REVIEWS Opel, nearly a even surviving a few years back weren’t Revised Kia Sportage; Mazda 6; year on from great; now it looks like it’s got a decent BMW Active Tourer; MG ZS shot under sensible management. the takeover by Vauxhall product turned a corner with 29 LONG-TERM TESTS Citroen and Peugeot parent the excellent new Insignia, our CCT100 Nissan Leaf two-month report firm Groupe PSA. upper medium car of the year, and the plus a Renault Koleos update Grandland X is the right product in the I wasn’t alone at the time in scratching right sector, while the current Astra is my head a little at the deal, which saw the best car with that nameplate for quite 31 KNOWLEDGE How season and place affect price a still recovering, or at least only just some time. But the brand really needs recovered, volume brand take over a the new Corsa – which is less than 18 similar one in worse health. The way months away and will share underpinnings FLEET OF FANCY 34 General Motors was running its European with the new Peugeot 208 that will hit The case for the Mercedes-Benz operation, the harshest cynic would think the market a few months before the C43 AMG being a fleet car… PSA would have been happy to see it Vauxhall – to hit the mark. Given the way continuing on its course of decline. PSA’s own products have been improving 04 I understand the benefits of economies recently, you wouldn’t bet against it. of scale, but that only really works if you’re selling enough vehicles to make the numbers stack up, and with PSA having only recently turned round the financial fortunes of its own Peugeot and Citroen brands, as well as trying to establish its DS brand in the premium sector, you would have thought it would have enough on its plate. Paul Barker Editor But Vauxhall/Opel turned a profit in the 12 first six months of this year, its first in Newspress Automotive nearly 20 years, with a £447m operating Editor of the Year 2018 profit comparing with a £228m loss for Guild of Motoring Writers 2016, the last full year of GM ownership. Editor of the Year 2017 EDITORIAL: Certified EDITOR: Paul Barker T: 01206 638034 circulation E: [email protected] CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Tristan Young Apr to Dec 2017 CONTRIBUTORS: Euan Doig, Tom Webster 16,215 22 NEWS: [email protected] DISCLAIMER: Company Car Today is published by PRODUCTION: Automotive Media & Events Limited, registered ART DIRECTOR: Caroline Creighton-Metcalf address 1 Second Avenue, Halstead, Essex, CO9 2SU. T: 01206 638037 Registered number 10034249. All rights reserved. E: [email protected] No part of the magazine may be reproduced in PUBLISHING: any form in whole or in part without prior written 20 PUBLISHER: Dave Wallace T: 07739 554329 permission of the publisher. All material published E: [email protected] remains the copyright of Automotive Media & Events Limited. While every reasonable care is ADVERTISING: T: 01206 638036 taken to ensure accuracy, information is obtained from a variety of sources and the publisher is not 34 CIRCULATION MANAGER: Andy Kirk T: 01825 701520 responsible for any errors or omissions, nor do we E: [email protected] accept liability for any loss or damage, howsoever SUBSCRIPTIONS: Subscribe to Company caused, resulting from the use of the magazine. Car Today: UK £120.00 (two years £205, three We reserve the right to edit letters, copy or images years £270). Europe and Eire £165 (two years submitted to the magazine without further consent. The submission of material to Automotive Media & £280, three years £370). Events Limited unsolicited or requested, is taken as permission to publish. Company Car Today ISSN 2514-1902 (online) @companycartoday Printing: Micropress Printers Ltd, Suffolk. COMPANYCARTODAY.CO.UK 3 The big stories from the NEWS past fortnight in the fleet world FLEET KEY TO EQ ELECTRIC SUCCESS Mercedes believes its new all- the Audi E-Tron, Jaguar I-Pace, its retail network in the first electric EQ sub-brand, which Tesla Model X. Mercedes will six months of this year, to launches in mid-2019, will have then add another nine EQ ensure they can reliably inform strong appeal with company models by 2022. business drivers about what car buyers and businesses East said: “We’ve had interest the changes to the emissions thanks to the growing from fleets already, including regulations will mean for them. offer all the usual telematics acceptance and popularity of the police, where, in London, The second area is Mercedes’ services and be compatible zero-emission vehicles. the EQ-C would be ideal.” CASE plan, which covers with other brands of vehicle. Speaking just after the East also set out his five- connected, autonomous, The fourth point in East’s plan Government launched its Road point plan to keep Mercedes- shared/social and electric is to improve the fleet customer to Zero strategy document, Benz as the best-selling vehicles and services, such experience. For this, Mercedes Mercedes fleet boss Rob premium fleet brand. as the EQ cars. is piloting a handover app to East (pictured, inset) said he The first point in the plan Third, and a spin-off from help new drivers understand expected the new EQ-C – is to attract end users with CASE, is a telematics package the functions of their vehicle. previewed by the Generation EQ initiatives such as offering 48- called Connect Business The final element is to concept car (pictured) in 2016 – hour test drives. This has been that is developed from the improve customer loyalty by to have great appeal with fleets running since the start of the MeConnect system, available working with lease firms to and that Mercedes had already year, according to East, who to private customers. The provide a “retention offer” had expressions of interest in said: “We’ve had 3677 people system is currently being set when a contract is coming to an the fully electric vehicles. take part and had 2043 up with a large London private end and “flexible demonstrator The EQ range will kick-off in follow-up calls.” hire company that will test it in access” to allow drivers to try mid-2019 with the EQ-C SUV, Mercedes has also been the fourth quarter of the year. other Mercedes models. which will rival cars such as running WLTP workshops for Mercedes said the system will Tristan Young City-spec Mini Auto Trader pilots new auction scheme aimed at business Auto Trader has expanded piloting its new scheme with its business-to-business leasing firms LeasePlan and Mini has launched a new City offer to appeal to large fleets ALD Automotive and rental trim level for its lower medium and leasing companies with company Avis in the UK. Clubman, aimed specifically at a new auction service that is However, as a digital service the fleet and business sector. aimed at cutting the time taken provider, the company is not Standard kit includes satnav, to realise a de-fleet asset. planning to offer physical Apple Carplay and rear parking The company claims that storage facilities to cover the sensors, and Mini claimed 102hp petrol with manual or it can halve the 34-day period between a car leaving “highly competitive running auto gearbox, at 131g/km average it takes to de-fleet a fleet and it arriving on a costs and BIK tax rates”. and 130g/km respectively. a company car and get it retailer’s forecourt, and would The City comes with 1.5-litre The petrol manual costs onto a forecourt using a leave this aspect, and cost, up engines from the Mini One line- £19,995, plus £1560 for the data-driven digital process.