VOLKSWAGEN has stepped up its fight for fleet business by introducing a three year unlimited mileage warranty. The move - thought to be the first of its kind by a European volume car manufacturer - will make the Volkswagen badge even more competitive, says national fleet sales manager Vince Kinner.

'We're offering a one year manufacturer and two-year dealer-based warranty which is similar to our previous Fleet Select warranty, but the vital difference is that the 60,000-mile limit is now removed. We see this as a major benefit. In the past, some contract hire companies have taken the view that when they operated contracts above that limit, it became complicated to build in the warranty. That complication no longer exists and we're expecting to see the benefit reflected in running costs,' said Kinner.

At day 10 of November, Volkswagen had a 6.3% share of fleet sales an 80% improvement on 1995. Year to date, the company has sold more than 41,000 fleet cars - more than double last year's total.