AUDI is urging fleet managers to encourage their company car drivers to deal with individual local dealers. Managing director Len Hunt said single dealers could not cope with large fleet deals in the current climate because of the huge demand for Audi vehicles across the country.

'We have to get end-users to visit local dealers for everyone's sake,' he said. 'Demand for A3, A4 and A6 is such that some orders simply cannot be dealt with by one dealer. We are also developing more and more common goals with the leasing companies. In light of the high demand, we are stepping in and solving many of the administrative problems.'

Hunt revealed that some customers who had ordered A3s had been given A4 Avants until their original vehicle arrived from the factory. 'Our dealers are working very hard to ensure that Audi fleet customers get unbeatable service - and our recent policy of splitting the brand away from Volkswagen ensures that this trend will continue,' he said. 'Audi is now clearly a premium brand alongside Mercedes and BMW - and our dealer service must reflect that.'