Martin Ward, manufacturer relationships manager, CAP, scours the globe for the week's insider fleet intelligence

Wednesday

Down to Sardinia to drive the all-new Volkswagen Polo – a day I have been looking forward to for quite some time.

I’ve seen the car many times before, both at preview events and at motor shows, but have never driven it, and the hills around Olbia would be the ultimate test for the mini-Golf.

The new Polo has grown in length by 36mm, is 32mm wider, but height has shrunk by 13mm, so it now looks more in proportion and more sporty – as well as echoing the new family nose debuted by its Golf big brother.

And despite growing in size, it is 7.5kg lighter than the model it replaces.

But is it any good?

It certainly is – I tried really hard to find something wrong with the Polo, but have failed miserably. It is ultra-quiet, has fantastic handling and braking, is comfortable and refined with much improved build quality.

Prices are expected to start at around £9,000 when it goes on sale in the UK in October, which looks good value when you note than an entry-level Ford Fiesta costs just shy of £10,000.

The Polo is fun to drive, yet sensible, and will appeal to young and old and will no doubt be a big fleet hit, especially among downsizers looking to reduce their tax liability.

Later this year, the low-emission BlueMotion model will appear, offering 74mpg and CO2 emissions of 96g/km, while next year a second- generation version will debut with 85mpg economy and emissions of just 87g/km.

Friday

Up to Inverness to drive the new BMW Z4 with its retractable hard-top instead of the traditional soft-top.

BMW research showed customers wanted a hard-top for safety, a quieter cabin with the roof up and warmth.

This has sacrificed boot room, though. I drove the sDrive23i and sDrive35i and by far the best was the smaller engine – more comfortable and easier to drive.

Prices start at £28,600.