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

Monday/Tuesday

Over to Austria for a look at a brand new C-sector car that will cause a storm when it comes to market.

This new five-door, five seat is the brilliant new Mini Countryman, probably not the best name in the world, but it will have to do.

BMW’s first effort in this hatch sector is sensational and will turn heads everywhere it goes, as it just looks so different, but great from every angle.

The interior is also brilliant in design and quality and is very versatile and practical.

To call this car a C-sector is probably a bit unfair as it is more than a traditional five-door hatch, as it will be offered with both two and four-wheel drive which is almost unique in this sector.

We went to the Magna Steyr plant in Graz ,where it will be built, and were taken round their test-track in an early pre-production, semi-disguised car.

The handling was superb.

Then we were taken across a field covered in fresh snow, and up and down some fairly steep hills and it was just amazing how well it coped.

The vast majority of Countrymans sold will be the 2WD version, but it is good to know that a car in this sector will be available with an on-demand 4WD system.

Wednesday

John Mahoney from Hyundai fleet brought up to Leeds some of his colleagues from Product Dept to finalise pricing/spec etc on the forthcoming ix35, a C-sector hatch with the option of 4WD.

Sounds familiar? But not quite as pretty as the Mini.

We drove an early ix35 late last year in Frankfurt.

It is really good and will appeal to company car drivers who want a higher seating position, more internal space and that’s a bit different to look at but the same size externally as a Golf or Focus.

Friday

The Fiat Grande Punto has got a new name and a few changes. It is now called the Punto Evo and is easily recognised as it has a new ‘burnished chrome grille’ on the bonnet.

The interior is much improved and it seemed to drive a little better than the Grande. The Punto has sold over 700,000 in the UK since its launch in 1994 and has been the backbone of Fiats sales.

The Evo didn’t really need a new name, as this car is an evolution and not a revolution.