News - Page 2091

MAJOR fleet orders have contributed to dealership group Lookers reporting a 26% year-on-year rise in new car sales in a national market up 1.1% last year. The company says its strategy of investing in people to win 'customers for life' enabled the business to make headway in a challenging market.

DEALERSHIP to contract hire group CD Bramall has seen profits dented in what the company describes as a 'difficult' year for the motor industry. The company's results for the year to December 31, 2000 show pre-tax profits fell to £16.03 million (1999: £17.3m), and group turnover dropped to £839.3m (1999: £843.5m).

NISSAN has introduced the Navara double cab hoping to convince fleets it can be an attractive alternative to the traditional company car. Launched at this week's Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, the Navara has a payload of 1,004kg, and is classed as a commercial vehicle with a benefit-in-kind liability of £500 regardless of mileage.

BARLOW Handling has chosen LeasePlan to handle its fleet of 1,000 vehicles. The Maidenhead-based supplier of lift trucks and materials handling operation has a fleet of 700 company vans, mainly Ford, and 300 multi-badge cars.

KEVIN James has been appointed the new director of SEAT UK. James has worked in the Volkswagen Group for 14 years, and brings experience gained in group service, franchise development and finance.

POWER company Scottish and Southern Energy has bought 60 Land Rover Defenders and five Freelanders for its fleet. The vehicles were distributed through Tay Land Rover.

NISSAN has clinched two major deals - a £2.5 million contract for 300 cars with rental company Practical Car & Van Rental and a two-year agreement with Cambridgeshire-based contract hire firm Powermarque, to supply amore than 200 vehicles. The Practical package will see the company take delivery of more than 100 vehicles, mainly Micras, over the next month.

GATESHEAD-based Springfield Citroen has supplied Sheffield County Council's Direct Services operation with 35 Berlingo 600D X vans, 20 Relay 1000 short wheelbase vans and one Citroen Synergie 2.0 HDi Exclusive people carrier.

ELECTRONICS giant Siemens will have accident management for 3,300 of its 5,500-vehicle fleet provided by motor claims administrator Town and Country.

AUTOGLASS is offering its partners in the fleet industry the chance to win a trip to a Formula 1 motor racing World Championship race next year by taking part in its fantasy F1 competition. It is the only exclusive online league for the fleet industry.

OFFICIALS at the Inland Revenue have promised a redesign of a key form used by fleet managers following complaints that it could lead to major errors in company car tax calculations. The P46(car) form is a vital indicator of the company car tax that an employee will need to pay from having a company vehicle available for private use.

THOUSANDS of company car drivers are not aware of radical changes in benefit-in-kind tax taking place in April 2002, a new survey claims. The findings come in this year's 'Company Car UK' report from the Monks Partnership which questioned 198 companies running about 130,000 company cars.

THE value of cash alternative payments to employees who opt out of the company car have been stagnant for up to three years. Figures from the 2001 Company Car UK report from Monks Partnership suggest that, 'apart from at the most senior levels, the value of cash alternatives do not appear to have increased significantly over the past two or three years'.

MERCEDES-BENZ dealers will lobby the Department of Trade and Industry for support in their battle against the decision by DaimlerChrysler UK to terminate their franchises. The dealers claim the manufacturer's decision is just the latest measure in a string of anti-competitive, anti-consumer initiatives taken by DaimlerChrysler UK.

VAUXHALL has launched a strategic courtesy car fleet programme with bodyshops in an effort to protect residual values. Vauxhall hopes to win around 20% of the courtesy car market, with a structured two-year replacement cycle programme largely involving Agila and Corsa models, although some Astra and Zafiras will also be on the programme.

A SKILLS crisis is facing the fleet industry as it gears up for some of the most challenging changes in its history, leading employment experts are warning. Along with carbon dioxide-based company car tax in 2002, decision-makers have to grapple with major changes to Inland Revenue Authorised Mileage Rates and changes to fuel scale charges that are attempting to wipe out the perk of free fuel for private mileage.

CONTRACT hire is the number one method of company car acquisition in the UK as the slump in outright purchase continues. The latest Monks Partnership survey reveals that 42% of companies contract hire or contract purchase their company cars compared to 34% five years ago.

TRAINING took a back seat at leasing and rental companies last year as they battled with upheaval in the fleet market caused by major changes to the new and used car industry. A ground-breaking training programme from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association failed to attract members last year as the industry fought through one of the worst periods in its history.

A FAST-TRACK programme to provide in-depth training for fleet managers has exceeded its targets for attracting future fleet decision-makers over the past year and prompted the launch of a new programme, planned for this year's Fleet Show. Run by the Institute of Car Fleet Management (ICFM), it offers a fast entry into the basics of fleet management in a year compared to 18 months on a distance learning course.

VAUXHALL will complete its new Corsa model line-up when it launches SRi versions of its supermini in May. They will be available in 1.4 16v 90PS offering 39.2mpg on the combined cycle and 1.8 16v 125PS offering 35.8mpg in both three- and five-door guises.

A MORE powerful diesel Peugeot 406 hit showrooms this month using the 2.2-litre HDi engine from the 607. The new 406 produces 136bhp and is fitted with a particle filter to improve CO2 emissions, 168g/km for the saloon and 170 for the estate.

PROTON will be recruiting up to 60 new dealers to meet demand for its new Impian saloon in July. The new upper-medium sector car will be the first Proton entirely designed and developed by the company.

HYUNDAI has unveiled a new five-seater compact MPV called Matrix. UK launch is scheduled for November.

VOLVO has introduced a new Executive version of its S80 flagship aimed at chauffeur-driven customers and those after luxury and technology. The top-of-the-range model is available either with a 200bhp 2.9 V6 engine or a twin-turbo 272bhp 2.8-litre in the T6.

A sporty version of the Toyota Yaris will go on sale in the UK on April 2. The Yaris T Sport uses a 105bhp 1.5-litre VVT-i engine.

AFTER three years, students at Loughborough University Business School have graduated with Bachelor of Science degrees in Retail Automotive Management (Ford). The 11 graduates studied for three years while working as managers at Ford dealerships.

A NEW website has been launched by the Automotive Business College to meet the motor industry's training needs. The site - <A HREF=”www.autocoll.com”target=”_blank”>www.autocoll.com</A> - has been designed as a learning tool and is divided into sections including workshop details, people development programmes and NVQs.

A LEADING college of further education has unveiled a new centre of excellence for automobile engineering students. Motherwell College's new Autotronic Centre has been created to ensure industry focused students gain the electronic technology skills required to enter the modern workplace.