News - Page 2098

NISSAN has added a new version of the Primera to the range called Activ, which bridges the gap between E and S levels of trim. The 1.6-litre Primera Activ is priced at £12,995, while the 1.8-litre is £500 more, and includes a unique chrome mesh grille, 15in alloy wheels and various cosmetic changes.

SKODA has launched an estate version of the Fabia supermini for drivers who want a small car with the practicality of a load-lugger with on-the-road prices starting at £8,400. With the spacious Fabia hatchback as its starting point, Skoda is targeting drivers of larger estates and compact MPVs.

SUBARU has boosted the specification of its Forester all-wheel drive sport utility vehicle for the new Y-registration in March.

ON Thursday, March 1, the Y-registration plate will appear on new cars signalling the final time when a single letter will identify the age of a car - a practice which began on January 1, 1963 with A-registered vehicles. In 1967 the date of the letter change moved to August 1 and from March 1, 1999 the traditional annual change of identifier became twice-yearly on March 1 and September 1.

COMPANY cars will remain a vital part of business culture, despite growing numbers of firms looking for new ways to reward their drivers, according to industry leaders. Businesses are reporting rising interest in providing alternatives to the company car as they consider the effect the April 2002 introduction of carbon dioxide-based company car tax will have.

FLEET managers must ensure they are not penalised by their contract hire and leasing supplier companies if they try to cut costs by maintaining their own vehicles and using independent garages with lower labour rates, a fleet specialist is warning. Some fleet funders are either reducing the residual value of non-franchise-maintained vehicles and driving up the rental value as a result or recharging customers at the end of the contract, claims Tim Jones, commercial director of Bethell Fleet Services.

CONTRACT hire brokers are tightening their grip on their existing customer base as the key to future success in the face of increasing competition for fleet business. But the competition could lead to a shake-up of the industry, leading players are claiming, as quality and standards of service take priority over simply obtaining the cheapest price for customers.

CALLEVA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Powermarque, is building business with brokers through Calleva On-line, an internet-based quotation system for use by its network of brokers in a bid to boost sales to fleets. The firm leases 9,500 vehicles via a network of 150 brokers.

PRICEwaterhouseCoopers is targeting private customers, whether new to the concept of leasing or former company car drivers who have taken cash instead of a car, with an online personal leasing service, which it aims to double in size this year. The Lease123.com website offers customers the chance to privately lease high value cars, which are provided through a partnership agreement with BCH Vehicle Management.

CONTRACT hire firm Fleetlease has launched a new direct sales operation to stem losses of up to £400 on every car it sells caused by the collapse in residual values. Fleetlease Direct will offer ex-lease vehicles for sale direct to the public from a new showroom in Newbury, which began trading last month and has already sold 185 cars.

BRITAIN was one of the worst three performers in Europe for residual values in the past year, a new survey has shown. The EurotaxGlass's European Used Car Residual Price Index, published by eurocarprice.com, has revealed that used car values in the UK fell by 6.5% in the past year, beaten only by Portugal, with 7% and Belgium, with a 7.2% fall.

FLEET orders totalling £2.9 million have been won by one of Yorkshire's largest independent motor retailers. Nidd Vale Motors has completed a £1.8 million contract to supply Enterprise Rent a Car with 58 Vauxhall Corsas, 29 Vectras, 38 Astras, eight Omegas and 14 Zafiras.

HIGH demand for 4x4 vehicles is pushing residual values hundreds of pounds higher than auction guide expectations. Buyers are not being put off by the rocketing price of fuel pushing up running costs nor that their generfally large engines are set to be penalised under the new carbon dioxide-based Vehicle Excise Duty regime.

LEX Vehicle Leasing has secured a 225 company car fleet contract with MAN, the Swindon-based lorry manufacturer. The deal, won from ARVAL PHH, includes a full maintenance contract with Lex One-Call support over three years.

TWO Saab sales at British Car Auctions achieved an average of 105.15% of CAP clean with all 147 cars sold, generating a turnover of almost £2 million. The best performers were a 97R 9000CSE 2.0 EcoPower Anniversary,17,237 miles, which fetched £11,100 — 151.5% above CAP clean; and a 97R 900XS 2.0i five-door automatic transmission, 34,664 miles, which sold for £8,800 — 128% above CAP clean.

BRITISH Car Auctions has been awarded a one-year extension to its mainland UK contract to auction, market and directly sell surplus non-armoured Ministry of Defence vehicles and plant equipment.

ALLEN Fleet Services has clinched deals with three new corporate clients.

POWERMARQUE has awarded a major tyre management contract to ATS Euromaster for its 22,000-vehicle fleet. The business was won from National Tyres and Autocare.

LOWERY Transport has replaced its own fleet management system with Car Fleet Control's system to run its 350-vehicle fleet.

LEEDS-based JCT600 Contracts has won sole supply status with Fusion Group's Chesterfield-based fleet of 100 vehicles.

CAR rental company Europcar has taken delivery of 50 new Renault Scenic RX4s.

FLEETS are holding back on vehicle acquisition deals worth millions of pounds in a bid to hammer out strategies to cope with unprecedented changes they face over the next year. January fleet sales were 13.8% down year-on-year, which industry figures put down to fleet managers holding back on acquisitions until they have completed fleet strategy reviews, particularly relating to the April 2002 introduction of carbon dioxide emissions-based company car tax.

VAUXHALL'S decision to build the new Vectra in the UK could strengthen the manufacturer's presence in the fleet market as companies look to back Britain. Vauxhall has admitted that following the announcement to end car manufacturing in Luton when production of the current Vectra finishes in March next year, a number of blue chip firms told the company they would review whether they would continue to operate Griffin-badged cars.

MANUFACTURERS have massively underestimated demand for diesel cars, prompting a global shortage which looks set to impact on UK fleet sales. With the move to a carbon dioxide emissions-based benefit-in-kind tax system in April next year fleet demand for diesel cars, which have lower CO2 ratings than petrol vehicles, is expected to soar from last year's 17% level.

FLEET managers believe they are doing enough to cut costs without joining schemes such as the Motorvate project. The verdict was revealed at an Eastern region meeting of the Association of Car Fleet Operators.

CHANGES in Vehicle Excise Duty from next month could cause managers preparing their fleets for the new 2002 carbon dioxide emissions-based company car tax an administrative headache. Operators must now remember which cars will be taxed under the new bands and which cars will still pay under the old VED system, and at what rates they are being taxed.

DRIVERS of small cars already on the road could benefit from reforms in Vehicle Excise Duty as the reduced rate of VED that currently applies to cars with engine sizes up to 1,100cc will be extended to engines up to and including 1,200cc from March 1.

JAGUAR is relaunching itself in a bid to shake off its elitist boardroom image and attract younger buyers to the new X-type. Fleet managers saw the new compact executive saloon for the first time at a special event in London.

FLEET managers will be able to get hands-on experience of the latest in e-commerce at a new feature of the Fleet Show at Alexandra Palace, London, from May 1-3 - E-Street. This will be a walkway lined with exhibitors offering hi-tech services.

REFORM of Vehicle Excise Duty has not seen an increase in demand for small vehicles, according to manufactures. From March 1, VED will be based on carbon dioxide emissions and the type of fuel used to power vehicles.