Nobia adds Toyota hybrids to fleet

One of Europe’s leading kitchen specialists, Nobia, is adding Toyota self-charging hybrids to its UK fleet.

The company is leasing 75 Corolla Hatchbacks, which it says will help reduce its emissions, save on running costs and support British manufacturing.

A key focus of Nobia is energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions from production, operations and transport.

Tracy Barker, Nobia’s fleet manager, explained: “As a business, we’re constantly focusing on ways to cut our emissions, and targeting our fleet performance was an obvious way of reducing our carbon footprint.

“At the same time, we want to support UK manufacturing, so the hybrid Corolla Hatchback was an ideal choice, offering the benefits of cleaner hybrid electric power and supporting our progress towards an electric fleet.”

Barker said she had also “listened closely” to employees who will be using the cars, taking into account the importance to them of a low benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rate, and of driving a vehicle that’s safe, reliable and well-suited to the demands of their job.

The Corollas are all 1.8-litre full hybrid models in Icon Tech specification. The self-charging powertrain returns official combined cycle fuel economy from 55.42 to 62.77mpg, according to WLTP data, with CO2 emissions from 76g/km (NEDC-correlated), giving a first-year BIK rate of 22%.

Icon Tech features include the Toyota Touch with Go multimedia package, including navigation and voice control, dual-zone air conditioning, DAB radio reception, automatic LED headlights, 16-inch alloy wheels, reversing camera, intelligent parking sensors and heated front seats with lumbar support.

The all-new Corolla returned to the market earlier this year, launching Toyota’s dual power hybrid strategy; in addition to the 1.8-litre version, a more powerful 2.0-litre hybrid powertrain has made its debut in the line-up.

Read our first drive Toyota Corolla review.

All Corolla Hatchback and Touring Sports models are built at Toyota’s Burnaston plant in Derbyshire, with some hybrid engines supplied by its sister factory in Deeside, North Wales.

Stuart Ferma, general manager for Toyota and Lexus Fleet, said: “We welcome Nobia as another fleet customer who has made the switch to Toyota hybrids, recognising the real-world benefits they can deliver in terms of efficiency, reliability and highly competitive running costs.

“Our self-charging hybrid technology ticks all the boxes for businesses in today’s climate, while the British-built Corolla is a great performer in terms of quality, comfort and practicality.”

Nobia develops, manufactures and retails kitchens in the UK with brands including Magnet, Gower, Rixonway Kitchens, Commodore Kitchens and CIE. It has more than 200 retail stores and employs almost 3,000 people.