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The lap of luxuryTop-notch options p23

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NEWS P3 ROAD TEST P13 CAREERS P27Fleet managers may have their contracts rewritten before the Corporate

Manslaughter Act comes into force. A solicitor has warned of the need to review their terms of employment.

Peugeot has spent more time and effort launching the 308 than any model in its

history. And Steve Moody discovers just why Peugeot thinks this new car deserves such an impressive build up.

The best advice given to Mike Paterson, business development manager, Thatcham, was not just to make up the numbers, but make a difference. Find out more in our Careers section.

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HELPING

YOU RUN A

CHEAPER CLEANER

SAFER FLEET

TOP STORIES ONLINE ■ Running cost figures for

more than 4,000 vehicles■ How new is the new Ford

Focus? Check out our massive picture gallery

■ Martyn’s in love again. Read more in the Editors’ Blog

The chief constable of South Yorkshire Police, Med Hughes, who was last week disqualified from driving for 42 days for speeding, has admitted that he has made the job of convincing motorists to respect speed limits much more difficult.

He made his comments the day after his conviction to a group of the most ardent advocates of a zero tolerance approach to speeding – the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). Mr Hughes, who was convicted at Wrexham Magistrates Court of driving at 90mph in a 60mph zone, told the IAM annual lunch that he had “brought roads policing into disrepute” and made his colleagues’ job “much harder”.

The chief constable, who has become the first disqualified driver to address the IAM lunch, had been a prominent advocate of speed cameras. He should have been the ideal after-dinner speaker to a group of motorists famous for their absolute adherence to the rules of the road.

Instead, the first sentences to come from his mouth were laden with regrets. “I have already apologised and I apologise again to you,” said Mr Hughes.

He was invited to speak prior to his disqualification and his subse-quent resignation as the Association of Chief Police Officers’ head of roads policing – a position that effectively made him the most senior traffic officer in the country. Now Mr Hughes will be responsible for policing the 2012 Olympics.

Disgraced traffic cop apologises for speeding

Fleets struggle to recover lossesBY DANIEL ATTWOOD

Recovering losses from incidents involving foreign vehicles is becoming a major concern for fleet managers.

Crashes involving foreign vehicles, espe-cially HGVs, are a serious problem on the UK’s roads. The Government recognises this and has set up a number of initiatives to tackle the problem (see page 7).

However, fleet managers are still faced with the frustratingly difficult task of trying to recover the cost of such incidents.

John Stack, Michelin group fleet transport manager, said that despite vehicles in his 400-strong fleet being involved in at least two crashes a year with foreign vehicles, he had never been able to recover any money.

“If we are typical and other fleets are having the same experience then this is a real problem,” he said.

Due to the complexity of the process and the lack of success, Mr Stack said he no longer attempted to recover losses.

But many fleet managers, especially those running self-insured fleets, are now turning to professional recovery agents.

Denny Payton, corporate uninsured loss recovery partner at Harvey Ingram solici-tors, said: “There is no doubt that we are seeing a significant increase in the number of companies seeking professional help.

“A few years ago, we had just four people working in this area. Now we have 35.”

Last year, the company recovered more than £5 million from foreign insurance

companies following crashes involving non-UK vehicles.

Ms Payton said Britain operated a Green Card system, which means insurers of foreign vehicles must have a UK agent to resolve accident claims here.

“This provides a means not only to locate the foreign insurer, but also to deal with an English-speaking UK agent,” said Ms Payton.

Costs such as inconvenience, vehicle

downtime and lost business can all be claimed in addition to the more obvious injury and vehicle repair costs. But to be able to recover the money, drivers must know what to do.

“You must fully brief your drivers – they must at least get the other driver’s name, the registration number and the company,” said Ms Payton. “The better briefed your drivers are, the better the recovery rate.”

[email protected]

Crashes involving foreign vehicles leave UK fleets out of pocket

’

‘THERE IS NO

DOUBT THAT WE ARE SEEING A SIGNIFICANT

INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF COMPANIES

SEEKING PROFESSIONAL

HELP. A FEW YEARS AGO, WE HAD JUST

FOUR PEOPLE WORKING IN THIS

AREA. NOW WE HAVE 35

Denny Payton, of Harvey Ingram solicitors

EVENTS ROUND-UP

Conference break-out sessions for added value

Fuel protestsTransaction 2007, respon-sible for major fuel price protests in 2007, says a major protest against rising fuel prices will take place this Saturday (December 15) at 10am. The legal protest will be initiated at refineries and fuel storage depots across the country.

SEAT awardsSEAT Business Sales took all three gold awards at the DMA (Direct Marketing Awards) in London. The business sales campaign ‘Choose SEAT Fleet because you put up with enough crap at work’, created by the Leith Agency, beat competition from Rolls-Royce, Honda and Skoda.

Road risk focusPrudential is to increase its occupational road risk management focus following the extension of its business partnership with Inchcape Fleet Solutions to November 2009. A major feature of the new contract is Prudential’s utilisation of Inchcape’s licence verification service and online driver profiling.

Offset planKings Toyota dealer is to offset the carbon emissions of the company cars it supplies. The company will offset the first 30,000 miles’ worth of emissions from the fleet vehicles it supplies to local and national businesses. It uses carbon management company Carbon Clear.

Tunnel shelvedPlans to tunnel the A303 at Stonehenge have been indefinitely shelved by the Government on cost grounds.

NEWS

IN BRIEF

2 13.12.07 www.fleetnews.co.uk

Added value breakout sessions have been created at the annual Fleet News Europe Conference, which takes place on February 7 at the Marriott Hotel in Brussels.

Trends in the new and used car market will be examined by Nico Reeskens, sales director – mainland Europe for BCA, and Rick

Yarrow, managing director of Automotive Directions.

A second session, on technology and opportunities for business growth, will be presented by Andy Leech, business leader of cfc

solutions, and Marc Peeters, IT Advisor, KPMG.

A session called Fleet Safety Update – running a safe fleet in Europe, will be presented by Gabriel Simcic, project officer, European Transport Safety Council.

The breakout sessions are part of a packed agenda, which will be overseen by conference chairman

Christopher Macgowan, who is currently chief executive of the Society of Motor Manu-facturers and Traders.■ For information, tickets and sponsorship enquiries, contact Luke Clements on 01733 468325 or email [email protected]. ■ For full details on the conference, go to www.fneuropeconference.com

ppl/ppgDIESEL..............................108.0/491SUPER UNLEADED........109.2/496UNLEADED......................102.8/467FOUR STAR......................105.1/478LPG......................................50.5/230

UK FUEL PRICES

Royal Mail stops grey fleet usageBY DANIEL ATTWOOD

The Royal Mail has confirmed that it is to stop its employees from using their own vehicles for work.

More than 8,000 of the Royal Mail’s 120,000 staff currently use their own transport while at work. They will be required to end the practice within the next two to three years and use alternatives provided by Royal Mail as part of a wider £1.2 billion upgrade investment.

According to a Royal Mail spokesman, delivery staff should never have to use their own vehi-cles, although it has become accepted practice in some areas.

“The use of cars is never assumed when walks are designed or revised,” explained James Eadie, senior external relations manager at the Royal Mail Group. However, on occasion, postmen and postwomen ask to use their

vehicles to travel to and from their delivery route in preference to officially planned transport. Approval is subject to an assess-ment by the local delivery office manager and considerations include insurance, health and safety and security.”

Despite these checks, the Royal Mail has said it will now insist that employees no longer use their own vehicles at work.

“We are looking to invest in the very latest and best delivery equipment which will provide a range of benefits – for example, reduced weight on the shoulder, which will impact positively on injuries at work and therefore on sick absence,” said Mr Eadie.

The Royal Mail said the initia-tive would take several years to complete, but that it had the backing of staff, especially after they had been presented with alternatives such as electric trol-leys.

“The employee reaction to the new delivery equipment in those units that have tested it has been very positive,” said Mr Eadie.

The majority of fleets still do not undertake and review risk assess-ments on all organisational, management and employee travel risks.

In addition, half of fleets do not have policies and procedures in place to manage specific areas of risk such as reversing safety, temporary and agency labour and employees driving their own vehi-cles for work.

The findings are from an audit by the Fleet Safety Forum, a divi-sion of road safety charity Brake. In an attempt to improve the situ-ation, the charity will hold a fleet safety benchmarking seminar on January 16, 2008.

At the event, fleet managers will find out how benchmarking their collision data and fleet safety procedures will help keep drivers and other road users safe.

Jools Townsend, head of educa-tion at Brake, said: “Poor fleet safety costs lives and money.

“Benchmarking crash data and fleet safety policies against other companies is one key way compa-nies can share best practice and review their risk management procedures. Whether your company is already involved in the free Fleet Safety Benchmark-ing Project, planning to join or

interested in learning more about the benefits of fleet safety bench-marking, this seminar will be a vital learning and networking opportunity.”

The charity, in association with the Department for Transport, has created a website (www.fleet-safetybenchmarking.net) that enables firms to anonymously compare their fleet safety proce-dures and crash data with others.

Charity tackles risk policy gaps

Running costs go onlineFleet News has launched the third electronic edition of The Cost, the online magazine containing full running costs for more than 3,000 fleet cars.

The searchable electronic magazine has value-added features to ensure fleet manag-ers get the best information about how much their fleet costs to run.

On page three of the guide, there is a list of all the main fleet manufacturers. Users simply click on each manufacturer and the e-zine will automatically jump to the right page.

In addition, each page now has a ‘back to contents page’ button that allows users to quickly return to the menu.

Users can highlight sections and automatically email them and save pdfs of the supplement on their desktop.

The Cost is sponsored by Volkswagen. To view the latest version, log on to www.fleetnews.co.uk and click on the link for The Cost.

Postmen must stick to Royal Mail transport in future

[email protected] [email protected]

Fuel price infoThe Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) has bought BigOil.net, a fuel price web service that provides access for forecourt retailers to price information used by their oil suppliers. PRA director Ray Holloway said: “Ensuring its continued transparency and ease of understanding was a priority for us.”

Grey fleet serviceA fleet management service has been launched for fleets of up to 75 vehicles. Working with Software Sculp-tures, Stephanie White developed the system to provide information on fuel consumption and mileage, MoT, tax and servicing data. If requested, personal cars used by employees can also be monitored.

Bull choiceLeasedrive Velo has been awarded sole supplier status in the UK by IT company Bull and will manage more than 60 company car drivers and 75 opt-out drivers. New vehicles will be sourced from Peugeot, Saab and Vauxhall. The contract hire provision will be based on a pay-as-you-use maintenance management agreement, while opt-out drivers will be covered by Leaseplan Velo’s driver management service.

Mercedes orderFork-lift truck manufac-turer Jungheinrich UK is taking delivery of a new fleet of Mercedes-Benz vans from Wellingbor-ough dealer Intercounty Truck and Van. The new vans are detailed as mobile workshops and racked out by Bott.

More authority The Highways Agency has begun a public consultation over proposals to allow traffic officers to be given the authority to have broken-down or abandoned vehicles removed from roads. If adopted, their powers would be similar to those already exercised by the police.

IN BRIEF

www.fleetnews.co.uk 13.12.07 3

BY EMMA COOPER

Fleet managers may need to have their contracts rewritten before the Corporate Manslaughter Act comes into force next year.

Solicitor Fiona Hahlo, from Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP, advised companies that there is now a need to review their fleet managers’ terms of employment to ensure that all managers are aware of their responsibilities.

“Fleet managers need to know what’s expected of them. Review all managers’ contracts so that you know who’s dealing with all the different aspects of health and safety,” she said at a recent Fleet Risk Forum.

Ms Hahlo stressed the need for internal communication, as duty of care can come under the remit of HR, fleet or even finance departments in some companies.

She said every member of staff will need to know what their responsibilities are before the new Corporate Manslaughter Act comes into force in April 2008.

Meanwhile, businesses have been warned they face fines of up to 10% of their annual turnover if convicted of corporate man-slaughter.

The proposal comes from the Sentencing Advisory Panel (SAP), which recommends that fines for corporate killing should range from 2.5% to 10% of annual turn-over.

“The imposition of significant fines would reflect the serious concerns resulting from the unnecessary loss of life involved in corporate manslaughter,” said the SAP.

“The prospect of large fines should also encourage compli-ance with health and safety regu-lations.”

The panel also says that the

courts can impose a publicity order – a new sanction that is designed to bring the failings of the offending organisation to the attention of the public.

SAP proposes that, in principle, courts should impose a publicity order on every organisation convicted of the offence.

A range of options has been suggested, including placing adverts in newspapers and trade journals or on television or radio, as well as ordering letters be sent to shareholders and customers informing them of the conviction.

Act may lead to contract review

Businesses failing to comply with the new Corporate Manslaughter Act could face fines of 10% of annual turnover

A new survey shows the number of car drivers using handheld mobile phones at the wheel has fallen by 40%.

The number of motorists still persisting in using handheld phones while driving is now 1% of the total number of drivers on the road. The figure stood at 1.7% last year.

The fall can be attributed to the change in the law in February, which raised the penalty for using a handheld phone while driving to three points and a £60 fine.

“The Government introduced this tough penalty to stamp down on mobile phone use at the wheel and this survey suggests more and more motorists are getting the message,” said road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick. “Using

any mobile phone when driving is distracting – it stops you giving the road your full attention and slows reaction times. Research shows it can make a crash four times more likely, so it is vital motorists do not use their phones while driving.”

The results of the survey, carried out by TRL on behalf of the Department for Transport, also found that the number of car drivers using hands-free mobiles dropped from 0.9% to

0.4% during the past 12 months. However, while car drivers

seem to be getting the message, van and HGV drivers are still offending. While the number of these drivers using handheld phones also fell, 2.4% of commercial drivers are still breaking the law.

The observational surveys were conducted at 30 sites in the south-east of England and involved 10,000 vehicles.

Observers used electronic devices that detect the microwave radiation emitted by both handheld and hands-free mobile phones. Despite combining visual and electronic detection, the observers may have been unable to detect some phone use and, therefore, the figures could underestimate the actual level of use.

Mobile phone law has dramatic effect

National Car Rental will remove all vehicle branding from January. Sister company Europcar will also follow suit.

The move, says National, is to improve car availability through fleet sharing. Fleet managers will benefit from greater car accessi-bility and a wider choice from the 260 National and Europcar offices.

“Most of our fleet customers have a delivery and collection service so they never see where the car comes from, which makes branding an irrelevance,” explained John Leigh, managing director of National and Europ-car. “It means there will be more cars around for customer needs – and we think that’s want our customers want.”

He said fleet sharing was one of the efficiencies identified following Europcar’s March acquisition of Vanguard Rental’s interests in the European opera-tions of National Car Rental.

Another has been the integra-tion of contact centre functions at National’s Leicester facility.

However, while fleets would be shared without branding, in future branches would be dual branded where they served both sets of customers.

Fleet managers buying from Europcar would continue to use its Greenway online booking system; National customers the carhirebooker.com or Speedlink sytems.

“At this stage we don’t want to confuse our customers, nor do we want to lose the benefits of such well-established brands,” said Mr Leigh.

National to remove branding

Thrifty Car & Van Rental used social networking website Face-book to help find a “lost” customer. After opening a local account, the unnamed custom-er’s November payment failed.

When no trace of him could be found, a quick-thinking employee searched for him on Facebook.

Joe Pinnock, insurance manager for Thrifty, said: “I sent him a short message and the car was returned the following day.This is one of the speediest and easiest returns of a vehicle I have ever experienced.”

Thifty uses power of web

[email protected]

The use of phones while driving has fallen to 1% of drivers

NEWS

Green TrumpsTop Trumps – first launched in Britain 30 years ago – is going green. A new limited edition version of the iconic school play-ground game has been produced that includes only eco-friendly vehicles.

Open all hoursNational Car Rental has created an out-of-hours database that provides immediate confirmation of vehicle availability for business rentals required outside normal branch opening hours.

Reflex planReflex Vehicle Solutions has announced a multi-million pound expansion plan to double its size within 36 months. The £7.5 million investment will be made via a funding facility provided by Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank, which has also arranged a 10-year treasury facility to protect against adverse fluctuations in interest rates.

Improve safetyFleet managers can now record their drivers’ behaviour during an accident, helping to improve safety and performance. The RoadScan Video Event Data Recorder records live footage of driver journeys. Sudden changes in acceleration and braking are recorded, as well as the speed and location of the vehicle.

Carbon neutralZenith Vehicle Contracts has been officially certified as carbon neutral. The company hired consultants from Carbon Footprint to calculate its CO2 footprint and recommend ways this could be offset. As a result, Zenith has initiated a tree-planting programme locally in Yorkshire.

IN BRIEF


Fleet cars are at risk of being impoundedBY DANIEL ATTWOOD

The details of tens of thousands of vehicles insured under fleet poli-cies are missing from the Motor Insurance Database (MID).

As a result, drivers of these vehicles are at much greater risk of being stopped under suspicion of driving without insurance.

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau, which operates the database, said thousands of fleet policies are not up to date. “At the end of Novem-ber, there were more than 26,000 unpopulated policies on the MID, that is those with no vehicle details attached,” explained a bureau spokesman.

This is despite fleet managers and their insurers being legally obliged to provide details of all

vehicles on their policies so they can be added to the database.

The police have direct access to the database and use it to iden-tify uninsured vehicles.

During the festive season, there will be additional police road checks as well as the usual auto-matic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, which alert offi-cers if a passing vehicle is not on the database.

“If your vehicles are insured but not on the MID, then your drivers are at risk,” said Neil Drane, head of MID operations at the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. “And even if your no-drink-and-drive policy has been a complete success, your drivers may still find themselves failing to make that crucial Christmas delivery

while your vehicle sits in a police pound.”

So far this year, the police have carried out more than 30 million checks of the database and have seized a record 120,000 vehicles at the roadside. While the MIB says it is unlikely that fleet drivers will have their vehicle seized because their details are not on the insurance database, they are still running that risk.

“Like drink-driving, uninsured driving is unacceptable under any circumstances, but the increased police presence on our roads over the Christmas period is a very timely reminder to fleet managers to make sure every single one of their vehicles is on the MID today,” said Mr Drane.

[email protected]

If your fleet cars are not on the insurance database your drivers run the risk of being stopped

A new insurance policy designed for leasing companies has been launched – but could end up costing fleet managers.

Lease Protect, developed by Reassure, is aimed at manufac-turers, fleet insurers, leasing companies and other asset owners. It insures the condition of leased vehicles on their return, based on either manufacturer or British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association standards.

If a vehicle is returned damaged, it will be repaired and the costs covered by the insur-ance. One car manufacturer has already made the insurance mandatory for all its lease customers while another is considering following suit.

While this means lease compa-nies may be obliged to take out the extra cover, many will pass it – and the cost – on to their fleet operator customers. The cost averages around £15 per vehicle per month, although lease companies can add a margin.

Reassure director John McLean said: “Fleets benefit as they have fixed costs in advance and know the condition the vehicle should be returned in, avoiding end-of-lease disputes.”

Fleets may foot bill for new policy Two leasing companies have

become the latest names to be added to the Fleet News Charter for Fleet Suppliers.

Grosvenor Contracts Leasing and Lloyds TSB autolease have both been nominated by their fleet manager customers for their commitment to service.

Each company received several nominations. Jenny Thomas, PA to the board of DDD in Watford, which runs 42 vehicles, said: “Although we are only a small company, Grosve-nor Contracts Leasing gives us the attention and service that would be expected if we ran a much larger fleet.

“Named contacts respond promptly to our questions, queries and requests. They are

a very friendly and efficient company. I highly recommend them.”

Lloyds TSB autolease was nominated by Lisa Jones, supply chain analyst at ABB, which operates 680 vehicles. “Whether it is customer services, transport, accident management or reception – whichever department you deal with –Lloyds TSB autolease is always professional and courteous,” she said. “We have worked with them for a number of years and

their dedication and commit-ment to our account has never ceased. Its staff are friendly and always a pleasure to deal with.”

Details of further nominations will be listed on the Fleet News website in the coming weeks.

Launched at the 2006 Hit for Six Conference, the Charter for Fleet Suppliers sets out the basic standards fleet suppliers expect from any supplier that deals with them.

Fleet decision-makers help to promote best practice by naming suppliers which they feel meet these standards. ■ Log on to www.fleetnews.co.uk for details.

Leasing companies join Charter

Van drivers have been warned about the increased risk of robbery in the run-up to Christmas.

The Freight Transport Associa-tion (FTA) and insurance company Norwich Union said additional drivers, hired-in vehicles, as well as new rosters and routes, all provide opportuni-ties for theft.

Bill Pownall, motor risk manager for Norwich Union, said:

“As more goods are moved across the country to cater for the pre-Christmas demand, criminals are on the lookout for easy pickings from lorry trailers and other commercial vehicles.”

A number of recent incidents have been reported, including attempts to pick up ‘returns’ from retail premises, where criminals are turning up with fake paper-work providing authorisation for collection.

“A driver being distracted so that his vehicle can be stolen is another problem, as is the occa-sional vehicle jacking,” said Mr Pownall. “Although events such as this are rare, it underlines the fact that drivers need to stay alert for their own safety, as well as the security of their loads.”

When temporary staff are used, it is advised that effective driver vetting and licence validation is essential.

Drivers warned over robbery risk

NEWS


Fleet News Europe is sponsored by

www.bca-europe.com

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FleetNewsEurope

How Green isyour Fleet?

BY DANIEL ATTWOOD

Side-swipe crashes involving foreign HGVs that change lanes and strike a vehicle travelling alongside have been significantly reduced following a trial of new window-mounted lenses.

There was a 59% reduction in such accidents following the distribution of 40,000 Fresnel lenses to left-hand drive trucks entering the UK from the Dover ferry port.

The Highways Agency will now distribute a further 90,000 lenses at major ports in both England and France.

“Many drivers here don’t realise that left-hand drive lorries can’t easily see a car overtaking them on the right, such as on a motorway,” said road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick. “This has resulted in more than 400 side-swipe incidents in 2006 alone. As well as being dangerous these

incidents cause delays and congestion.”

All trucks have a blind spot alongside the cab on their passen-ger side. This is a particular problem for left-hand drive trucks operating in the UK when they change lanes to overtake.

Fresnel lenses offer those drivers a wider field of vision through the passenger window.

This work sits alongside a wider initiative to improve the safety of overseas vehicles using UK roads. An extra £2 million of funding has been announced and last summer the Department for Transport confirmed measures to target overseas hauliers who break the law. They now face on-the-spot penalties and having their vehicles immobilised.

Nestlé Waters Direct has stepped up its community road safety commitment across Europe.

The company has already implemented several safety initiatives in its European markets, including the introduction of an online driver safety program.

Now the focus is on commu-nity road safety following the launch of an online road safety board game. The company is adapting and rolling out the game for use by schools.

By targeting schools across Europe, the partnership aims to educate young people in key road safety issues in an

engaging and informative way, as well as fostering international relations.

Participants are required to complete journeys totalling 1,000km around an online board with the objective of building up as many safety points as possible by answering questions correctly.

Fall in foreign HGV accidents

New Nestlé initiative targets schools

Side-swipe accidents involving foreign HGVs have fallen by 59%

Calls made to increase biofuels’ green credentialsBY KEITH NUTHALL

Concerned over the sustainability of biofuels, the European Parlia-ment’s environment committee has called for European Union (EU) rules to be established to insist that biofuel production is environmen-tally sound.

The call was made in amendments tabled to proposed reforms to the EU Fuel Quality Directive, aimed at reducing CO2 production by ensuring fuel formulation involves less CO2 being generated upon combustion.

The committee has proposed amendments so that emissions are reduced by at least 2% every two years from 2012 to 2020.

But crucially, the committee also wants greenhouse gas emissions created by the manufacturing and distribution process of fuels – especially biofuels – taken into account, so that pollution reductions through formulation are not counteracted by problems such as the clearing of rain forest for feedstock production. Its amendment says that the greenhouse gas reduction formula should take into account “CO2 equivalents emitted due to the extraction and production process, transport, distribution and changes of land use”.

Meanwhile, researchers from the University of Leeds have developed a way to turn by-product sludge created by the production of bio-diesels into hydrogen-rich gas. The process mixes biodiesel production waste with steam at controlled high temperatures, separating it into hydrogen, water and carbon dioxide with no residues.

A European Court of Justice order could force the Irish government to improve and expand its mandatory training programmes for professional passenger and goods vehicle drivers. The European Commission has asked judges to rule that Ireland’s current training system does not meet the safety standards required by the EU directive on training professional drivers.

Ireland faces training order

Road money for BulgariaBulgaria’s road system is to be raised from its current poor and congested standard following a €1.6 billion investment from the European Commission. New motorways will be built and existing international routes upgraded, such as the Vratza-Botevgrad, Struma and Maritza motorways. The money will also improve Bulgarian railways and inland waterways, reducing road congestion.

The European Parliament’s indus-try committee has proposed a special derogation from the antici-pated European Union carbon dioxide cap, thus allowing cars with special safety features to emit more CO2.

It argues additional safety equipment can be heavy, forcing cars to emit more carbon dioxide to attain their standard perfor-mance.

MEPs said they had special concern about legislation forcing

manufacturers to fit certain safety equipment.

As a result they are calling for a “system that allows car manufac-turers to emit additional CO2

(because of) legally binding safety measures.”

Safety features may earn cars CO2 reprieve


This week’s vehicle market news and information Edited by Julian Kirk

MONDAYI’ve been reading the first road tests on new Ford Focus in the press. We first saw this car back in May at the R&D centre in Cologne, where a number of senior Ford personnel – including Damian Otan, Focus product manager – explained all the changes made to the car. The main change is the exterior styling – every panel has been changed, except for the roof.

We then drove it a few weeks ago at Ford’s test track in Belgium – again, Ford putting the emphasis on the improved

quality and its driveability, giving us the confidence to increase its RVs.

Ford was among the worst manufacturers a couple of years ago in supplying good quality information on time. The turn-around has been dramatic, and Ford is now one of the best in the industry. This means we can turn around new vehicle data quickly and get it out to customers in an orderly fashion.

Many manufacturers are now letting us see and drive new models much earlier than before. In some cases we are looking at all-new models and technology up to two years ahead of launch.

TUESDAYA few weeks ago I drove the brilliant new Jeep Cherokee across the Sahara Desert. Today, the nearest I got to

sand was the beach at Dunkerque on the way to Brugge in Belgium to test the baby of the family, the Patriot.

The model we drove was the 2.0 CRD Sport costing £16,995 – a true 4x4 but at lower-medium prices and size. We achieved 36.1mpg on average driving through England, France and Belgium, which we thought was a good result.

The Patriot uses a Volkswagen-sourced diesel engine, but was noisy on

start-up and at low speeds. At motorway cruising the noise level was acceptable. Interior quality leaves a bit to be desired, but in a way – in this type of rugged vehicle – it is almost acceptable.

THURSDAYCalled into Nissan’s Design Centre in Paddington on the way back from Belgium. It took us nearly two hours to do 2.9 miles in central London – it’s really pleasing to see that the congestion charge is working so well!

I spoke to some of Nissan’s designers, including Martin Uhlaric. He told me that as a vehicle designer you have to be creative and original, have fresh ideas, but above all have the art of compromise as design is always watered down by either legislation, engineers, assembly

or cost. The studio is situated next to a canal, a railway station and under a flyover. Martin told me that they get inspiration from working so close to the city. It was an interesting day, looking at some future concept cars that may or may not come to market, but I was really pleased to see the M1 North signs!

FRIDAYHad a phone call from Infiniti Europe in Geneva telling me that it was official that the launch of Infiniti in the UK has been postponed for a few months. Not because of late arrival of new product, just simply that the dealer network would not be ready in time.

THINKING CAP Hardworking Martin Ward scours the globe for the week’s insider fleet intelligence

Martin Ward is CAP’s manufacturer relationships manager

Focus product manager Damian Otan with the new model

GM’s blue light fleetpxp p12��

Jeep Patriot in Brugge

BY JULIAN KIRK

Diesel sales accounted for a record share of the new car market in November as rising pump prices saw more drivers opt for the more frugal fuel.

Diesels accounted for 43.5% of the market last month, following on from another record month in October.

Christopher Macgowan, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: “It is really encouraging to see the growth in diesel registrations, and this is expected to exceed 40% of the total market by the end of 2007.”

November saw 158,735 new cars sold in the UK, 2.2% up on the same period last year. Of that total, 84,782 were fleet sales, with business sales to fleets running

25 vehicles or fewer taking 7,983 units.

In the fleet market, Vauxhall took the number one spot with nearly 14,000 sales in November, a drop of 5.2% on the same month last year. Its oldest model, the

Vectra, recorded the largest sales rise – up by 18%. Ford was second, down 14%, with the Focus falling by 28% due to the run-out of the current model and the arrival of a facelifted version next year.

Volkswagen, in third, continued

Booming diesel sales set record

its steady climb with a 9.3% year-on-year increase in registrations thanks to strong demand for the Golf.

Elsewhere, the march of the premium marques continued unabated, with BMW in sixth

with a 53.3% increase in fleet sales in November. Mercedes-Benz increased registrations by nearly 11% thanks to the strong recep-tion to the new C-Class range, while the Qashqai and Note models helped Nissan to 10th.

The new C-Class has helped Mercedes-Benz increase registrations by nearly 11%

TOP 10 FLEET MANUFACTURERS Company Nov 07 % change1 Vauxhall 13,933 (-5.2)2 Ford 12,794 (-14.4)3 Volkswagen 8,756 (9.3)4 Peugeot 5,170 (12.6)5 Renault 5,094 (7.7)6 BMW 4,509 (53.3)7 Audi 3,516 (10.6)8 Toyota 3,321 (34.5)9 Mercedes-Benz 2,737 (10.8)10 Nissan 2,734 (33.6)

TOP 10 FLEET MODELS Model Nov 07 % change1 Ford Focus 5,083 (-28.4)2 Vauxhall Astra 5,056 (-9.5)3 Volkswagen Golf 3,318 (23.5)4 Vauxhall Zafira 3,100 (-1.7)5 Ford Mondeo 2,692 (-7.8)6 Vauxhall Corsa 2,654 (0.7)7 Peugeot 207 2,583 (49.4)8 Renault Megane 2,576 (-8.9)9 Vauxhall Vectra 2,487 (18.1)10 Ford Fiesta 2,387 (-12.7)

��


VXR additionVauxhall has launched a special version of its Astra VXR. The Nürburgring Edition, named after the circuit where it was developed, comes in white with matching wheels and bodykit, as well as bespoke tyres, carbon-fibre-effect door mirrors and pillars, sports exhaust plus body graphics. It is priced at £20,995.

Mazda5 revisedMazda has revised its 5 MPV model for 2008 with a facelift, new interior, reduced emissions from all engines and the option of powered sliding side doors. The new models go on sale next month.

Sporty SkodaSkoda is launching a new sport variant of the Fabia. Priced from £10,660, the Sport is available with 1.2-litre and 1.6 petrol engines and 1.4 and 1.9 diesels. The model adds spoilers, alloy wheels, sports seats and curtain airbags. Skoda has also announced that the Fabia Estate will cost from £9,360 to £13,775.

Trackstar optionBMW and MINI owners are now able to specify the Trafficmaster Trackstar stolen vehicle tracking system as an option. The system comprises Smartnav, Safe Speed camera warning and Fleet Director.

Tiguan teaser

Volkswagen is dropping some heavy hints to the look of a range-topping Tiguan. The R-Line concept adds 19-inch alloys, deeper front and rear bumpers, wheelarch extensions and new grille. R-Line is likely to become the sports trim level in the UK Tiguan line-up.

IN BRIEF

Jaguar’s S-Type replacement, the XF, doesn’t go on sale until March but already the firm is working on a range-topping performance version.

This test mule is the XF R, powered by a supercharged version of the familiar 4.2-litre V8 engine and tuned to produce around 500bhp to tackle the might of BMW’s M5 and Mercedes-Benz’s E63 AMG. There are several tell-tale clues to this car’s performance specification, including a black mesh grille, quad exhaust pipes and lowered ride height.

Expect to see a concept version next year, with sales likely to begin in early 2009.

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Hot XF caught testing

Laguna Sport Tourer p11 Peugeot 308 on test p13 Long-term reports p15

Spyshot

Long-rf p2ww

For a full road test archive, visit fleetnews.co.uk

The launch of the Clubman has proved a big success for MINI, which during November saw its largest share ever of the UK market.

A total of 4,104 new MINIs were registered last month, and in many UK dealerships the Clubman allocations were quickly sold, leaving the car sold out until next year.

Almost 3,000 orders have been placed for the Clubman, which combines the styling of the MINI hatchback with a longer wheelbase and an eyecatching split rear tailgate, aping the original Mini Traveller. The success of the new car meant that MINI accounted for 2.59% of the UK

market in November, the third record sales month that the company has seen this year.

MINI’s owner, the BMW Group, has seen its plants at Oxford, Swindon and Hams Hall move up to full capacity in the mid-term. The three factories are aiming for a record production of 260,000 MINIs in 2008.

However, BMW has announced that the forthcom-ing MINI sports activity vehicle (SAV) will go into production in Austria. It says the move will help ensure flexibility and optimum performance in UK factories, and bring the new model to the market as quickly as possible.

Clubman orders add to MINI success story

Vauxhall’s new Agila will fall into the £35 road tax band when it arrives in showrooms in April.

The affordable, compact five-door hatchback will emit 120g/km of carbon dioxide from both the entry-level petrol and diesel engines, putting it into VED band B.

The 1.0-litre petrol engine will produce 64bhp, while the 1.3 CDTi diesel unit will put out 74bhp.

A larger, 1.2-litre petrol engine with 83bhp completes the new line-up.

The Agila is designed to provide plenty of room inside for both passengers and luggage.

It seats five, all with three-point seatbelts, and prides itself on enough luggage space to rival cars from the class above – 1,050 litres with the rear seats folded flat.

With a tall roofline and high seating position, Vauxhall says the Agila will provide an airy, spacious feel and offer good visibility in heavy city traffic.

Three trim levels will be offered, with prices starting at £7,595.

Vauxhall city car falls into £35 road tax band

Vauxhall’s new Agila goes on sale in April, costing from £7,595

MINI has already taken 3,000 orders for its new Clubman model

BY PHILL TROMANS

Isn’t it funny how fashions and opinions change over time?

When I was young, estate cars were the preserve of mums and the unfashionable. They were boxy transporters, a sign that style and driving enjoyment came way down the priority list, behind space for pushchairs and drool-proof seats.

How things have changed. I reckon that a significant propor-tion of recently-launched cars look best in estate form. Ford’s new Mondeo, Citroën’s forthcom-ing new C5 and now Renault’s Laguna Sport Tourer are all in their visual prime when sporting a cavernous boot.

According to Renault, I’m not alone – its research suggests that the hip young things are the ones going for estates. It thinks buyers of the Sport Tourer are likely to be younger than those going for the Laguna hatch, and the estate is expected to make up between 40% and 50% of the total Lagunas sold to fleets.

So, big boots clearly have appeal, and looking at Renault’s offering I’m not surprised – it has some of the best features I’ve seen in an estate.

The Sport Tourer has 508 litres of space with the rear seats up, and 1,593 litres with them down, compared with 528/1,448 litres for the Mondeo.

The way the rear seats fold down is fantastic – simply press a button either in the door frame or in the boot and they collapse completely flat. No removing

head restraints, no manually hauling them down – just one extension of a finger.

The pull out load cover is also brilliantly designed.

So many cars now have pull-out screens to cover the luggage area, but most are a nightmare to fix to their anchor points. The Laguna’s is fitted into a track so that you simply pull it out and it slips into place.

To retract it, tap in on the top and it zips back.

Should you have the seats down, there is a storage space under the boot floor for the screen – no more leaving it on the garage floor or wedging it in on top of everything you’ve just loaded.

Also in the boot are little pull-out hooks for hanging shopping or a takeaway bag on, and a fold up screen with an elastic strap for holding bottles. There are little storage compartments in either side as well. It’s all very well thought out.

The Sport Tourer is powered by the same range of engines as in the hatch – two petrol units with either 140 or 170 bhp (auto only), and three dCi diesels with 110, 130 or 150bhp.

From April, a 175bhp dCi engine will be available, and there are plans for 3.0-litre dCi V6 and a 3.5-litre petrol V6 later next year.

Trim levels are the same as the hatch, from entry-level Expres-sion to top-of-the-range Initiale.

The Sport Tourer is on average £950 more than the equivalent hatch. Prices start at £16,685 for the 2.0 petrol Expression, rising to £24,095 for the automatic 150 dCi Initiale.

The estate of the nationEstate models are becoming more popular, and the Laguna Sport Tourer’s space and style show why


NEW LAUNCH: RENAULT LAGUNA SPORT TOURER

VERDICTThe Laguna Sport Tourer feels a more resolved proposition than the hatch version, especially when mated to an automatic gearbox. The innovative boot means it’s immensely practical, and if comfort rather than a scintillating drive is high on your priority list, it’s well worth a look.

It’s only a couple of weeks since I reviewed the new Laguna hatch, and while it was comfy and a big improvement on its predecessor, I still wasn’t hugely impressed. I’m much more taken with the Sport Tourer, especially when equipped with an automatic gearbox.

Driving the auto 2.0 dCi 150 was really a rather enjoyable cruise. It doesn’t like to be revved too hard, but use the sea of torque to gently but firmly sweep you along and progress is suitably rapid.

I found the manual gearbox, like that in the hatch, to have a long, imprecise throw and feel too light for any satisfaction, but the auto removes both those worries and concerns that, with a manual ‘box, the engine is unresponsive at really low revs.

The new dCi 175 engine provides more of the same character, and although it doesn’t feel as quick as expected, a glance at the speedo confirms that the extra power is definitely there.

The dCi 110 – sporting Renault’s green Eco2 label for its low emissions – feels more powerful than its capacity suggests. It certainly doesn’t feel 65bhp shy of the 175 engine, and average claimed fuel economy of 56.5mpg could tempt those for whom speed is not a major concern.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

FACT FILEModel: 2.0 2.0 T (auto) 1.5 dCi 110 2.0 dCi 130 2.0 dCi 150 2.0 dCi 175Max power (bhp/rpm): 140/6,000 170/5,000 110/4,000 130/4,000 150/4,000 175/3,750Max torque (lb-ft/rpm): 144/3,750 199/3,250 177/2,000 222/2,000 251/2,000 280/2,000Max speed (mph): 126 134 116 124 131 1340-62mph (secs): 9.3 9.4 12.3 10.8 9.7 8.9Fuel consumption (mpg): 35.3 31.7 53.3 46.3 46.3 42.8CO2 emissions (g/km): 189 210 139 160 160 174On sale: January (dCi 175 – April) Prices (OTR): £16,685–£24,095

ROAD TEST: PEUGEOT 308 1.6 HDi 110 SE

Peugeot goes for all-round appeal308 offers more room inside, improved quality and a fine diesel

BY STEVE MOODY

Peugeot has spent more time and effort launching this car to the fleet industry than any other in its history, and it is easy to see why.

Spacious and light, with a range of low emission engines and claims of improved quality, the firm hopes it will prove a big hit with user-choosers, with more sales coming through richer mix, profitable leasing company busi-ness and not drop off the radar as the 307 did after a bright start.

The 308 certainly feels very large and airy in the front, thanks to what Peugeot calls its ‘semi-tall architecture concept’, although space in the rear didn’t seem anywhere near as generous.

From the driver’s seat it feels like you are driving a mini-MPV because of the large amount of glass around you and the high-ish seating position.

I’m not a big fan of that, mainly because I prefer to be hunkered down, snuggled low in a car, but that’s a personal preference and you can’t deny that Peugeot has certainly set out to do what it intended.

Interior build quality and mate-rials are certainly a step up – possibly a whole set of stairs up – from the 307 and Peugeot can reasonably claim that it is now competing with the very best in class. The chrome-ringed dials and vents and soft touch plastics

of the dash and doors all have a premium feel.

The only letdown is the centre console, which is made of perfectly good silvery plastic but each unit, for climate control and entertainment, doesn’t line up well and has some give.

And on the subject of quality, will somebody please give PSA Peugeot-Citroën a decent-feeling gearbox? There’s nothing inher-ently wrong with the five-speed unit in this car, and it snicks into each gear accurately enough but then flops back to the centre, above third, from fifth or first.

It makes it feel baggy, and makes you wonder what on earth it’s going to be like after 60,000 miles, when in fact it might well be no different at all.

Overcoming problems with

perceived quality is a damned sight harder to rectify than prob-lems with actual quality, and in this sense the 308 does itself no favours.

One thing that doesn’t need changing is the 1.6 HDi engine, which is as excellent as it has always been. Although it only has 110bhp, it doesn’t ever feel like it is struggling and has a quiet, soft quality about it. In fifth on the motorway, you don’t feel like you are missing a sixth gear either.

As for handling the 308, with its upright stance, does have that odd sensation of most Peugeots that it rolls a bit through corners because you are sitting slightly higher than in other cars, but in fact if you line the dash up with the road, it’s perfectly flat and composed. It also rides nicely and while it’s not a car that inspires you, it does a very good, unfussy, solid job.

Perhaps the only complaint would be the steering around the straight-ahead position which has an odd heavy, lifeless feel to it and requires fairly regular correc-tions. In the first quarter of the turn it feels like you are working against the resistance of a very strong spring.

The 308 doesn’t stir the soul in any particular facet but is a good all-rounder.

Whether that will be enough to see user-choosers flocking to it remains to be seen.

■ Honda Civic 2.2 i-CTDi ES

■ Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI Sport

We’ve put the 308 up against one of the top volume performers in the Astra, plus two cars that are strong draws for user-choosers. The 308 has a generous spec list: panoramic glass sunroof, cruise control,

automatic lights and wipers, ESP and dual-zone climate control.

Astra £16,535Civic £17,202308 £17,230Golf £17,827

THREE RIVALS TO CONSIDER

P11D PRICE

SMR COSTThere’s absolutely nothing between any of these cars when it comes to service, maintenance and repair and that bodes well for the 308. Often French cars get a bad rap for reliabil-ity and despite cheap parts and low labour rates they end up performing

badly, but there seem to be none of those concerns for the 308.

EMISSIONS AND TAX RATESThis 1.6 HDi 110 in the 308 is not the cleanest of cars in the range but is still easily the lowest-emitting of the cars here. But the Astra’s lower P11D price makes it the lowest for BIK tax at £55 a month for a 22%

taxpayer. The 308 costs £57, while the Golf is most expensive at £62.

VERDICTThe 308’s combination of running costs, tax bill and equipment levels put it in the mix at the top of the sector and in SE trim it looks an attractive option. Thinking like a user-chooser, the Golf is at the lower end of its range and not as well-specified, while the Astra starts to run out of puff at this higher price and the Civic is a striking vehicle, decently-specced with a great engine and good running cost, which means it sneaks a win from the 308.

■ WINNER: Honda Civic 2.2 i-CTDi ES

FUEL COST

DEPRECIATION COST

The 140bhp Golf and Civic are much more powerful cars than the 110bhp Civic and Astra but neither would be especially outshone and have excellent fuel economy. The 308 manages 60.1mpg but the Civic’s

combination of power and 55.4mpg makes it particularly impressive.

308 7.48/£4,488Astra 8.11/£4,866Civic 8.11/£4,866Golf 8.74/£5,244

Not surprisingly, the Golf is best when it comes to depreciation, but the Civic is hot on its heels. CAP puts them at 40% and 37% respectively after three years/60,000 miles. The 308 is put at 35% of its

value new, while the Astra’s high volumes and its age count against it.

Golf 17.67/£10,602Civic 17.79/£10,674308 18.67/£11,202Astra 20.01/£12,006

WHOLELIFE COSTThe Astra struggles because of the extra depreciation, but the others are closely matched. There’s no one area in which the Civic or Golf perform poorly, though the Golf is more expensive in tax. The 308 looks

solid across the board. Its low fuel cost is probably the stand-out area.

Civic 29.27/£17,562Golf 29.54/£17,724308 29.62/£17,772Astra 31.32/£18,792

ppm/60k total

Golf 3.13/£1,878Astra 3.20/£1,920Civic 3.37/£2,022308 3.47/£2,082


308 129g/km/18%Civic 135g/km/18%Astra 138g/km/18%Golf 145g/km/19%

■ Vauxhall Astra 1.7 CDTi 100 Design

FACT FILEP11D value £17,230CO2 emissions (g/km) 129BIK % of P11D in 2007 18%Graduated VED rate £115Insurance group 5Combined mpg 60.1CAP RV (3yr/60k) £5,950/35%Monthly lease (3yr/60k) £369

✔

✖

■ Build quality■ High fuel economy■ Decent RV■ Wholelife costs

■ High seating position■ Floppy gearshift

Roof tops MX-5’s charmsFolding roof takes just 12 seconds to open, making it perfect for catching those rare sunny days

www.fleetnews.co.uk 13.12.07 1516 6.12.07 www.fleetnews.co.uk

BY SANDIE HURFORD

Thanks to the Indian summer we’ve been enjoying until recently, I’ve had the chance to appreciate the joys of open-top motoring in the MX-5 Roadster Coupe.

One of its major merits, as far as I’m concerned, is the simplicity and speed of the folding roof mechanism. This must be one of the niftiest hardtops around. It takes just 12 seconds to smoothly open up to the sunshine, leaving onlookers impressed and envious, while some of its bigger rivals take aeons to jigsaw themselves laboriously into position, reminis-cent in their complexity of one of those Transformers toys (remem-ber, Robots in Disguise?).

Back to winter, however, and severe weather could show up the rear-wheel drive Mazda’s short-comings. One tester was wary after a light layer of snow forced her to complete her journey in second gear as moving into third sent its rear-end all a-quiver.

As for me, despite admiring the MX-5’s cutely chic looks, I find “back to basics” makes it just a little too firm to be a comfortable ride – but that’s probably down to age as our long-termer has proved very popular with younger members of staff. Despite its diminutive size, it has also been much admired by male testers. Previous road tests by Fleet News lamented a lack of performance and power in both 1.8 and 2.0-litre

engines but its biggest fans would take them to task on that.

Obviously, as a two-seater there’s not a lot of room inside, though storage space has been provided through well-sited cubby-holes and compartments and the boot is surprisingly capa-cious. But the elegance of the low lines makes it awkward to get into and out of, possibly limiting its market to the more agile – I haven’t even tried to get my

elderly father into the passenger seat and anyone with back trou-bles might have a problem.

The demise of the MG TF and Toyota MR2 makes the MX-5 one of very few relatively affordable two-seat roadsters on the market and certainly the only one with a folding hardtop (prices start at £18,210 for a 1.8-litre model, just £1,200 more than the equivalent soft-top version and with extra standard equipment including climate control, alloy wheels and partial leather trim).

The original model, launched in 1989, is credited with revitalis-ing sales of simple two-seaters and Mazda says it has enjoyed huge sales, partly due to the growing appeal of convertibles in this country.

Fuel economy (34.5mpg claimed, low 30s achieved) is not great for a small car, which might count against it as fleet managers are now listing that as the biggest factor in their choice of vehicles. Not so for Tony Leigh, fleet

manager at Pricewaterhouse Coopers. He has 400 MX-5s on his fleet, which allows employees to run a company car from a list of any vehicle except for pick-up trucks, and has ordered 94 new MX-5s this year. A typical comment from one of his user-choosers: “If the MX-5 was not on the company car list, I would not have joined the scheme.”

Music to Mazda’s ears.

FACT FILEPrice: £21,265 (£21,590 as tested)Mileage: 11,608CO2 emissions 193Company car tax bill (2007) 40% tax-payer: £173 per monthInsurance group: 13Combined mpg: 34.5Test mpg: 32.0CAP Monitor RV: £8,325/40%Contract hire rate £385Expenditure to date: £515 (body repair following vandalism)Figures based on three years/60,000 miles

LONG-TERMERS: MAZDA MX-5 R/C 2.0i SPORT/PEUGEOT 407 SW HDi 170 SPORT

Fast car but slow technologySwift and comfortable estate, but it’s a shame the multi-media technology leaves you wanting BY ANDREW RYAN

With celebrity reunions all the rage at the moment, I’m sure my neighbours are thinking I’m hosting rehearsals for a Christ-mas special of the Little and Large Show.

It’s not that they’ve spotted Sid or Eddie creeping into my home with joke books under their arms, but Fleet News’ Peugeot 407 SW long-termer has joined its smallest sibling – my 107 – on

the drive. As you would expect, the city car is dwarfed by the 407. In fact, there have been times when I’ve looked backwards from the 407’s driver’s seat and tried to convince myself that, with the rear seats folded down, the luggage space may just be long enough for the 107 to squeeze into.

And it’s not just space that the SW can offer. Our model is equipped with the RT4 multi-media system containing the

satellite navigation, stereo and a 30GB hard drive for storing music, as well as the climate control, on-board computer and telephone.

It’s an impressive piece of technology but, unfortunately, I don’t find it particularly user-friendly. It has also switched itself off a couple of times for no apparent reason.

The worth of the 30GB jukebox is also questionable. Copying music on to it is straightforward enough – you just pop in a CD and navigate your way through a few menus until you reach the “create album” option. Select this, enter the album name by selecting its letters one by one using the rotary dial, and then wait. And wait. And then wait some more.

It helps if you’re not in a hurry as it takes up to 20 minutes to

copy one CD, meaning that to fill the jukebox up to its limit of 180 hours of music would take an inordinately long amount of time.

Fortunately, you can listen to the CD while it is copying to help pass the time, but it is a much better idea to simply connect a portable MP3 player to the stereo via the auxiliary socket in the glovebox.

Driving the 407 is a more enjoyable experience as the combination of the smooth 170bhp 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine and excellent suspension make it a swift and comfortable drive.

I’ve spent some time with the new Ford Mondeo recently and although the Blue Oval offers better handling and a more involving drive, I’d probably choose the 407 ahead of it if my

usual route included a lot of motorway driving for its extra comfort.

I am disappointed with the fuel returns – it is averaging 37.3mpg, against the official combined figure of 45.5mpg – but there is little else to grumble about in such an eyecatching estate.

Price: £22,525 (£24,025 as tested)Mileage: 9.790CO2 emissions (g/km): 165Company car tax bill (2007)40% tax-payer: £190 per monthInsurance group: 14Combined mpg: 45.5Test mpg: 37.0CAP Monitor RV: £7,175/29%Contract hire rate: £551Expenditure to date: NilFigures based on three years/60,000 miles

FACT FILE

CONTRACT HIRE SURVEY: PREMIUM SPORT HATCHBACKS


Clubman hatches new market for MINIBY STEVE MOODY

T he MINI brand is embarking on its toughest challenge with the Clubman.

Much has been made of the Clubman’s rear suicide door opening on the road side of the car, but half of all car doors ever produced have a habit of doing that.

What is certain about the Clubman is that it has more inte-rior space than its three-door sister and, alongside its very effi-cient diesel engine, could well find many fleet homes.

But what is its competition? Size-wise, it may belong to a class that includes the likes of the Skoda Fabia estate and Peugeot 207 SW, but such is the brand strength of the MINI that size is almost irrelevant. Instead, we’ve picked competition on price, badge prestige and individuality.

For practicality, the new Volkswagen Golf Estate looks a good bet. The Nissan Qashqai has proved a popular seller in its first year, while the C30 has not been as successful as Volvo might have liked.

Audi’s A3 Sportback is in entry-level form here, but has a strong combination of extra space and designer style, while the Mercedes-Benz A-class, once as revolutionary and original, offers a premium badge and clever packaging at a very competitive price.

P11D price £16,5002007 BIK bill (22%) £4722007 VED bill £35

RENTAL RATES DCFM £290Hitachi Capital £334Lex £375Lloyds TSB autolease £297

Audi A3 Sportback 1.9 TDI

VERDICT: The A3’s appeal is undiminished even in the entry-level model and its low price means high RVs, too. Sub-120g/km CO2 offers drivers low BIK tax bill.



VERDICT: It’s been low-key since launch, but the C30 has decent RVs, unique style and competitive rentals, voting it into a surprise second place.



VERDICT: An excellent result for the Qashqai, illustrating what a leap Nissan has made with this car. Its 4x4 looks and space make it a superb all-round package.

Volvo C30 1.6D S Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi Acenta

1ST 2ND 3RD

’

’CHRIS CROWHead of risk,Hitachi Capital

The single off-side rear passenger door may limit the Clubman’s appeal to those making a lifestyle choice and at this price it is up against the A3 sector benchmark with class-leading RVs and reasonable discounts.

The current generation A-Class has never managed to gain the success of the previous model, while the Volvo C30 has ensured its place in this niche thanks to its stylish design. Nissan has successfully

managed to switch out of a less profitable sector thanks to the Qashqai, while reasonable RVs and discounts, combined with low running costs, characterise the Golf Estate. Despite this, it just isn’t on the radar.’

’DEAN WOODWARD Contract services manager, DaimlerChrysler Fleet Management

The MINI now competes on practicality with other compacts. It has five doors, though the ‘clubdoor’ hasn’t been swapped to the left-hand side for the UK, attracting criticism that rear passengers will exit into the flow of traffic.

Audi’s A3 is the benchmark for the premium hatch and remains hard to beat, with the Sportback increasing its practicality. Volvo’s C30, aimed

at pre-family drivers in their 20s, is a change from the brand’s usual target market. Nissan’s Qashqai is a cross-breed that doesn’t fit in any sector. and lacks the prestige of the other brands.

’’STEVE JONES

Pricing manager,Lex

The Mercedes-Benz’s residual value helps get the rental rate below £300 and for that you have a well-specified family car with a quality badge on the bonnet.

The Qashqai has had some success in the retail market, but is only just getting to grips with fleets, while we are not totally sure where the Clubman will fit on future car choice lists. The A3 is popular on many user-chooser fleets and offers a sporty drive, while the

C30 is an excellent car and in Sport configuration looks a million dollars. You don’t see too many Golf Estates around as the hatchback is such a class act for fleets, but it is a good looking, practical load carrier. ’

’ANDREW MEE Commercial operations manager, Lloyds TSB autolease

Despite differing degrees of practicality and style and a wide range of RV performances, discounts and maintenance costs, these cars are available at comparable rental prices.

The popularity of the MINI makes it hard to bet against the Clubman succeeding, even in lower volumes. Views may be mixed on its styling, but it drives as well as the hatch and has increased boot capacity.

However, some of the others

actually have better capacity, especially the Golf. While the A-Class and A3 offer a premium feel, the C30 is a refreshing alternative. The Qashqai benefits from funky styling and a high driving position.

With its unusual styling and quirky rear doors, the Clubman is entering new ground for MINI. Our expert panel assesses its chances


Clubman hatches new market for MINI



VERDICT: When has a MINI ever been voted so low in a leasing survey? Brilliant residuals but the Clubman’s packaging has yet to convince the industry.


RENTAL RATES DCFM £307 Hitachi Capital £361Lex £328Lloyds TSB autolease £302

VERDICT: The most prosaic of the lot, the Golf does a steady job but lacks pizzazz. A sensible load carrier, but more of a job-need car than a user-chooser’s dream.



VERDICT: Generally a little more expensive to run, the A-Class is voted in sixth, but it’s a stylish car with a decent engine and great badge at this level.

MINI Clubman Cooper 1.6D Volkswagen Golf Estate 1.9 TDI SE Mercedes A160 CDI A/garde SE

350

340

330

320

310

300

Average based on results from our leasing panel

These cars are all very different in style and offering, but most end up costing very similar amounts in monthly rentals. The A-Class is slightly more expensive, which will count against it.

£ OVER 3YRS/60,000 MILES

AVERAGE LEASING RATES

322

320

50

45

40

35

30

25


The desirability is proved of an entry-level A3 Sportback in the used market with excellent fuel economy, and the MINI is not far behind either. The Qashqai, without the brand equity, lags behind the others.

%/£ RETAINED OVER 3 YRS/60,000 MILES

RESIDUAL VALUES

150

140

130

120

110

100

Average based on manufacturers’ claimed figures

The MINI and A3 fit into next year’s 13% low diesel emissions BIK band, which will help their cause among company car drivers. The bigger, heavier Qashqai emits most, but is still only in the 19% tax bracket.

GRAMMES PER KILOMETRE

CO2 EMISSIONS

137

109

12

10

8

6

4

2


MINI is amazingly tight when it comes to discounts with its new car, but none of the other manufacturers are exactly giving them away either. Audi and Volvo both offer 10% off.

AVERAGE DISCOUNT/ % OFF LIST PRICE

AVERAGE DISCOUNT

371/2

1,568/10

70

65

60

55

50

45

Average based on manufacturers’ claimed figures

Using BMW’s EfficientDynamics, the MINI manages a superb combined 68.9mpg with 108bhp. The A3 has had the wick turned down to get better figures and has 103bhp while none of the others are shamed either.

AVERAGE MILES PER GALLON

57.6

68.9

2,000

1,800

1,600

1,400

1,200

1,000


The Golf manages to be the cheapest in SMR costs by some distance while the C30 is some £600 more expensive than the Volkswagen. All the others are closely matched.

£ OVER 3 YRS/60,000 MILES

AVERAGE MAINTENANCE

1,737

4TH 6TH

MIN

I

Qas

hqai

Gol

f

C30

A3

A160

MIN

I

Qas

hqai

Gol

f

C30

A3

A160

MIN

I

Qas

hqai

Gol

f

C30

A3

A160

MIN

I

Qas

hqai

Gol

f

40/6,414

46/7,417

C30

A3

A160

MIN

I

Qas

hqai

Gol

f

1,167/7

A160

A3

C30

128

1,642/10

33/5,398

47/7,797

52.3

62.7

129

145

119 54.3

324 325 324

343

1,303/8

1,975/8

57.6

FUEL ECONOMY

40/6,421

39/6,510

5TH

1,530

MIN

I

Qas

hqai

1,797

1,961

A160

A3

C30

Gol

f

1,783

1,393

With its unusual styling and quirky rear doors, the Clubman is entering new ground for MINI. Our expert panel assesses its chances

Ultimately, money can’t buy you happiness. But let’s face it, if you were wallowing in

piles of cash, such a maxim wouldn’t stop you trying.

It certainly hasn’t prevented wealthy buyers from throwing money at their cars in an attempt to enjoy them that little bit more.

Spending big money on expen-sive motors is all well and good, but the devil is in the detail. And those with big wallets are usually sticklers for detail. That means they have a keen eye for the little extras – the type of wood in the dash, the colour of upholstery, the optional extras. And they’ll pay to get what they want.

Even at the most basic level, the more prestigious cars of today aren’t shy in demanding cash. A Maybach 62S, without options, will set you back £345,687 (plus a £567 delivery charge), while Rolls-Royce’s extended wheelbase Phantom is £306,437 in its simplest form.

Not all are quite so pricey, of

course – a Bentley Arnage RL is just £196,349. But before you think to yourself “hey, I’ve got a spare £200k,” take a quick look through the options list. No-one with 200 grand to splash on a car goes for the base spec.

Sticking with the Arnage RL you will, of course, want the best sound system that Bentley offers, complete with surround sound. That will add £11,295 to the bill. And when being chauffeured long distances, Sir will need a DVD and TV to amuse him – £13,960 please. And perhaps a drink? A ‘slim division drink console’ will hike up the bill by a not-inconsiderable £23,815.

Moving on to the Maybach, it would be very common of one to share space with the driver, so you’ll simply have to order a retractable partition screen with two-way intercom – a steal at £23,780. That makes Rolls-Royce’s seat coolbox seem a giveaway at just £3,300.

Once you leave the car, you’ll need to carry your belongings in style. Wait, how foolish of me – you’ll want someone else to carry your belongings in style. How

about some luggage to match your new Maserati? Quattroporte customers can specify a five- piece luggage set for £2,879.

You don’t have to rely on the manufacturers for options and nor, in fact, do you need to buy a horrendously expensive car to spend vast amounts on extras. Modifying company Project Kahn will turn your standard Range Rover into a gadget-filled haven. Just £750 will get you a Microsoft Xbox 360 installed in the back, and a paltry £699 will get you a head-up display. For £60, they’ll throw in a carbon- fibre golf umbrella.

Of course, the prestige manu-facturers would prefer you didn’t take their intricately crafted product and have someone else hack into it, so most offer a bespoke service at the factory.

A spokesperson for Maybach explains: “You can have pretty much whatever you’re prepared to pay for.”

Requests to Maybach have included the royal crests of a Middle Eastern country inscribed into the headrests, and a set of clocks installed that tell the time in seven countries. One customer specified that he would like his car in the same colour as

his private jet, while another flew

his jet to Stuttgart airport to meet Maybach’s personal liaison manager. The manager was shown the plane’s leather seats and told the car needed to be upholstered in the same leather. The plane took off without the customer even leaving the cabin.

A Rolls-Royce spokesman explains: “A lot of people that come to us have compared it to commissioning a piece of art rather than specifying a car.”

As far back as the 1950s, a customer ordered his Silver Cloud III with hot and cold running water. He said he wanted to use it while on camping trips.

More recently, an overseas buyer was a particular fan of a certain soft drink, which had a distinctively-shaped can. Exam-

ples of the can were flown to the UK to ensure the cupholder was crafted to grip it properly.

A particularly fastidious customer had his own wooden veneers shipped to the factory so that his new Rolls would match his other cars and yacht.

The general upshot is, if you’re in the market for a luxury car, don’t expect to get away with the price in the window. You have to splash the cash to carry off the luxurious look.

And be prepared to lose a serious amount of money. CAP predicts the Maybach will retain 33% of its cost new after three years and 60,000 miles – that’s £231,000 cash lost! The Phantom will lose £181,000 and the Bentley a paltry £127,000.


FANTASY FLEETS: OPTIONAL EXCESS

‘ ’YOU CAN HAVE PRETTY

MUCH WHATEVER YOU’RE PREPARED TO PAY FOR

Paying a higher price for those ‘essential’ luxuriesLuxury car buyers are spending thousands of pounds making their vehicles truly individual BY PHILL TROMANS

Electric rear window blinds in the Maybach cost £2,430

Bespoke options in the Phantom include a cigar humidor

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

The Fleet News Forum offers free five-star accommodation to delegates taking part in pre-arranged business meetings. Apply for your place online at www.fleetnewsforum.co.uk

How the Fleet News Forum worked for me

Sign up to a better way of doing business in fleet

Name: Jon YorkJob title: Fleet operations managerCompany: British GasFleet size: 10,000 vans, 2,500 carsBackground: A leading fleet expert who has helped introduce a series of innovative changes to the British Gas fleet. This year, he has won a number of awards, including Fleet Safety/Risk Manager of the Year (pictured).

How did you hear about the Forum?I am a subscriber to Fleet News and the information was in there. I attended the 2007 event in Leeds.

What appealed to you about the event?There were a number of suppliers that I hadn’t met before and it gave me the oppor-tunity to see what they had to offer. Face-to-face meetings are a great way of finding out if a supplier will fit with your business.

I liked the efficiency of the meetings and the chance to network with other people in the industry doubled the benefits.

What was your reaction when you saw that the event was completely free?I can see why fleet managers would be

surprised at this and I even rang the events team to confirm that it wouldn’t cost me anything. The venue is excellent and the business benefits are great, but it really is free. There is no catch or hard sell.

Did you get any help preparing to attend the event?You receive a really good package with everything you need and the events team

help arrange appointments. It is up to you to choose the people you want to see. There are a lot of delegates so you have to make sure you sign up to see who you need to.

What did you think of the free workshops during the event?I was really keen to attend the workshops. In fact, I asked them to guarantee that I could attend some of them.

During the event, did the meetings deliver what you expected?I had 20 minutes per meeting and I just got on with it. There was no messing about. We got straight down to what they had to offer and if you were interested in receiving more information, you could arrange for a follow-up meeting later.

The Fleet News Forum offers a relax-ing social environment. Did this help?The first evening was excellent for break-ing the ice and then we had an evening out, which was fantastic. The planning and organisation was excellent.

What has happened in the time since your attendance?I have met a few of the suppliers since attending and it has been excellent.

What would be your advice to other fleet managers?Anyone will benefit, irrespective of their fleet size or influence. If you are in the industry, just go.

Boring boardrooms and hours of Powerpoint slides aren’t productive, especially when one over-long meeting can impact on the flow of a whole day’s work. It doesn’t have to be this way.

At the Fleet News Forum, fleet decision-makers take part in pre-arranged business meetings.

This year, the event takes place at the stunning five-star De Vere Grand Hotel in Brighton.

Over two days, in beautiful surround-ings, you can attend strictly-timed presentations that get straight down to business, focusing on what you want and what the supplier can deliver.

We organise the appointments in advance to save time and during the event you can expect to meet eight to 12 suppliers of your choosing.

Each one-to-one meeting lasts for 30 minutes and we also offer workshops covering some of the key fleet issues facing your business.

The time-saving and efficiency benefits compared to office meetings are immense.

The Fleet News Forum makes perfect business sense, so sign up today to save time and meet new suppliers.

Log on to www.fleetnewsforum.co.uk to apply for your place.

De Vere Grand Hotel, Brighton February 19-20

2008

Apply online now at www.fleetnewsforum.co.uk. For sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities, call Maddie Collins on 01733 468171 or email [email protected]

To ensure you make the most of your time at the Fleet News Forum, we are repeating our successful workshops.

Issues covered this year will be risk management, green fleet management, wholelife costs and taxation.

Added value workshops

Everything is free, from the luxurious accommodation to meals and even evening entertainment.

Why? Because suppliers cover the costs of your stay as they benefit from quality time with you.

Great benefits for free

The Fleet News Forum explained

Satisfied customer: Jon York of British Gas

Letters – p29Is London traffic worse or better since the introduction of the congestion charge? And how much is it costing fleets?

Helplines – p33

Few roadworks seem to be completed to sched-ule, causing considerable problems for drivers. Why is this?

First car – p35

Lorraine Farnon, UK sales director at National Car Rental, remembers her first car, a 1.1-litre Ford Fiesta.

Competition – p35

Your chance to win a £350 sat-nav system.

BY EMMA COOPER

Managers have been warned to keep track of owed leave follow-ing changes to the holiday entitle-ment law introduced in October.

Many employers are unaware of the new legal requirement for full-time workers, which increased from, four to 4.8 weeks, according to the Forum of Private Business (FPB). Changes in employment law have confused employers and staff, meaning extra care needs to be taken when calculating holiday in the run-up to Christmas.

Philip Moody, services repre-sentative at the FPB, said part-time workers faced the biggest problems as their pro-rata

entitlement was difficult to calcu-late. He said: “Holiday entitlement has become very complicated as the variations and permutations that have to be taken into account are endless.

“For instance, the calculations

for part-time workers and employ-ees working variable hours are very often beyond the ability of many to calculate.”■ Visit www.fpb.org/page/391 to calculate holiday entitlement on the FPB’s online calculator.

Care needed over holiday entitlement

David Boran has been appointed managing director of Lloyds TSB’s automotive sector. He will be responsible for managing the financial interests of Lloyds’ customers in the motor industry. Mr Boran brings more than 30 years’ experience to the role.

Nick Harwood has been promoted to the newly-created role of sales and marketing director for the Europcar and National Car Rental brands. Mr Harwood, who has been in the industry for more than 15 years, will be responsible for sales and marketing within the corporate and leisure markets.

Boran takes on MD role

Harwood fills newly-created post

Wider role for Schooling at BMWRichard Schooling is now chief operating officer at Alphabet, with a greater remit within BMW Group Financial Services. He will remain on the board of Alphabet, while taking board responsibility for market-ing, pricing and operations for BMW Group Financial Services.

SETTLING IN How was your first week? Within the first hour I took a call from my first customer at Glass’s where I worked 11 years ago. I also organised a three-week trip to Australia and New Zealand. Is the role all that you imagined it would be? More – I wasn’t aware that the

Thatcham brand was so well-known. Are you working on any major projects? We are currently working to secure a security standards franchise in two European markets, and on the delivery of collision repair methods to a

number of markets in separate parts of the world. How are you using experi-ence from previous roles? Working at Glass’s, I developed a large number of market contacts, which helps now. What’s the best advice you

have been given? Make a difference, don’t just make up the numbers. How do you relax after work? I have two fantastic children who keep me busy and I spend two evenings a week and most Saturday afternoons as a rugby coach.

Mike PatersonBusiness

development manager

Thatcham

Describe the fleet you are responsible for. I look after 20 cars on a multi-marque fleet, including Vauxhall, Ford, Peugeot and Volkswagen.

What are you working on at the moment?I am developing our road safety offering, including the provision of risk assess-ments for drivers. Do you have any long-term plans for the fleet?Green transport is impor-tant and I would like to move towards a greener fleet. What would you change if your were Transport Minister?I would put in place more viable alternatives to using cars before making it more difficult and expensive for drivers.

How do you think the fleet industry is changing?The whole industry is trying to take notice of environ-mental and safety issues when selecting vehicles. What would be your ideal weekend?Being somewhere warm and sunny, with a good book, a few glasses of something deliciously alcoholic and my lovely man.


Shirley Coleman

Fleet co-ordinator

Futures Resourcing

Job of the weekDANIEL WILLIAMS CONSULTANCY Business development managers, p28

■ email: [email protected]

Your views, your queries, your chance to get involved

APPOINTMENTS

Find your favourites

Keep track of holiday entitlement to avoid missing out

Edited by Adele Barry

FLEET CV

Jackson to head up divisionTelematics services provider Eagle-i has appointed Simon Jackson to head up its new professional services division, Eagle-i Consulting. Mr Jackson and his team will act as data advisers, helping customers inter-pret telematics information.


Recruitment Call Daniel Bragg: 01733 468271

email: [email protected]

01235 536440www.steele-dixon.co.uk

Brighter futureSales Executive Niche Surrey £40KSales Executive Volume Bath £40KCorporate Sales Manager Group South £80KAccount Manager Fleet South £50KService Mgr Niche S London £32KService Mgr Plant N London £32KBusiness Development Mgr Auction House Scotland £50K OTEQuarry Fleet Administrator Construction Middle East Tax Free

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SOUTH NORTHHigh Wycombe ManchesterWill Gardner/Gregg Dampier Marc Bridges/Claire Anderson01494 538866/538855 0161 601 7766/[email protected] [email protected]

daniel williams consultancySales and Marketing Recruitment Specialists

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER x 3Contract Hire - South East, East Midlands & North West£35K Basic • £70K OTE Uncapped • Car, changed every 6 months • Full BensOur client is one of the most exciting and fastest growing leasing companies in the UK.Armed with a host of services together with a unique way of vehicle disposal means they areextremely competitive. They have the excellent blend of being fast paced, with the flexibilityof a small business and the financial clout of a FTSE 250. If you have proven success incontract hire and are looking for a role with genuine earning potential edging towards sixfigures then this opportunity could be for you. Ref. CT4449

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGERSTyres - National Opportunities£30K Basic • £36K OTE • Exec Car • Laptop • Mobile • PensionAn exceptional opportunity to join a global, industry market leader with a superb reputationfor both its standard of products and quality of staff. This role will manage the relationshipswith the company’s approved distribution network. Your task will be to ensure the smoothrunning of these relationships. This is a fantastic opportunity to work for a world-widerecognisable brand that will give you opportunities to develop your career. Ref. GD4867

STRATEGIC SALES CONSULTANTAutomotive Consultancy£48K • £56K OTE • Car • Home Set-up • Healthcare • Pension • Laptop • MobileThis company is one of the most renowned automotive consultancies in the UK and is partof one of the biggest names associated with the automotive industry. This role is managingand developing exciting and new strategic relationships within automotive manufacture andassociated business. You will be looking to provide services such as improving theperformance of their dealer network. This is a highly diverse role offering solutions andservices that can add real value. Ref. CT4992

Specialist Search and SelectionTo view a variety of current positions visit our website www.alastairames.co.uk or ring for details.

Tel 0207 917 1855 Fax 0207 917 1856 [email protected] 211 PICCADILLY, LONDON W1V 9LD

alwaysthe right person for the job

A L A S T A I R A M E S

To advertise here please

call DanielBragg

on 01733 468271

SALES PROFESSIONAL

Qi Van Systems, one of the UK’s leading vehicle racking and conversion specialists based in the midlands, requires an experienced sales professional to further the company’s expansion. The successful candidate will have a proven track record in competitive sales and display both vision and enthusiasm to secure fl eet sales in this expanding market.

01952 [email protected]

237965.indd 1 30/11/07 12:21:48 pm


Get a letter published in Fleet News and you will receive a 512Mb computer memory stick worth £15 courtesy of fleet soft-ware and occupational road safety specialist Jaama.

FREE GIFT

■ By writing to Fleet News you agree to have your details passed on to Jaama and may receive offers from or in association with Emap Consumer Media unless you state otherwise.

Heavy impact of test changes As well as working as a fleet

driver trainer I also teach learner drivers and most of them haven’t got a clue about the rules for towing trailers and never would if I didn’t mention it to them – “Towing tests on the way” (Fleet News, November 29).

Out of all of the post-test debriefs I listen to, only one examiner at the three test centres I use tells them about the rule.

It’s the same with category C1 (7.5-tonne) licences. A lot of people think they automati-cally receive entitlement when they pass their category B test, just as their parents did.

I was teaching one young lad who told me that when he passes his car test his employer wants him to drive a 7.5-tonne truck.

His employer had a shock when told the lad wouldn’t be entitled. Apparently he had two other young lads driving it who hadn’t passed the C1 test either.

JON MEDDINGSDriving 4U

Confusion over licence entitlement

Interface■ Email: [email protected]. Please include name, job title, company and addressLETTERS

I am writing about the article “Congestion gets worse in London” (Fleet News, Novem-ber 15). The headline implies the congestion charge is not effective because London’s rush-hour traffic now moves slower than before congestion charging was introduced.

However, figures from the same source (Transport for London) indicate there is signif-icantly less traffic since the congestion charge was intro-duced.

So, is congestion now better or worse? Should we support congestion charging as it rolls out across the UK, or fight against it?

There is another important issue – the hidden costs of congestion charges for fleets.

In the first couple of years, many company car drivers failed to pay the charge and incurred fines. Last year our customers paid a total of £295,000 in fines for non-payment. The good news is that fleet managers and drivers are increasingly aware of conges-tion charging and saving money by reducing the number of fines they accrue over the year.

A recent customer survey revealed fines paid by company car drivers for non-payment of the congestion charge have fallen by more than 35% in the past four years. In the past year alone there has been a reduc-tion of 22%. This at least is heart-ening news for fleet managers and business leaders, even if the state of London’s roads provokes an ever increasing amount of concern.

PHILIP PILEHead of administration, Lloyds TSB autolease

Uninsured losses can be many times greater than the costs covered by your policy. Do you have a plan for dealing with losses not covered by insurance? If you do, vote “yes” in the online poll at: www.fleetnews.co.uk

100

80

60

40

20

0YES NO

LAST WEEK’S POLL

52% 48%

Do you think drivers should strike to

hasten a review of AMAP rates?

The prospect of having to fight to recover losses as a result of an accident involving a foreign vehicle has brought up the subject of uninsured loss recovery.

It’s not a new concept. Fleet operators have been aware of the total cost of an accident for years. The total cost often goes way beyond straightening bent metal. There are injuries,

downtime, missed deadlines and lost business, all of which can stem from a road collision. Many of these costs will not be covered by your insurance and some estimates put them as high as 20 times more than you might be able to claim under any policy.

Do you have a policy for estimating and recovering your business’s uninsured losses?

ONLINE POLL FleetNews COMMENT

The proposal for compulsory training and possibly a test if a car and trailer combination is more than 3.5 tonnes is just a small extension of the changes that came into force on January 1, 1997 – “Towing tests on the way” (Fleet News, November 29).

Anyone passing the ordinary car (B) test after January 1, 1997, does not get a licence to tow heavy trailers so needs to take an additional test (B+E).

The number going through this new (B+E) test has been miniscule. In 1997, just 20 drivers went through Driving Standards Agency (DSA) tests, and although the numbers increased to 4,000 tests in 2005 this is still a tiny number compared to the number who pass the car test.

The pass rate for the DSA B+E test has been running at less than 50%, so 4,000 tests means less than 2,000 new B+E licences whereas around 600,000 pass the B (car) test each year.

The implication of this is horrific for fleet operators who tow trailers or allow their drivers to tow a trailer privately.

More than six million drivers have passed the car test but less than 6,000 have passed the B+E test – 0.01% or thereabouts.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been doing rather better and around 4,500 drivers per annum have been passing the MoD test every year since 1997.

What is the implication? Well if you see someone under

the age of 27 or 28 towing a large trailer behind a car or van, the odds are probably 10-1 that he or

she does not have the correct licence entitlement. That, of course, means he or she is driving uninsured as well.

Do the authorities know this? They should do as I have been pointing it out regularly to the DSA and others for the past 10 years, but to say they were disin-terested would be an understate-ment.

EDWARD HANDLEYBy email

Towing 2Towing 1

A tiny number of newly-qualified drivers can legally tow a trailer

Cutting the cost of congestion

I read Lynn Fortin’s feed-back to my answer re: P11ds and phone kits (Fleet News, December 6) and must put my hands up.

I did overlook the area she highlighted. However, in my defence, my own firm’s fleet consists totally of vehicles to

which we retrofit hands-free kits. We do not buy vehicles with manufacturer-installed kits and so I overlooked them in my answer.

FRED MACDONALDWilson Electrical Distributors

I have to respond to the letter from Fred Macdonald – “Let’s target idiot mobile users” (Fleet News, December 6).

He correctly asserts that we should target idiot mobile users. However, his examples of “white van man, mums on the school run and artic truck

drivers” are not the only culprits. Men and women of all ages are still using their phones while driving their own cars.

JOHN CARRINGTONFleet & transport services manager, Liverpool City Council

Don’t pigeon-hole culprits Hands-free phone kit omission


We’re proud of where we are.But we could go further.

Serving over a million motorists each year, Autoglass® sets the highest of standards

when it comes to windscreen repair and replacement. It’ll come as no surprise then

that we work with some of the most prestigious fleet companies on the road. Now we

need an outstanding Key Account Manager to build and develop the relationship we

have with them.

Proactive, commercially minded and an excellent negotiator, you’ll head up a portfolio

of key accounts, ensuring that our clients fully understand the benefits of working in

partnership with us. You’ll also collaborate with other areas of the business in scoping

out new growth opportunities in the market.

The accounts will typically have sales values of over £1million, so it’s a high-profile

role and a chance to really stand out in a company that’s already at the top of its

field but constantly looking for ways to improve. Whilst an understanding of the UK

fleet sector would be advantageous, it’s your business mind and ability to influence

development that we’re really interested in here.

You’ll have proven you’re up to the job in another business-to-business sales

environment, where your relationship building and project management skills were

perfected to a tee. Now you can lend them to a new role and do so with an expert

and highly supportive team behind you.

We know people as good as you don’t come around very often. In return for your

commitment, you’ll get an excellent bonus and company car for starters.

Perhaps more importantly though, as part of our senior management team,

you’ll have the opportunity to further your own capabilities and really progress

within the company.

To apply, please send your CV and covering letter to: The HR Department,

Autoglass®, 1 Priory Business Park, Cardington, Bedford MK44 3US or email

[email protected]

National Key Account Manager£COMPETITIVE

HOME BASED (WITH SOME TRAVEL TO BEDFORD)

Be

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Fleet services Call Sheryl Graham: 01733 468256 email: [email protected]

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Expressions of interest are invited for the provision of short and long term vehi-cle hire to Lancashire Constabulary and Cheshire Constabulary. The contractwill also be open to any other police force or emergency service within the UK.

A full range of vehicles will be required, including small/medium/large saloons,estate cars, people carriers, vans, and minibuses. Other vehicles may also berequired from time to time.

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A pre-qualification questionnaire must be completed and submitted by 1200hrson Monday 14 January 2008. The pre-qualification questionnaire is availablethrough the Bluelight e-tendering portal at www.bluelight.gov.uk and prospectivetenderers are advised to register themselves at this website and then expresstheir interest by searching for contract reference LANC/PLN/79CFSP.

The PQQ will be available until 1200hrs on Monday 7th January 2008.

Questions should be addresses via the Q&A facility within the bluelight system,the last date for questions is 1200hrs on Monday 7th January 2008.

Only those companies that are shortlisted after the questionnaires have beenassessed will be invited to tender.

The main contact for this project is Paul Eastham Purchasing Officer atLancashire Constabulary on 01772 412322, [email protected]


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To advertise here call Sheryl Graham on 01733 468256

QRoadworks are a constant problem for our

drivers who are often delayed for more than an hour at a time on business trips. I am sure some projects are not completed within the given time frame, but why do roadworks over-run?

ADespite the careful planning and surveying that is

carried out in all cases prior to work starting, unforeseen events may still occur and are the main cause of roadworks overrunning.

These can include:

■ inclement weather.■ unforeseen ground conditions. ■ problems with buried services such as pipes, cables, etc. ■ plant breakdowns. ■ road traffic incidents. ■ high traffic volumes, which prevent traffic management systems being installed.

But often it is a combination of more than one of these factors that causes roadworks to over-run. For more information visit www.highways.gov.uk

SPOKESMANHighways Agency

ROADWORK PROBLEMS

Unforeseen events often cause roadworks to over-run

QIs there a law about carrying a spare wheel

on vans? And what would the implications be of not carrying one?

AThere is no legal requirement in the UK for a motor

vehicle to carry a spare wheel. Similarly, I am not aware that such a requirement exists anywhere else in the EU.

Because of their size, weight, cost, propensity to be stolen and the risks associated with changing a wheel, fleet operators are increasingly specifying vehicles to be supplied without spare wheels.

For similar reasons, plus some additional design considerations, for example, some cars have unidirectional tyres where sizes may be different front to rear (which means each wheel has a unique position on the vehicle and cannot be used elsewhere). Others may have a run-flat capability.

Vehicle manufacturers are more commonly supplying vehicles without a conventional spare wheel, either with a space-saver or kit to seal and re-inflate a punctured tyre.

While there are benefits in not having a conventional spare wheel, in such a situation you need to put arrangements in place for a roadside response to quickly rectify any tyre faults.

ROBERT CONSTANT Fleet consultant, Constant Consultancy Services

SPAREWHEEL

QIs there a single place where I, as a non-

accountant, can get all the information I need to understand and operate the tax and payroll elements of our company car fleet?

AYou would think that the single place to go for you

to understand and operate the tax and payroll elements of your company car fleet would be HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

However, the site is packed with so much inform-ation on every aspect of tax and benefits, that it is easy to get lost.

Do not get me wrong, the HMRC site is a great source of information and can help you in areas such as a car fuel benefit calculator, advisory fuel rates, business miles in private cars, National Insurance Contribu-tions and so on.

It also has links to external

sites such as the CO2 Emissions Database, but if your area of expertise is not in payroll you could come unstuck.

I would recommend getting help from an external source which specialises in tax and benefits, or handing this aspect of the fleet to your own payroll department.

EMMANUEL LEWIS Fleet manager, Vista Retail Support

TAX INFORMATION

QI was interested in the helpline on private

parking firms last week as I’ve encountered a similar problem with our drivers. Do you know who monitors the practices of private parking companies and to whom I should direct my complaints?

AInformation about the registered keeper of a

vehicle may be obtained by private parking companies from the Driver & Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) if they can provide reasonable cause to require it.

They must also provide proof of contract with the land owner that they are acting on behalf of the owner.

If this information is misused, you may complain direct to the

DVLA, which may in turn pass this on to the Information Commissioner for a prosecu-tion.

As the contract is held between the land owner and the parking company for the issue of fines any other complaint can only be directed to them.

There are certain circum-stances where a private parking company can commit a criminal offence in issuing a fine

(eg where they state that a criminal prosecution may follow if a fine is not paid). There may also be the opportunity to complain to the Office of Fair Trading if the penalties imposed, for example, for over-parking far outweigh the revenue that would have been earned for that space.

The best way to reduce the impact of parking charges is to educate drivers to avoid getting

the fines at all. Drivers should check the costs and limits of where they park, check that they are parked in only one bay and where there is a time limit they should set the alarm on their mobile phone, leaving enough time to return to the vehicle.

DERMOT COUGHLANTransport manager, Kelly Group

PRIVATE PARKING

Delayed roadworks are constant problem

HELPLINE


■ Do you have a problem with your fleet? email [email protected] Interface


NEWS QUIZ

You couldn’t make it up...

EVENTS

NEXT WEEK

Win a £350 sat-nav systemThe lucky winner of this week’s quiz will receive a Snooper S600 Syrius Plus satellite navigation system worth £350.

The Snooper S600 contains multi-route planning software, allowing users to calculate daily journeys with up to 10 separate destinations simply by entering individual postcodes.

The unit gives alerts of up and coming speed cameras and can be updated by the driver, as well as warning users of high-risk areas and accident hotspots.

The Snooper is voice activated, has a 4.3-inch LCD display screen and comes with a Bluetooth compatible hands-free kit and rechargeable

battery. For more informa-tion, visit wwwsnooperuk.com

To win, answer the following questions, based on articles in this week’s Fleet News.

1. How many Fresnel lenses have been distributed to drivers of left-hand drive trucks entering the UK from Dover ferry port?2. What is the official combined fuel economy of the Peugeot 308 1.6 HDi 110 SE?3. Who is the new

chief operating officer at Alphabet?■ Last week’s winner of Renaultsport golfing gear was Grant Narris, of Cordek.

20.12.07My first company car was an early 90s Ford Fiesta with a 1.1-litre engine and I thought I was the bee’s knees.

I was 22 and had a brand new car – my previous vehicle was a bashed-up Triumph Dolomite, so it was a step up.

There was nothing I disliked about the car at the time, although it was a manual, which I never drive today.

The car before had no heating and a choke start, so it really was a luxury to drive around in a nice warm car, and one that started on the first attempt.

LORRAINE FARNON, UK sales director, National Car Rental

’‘

One of our drivers called me about an audible warning sound in his vehicle. The alert that tells drivers a seatbelt is not fastened correctly was going off in his Volkswagen Passat.

I booked it into a repairer and they could not find anything wrong but he still complained it was happening after it came back from the dealership.

He drives an automatic model and we eventually discovered that he drives along with one hand on the passenger seat. This was setting off the seatbelt alarm. He has now changed his style of driving.

Send your answers and address by email* to [email protected] with ‘News Quiz’ in the subject line or post them to Fleet News, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough Business Park, Peterborough PE2 6EA. The closing date is 5pm on Friday, when a winner will be chosen at random from the correct entries. *By supplying your email address you are happy to receive offers via email from Fleet News. We will not pass your information on to other parts of EMAP and/or third parties.

MY FIRST COMPANY CAR

CONTACT US

EDITORIALEDITOR Martyn Moore 01733 [email protected] EDITORJulian Kirk 01733 [email protected] EDITORDaniel Attwood 01733 [email protected] EDITORAdele Barry 01733 [email protected] WRITERPhill Tromans 01733 [email protected] Cooper 01733 [email protected] EDITOR/EVENTSJohn Maslen 01733 [email protected] EDITOR Steve [email protected]

ADVERTISINGCOMMERCIAL DIRECTORIan Warrington 01733 468583KEY ACCOUNT DIRECTORSAndy Smith 01733 468339Peter Millis 01733 468268Derek Hunter 01733 468280Julie Abell 01733 468273Hayley Willerton 01733 468320PROJECT MANAGERLeanne Patterson 01733 468332TELESALES MANAGERPenny Care 01733 468375RECRUITMENT EXECUTIVEDaniel Bragg 01733 468271CLASSIFIED EXECUTIVESSheryl Graham 01733 468256Dee Kennedy 01733 468275

PRODUCTIONHEAD OF PUBLISHINGSandie Hurford 01733 [email protected] ART EDITORLuke Neal 01733 [email protected] EDITORSAndrew Ryan 01733 [email protected] Salt 01733 [email protected] PRODUCERJeremy Bennett 01733 [email protected] ASSISTANTColleen Dixon 01733 [email protected]

PUBLISHINGMANAGING DIRECTOREd Kenyon 01733 [email protected] DIRECTOR’S PA Vicky Meadows 01733 [email protected] MANAGING DIRECTORIan Templeton

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: £99 UK (two years £168, three years £238), £149 Europe and Eire (two years £253, three years £358). Call 01733 468659 for special offers

Back issues: 01858 438847Printing: Headley Brothers Ltd, Ashford, Kent

© 2007 Emap Automotive ISSN 0953-8526No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. You can purchase words or pictures for your own publications. Phone 01733 465982 or email [email protected]. Fleet News will not accept responsibility for unsolicited material.Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

Your business needs Fleet News and a subscription is great value. Call 01733 468659or email: [email protected]

Fleet News, incorporating Company Car, is published by EMAP Automotive Ltd, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA. Phone 01733 468000. Fax 01733 468296. Email [email protected]

Email stories about your drivers to [email protected] All entries published will remain anonymous. If yours is chosen you’ll receive £10.

Real-life stories about your fleet’s dimwit drivers

BRAKE FLEET SAFETY BENCHMARKING SEMINAR January 16, BT Centre, London. www.brake.org.uk

RoSPA: MANAGING OCCUPATIONAL ROAD RISK January 21, Birmingham.

EU ROAD USER CHARGING CONFERENCE January 29/30, London. www.roadusercharging.com

FLEET NEWS EUROPE CONFERENCE February 7, Brussels. www.fneuropeconference.com

BRAKE CRASH PROTECTION/IN-VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY February 12, MIRA, Nuneaton. www.brake.org.uk

FLEET NEWS FORUM February 19/20, Brighton. www.fleetnewsfourm.co.uk

FLEET NEWS AWARDS March 10, Grosvenor House Hotel, London. 01733 468123.www.fleetnewsawards.com

InterfaceAND FINALLY...

ROAD TESTMazda’s new 2 supermini meets its fleet rivals

2007 REVIEWRound-up of the year’s key fleet events

COMPETITION Limited-edition Ford calendars to win

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE


The 2008 Ford Focus has both style and substance – and if you do not believe it,

just ask any of the journalists who have had a test drive in the new car which will be on sale in January.

Fleet News last week wrote about a “considerably better” interior, and “still exciting” performance, and concluded after its own test drive: “The Focus is still king.”

Andrew Frankel of the Sunday Times said the result of Ford’s complete restyling was “visually purposeful, distinctive and attractive.”

He went on to describe the new Focus as “the best small

family car you can buy.” Stuart Birch of The Times

praised the restyle, and said “the combined effect is of a car with presence and purpose.”

He pointed out that every body panel except the roof is new.

The Sun said that undoubtedly the biggest improvement on the new car was the styling, commenting: “The old model looks surprisingly bland in comparison,” and complimented the car’s “very crisp and cool” profile. The paper also praised Ford for improving the slick gearchange even more and reducing noise and vibration levels.

Auto Express gave the new car five stars out of five, after

a first drive, and said Ford had managed the tough job of improving the current Focus.

“It’s now sharper to look at, with lots of neat detailing and styling tweaks,” said the magazine, which commented that the approach had continued inside, with a high-quality cabin.

BBC Top Gear was enthusiastic about the new Focus, which it said “now more than ever has big-car benefits.”

Autocar posed the question after driving a new Focus 2.0 TDCi: “Does it deserve to be Britain’s number one?”

The magazine drove it head-to-head with competitors, and concluded: “The Focus is back on top of the pile.”

Rave reviews for new Ford Focus

Ford sales still growingA total of 416,118 new Ford vehicles have gone on the road in Britain in the first 11 months of this year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

This is more than 4,300 up on January-November last year and accounted for 15.8% of the total vehicle market.

Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, Roelant de Waard, said: “This year will close very solidly for us as the new Ford Mondeo remains such hot property, while 2008 brings the new Ford Focus, swiftly followed by the innovative Ford Kuga.

“Ford is improving its appeal to fleet customers through improved residual values and reduced whole life vehicle costs.”

The Focus World Rally Car’s renowned reliability helped Ford to its second consecutive FIA World Rally championship, which Ford ended in perfect style by claiming first and second on Wales Rally GB.

Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen led from start to finish to score their third victory of the season.

Team-mates Marcus

Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen were second in another Focus RS on their 150th and final WRC start before retirement.

It was the eighth victory of the season for BP-Ford World Rally Team, which clinched its second consecutive manufacturers’ world title on the previous round in Ireland, and Ford’s first 1-2 finish in GB since 1979.

During the 16 rallies spanning

five continents on surfaces as diverse as snow, dry asphalt and rough gravel, the Focus RS has been a model of reliability.

On a championship acknowledged as the toughest for production-based cars, the team did not suffer a single retirement due to mechanical problems after almost 3,500 miles of flat-out competition.

For further information on

any vehicle in the Ford

range please contact the

Ford Business Centre on

08457 23 23 23, email

[email protected], or

visit www.fordfleet.co.uk

Motoring press give new model five star rating ahead of January launch

Ford retains world rally title

Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen in their Focus RS on their way to victory in Wales Rally GB

Ford Mondeo – hot property

download 11-12-07

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