Business Car Manager - The MINI 5 Door hatch takes Company Car Of The Year 2017.

• MINI Cooper D5-door Hatch awarded Best Compact Company Car of the Year for 2017
• Winner for the second year in a row
• Voted for by Business Car Manager’s independent panel of experts

MINI Cooper D 5-door Hatch has been awarded Best Company Car of the Year 2017 for the second year in a row by Business Car Manager.

MINI 5-door Hatch was a favourite of the independent judging panel and fended off rivals thanks to its CO2 emissions of just 95 g/km, low running costs and high residual values for business drivers.

Ralph Morton, editor, Business Car Manager said: “It’s a double for the MINI – the second successive year for the hatch to win this title. 

And it’s not hard to see why: the great looks and desirable brand name are backed up by hardnosed financials – it’s cheap on costs to run and delivers competitive BIK thanks to its 95g/km emissions. Result? A winner all round. Again.”

Since its launch in September 2014, MINI 5-door Hatch has catapulted the brand into the corporate sector where it has continued to grow exponentially. Following this success, MINI has cemented its focus on fleet and business customers with the launch of two further models, MINI Clubman in November 2015 and most recently, the new MINI Countryman in February 2017.

The three new models added to MINI’s model line-up each offer improved practicality for families with increased legroom, larger boots and a generous offering of standard equipment.

Ian Waspe, Corporate Development Manager, MINI UK said: “We are very happy to receive the award for Best Compact SME Company Car.

“Our influence within the corporate sector is growing year on year and winning this award for the second time not only reflects the practical offering of MINI 5-door for business customers but also the renewed focus MINI places onto this important market.”

FLEET WORLD - The little Hyundai i10 takes, for the second year, the "Product To Beat" best in class.

• Hyundai i10 named best in class for fleet operators
• Expert panel recognises city car’s outstanding comfort, low running costs and generous equipment levels for business users
• Fleet World honours the Hyundai i10 for second consecutive year, saying it is the ‘product to beat’

The Hyundai i10 has been named as the ‘Best City Car’ in the 2017 Fleet World Honours, recognising it as ‘the car to beat’ for fleet operators. The prestigious awards highlight vehicles that offer the best value, comfort and refinement expected by business drivers.

A panel of judges from Fleet World, an industry title read globally by senior-level fleet decision makers, recognised the i10 as providing an unbeatable combination of superb practicality, generous equipment levels and low running costs. Revisions to the car in 2016 strengthened its offer to fleets, with improved connectivity, safety and comfort.

Fleet World’s Editor, Alex Grant, said: “City cars are a tough product to get right, and the i10 delivers effortlessly. 

A subtle refresh last year bolstered an already strong offer with the latest connectivity and safety technology, improved comfort and a sharper drive too. It means this continues to be the product to beat.”

The i10 offers fleet users a choice of seven trim levels and two refined and efficient petrol engines. The highly efficient 1.0 Blue Drive model boasts combined fuel economy of 65.7mpg and just 98g/km CO₂ emissions – giving it a highly competitive 16% BIK banding. Standard equipment levels are generous for business drivers, while the mid- and high-specification models feature ‘big car’ technology such as cruise control, a heated leather steering wheel and front seats, keyless entry and start, and full automatic climate control.

Hyundai’s commitment to deliver the best service for fleet operators is reinforced by its provision of exceptionally cost-effective and convenient after-sales care. 

Its industry-leading Fleet Aftersales Charter delivers a consistently outstanding experience for fleet customers, setting out transparent pricing and processes, making services easier to use, and helping to reduce the cost of ownership. 

Business users who visit a dealership receive free Wi-Fi access and refreshments as well as ‘hot-desk’ facilities for those who wish to wait on site.

Tony Whitehorn, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor UK, said, “It’s the second year in a row that the i10 has been recognised by Fleet World as offering an unbeatable proposition in its class. 

This is testament to Hyundai’s efforts in maintaining i10’s outstanding practicality and low running costs, while improving levels of comfort, safety and in-car technology. We are always looking for ways to add value for our business customers, and our award-winning cars are fully supported by an outstanding aftersales offer, not to mention our acclaimed 5 Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty.”

The Uk see's a huge increase in Plug in car sales over the first six months of the year.

• Year-to-date electric car registrations up 31.8% versus first six months of 2015
• April to June growth marks 22^nd consecutive quarterly rise for plug-in car uptake
• 19,252 electric cars registered so far in 2016, three months ahead of last year when it took until September to achieve this volume

Motorists in the UK are buying more electric vehicles than ever; with latest figures confirming continual quarterly rises in plug-in car uptake. Since records began in 2011, volumes of electric car registrations have risen steeply as motorists realise the benefits of owning an electric vehicle, which include low running costs, tax savings and a fun driving experience.

In the April-June period of this year, 38.0% more electric cars were registered compared to the same timeframe in 2015*, building on a 27.4% pick-up in the first quarter. 

In addition to these quarterly gains, the first six months of this year pushed electric car registrations 31.8% ahead of the first half of 2015. Plug-in registrations totalled 19,252 for the year-to-date, 4,640 units ahead of the same period last year.

UK electric car registrations January 2011-June 2016 cumulative	Jan-June electric car volumes 2011-2016

The bumper start to 2016 pushes registration volumes close to 70,000 units since government introduced its Plug-in Car Grant in January 2011. The rapid rise in registration volumes show more people than ever are realising the benefits of going electric. 

They are cleaner, cheaper to run, more reliable and with government support worth hundreds of pounds for home charging equipment, drivers can enjoy the convenience of a fully charged car every morning.

Transport Minister John Hayes said: “I am delighted to see record numbers of motorists coming round to the benefits of cleaner, greener vehicles, which are also cheaper to run.  

The low-emission sector supports over 18,000 UK jobs and is a key pillar in our ambition for a low carbon, high tech and high skills economy. We want to make the UK a world leader in electric vehicle uptake and manufacture, to ensure that by 2050 every car and van on our roads is a zero emission vehicle. 

We are backing this with one of the most comprehensive support packages in the world, with more than £600m of government investment to help grow the UK market.”

Poppy Welch, Head of Go Ultra Low said: “The continued growth in uptake of electric cars speaks for itself as registration records continue to be broken by motorists encouraged by the benefits electric motoring can bring. 

As awareness grows and motorists see the wide variety of vehicles already on UK roads coupled with benefits such as running costs from as little as 2p per mile, more drivers than ever are becoming motivated to go green. 

Since the introduction of the Plug-In Car Grant was introduced in 2011 the variety of electric models has expanded significantly, notably so in the past two years, giving motorists more choice than ever before.”

March 2016 was the best-ever month for electric car uptake when, boosted by a registration-plate change, there were 7,440 registrations. June recorded the year’s second highest volume of 3,196 new cars registered, up 23% year-on-year. These strong numbers support the fact that the first six months of 2016 were the highest-volume half-year ever for electric car registrations.

Of the vehicles that have made up these continually-improving figures for the first half of the year, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has proved most popular with 5,738 of the plug-in SUV rolling on to UK roads. The Nissan LEAF remains the most popular pure-electric car with 2,336 first-half registrations in 2016.

Government support has been crucial to driving the success of electric vehicles in the UK. This includes generous purchase incentives including a grant of up to off £4,500 the cost of a new car; tax benefits that could be worth thousands over the life of the car such as the lowest rates of Vehicle Excise Duty and company car tax, as well as support for home and public charging infrastructure contributing to the ongoing rises in uptake.

Go Ultra Low exists to help motorists understand the benefits, cost savings and capabilities of the raft of electric vehicles on the market. The collaborative campaign is the first of its kind, bringing together a consortium of vehicle manufacturers, Government and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Electric car registrations	Jan-June 2016	Jan-June 2015	% Change
	19,252	14,612	31.8

Jaguar XF rated top executive car at 2016 Fleet News Awards and the XE was highly recommended.

• Jaguar XF rated top executive car at 2016 Fleet News Awards
• Jaguar XE also Highly Recommended in Premium Car category
• Judges praise XF’s driving dynamics, practicality and low running costs
• XF and XE propelled Jaguar to a 30% increase in UK sales last year

The Jaguar XF was named Best Executive Car in the Fleet News Awards last night, while the XE was Highly Recommended in the Premium Car category. It caps a remarkable first quarter of fleet award wins for Jaguar’s saloon models with victories at the UK Car Of The Year Awards, SME Company Car Of The Year Awards and BusinessCar Awards.*

The all-new Jaguar XF and the Jaguar XE both launched last year to critical acclaim, contributing to a 30% increase in Jaguar sales and a 52% growth in Jaguar Land Rover Fleet and Business sales year-on-year in 2015.

New XF is 190kg lighter than its predecessor thanks to an aluminium-intensive body and chassis construction, and offers new powertrain options which optimise performance and efficiency. XF was the best-selling nameplate for Jaguar in 2015 with 10,973 registered vehicles.

The Jaguar XE is the driver’s car in its class and offers the strongest residual values of any of its premium rivals over three years and 20,000 miles thanks to its efficient engines; low servicing, maintenance and repair costs; and class-leading design.** 9,561 were registered in 2015 between its Spring launch and the end of the year.

The Fleet News Awards, now in its 28^th year, is recognised as one of the most influential and important awards in the fleet industry. The judging panel for the manufacturer award categories include a mix of senior fleet motoring journalists, fleet managers and residual value rate setters.

The judges commented: “The XF takes Jaguar’s product offering to a whole new level. Well equipped, great to drive, outstanding interior quality and spacious for front and rear passengers – it has high appeal for drivers while the low running costs make it the perfect executive car to have on the fleet.”

DRIVER POWER - Hyundai's baby i10 wins best Supermini in this years report.

• Hyundai’s best-selling i10 wins ‘Supermini’ category, as voted by Auto Express readers
• i10 recognised for its ‘low running costs’, ‘practicality’ and ‘reliability’

The Hyundai i10 has once again been recognised by consumers for its affordable, yet high-quality offering, leading to its win in the ‘Supermini’ category in the 2015 Auto Express Driver Power Survey.

Steve Fowler, Editor-in-chief of Auto Express, said: “The Hyundai i10’s result in Driver Power 2015 proves it’s a hot favourite with owners. 

Not only does it provide them with low running costs, but they also tell us that it’s proving to be reliable and well built, too. There’s no reason why it shouldn't be a consistent performer in our survey for years to come.”

Following the Driver Power survey results, Tony Whitehorn, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor UK, explained: “The i10 is Hyundai’s best-selling model, so to have its key attributes praised by consumers shows us exactly why this car continues to be such a sales success. 

Thanks to its stylish looks, reliability, practicality, and, most importantly, affordability, the future looks bright for i10.”

Making the i10 even more attractive to new and existing Hyundai customers, the company has recently added the well-equipped Premium SE model to the range. 

Premium SE buyers benefit from: 15” alloy wheels, heated seats and steering wheel, electric tilt and slide sunroof, rear parking sensors, climate control and smart key stop and start.

These top-of-the-range features mean that i10 customers can now enjoy even higher levels of equipment, without the hefty price tag.

DRIVER POWER - Renault debuts ZOE in 5th place in 2015 Survey results.

• ZOE debuts in owner survey in 5^th place overall
• ZOE rated 1^st for running costs of all 200 entrants
• Ease of driving commended with 2^nd place overall finish
• ZOE rated best EV – five places ahead of nearest electric rival

The 100% electric Renault ZOE supermini has been highly commended by owners in the Auto Express Driver Power 2015 survey out today finishing an impressive fifth overall out of 200 vehicles and rated as the best electric vehicle to own.

Finishing five places above its nearest all-electric competitor, with a score of 92.87 per cent, the ZOE was also rated the best vehicle in this year’s survey for low running costs as well as second overall for ease of driving.  

ZOE, in its debut survey year, was ranked second, out of 43 vehicles, in the competitive supermini category.

The ZOE also scored well for In-car technology and performance with owners rating the car ninth and fifteenth respectively out of the 200 entrants.

Commenting on the ZOE’s performance in the survey, Ben Fletcher, Renault UK Electric Vehicle Product Manager, said: “The Renault ZOE offers the recognized benefits of all-electric vehicles in an ultra-stylish and highly-affordable package. It’s no wonder that owners are so delighted with their cars.”

Steve Fowler, Auto Express Editor-in-chief said: “Breaking into the Driver Power top five is a significant achievement for the Renault ZOE. Owners of electric cars clearly love their vehicles – and the ZOE, in particular, has a winning formula of low running costs and decent performance, plus it's very easy to drive, too.”

The Auto Express Driver Power survey had its largest response ever in 2015 with 61,113 car owners, up 20 per cent on 2014, completing the comprehensive survey about their vehicle ownership experience.

The Renault ZOE has won numerous awards since going on sale in 2013 including being named What Car? Magazine’s ‘Best Electric Car for under £20,000’ for the last two consecutive years.

ZOE is one of three all-electric Renault models including the innovative Twizy urban vehicle and the Kangoo Z.E. Van.

ZOE can be purchased in two ways, either outright, from £18,443, or from £13,443 with a battery lease from £25 per month (including the Government Plug-In Car Grant) and can charge its batteries in as little as 30 minutes.

A new longer-range version of ZOE, with a new Renault-developed motor, was announced at this year’s Geneva Motor Show which will bring a best-in-class official range of 149 miles when it joins the ZOE line-up in May.

Sales in the UK of Renault’s electric models were up 90 per cent in 2014 to 1,286 vehicles and continued this strong growth in the first three months of 2015 with sales up 148 per cent to 401 vehicles.