Kia Track'ster concept car

The new Kia Track’ster concept car was created in the California Design Studio and is envisaged with a 250PS Petrol engine. It was launched by Kia at the Chicago auto show and is based on the popular Soul urban crossover. Last year, more than 102,000 Souls were delivered to US customers and Kia sees the US vehicle market as an attractive proposition.

This Kia concept has a powerful, dynamic and aggressive style, yet displays the distinctive design direction that the South Korean manufacturer is taking. The Track’ster is intended to be a sporting representation of Kia’s Soul B- segment SUV, which was originally created in the California Studio.

The California Studio is also the birthplace of the Soul’ster convertible concept that is currently under final assessment for production, however there are no plans for Track’ster to enter production just yet. But this could change if public demand for the concept is strong. If you are also interested in leasing a new Kia Soul we have Kia contract hire on the site now.

Audi A5 Sportback 2.0 TDIe

The new generation midsize Audi coupe and Sportback models are now available with even more cost-effective TDIe versions and new specification making them an even more desirable package. The new 136PS and 163PS 2.0-litre TDIe versions of A5 Sportback are now available priced from £27,320 OTR and £27,825 OTR respectively, with the 163PS TDIe engine also available in A5 Coupe priced from £28,775 OTR.

Performance figures for the TDIe engines is impressive as follows;

• A5 Sportback 2.0 TDIe 136PS six-speed manual – 0-62mph in 9.5 seconds, top speed 132mph, combined MPG 64.2, CO₂117g/km
• A5 Coupe 2.0 TDI 163PS six-speed manual – 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds, top speed 140mph, combined MPG 64.2, CO₂115g/km

There is also a new SE Technik specification available for all four-cylinder TDI models in both body styles that saves up to £1,925, compared with specifying additional options individually.

In both the A5 Sportback and A5 Coupe models, all the four-cylinder TDI engines can be combined with a new, highly cost effective SE Technik specification which was first seen in the A4 Saloon and Avant ranges. The Technik specification adds DVD satellite navigation, Audi Music Interface (AMI) iPod connection, the Audi Parking Plus system with front and rear sensors and cruise control to the familiar SE equipment list.

The SE specification in both models already includes 17-inch alloy wheels, Milano leather upholstery, three-zone climate control, Bluetooth mobile phone preparation and a colour Driver’s Information System (DIS), which is pretty generous. Both TDIe engines are available allied to Standard, SE and S line trim in the A5 Sportback, and Standard and SE in the Coupe and we should have Audi contract hire prices loaded shortly.

Fiat Doblo Cargo

Fiat has just launched a new 3 years unlimited mileage warranty offer across its award-winning Doblò Cargo and Combi range and is currently available on all new Doblò Cargos and Combis registered to business users until 31 March. The enhanced warranty increases the mileage period to unlimited rather than 120,000 miles, adds to the existing 3 years’ AA Assurance cover, which includes Roadside Assistance, Home Start, Relay, Relay Plus & European cover.

“This unlimited mileage warranty offer on Doblo Cargo further underlines the confidence that Fiat Professional has in this award-winning vehicle,” says Sebastiano Fedrigo, Director, Fiat Professional UK.

“Since its launch, Fiat Professional’s Doblo Cargo has been very well received for its quality and reliability, both by the media and by customers. This enhancement to the warranty package provides customers with yet another reason to purchase this class-leading van.”

The new Doblo comes in eight different versions – Cargo, Cargo Maxi, Cargo SX, Cargo Maxi SX, Combi, Combi Maxi, Platform Cab and Work Up – offering something for a wide spectrum of commercial vehicle users. The engine line-up is a 1.4-litre 16v 95bhp petrol unit and four MultiJet 16v diesels – 1.3 (90bhp), 1.6 (105bhp), 1.6 MTA (90bhp) and 2.0 (135bhp). 

Start&Stop, which stops the engine automatically whenever traffic conditions bring the van to a complete halt, and restarts it when the driver wants to move off again – is fitted on all Euro 5 Doblo versions to give you up to 15 per cent fuel savings, and the vehicles offer a low CO₂ figure from just 126g/km. Fiat Doblo Cargo contract hire is on the site now.

New Honda Civic

The all new 2012 Civic advert hits TV screens to coincide with the car arriving at Honda showrooms, with customer test drives available from today, the 1st February.

The TV campaign can also be viewed on Honda’s youtube channel www.youtube.com/hondacivicuk and the advert follows the spark of an idea from conception in the Honda factory, the development of the car, before finally resulting in the new Civic being launched.  

Martin Moll, Head of Marketing, Honda (UK), commented “Our dealers are incredibly excited about taking the launch activity to the next phase and get customers in the car. Everyone here at Honda (UK) is looking forward to receiving customer feedback and we are confident it will be even more successful than its predecessor.”

“We have timed the launch of the TV advert to coincide with the first cars arriving in showrooms to really maximise awareness. The advert is a synopsis of the unknown journey the engineers took to continuously improve the Civic and is brought to life in a dramatic reveal of the new model at the end.” 

The Honda Civic is now in its ninth generation and prices start from just £16,495 for the entry-level 1.4-litre 100PS i-VTEC SE, with trim levels of SE, ES, EX and EX GT available. All models offer comfort, convenience and new technology as standard with Honda contract hire prices on the site now.

John Watts, from used van pricing experts, CAP, has warned that the new emissions rules could cause unforeseen costs for van fleet operators and lower van residual values in the used market.

This is because compliance with the new Euro 5 emissions legislation relies partly on the use of diesel particulate filters and this poses particular problems for van owners or operators when operating on short-distance urban work.

Diesel particulate filters can easily clog under the typical operating conditions faced in many cities, spelling expensive repairs or replacement parts for fleet operators. CAP warns this may create caution in the future used van market, due to the ‘invisible’ nature of such problems. The end result is that many trade buyers will factor in the risk of a clogged particulate filter when determining the price they will offer for a used Euro 5 van.

John Watts from CAP, explained: “Many diesel particulate filters require specific drive cycles in order to remain working efficiently. These filters need to reach a certain operating temperature before effectively reducing particulate emissions, but if this is not achieved they can become prone to clogging.

“This problem will mostly emerge in low speed, short distance operating cycles, typically undertaken in large conurbations. A typical example could be a city-based self-employed used van owner who travels less than ten miles to site from home and stays all day. A continuous operation of this nature could result in a blocked filter and a potential replacement cost”.

CAP’s view is that used van buyers will be aware of the need for a properly functioning particulate filter for Euro 5 compliance and that problems may not be routinely covered under manufacturer warranty. One way to avoid these unnecessary costs is to lease your next van under a contract hire agreement, with full maintenance included. This will protect you from unforeseen maintenance costs and also protect you from any future residual value decline.

Alfa Romeo "Test Me" campaign

Alfa Romeo’s latest television commercial, entitled ‘Test Me’, will be launched this month in a year-long marketing campaign focused on highlighting the reasons why people should buy or lease an Alfa Romeo car. Alfa Romeo recorded impressive UK sales figures in 2011 and wants to  build on this success with the new advertising campaign.

The marketing initiative  compares the MiTo and Giulietta against their closest competitors to emphasise why you could choose an Alfa Romeo instead of a BMW for example. There is also a dedicated website where you can find further information on the campaign at www.alfaromeo.co.uk/testme. 

Some of the comparisons where Alfa Romeo is offering head-to-head examples against BMW and Volkswagen are as follows:

• The Alfa Giulietta 1.4 TB MultiAir 170 bhp ALFA TCT (semi-automatic transmission) is currently the best-in-class for CO₂ emissions at just 121 g/km against the Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI 160 DSG at 139 g/km for example.
• The Alfa MiTo 1.3 JTDM-2 85 bhp Sprint possesses fuel efficiency of up to 80.7 mpg on a combined cycle. The Mini One D achieves 74.3 mpg as a direct comparison model.
• The Alfa Giulietta, with a class leading Euro NCAP crash safety score of 106, is higher than the new  BMW 1 Series score of 103.
• All MiTo and Giulietta models offer 3 years complimentary servicing. This is available at an additional cost on VW Polo and Golf models.

Damien Dally, Head of Brand for Alfa Romeo UK comments: “Customers appreciate the stylish lines and sleek design of an Alfa Romeo, but due to preconceived misconceptions, some turn to our competitors, wrongly believing they offer a better proposition”.

He went on to say, “With the new ‘Test Me’ campaign, we can prove that Alfa Romeo offers customers significantly more than the likes of our key German competitors, together with Alfa’s passion, heritage and design flair inherent in every model.  We also boast class-leading economic credentials such as fuel efficiency and environmental considerations. Our customers are able to drive away in something extra special which possesses the perfect combination of style and substance”.

If you want to compare contract hire prices for Alfa Romeo, against the likes of Audi, BMW or Volkswagen, try our Vehicle Type Shopper and select those manufacturers. This quote engine will then display the monthly lease prices and you can see which models offer the best value for money, as well as CO2 and combined mpg.

Fiat Punto GBT

Fiat has now announced pricing for the Model Year 2012 Fiat Punto with a starting price of just £9,990 OTR for the Pop 1.2 8-valve, the new car, which goes on sale in the UK this month. At the top end of the revised Fiat Punto range, you have the highly specified Lounge 1.3 MultiJet version, which costs £15,600 OTR. This model features automatic dual zone climate control, leather steering wheel, front fog lamps, seven airbags, cruise control, ambient interior lighting and electric sunroof as standard.

The 2012 Fiat Punto will be available initially with a choice of six low emissions Euro 5 engines – and with a TwinAir version coming in April – all fitted with Start&Stop as standard. It also comes in a more simplified line-up of three trim levels, similar to the Fiat 500 and forthcoming new Panda – Pop (base), Easy (mid) and Lounge (high). As an extra addition, Fiat also has a sports version based on the Easy level grade called GBT.

The new Punto adds two new engines to the range – an 85hp version of the MultiJet diesel engine and the acclaimed Engine of the Year 85hp TwinAir. The full list will comprise: 1.2 8-valve petrol (69hp), 1.4 8-valve petrol (77hp), 1.4 16-valve MultiAir petrol (105hp and 135hp), TwinAir 0.9-litre petrol (85hp) and 1.3 16-valve MultiJet diesel (75hp and 85hp).

The external styling changes of the 2012 Fiat Punto incorporate fully colour coded front and rear bumpers, while three new exterior colours are introduced: Brit Pop Blue, Tango Red and Underground Grey. Inside you get new sportier seat fabrics and a refreshed dashboard. Standard vehicle equipment in the entry-level Pop model includes remote central locking, electric front windows, driver and passenger airbags, window airbags, radio/CD/MP3 player, electric power steering and height-adjustable driver seat.

Easy trim level adds such equipment as leather steering wheel, 15-inch alloy wheels, and air conditioning. The GBT level additionally gets sport suspension, rear spoiler and side skirts, while the Lounge model adds climate control, front fog lamps, cruise control, ambient interior lighting and electric sunroof.

On the road pricing for the range is as follows and Fiat contract hire prices will be loaded soon:

Skoda MissionL

SKODA’s is attending the 2012 Qatar Motor Show where it will be showcasing their MissionL concept saloon. This car is a close-to-production concept and reveals the future design direction for the SKODA brand. The visit to the Qatar Motor Show also demonstrates their future international growth strategy plans.

The new compact MissionL saloon will be launched in late 2012 and will extend the model range of the brand in a new segment between the Fabia and Octavia models. The MissionL is destined for Qatar as well and SKODA aims to substantially increase their global sales of all car models to at least 1.5 million units per year, by 2018. In addition to the MissionL, SKODA is also displaying the latest Fabia, Octavia, Yeti and Superb models at the show.

The MissionL concept saloon impresses with its clear and precise lines with the front showing SKODA’s new brand design. The revised and freshened-up SKODA logo is now prominently positioned on the bonnet’s rounded front end and the grille sports a chrome frame and is made of vertical plate fins. There is also a black transparent glass roof that spans across the car’s interior with the cockpit conveying its spaciousness thanks to its horizontal arrangement.  

If you are interested in leasing a brand new Skoda car then we have the full Skoda model range on the site on contract hire.

BMW 1 Series

The new BMW 1-series has just been voted the “2012 Business Car of the Year”, after the readers of BusinessCar magazine and www.businesscar.co.uk chose it as the best product that meets the needs of a company and their drivers alike. 

BMW had a successful awards ceremony, with the German brand also collecting the Manufacturer of the Year prize, plus the Green Model of the Year for the ultra-efficient 320d ED model. There there were also sector wins for the BMW 3-series, BMW 7-series and BMW X5, as well as the BMW-owned Mini hatchback.

“BMW’s impressive and class-leading combination of desirability, efficiency and driving pleasure has again shown itself with this haul of awards, decided by the readers of BusinessCar, proving that the brand is at the forefront of the company car market,” said BusinessCar Editor Paul Barker. “Across the range there is a model for every level of employee, each one offering low tax bills, good running costs and the premium BMW badge. The people running these vehicles and giving them to their staff obviously appreciate the job BMW is doing.”

The BusinessCar Awards are awarded with votes entirely by the readers of the publication and their website, so therefore the BMW range was recognised by the very people that are likely to use the cars on a daily basis. We have the full range of BMW 1 Series models on BMW contract hire on the site now.

For the full list of winners see http://www.businesscar.co.uk/awards

Contract hire an Volvo XC60

If you are looking for a reliable and great looking 4X4 that offers superb value for money, then we have contract hire prices for the Volvo XC60 D3 (163bhp) DRIVe ES 5-door with Start Stop, from only £293.54+VAT. This contract hire deal is based over two years, 6 rentals in advance, 10,000 miles per annum, non-maintained contract hire.

The Volvo XC60 D3 (163bhp) DRIVe ES 5-door with Start Stop returns 49.6 combined mpg, emits 149g/km of CO2 and has a 0-62mph of just 10.3 seconds. Other terms are available from our car finance partner so fill out a Contact Form today.