Thursday 28 February 2013

Land Rover to release more than a dozen new models in the next six years


Land Rover to release more than a dozen new models in the next six years

With competitors for every vehicle that Land Rover currently market getting ever better and in some cases better value, the marketing department of Land Rover has admitted after many rumours that on the back of phenomenal worldwide growth, they are going to invest in releasing more than a dozen new models over the next six years.
Land Rover’s new plant in the Midlands will not be anything like fully occupied by the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. In fact, the plant could easily handle another 50,000 vehicles per annum.
Sales targets are of  course increasing and Jaguar Land Rover has already been speaking to some of the leading car leasing companies for their views. CarLease UK, one of the UK’s fastest growing,  specialise in the Land Rover product and 4×4 vehicles.
 Land Rover have segregated the product into Luxury, Leisure and Utility .   Falling under the Luxury, we expect the new Range RoverThe new Range Rover at Carlease UK to be followed a new Range Rover Sport, then an Evoque long wheel base. The Evoqueitself may have a cabrio added to its model range along with a baby Evoque in the pipeline.

The Leisure classed vehicle range will include a luxury Range Rover, something that was a large seller historically but missing now.  A Discovery 4 is undoubtedly due followed by a hat trick of Freelanders.
A long term favourite of  car leasing companies,  the model range looks like being expanded rather than being finished off. Firstly a seven seat long wheel base Freelanderfollowed by a sportier model aimed at the Audi Q5 and then the baby Freelander.
Lastly the Utility range, also available on lease deals,   the new Defender.  Expected in 2015, the new Defender will be lighter,The new Land Rover Defender more fuel efficient and even more capable.  The four door pick up will be first launched followed closely by the new seven seater.  The two door and a street styled two door will launch the year after.
An exciting period for a fantastic English product.

Wednesday 27 February 2013

The Sun is out and our coupes and cabrio's are selling


The sun is out and it’s time for the company directors and partners to think about their own lease cars

This time of year, when the sun begins to shine, we get our first enquiries for nice convertibles and sports cars.   Whilst the image of a lease vehicle may be BMW 3 Series or Vauxhall Insignia, in many cases the decision makers drive Jaguar sports and Peugeot RCZ’s.
At CarLease UK, we are proud that we can discuss any of our products with an enquiring customer, from a small car or Eco car through to fabulous and bordering on the exotic.
Jaguar XK Lease

Take for example the Jaguar XK sports car.  Available in four models, the XK, XK Portfolio, the XKR and the wonderful XKR-S.  We have video blogged the XK below,


the build quality and attention to detail of this car is staggering.  The 5 litre V8 produces 385 bhp and you may think that would be enough, but that is not the way that Jaguar see it.  The XKR-S produces 550 bhhp and has a theoretical top speed of 300 kph.
We also offer many other superb sports tourers, from Mercedes Benz coupes, famous for their mile eating ability, BMW Coupes, including the soon the launch 4 series,        Aston Martin and Porsche. 
For those who like the sun on their head, have a look at our convertibles,  with over 8500 cars on offer, just on our website, we are bound to have a car to suite you.   If you need a personal service, really looking after, feel free to contact us, we assure you of our very best at all times.

Carlease UK Video Blog | Jaguar XK Coupe | Car Leasing Deals

Carlease UK Video Blog | Jaguar XF Sportbrake | Car Leasing Deals

Tuesday 26 February 2013

Are Apps useful in lease cars and company cars


Very soon, most mobiles will be smart phones, capable of running Apps, whether they are Android or Apple.  Some Apps are really useful others of course are more of a toy.
Forgetting the obvious racing games and car stealing games, some Apps can be really useful.
Some of the most popular are parking Apps and vary from the AA backed Parkopedia to Free Apple ones such as Share Free Parking, Car parking UK .   It seems from blogs on line that the parking Apps are very city based and I suppose that its not really surprising as that is usually where the highest concentration of car parks are.

In so much as an ear piece or Bluetooth kit makes a mobile legal in a car,  texting is of course illegal.text to speak app A number of Apps are available, such as SMS, My Car and Me, that turn a text into a voice message.   Apple have equivalents such as Text’n Drive, which is available free.    Apps are already available for  theory tests and driving tests, but some are actually useful to company car drivers that are after all doing the most miles and using the most fuel.     iTunes has an App that covers thousands of petrol stations all over the UK and then reports the cheapest prices in a twenty mile radius.

Other, equally useful Apps jamcam  let you view traffic cameras,  find and book a hotel, check traffic conditions and recently, the Radio Player App was added to itunes.

Most of these Apps will be some use to lease car drivers, as phones advance, then they will run ever more.
Lex Autolease have an App that can manage your services and history, for the administration of your company cars, you can get an app to work out company car tax.  For those who have to record their mileage, Company Mileage logger lays out an easy to use recorder

The only question is, what is next?

It’s not just about the size of your boot

Many of the lease cars that leasing companies supply are estate cars.  But they are not all the same, boring, rep-mobile built for mile crunching runs up and down the country from Manchester to London then to Liverpool, oh you get the picture.
As cars have evolved, engineers have reduced the amount of space that rear suspension takes out of your boot.  This means that some medium sized estates now have the boot space of some older large estates.
Boot space is measured in litres and of course is the total volume, which is not necessarily usable   But, if you think of a large suitcase as 100 litres and a set of golf clubs as 100 litres, you can perhaps more relate to the volume.

The 3 Series BMW at £252 per month, has 495 litres on offer before you fold the rear seats, this grows to 1500 litres, BMW 3 series at Carlease UK enough for a dozen suitcases.  It is in our opinion, and the business car users, the best company car available right now.

Out soon is the Volvo V60 plug-in Hybrid.  You know by now that we love our eco-cars and this is no exception.  All we know is that it is a diesel and electric motor so expect great economy figures and some really good benefit in kind figures.  The boot is a bit smaller than that of the BMW,

Next up, two absolute barnstormers:  The Jaguar XF SportbrakeJaguar XF Sportbrake,from £371 per month, weighing in with a meaty 1700 litres of boot space and the Mazda 6 Estate at 1680 litres.

There is obviously more to choosing your next lease car than its boot size, but these are some of the best. If you would like me to cover another area or type, let me know and I will get my info together.

Saturday 23 February 2013

Mercedes-Benz and the OFT Cross Paths

Commercial and van leasing companies, along with dealers and manufacturers  have in no uncertain terms been given a very serious message by the Office of Fair trading.
Three Dealers, along with Mercedes Benz, have been fined £2.6 million by OFT .



The Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe

Mercedes Benz and three of its dealers have agreed to pay the total of £2.6 million in fines after an investigation that has taken 10 months.  A fourth dealer that came forward about the isssue, will avoid fines.

It appears that the dealers, along with Mercedes Benz, agreed to stick to pricing structures with fix discount levels and also allocated areas of responsibilty in several areas of the UK, including the North West. Although not all of the dealers were involved in all of the infringements, the element of cross over between them has led to the OFT investigating the whole as one.

One of the OFT senior directors and head of cartels said “The OFT will always take firm action against colluding companies to deny customers the benefit of fair competition.”

In essence, dealers are not allowed to fix prices or services in order to maintain profit levels.  At any moment in time, there should be no collusion between separate businesses.

Mercedes Benz UK has been fined £1,492,646. The three dealers involved have been fined varying amounts. Car manufacturers, and car leasing companies (including CarLease UK) have to take note of this sort of behaviour. In no uncertain terms is it possible (or legitimate) to engage in price-fixing or price-controlling activities.



The Mercedes-Benz ML

Carlease UK, the first choice car leasing company for Eco Cars, Hybrids and Benefit in Kind tax saving cars

One of the partners at Carlease UK is a greenie, with solar panels, too much insulation and jumpers. He even has chickens but no he does not have goats or a pig. Any way, as a result, we have always encouraged our customers to consider the benefits of  going green in their choice of company car.   Eco cars are not only more economical and so cheaper to run, but they also reduce CO2 emissions and will therefore attract less Benefit in Kind tax for your staff member.
From your company point of view, the car is cheaper to run because of reduce fuel cost, lower road fund licence costs. From your staff pint of view,   think about reducing driving hours where possible to save fuel and ensure that all cars are serviced up to date, maybe consider a maintenance package.   Staff with lower tax bills are normally happier staff.  Real savings of 20 to 30% can be made on a drivers benefit in kind.

Some advanced technology will mean that a business with company cars will be able to claim Enhanced Capital Allowances, meaning a higher proportion of the cost of your lease vehicle will be written off against tax in year one.   This enhanced level will start at 95 g/km from April of 2013, an emissions figure that was simply unattainable just five years ago has been driven by successive government tax incentives.
Going green saves money in London as well, were under 100 g/km emissions  or Euro 5 emissions qualifies your car for 100% discount from the congestion charge scheme.  Most Hybrids Toyota Prius are already qualifying for 100% discount with some very efficient diesels following in their track.

We offer a range of  Eco Cars of course, but we work hard to provide a choice of economical cars within more sectors, such as medium family cars, small and even 4×4. If you, like us, are really serious about your green car,  have a look at the Hybrid Honda and the Vauxhall Ampera (International Car of the year).    

Customers

OPEL   Ampera / Chevrolet Volt

using the Ampera in real life situations have been returning over 150 mpg, its only a matter of time before this beauty is the car of choice in California.

Thursday 21 February 2013

US Tyre Giant Stepping on French Work Ethics

The USA appears again to be facing the wrath of the European Automotive industry. Already less than popular, after the closure of Ford’s Belgian production plant, comments from Maurice Taylor, CEO of the US tyre manufacturer Titan, seem to continue to ignite frustrations towards the US way of handling delicate situations.



Maurice Taylor | CEO Titan Tyres | CarLease UK Blog

Due to financial constraints and cutbacks, Ford had to undergo a closure of the production plant in Belgium, moving production elsewhere. Unhappy Belgian workers are continuing to challenge this decision, as production of the Mondeo, S-Max and Galaxy are moved elsewhere. Talks between the workers, unions, Government and Ford are still ongoing.

Amidst this, Maurice Taylor seems to have caused added frustrations with the French contingen of Titan’s tyre production. According to reports at the BBC, Mr Taylor was unhappy with the working style of the French, in particular Mr Taylor contended that the workers received a disproportionate level of remuneration in comparison to the hours worked. France currently adopts of a 35-hour working week, which critics, like Mr Taylor, believe if affecting the economic development of the country.

In response to this, both workers and unions have been very critical of Mr Taylor’s response and communication between the parties seems to be ongoing as a conclusion to this matter is reached.

It is no secret that the automotive market in Europe is not at its best. Citroen Peugeot recently announced huge losses and with the contraction of the German economy, pressure continues to build. At CarLease UK we do hope that an adequate resolution can be reached and that no drastic measures are taken, as investment needs to continue in Europe to avoid any further stifling. The success of the automotive industry in Europe is clearly intertwined with our car leasing offering, so the team at CarLease UK do hope these continuing problems are rectified.

Wednesday 20 February 2013

The one remaining area for web-connectivity and as yet mostly untapped is the car


In 2003 it was made illegal to use your mobile whilst driving without the use of an ear piece or a proper Bluetooth connection to the car.  As a result, the bulk of company cars leased have Bluetooth fitted, the demand for which has driven the price down and made it available even on a cheaper lease vehicle at a small cost.
Latest generation smart phones are as capable as laptops of just two years ago and already, car manufacturers are tapping in to the abilities of the iphone 5 and Samsung Galaxy by producing Apps that can optimize your fuel use, remind you of service and even start your car to defrost it whilst remaining locked.  Additionally, the latest navigation systems are making use of the accelerometers built in to the phones, some of the most accurate and smallest on the market, to improve accuracy and estimate distances when signal is lost.
Using the processors on the phones, distance advice systems are faster and more accurate and the much reported self driving car is already relying heavily on a phone being plugged in to process info.
Proposals include for finding car parks with free spaces and a car sharing system in the US is already making use of good 3G connection  to reduce emissions per passenger mile.
Web connection is clearly a must for all this to happen. Cross border European charges, currently under their third review, need to be aligned country to country before all of this can be put to good use on a grand scale.
With the processing comes the obvious accessibility to your music collection, but what if you could access Spotify on the go or download a similar song from iTunes?  Local petrol stations are already posting their prices daily on line in theUS, enabling people to buy the cheapest fuel.
A system in Germany is close to launch that uses an app and WI Fi  from the traffic lights to count down the lights to changing,Companies looking for fuel efficient Cars will welcome the new apps in reality this has lead to people approaching lights a little more slowly because they know when they will change in a few moments.   This is really an offshoot of something developed by Audi to save fuel.
Right now, manufacturers and worried about the distraction of such technology. But it seems inevitable that it will come. An entire generation not yet driving will expect it be part of the whole car experience .

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Looking for Car Leasing in Liverpool?

The team at CarLease UK are always enthusiastic when it comes to local customers; particularly with face to face business where we have the opportunity to build our relationship with the customer. Having noticed a growing number of enquiries from our Liverpool customer base, we thought it was time to build on this with a strong marketing push, enhancing the presence of our Liverpool Car Leasing section.

Based just off the A580 in Leigh, CarLease UK are easily accessible to our Liverpool customer’s, most should be able to meet us at our premises within 15-20 minutes drive. Whether you are looking at personal car leasing or business car leasing, the team are on hand to provide with the right advice and in the comfort of our own offices (free tea and coffee included).

CarLease UK already have a strong presence throughout Merseyside; we currently sponsor one of St Helens Rugby League’s star players, Lance Hohaia and, what’s more, you will always find one of the team here at the game! Additionally, you can often find us at the St Helens Chamber meetings; always happy to meet members from the surrounding St Helens, Widnes or Liverpool area.

Ready to meet the team at CarLease UK? Well if you based in nearby Liverpool, please feel free to meet us at our offices (check our Google+ page for directions) or telephone us on 01942 608606.


CarLease UK and St Helens Rugby League

Monday 18 February 2013

The New Mazda 6 – should it be the company car of choice?


The harsh reality is that the previous Mazda 6 fell well below what the company car market expects from their vehciles; it was inefficient, high in CO2 and lacked the finesse of its fellow competitors. Mazda openly admitted the issues it faced, the scourge of the sales for the vehicle spoke for themselves. While we at CarLease UK enjoyed a number of ‘end of the line’ car leasing deals with the previous model, we all hoped the promise of a better version would come to fruition
.
Fast forward to January 2013 and the new Mazda 6 hit our market. Like many other car leasing and contract hire companies, the team at CarLease UK were keen to get their hands of the new Mazda 6 and ascertain whether the positive reviews were justified. When a car receives such attention, we are always prepared to check whether such claims or accolades are justified.



The New Mazda 6 from CarLease UK
Thankfully, our inquisitiveness was settled last week when our Mazda supplier visited us in the Mazda 6 pictured below. From a purely aesthetics perspective, we were most impressed. The new car is sleek and smooth, akin to what we expect from the modern saloon.



The New Mazda 6 Car Leasing Deal

From the reverse, the Mazda has an almost Jaguar feel to it, poignant and definite. The bootspace is ample, more than sufficient for numerous bags, boxes and, should you be lucky enough, a set of golf clubs. Even small features such as the twin exhaust arrangement, add a further sporty feel to the reverse of the vehicle.

Which version should you go for? Much of the attention really falls on the manual 2.2 diesel engine. Capable of 67.3mpg and with CO2 of 108g/km (while achieving 0-62 in 9 seconds), this does push the boundaries of the eco-efficient company car leasing market. For many company car drivers due to be affected by the continuing change to company car taxation, this engine really does offer the most pragmatic solution.

What else do you need to know? The Mazda 6 is available in three primary specifications; SE, SE-L and Sport (with the addition of Navigation on each variant). Each individual variant offers a generous level of specification, the SE-L Nav for example offers Bluetooth, front/rear parking sensors, navigation, iPod connectivity, climate control and alloy wheels, much of the specification you would require for the high mileage contract hire market.


While the team at CarLease UK don’t liek to give out scores on the vehicles we test, what we would say is that the new Mazda 6 offers real food for thought for the true company car driver. Looking at the Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall Insignia or Peugeot 508? Well, make sure you consider this too, we think you will be more than impressed.




The new Mazda 6 Company Car Lease

Saturday 16 February 2013

Looking for a Cheap Car Leasing Deal?


The Peugeot 107 Car Leasing Deal


CarLease UK are please announce the launch of the Peugeot 107 Hatchback 1.0 Allure 5dr Car Leasing deal. With over 50 vehicles in black and grey, ready for delivery in March on the new 13 Plate, these vehicles promise to offer customers unbeatable value. Starting from just £93.63 per month plus Vat on a 4 year/6 payment contract agreement, these little city cars have everything you require from a cheap car leasing deal; affordable, specification and desirable.

Due to the popular demands of these deals, the team at CarLease advise that you speak with us as soon as possible, as stock is unlikely to last for more than a week. Obviously if you do have any queries about the vehicle, or even more generic queries about car leasing, please feel free to contact us on 0844 576 6667 or alternatively, email enquiries@carlease.uk.com

We look forward to hearing from you!




Thursday 14 February 2013

Tough Times at Peugeot Citroen


The new Citroen DS3 Cab, which has been launched to increase sales across the Peugeot Citreon group
The French car manufacturer, Peugeot Citroen, announced losses of 5bn Euros which the BBC reported yesterday. A stark contrast to the half a billion profit in 2011, the car manufacturer believes that the continuing economic problems across Europe, together with a lack of demand for new cars is causing these poor results. While Peugeot Citroen have already instigated over 1bn Euros of cost cutting measures, it seems that even that has not been enough to avoid the ensuing financial problems.


Like many car manufacturers, the lack of demand for new vehicles across France, Spain and Germany, is creating a very difficult situation for company finances. In contrast, demand across the UK has been fairly consistent and the result of this has been a number of strong deals for new cars; not just in terms of car leasing but through other platforms such as direct car sales. In particular, brands such as Peugeot Citroen, Seat and even Mercedes, are pushing their presence across the UK, as they compete for a slice of our business.


From our perspective at CarLease UK, it is of course worrying, although not altogether unexpected, that car manufacturers across Europe are beginning to experience financial losses amidst the Eurozone situation. For the foreseeable future these financial hardships will continue until Europe establishes a stability so that confidence throughout the market can resurge. New cars are, for the most part, a luxury item and it is makes the results unsurprising.


However, as we discussed above, for the UK this will mean a continued influx of new cars from the European continent and a number of incredible deals. The harsh reality is that another country’s negative can indeed be a big positive for us. Until Europe begins to recover, we will probably see more and more deals.

Friday 8 February 2013

BMW has topped the awards at the BusinessCar fleet awards





BMW has topped the awards at the BusinessCar fleet awards


BMW dominated the recent BusinessCar awards, winning the top car of the year and manufacturer of the year titles.BMW 3 Series Diesel Saloon
 The magazine, solely for the Fleet industry, has named the new 3-series as their 2013 Car of the year. Added to that, they gave BMW the manufacturer award and went on to give the MINIthe title of Supermini of the year. Just for good measure, the X5 carried off the 4×4 of  the year.
The awards are decided by readers of the magazine who vote for their choice, this is done on line and via the magazine, undoubtedly it is the most important magazine in the car fleet industry.   The editor, Paul Barker, was interviewed following the awards and was supportive of the decision, saying that BMW are still heading manufacturers as they strive for efficiency, performance and reduced running costs.  These are all important consideration in choosing a lease vehicle.
The existing 3 series coupe is soon to be relaunched as the 4 series, <read more>.
BMW has targeted efficiency  for several years now, a recent 320 diesel tested by What Car was returning over 60 mpg on test. Make no mistake, these are also among the very best built cars you can buy.
“It’s no surprise to see the new 3-series follow in the wheeltracks of the 1-series, which took the 2012 Business Car of the Year award, and it shows that those people operating fleets of vehicles understand and appreciate the job BMW is doing.”
In a separate class of Green Car, the readers voted the Vauxhall Ampera number one. This amazing car uses a generator to charge batteries that power electric motors to drive the wheels.  Some efficiency figures of over 280 mpg have been achieved.
Fast fit company Kwik-fit won its category according to the readers votes.

Tuesday 5 February 2013

Vanlease UK Video Blog | Ford Transit Custom | Van Leasing Deals

A research company in the UK, has declared the VW Golf to still be the best selling car in Europe





A research company in the UK, has declared the VW Golf to still be the best selling car in Europe


In 2011, VW sold 11% more Golf’s than in 2012.  Even so, the Golf remains the best selling car in Europe. VW described the drop as being a sharp one, but 2012 saw the launch of the Mk 7 Golf and a change in models always leads to a pause in sales. 

The new Golf, now available on contract hire, lease or personal contract, is a fantastic car.  We have a video of one (here) and have driven one to give you our impressions.  The car is all up a larger car, with more room inside, especially where you would most want it like leg and head room.  The new model is lighter than the outgoing due to the use of tricky lightweight steels and modern stronger plastics. 
The Ford Fiesta has seen a 13% drop over the year, again with a new model coming out, but even so it has overtaken the VW Polo for t second place.  The Polo, with a rather uneventful year, has fallen 20% over 2011, but has held on to third.  
The UK is apparently the only European country, of the main five economies, that did not see its total car market shrink in 2012, in fact it grew 5%.  Spain, Italy and France all experienced double digit falls in their car sales in 2012.  Portugal and Greece, as can be expected, saw larger falls of over 30%. 
It seems to be a consistent market for all German luxury brands like BMW, Audi, Mercedes Benz.   They changed very little. 
In particular, BMW’s 3 seriesBMW 3 Series Diesel Saloon has had a stellar year, with 21% growth over 2011, an ever popular lease car, the 3 series has lead the field in investment in green technology and efficiency and its soon to followed with its sibling 4 series . 
Brands benefiting from the austerity in Europe, like Hyundai and Kia, have continued to grow, especially their lower priced i30 and i40models fro Hyundai.  

Monday 4 February 2013

Car leasing deals for January 2013, cars in stock and ready to go


January always brings about new special offers and lease deals that are either  a manufacturer getting the new year going or a manufacturer making way for a new model.
In either case, the product is always backed by full manufacturers warranty and delivered to your door no matter where you are in the UK.     January 2013 is no exception, first off we have a number of last model Ford Fiesta’s at just £132.63 per month
Ford Fiesta Hatchback. Due to the launch of the new model Fiesta, the old model, still a great car and one that we run on our own fleet at CarLease UK. Follow that with the Skoda Fabiaat just £137.90,Skoda Fabia Hatchback Special Editionfar and away our best offer on this car. Thirdly, theVauxhall Mokka, to be honest this is a car that looks better in the flesh than it does on any picture. It drives superbly, this has always been a strength of Vauxhall and a great 4×4 for £167.49, what more could you ask for.
Fourthly, we have gone with the Citroen DS4, a stunning looker
Citroen DS4 Diesel Hatchbackand suitable for a family on a personal lease or a company looking for a fleet of vehicles that are just that bit different. Now, have a look at this, everybody at some time has wanted or lusted from a BMW.
Well now anyone can have one at £254.30 per month and for that you get the 3 series touring, our most enquired about BMW
BMW 3 Series Diesel Touring





Last, but not at all least, we have at last got a Jaguar to offer on a deal that we think you will love, an XF Diesel saloon for only £341.99.
Jaguar XF Diesel Saloon