John Lewis, chief executive of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association has commented on today’s SMMT New Car Registration figures for 2011.
“2011 has indeed been a challenging year for the UK motor industry, and once again, it has business fleets to thank for purchasing nearly 60% of all new cars sold. It is great to see that this support has helped boost UK-based vehicle manufacturers including MINI, Nissan and Jaguar.
“The coming year could be even tougher and we expect fleet customers to continue to dominate the new car market. Business users recognise the advantages of buying newer, safer and more fuel efficient cars, but only as long as manufacturers resist the urge to push up prices.”
“The continued growth in sales of premium fleet brands including Audi, BMW, Mercedes and VW shows that cars with high list-prices can still be a very attractive business option because of their fuel-efficiency and high residual value, which gives them a low-cost of ownership.”
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Fleet News
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