Fiat Group's new commercial director plans to grow fleet sales across all five brands and make the company easier for customers to deal with.

Karl Howkins, who joined Fiat Group Automobiles in June from Vauxhall, said new products and strategies would help give the brands and their product better visibility and greater recognition.

He told Fleet News: "We’re bringing the brands together for fleet business. For dealers and for fleet customers it’s far easier to have to speak to one person about all five brands (Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Chrysler and Jeep).

"The fleet market in the UK is huge and complex. In the fleet market you have to talk to everybody, you can’t pick and choose the sectors you do business in.

"Rental is expensive business but it gives manufacturers product on the road and visibility. All kinds of people drive rental cars and they tell friends and family about their experience with the product.

"Corporate business gives you the chance to engage with fleets and an opportunity to grow."

Speaking at the launch of the new Fiat 500L Trekking, he said there was now greater potential for the Fiat brand to be chosen by fleet customers.

"The 500L allows Fiat to compete in more segments of the market and reach more customers," he said. "The seven-seater MPW model coming will give us even greater reach.

"Fiat products perform well on CO2 emissions but we need to do a lot more. Fiat’s fleet registrations are 35% in a new car market that’s 52% fleet. We want to redress this imbalance."

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