Ford beat 10 rival manufacturers to retain a 250-car annual supply deal with motor and general insurer Allianz.

Allianz undertook a three-stage review and tender process for the contract which included an employee test-drive panel and the Focus and Mondeo emerged as the top choices.

The company, which has a single-brand fleet of 850 vehicles on an 80,000-mile/four-year replacement cycle, also evaluated safety, sustainability and wholelife costs in reaching its decision to stay with Ford.

The benchmark cars for the fleet will be the Focus Estate 1.5 TDCi 120hp and the Mondeo 1.6 TDCi 115hp models, with all cars equipped with satellite navigation, cruise control, parking sensors and Active City Stop.

Abigail Swartz, corporate procurement manager, Allianz Insurance, said: "Safe driving and the reduction of risk is of the utmost importance to Allianz, so it was crucial that our fleet provider was able to meet our benchmark vehicle performance levels.

"We were very impressed with the range of benefits that Ford was able to offer us, particularly the collision avoidance technology and the fuel-efficient diesel power units."

Emmet Wrafter, Ford account manager, added: "It's great to continue our relationship with Allianz, particularly when they have undertaken such a comprehensive fleet ordering process."