Fiat claims its old failings of high parts pricing, build quality and poor residual values are now a thing of the past, and the marque is promising competitive wholelife costs. A series of roadshows around the UK have targeted leasing companies, and their favour acts as a barometer for the fleet industry.

Colin Keir, Fiat's fleet director, said: 'Over the last two to three years we have worked very hard in a disciplined way to make sure we control residual values. It's absolutely key for both new and used buyers. We have actually turned away business that we did not believe fitted in with our view of a long term orderly approach.'

He added that within Fiat's restructured franchise network, a number of specialist dealerships had been developed with dedicated facilities for the fleet market, offering finance packages and product ranges relevant to the corporate sector. Indeed, Fiat's growth over the last two years has come largely through dealer sales.